Posts filed under ‘free stories’
Here’s a little piece I wrote for my writers group, The Wordwrights, in response to a prompt described in the story as the ‘headline’, born from a list of random phrases spliced together.
I submitted it once and received a rejection. Maybe because it was too dark, or humorless or just plain sucked. I have a great deal of work in progress so for now this story is not even near the back burner. In fact, it can be found hovering around the circular file. With that in mind, I thought I’d share my cleverness with you.
In all honest, I have some reluctance posting unpublished work online, in my blog. There are some venues, at least for short stories, which consider any online appearance as the piece being already published and will not touch it.
In the future I plan to throw caution to the wind and post a few chapters of my unpublished and oft rejected novel, The Beast Awaits. Perhaps someone out there will enjoy the chapters enough to provide some feedback.
In parting, let me share a small piece of parting wisdom from an obscure author someday to be devoured by time, ‘No fame, no gain’.
In the vast majority of the world gain equals monetary value. But in the writer’s world, at least this writer’s world, gain is having his words read and appreciated.
THE HEADLINE
I sit alone in my cell. Tonight, at eleven, they will start the IV that will end my life. How could I be so stupid?
The headline shouted in huge bold letters, ‘AFTER TOO MANY CUPS OF COFFEE A CHILD GENIUS DEVELOPS THE ABILITY TO FLY’. Did I check the date? What difference would that make? Papers publish only the truth.
I’ve had some mental issues in the past, nothing big, just a couple nervous breakdowns and hearing the occasional mysterious voice. After a couple of years in institutions, I snapped out of it, or so my handlers said. I was released with a clean bill of health. I was cured! My wife was confident enough to let me watch our six year old son while she went to work, and she is one of the ‘trusted ones’. The voices told me so.
Let me tell you about our son. At the age of six he can read, kind of, can count and knows most of the alphabet. The kid was a regular genius. After all he did spring from my loins. That damn headline stuck in my mind, so while I was alone with the kid, I began priming him for stardom. Starting with half coffee and half milk and with tons of sugar, I eventually got the little guy to drink it black. He couldn’t get enough of the stuff. My genius kid was soon drinking six huge cups of black joe a day. When I thought he was ready, and this was confirmed by one of my voices; I opened the window of our tenth floor apartment and tossed him out. I craned my neck looking skyward. Nothing. Finally, I looked down – oops.
Later I would find that the damned headline appeared on April 1st. I guess the joke was on me.
September 8, 2014 at 2:34 am
In keeping with the holidays I thought I would share with you the only Christmas story I have written thus far, published by Bewildering Stories in 2007.
Picture a really sick Grinch story without a happy ending.
Read on.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
by Walt Trizna
W** was known for his stories of murder and mayhem. Tales of ghosts and monsters were his claim to meager fame. A member of a writers’ group, he enjoyed sharing his twisted stories with the group and the support they provided. But how could they know, imagine, they were not all stories. W** carried demons of his own. Even his wife did not know the visions, the “truths” that journeyed through his muddled brain.
It was during the November writers’ meeting that the group leader, S**, announced, “In place of our December meeting, I suggest we meet for a holiday dinner. It will be a chance to relax and prepare for the year’s writing ahead.” The approval of the group was unanimous.
Reservations were made and the day of the dinner arrived. It was a rainy evening when W** set out for the restaurant. The back and forth motion of the windshield wipers gave him a slight headache. He was one of the last to arrive, greeted his fellow writers and took his seat next to S**.
The room was large with a single circular table at its center. A curious aspect was the room’s ceiling. It was domed with a most unsettling feature. From one side of the room conversations, even in the softest whisper, were conveyed to the opposite side of this domed affair.
As the meal was served, W** looked across the table to C** and G**, deep in conversation, discussing light matters. Suddenly, the conversation changed. To his disbelief, W** heard them plotting his murder. He clearly heard their voices discussing every detail. W** sat in disbelief while those about him laughed and shared stories. His friends asked if there was anything wrong, for he was visibly shaken. “I’m fine,” he replied and left the restaurant to make plans of his own.
January arrived and it was time for another meeting. S** was the last to arrive. “I have terrible news. C** and G** have met with horrible accidents. They are both dead.”
The group sat there in shock. Disbelief was soon followed by sounds of sorrow and grief.
The year swiftly went by. It was a good year with many of the members being published. Once again, at the November meeting, S** announced the plans for a Christmas dinner. The site would be the same as last year.
