Improbable Press Blog

Brodie stopped to catch his breath at the road, looking to see if there was any traffic. The night was quiet though, no headlights on the road, or signs of human presence anywhere.After a moment, Brodie straightened up, his breathing starting to ease. He glanced back toward the lodge, starting to feel a bit like an idiot. Then, he heard something ahead of him, and whipped back around. In front of him was the creature he'd been chasing, as if it had waited for him.It held its black head high, long antlers gleaming in the lights of the aurora. Something...

By Atlin Merrick This post was originally born from rage after reading the strong, wise words of Wheeloffortune-Design, and with that rage my primary thoughts were…obscured for some. So I’m rewriting this to clarify what I mean by write your desire, and it has to do with write what you know. And that doesn’t mean what people think it means. I need not be a carpenter to write about carpenters. I need not be male to write about men, I do not have to be a wizard, LGBTQIA+, or autistic to write characters who are any or all of these...

As noted previously, some weeks there are story themes and this week's writing prompt, though its dance card was not full (weeps delicately), it tended toward science fictional fills. Contemporary fantasy maybe?Whatever it is, I love these sorts of stories, and I love that you come and share yours here. What a delicious gift, to get something fresh-baked to read each week. Thank you for that.Speaking of 'each week' I thought maybe two weeks between prompts would garner more responses but I think I'll go back to once a week. I enjoy these too and two weeks seems, I don't...

By Kameo Llyn Douglas The absolute first thing you need to know, from someone who has just turned her first book, Rare and Wonderfully Made, in to her editor: It's possible. I am really an ordinary person, like with a day job and a dog and dirty laundry and I wrote a book. At 58 years old. This is astounding to me. People who write books are sorcerers, experts, miracle workers, not middle-aged women who eat too much ice cream out of the carton and still manage to let dishes pile up in the sink. You can write a book...

By Darcy Lindbergh Writing The Watches of the Night was about really getting back into the canon of Sherlock Holmes and picking it apart at the seams, trying to sort out where I could elbow my own way in. Conan Doyle's writing is really such a joy to read, and comparing the original stories to some of the academia that has sprouted up around it – both the traditionally-accepted and the more creative lines of thinking – to decide how I wanted to follow it along was a really fascinating job. As with any writing, there was a ton of...