"A Good Story Cannot Function Like A Legal Brief, Which Attempts To Persuade And Lead The Reader Down

"A good story cannot function like a legal brief, which attempts to persuade and lead the reader down a narrow path suspended above the abyss of unreasonable. Rather, it must be more like an empty house, an open garden, a deserted beach by the ocean. The reader moves in with their own burdensome baggage and long-cherished possessions, seeds of doubt and shears of understanding, maps of human nature and baskets of sustaining faith. The reader then inhabits the story, explores its nooks and crannies, rearranges the furniture to suit their taste, covers the walls with sketches of their inner life, and thereby makes the story their home."

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, Ken Liu

Happy STS! What do you think you like the most about your villain/s in your story/ies?

Oh, this is a great one!

I have many villains in my main WIP - The Last Wrath, but also in my other smaller works in progress as well (such as Enchanted Illusions, or some others that I have yet to post), with varied roles and importance in the story, but I think that what I like the most about them is that, I try to make even the most terrible kind of person in the book have clear motives and backstory - not in a sense that it justifies their actions, absolutely not, but more as to showcase that they’re not just the typical mustache twirling evil guy archetype. They’re evil, cruel and conniving bastards, but I think I have managed (at least I hope so) to give them nuance - as in, they do the things they do, because they believe those things are right (in their twisted and sick world view). Some of them even see themselves as the heroes of their own story, others know they are cruel monsters and have embraced it, while some are just the kind of bastards that are too deep in their own self-righteousness to care, and others are deeply conflicted knowing that they have strayed from their original intentions but are too far gone to go back. But no matter what kind of villainy they enact, they believe in it due to their experiences, worldview, personality and beliefs, they see their path as the right one and are not afraid to destroy anything in the way of their goals because they see them as the ultimate choice. At least, I hope I am doing so correctly in my stories!

Thank you so much for the ask, @lassiesandiego!

If the voices in your head are telling you that you suck at writing, write them into your next wip as someone who gets brutally murdered

I love you fanfic writers I love you original fiction writers I love you nonfiction writers! I love you writers who share your work and writers who never share a single thing. I love you published writers! Traditionally published writers! Self-published writers! Writers who never plan to publish! Writers who write for fun and writers who write for work and writers who write sometimes only when they feel like it! Song writers! Poem writers! Screenplay writers! Writers! How amazing it is, to be able to turn our thoughts into written words.

Writing Prompt #2329

Merry festivals were a wonderful place to make mischief and cause all sorts of problems.

Flash Fiction Friday:

Prompt: The Devil You Forgot.

@flashfictionfridayofficial, @lassiesandiego, @writernopal, @lyutenw, @rickie-the-storyteller, @writeblrcafe

Snippet from my Gothic Victorian Fantasy WIP - Enchanted Illusions.

“The Devil You Forgot:”

The trio was surrounded, in that decrepit old mansion’s library, there was little place to hide, much less, from this man. Silas Holloway, the most powerful vampire lord currently living - the first to strike down his Maker in order to ascend into power, and he was out for blood of the heir to the Van Sterlling family. 

The night was eerily silent, almost artificially cold. Silently, Clarence looked for a way out, though from chosen every path, a new vampire seemed to emerge from the shadows just before they could walk any further. Behind him, Evangeline grabbed a book from a shelf, as if it would be any good against a mob of vampires, and Thaddeus reached for his gun, knowing the lead bullets would just bounce off of any of his targets. They crouched together behind a sturdy bookshelf, careful not to make a sound as they watched shadows flicker on the faint moonlight from across the other aisles, and the creaking floors gave away their enemies approach. There was no way out. 

“You know, your father tried to do this too, a few centuries ago” A sharp, male voice echoed throughout the vast room, as if all around them. A strangled noise of fear left Clarence’s throat, but he quickly silenced himself with a hand over his mouth. Evangeline placed an arm around his shoulder as the man continued. “Thought he could escape me. He was smart, very smart. Quite a lot like you - even managed to betray me and escape unharmed.” A chuckle echoed across the dark room, and Clarence struggled not to hyperventilate, knowing it would only give away their compromised hiding spot. Thaddeus all but growled, gripping his pistol harder as he tried to see where the older vampire was talking from. “Of course, I found him, eventually. But I couldn’t catch him, and he slipped right through my fingers once more.” The man’s voice reeked with hatred behind his sarcastic facade “I would have tore this earth apart to bring that traitor to justice, but then I realized how kind the Makers can be, as he left me something far more valuable than his life, the one thing that he loved more than spiting my line of work” Silas paused, and the trio realized, with a pang, where the vampire had been standing. “A son.”

That word cut like a thousand blades as the other vampire towered over them. 

At the same moment, all of the other vampires emerged from the shadows, forming a circle behind Silas and crushing any hopes of escape under the soles of their boots. In the darkness of the library, Silas’ cruel smile shone a sickly white glow. Clarence stands on shaky feet, trying to stare down the vampire and defend the last bit of honor his House has. But all that he can do is look fearfully ahead, his eyes not nearly as unmoved as he would’ve liked. He notices Thaddeus moving his pistol upwards from the corner of his eyes, and swiftly catches his friend’s arm with one hand. That’s just going to make things worse, he shakes his head quickly, never once looking away from Silas. With less confidence than he would have liked, he steps forward, placing himself so that the weight of the Vampire Lord’s wrath falls solely on him, and not in his human friends. 

“What do you want with me?” Clarence asks, voice far shakier than he would have liked. He stiffles a wince when Silas chuckles, a cruel sound. To his terror, Clarence suddenly becomes aware of the distinct, horrid smell of silver. 

“To collect what I am owed” Silas says through gritted teeth, and before any of the three can say anything, he has a hand to the young vampire’s throat, keeping him from running and lifting him off the ground. A silver ring sizzles his way into the younger vampire’s skin in an agonizing burn, but the Vampire Lord just laughs, unmoved even though the silver ring is upon his own skin. Behind them, his allies move to restrain the two humans, who had tried to defend their friend valiantly. Silas smirks as Clarence uselessly tries to thrash his way out of his grip, bringing him closer and lowering his voice. “After all, your father seems to have well forgotten that the price of treason is blood.”