Hey all!

You may have noticed that I have been conspicuously absent for quite some time now. There’s a few reasons, not the least of which is that life has just been kind of in the way. But more to the point, my writing goals have changed and I’m not quite sure what that means yet for Beyond the Threshold.

When I first started this flash fiction blog, it was something of an experiment. I had never written in short-story form before, and had several unfinished “novels.” I wanted to explore flash fiction as a way to test out new ways of telling stories, improve my world-building skills, and create a bunch of characters and scenarios. I wanted to have fun, and see what I could learn.  It was well worth it, but I feel like I might have hit a wall for what I can do in 1000 words. In order to grow, I think it’s time to change up the game.

So, for the first time ever – I’m participating in NaNoWriMo! In the spirit of that, I’d like to share some of my favourite writer resources with all of you lover of words 🙂 If you are looking for inspiration, motivation, or just a way to geek-out writer-style, you’ll want to check these out!

Podcasts

Podcasts have become a constant in my life. They are perfect for listening to while I’m doing anything very hands-on like cooking, cleaning, crocheting – anything of that nature.

Here are a few aimed specifically at budding writers:

• Writing Excuses: Tips, advice, and writing challenges brought to you by 3 working  authors
• How Story Works: Story theory! Course-style discussions on how to craft a well-written story brought to you by author Lani Diane Rich
• Comics Experience Make Comics: Everything you need to know about making comic books and participating in the comic book industry

And whether you are interested in writing or not, story-lovers need to check out these podcasts by story-teller extraordinaires:

• Myths and Legends: Folklore from all over the world, told accurately – but with a critical and comical edge, brought to you by Jason and Carissa Weiser
• Fictional: Iconic tales you may have never actually read, also brought to you by Jason and Carissa Weiser
• Lore: Stories from the darkest corners of history, brought to you by Aaron Mahnke (now a TV series on Amazon Prime Video)
• Origins: Exploring the origins of dark legends and supernatural archetypes, brought to you by author Jaimie Engle

Gamified Writing

Looking for a fresh challenge or a way to spice up the relationship between you and your story? Here’s a couple places to check out:

NaNoWriMo – obviously! Sign up for free and challenge yourself to write 50,000 words in the month of November. It’s already started, but it’s not to late to join. Update your word count, race your writing buddies, win badges and qualify to win a prize at the end.

4thewords: In this quest style game, you kill monsters in battle by writing to complete quests! Set up as many projects as you want, and choose which to write for in each battle. You’ll start off by needing 200 words in 30 minutes, but it gets tougher – pressure’s on!

Ad Hoc Fiction: This is a free weekly flash fiction contest. A prompt word is given and you have 150 words to tell a whole story, using the prompt at least once. Be creative! The competition is sharp.

Happy Writing!