Words Deferred is a blog about writing fiction, in all of its myriad forms.
What am I doing here? I’m reviewing books and giving away my story ideas! But that’s not all…
In 2024 and 2026 I’ve done what I like to call a Year of Short Stories. I spend 52 weeks writing sci-fi and fantasy stories and submitting them to publications. I write weekly updates to discuss my progress, as well as the ins and outs of writing and submitting short fiction in these markets. Read the kickoff, or see all the posts.
Previously, I spent almost two years writing Razor Mountain, a novel that I updated here twice per month. I documented the entire process, from ideas and outlining to the cover design and back-cover blurb to the chapters themselves. You can read all of it on my Razor Mountain landing page.
If you’d rather read some of my free microfiction or hundred-word drabbles, check out the Fiction section.
If you’re looking for something else, use the search, categories and tags in the sidebar, or check out my most recent posts below.
Weeks 18 & 19 — Year of Short Stories 2026
2026 is another year of short stories. In this weekly series, I track my short story writing, from idea and draft to submission. This is the weeks of May 4 – 17. Stats Submissions and Responses In the past two weeks I had a single rejection for Taco Cat Employee…
Musical Writing Prompts
Fine. I admit it. I hate most writing prompts. Why? Well, that’s a good question. I enjoy thinking up ideas for stories. But I rarely find that “traditional” writing prompts help me do that. I suspect that the skills for creating a good writing prompt are further from the skills…
Week 17 — Year of Short Stories 2026
2026 is another year of short stories. In this weekly series, I track my short story writing, from idea and draft to submission. This is the week of Apr. 27 – May 3. Stats Submissions and Responses One response this week—a rejection for The Incident at Pleasant Hills. This included…
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Words Deferred 