W** once again made his way to the restaurant, this time during a light and peaceful snow. He greeted his friends and took his place. Once again, he could hear the whispered conversations from across the room. And once again he heard his murder being plotted: this time it was T** and B** who made the fiendish plot. Once again two members of the group were visited with horrible and fatal accidents.
January found the group deep in sorrow once more. That was five years ago. And for each of those years, a Christmas dinner was held and shortly after, two more members met their demise.
Christmas neared once again, but there would be no Christmas dinner, for the only member remaining was W**. A creature of tradition, W** reserved the domed room for his private dinner. There he sat, alone with no whispering conversations to fill his head.
He gazed around at the empty seats, and his ears perked up. There were voices plotting his murder. Looking out at the overflowing restaurant, he saw a young family that he was sure was plotting his end. A fiendish smile crossed his lips. His work was not yet done.
Copyright © 2007 by Walt Trizna
December 23, 2013 at 11:38 pm
Separate Worlds is going to publish my short story, Second Chance. The story has already been published by Books To Go Now but is no longer available. For the opportunity to read my story as an eBook from BTGN, you had to pay. Separate Worlds is offering the privilege to enjoy the story for free.
If you still don’t show interest in the story, I guess the next step is to pay you to read it. JUST KIDDING!!
Second Chance is a science fiction story with a twist I hope you do not see coming. I’ll provide a link when it is available.
December 14, 2013 at 10:07 pm
As promised, here is more information on a website for both readers and writers, Goodreads.
For readers, this site offers a chance to post reviews of books you have read and also to check what other readers think about a book you are interested in reading. There are numerous groups and book clubs you can join where you can share your interest a host of genres and topics. Also, authors offer free copies of their work on this site.
For authors, Goodreads provides a means to gain exposure for your work. You can offer free print or eBook copies or make available a portion of your eBook. You can also have your blog entries posted automatically on this site. It is definitely worth a look to see what they offer to authors.
Best of all, IT’S FREE.
Here’s a link.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17465697-eat-move-sleep?gclid=CIqZ9Je7j7oCFQeg4AodCQoA_A
October 11, 2013 at 7:02 pm
My consistent readers,
Here’s an opportunity to win a free copy of my novel, New Moon Rising.
The giveaway is being conducted by Goodreads, an excellent website for both readers and writers.
My next piece will go into greater detail about Goodreads, but for now, I thought some of you might be interested in giving this a shot.
Here are links to my free book plus a host of others.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/tag/science-fiction?page=4
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11458848-new-moon-rising
October 7, 2013 at 11:29 pm
As promised yesterday, my friends, here is a story about motherhood but totally inappropriate for Mother’s Day.
Let me know if you are curious and I’ll send you the full story.
THE INHERITANCE
May lay deathly still, listening, as her two daughters, Joan and Heidi, searched through her belongings looking for treasure. Joan was the first to speak, “I hope the old bat dies before the end of the month. That would save us a month’s rent.’
Heidi answered, “Quiet Joan, she’ll hear you.”
Joan replied, “Are you kidding? She’s toast. Even her doctor can’t explain what keeps her going.”
May Connors, age 62; lay dying in her bed in the small bedroom of her apartment in the assisted living wing of The Towers Nursing Home. She appeared as a corpse ready for burial, her face ashen and her jaw slack. Only the rare rise and fall of her chest brought home the fact that her withered body still harbored life. Cancer had ravaged her physically just as cruel circumstances had ravaged her existence. At one time her life was full of promise. Now she had nothing, nothing but the cruel words of her daughters that seared into her brain.
May 13, 2013 at 5:40 pm
First, I would like to wish all those moms out there a Happy Mother’s Day. I was going to post a short story, my only story that specifically is about a mother. But I felt it would be totally inappropriate and in poor taste. So I’ll post part of it tomorrow and see if anyone is interested in seeing the rest, FOR FREE.
In the meantime, here is a taste of another short story already published. Pardon the pun.
If anyone would like to see the entire story, just email me at wtrizna@comcast.net.
I promise you that all you will receive is the rest of the story. The only thing I ask is that if you enjoy the stories, tell your friends about my blog.
Here is a taste.
THE GIFT OF DEATH
Will’s bedroom was cast in shadows by the moonlight filtering through the window. Lying next to him was the naked body of a young woman. With her lips slightly parted, she appeared as if she were in a gentle sleep. He face, framed by short blond hair, was at peace. Her body was perfect, fit and trim. He knew she was dead. It was not the first time this happened and he knew, with disgust and resign, it would not be the last.
He had met the woman in a bar. They had returned to his apartment, both intoxicated and undressed for a session of lovemaking, but Will’s desires were much different than the girl’s. Will felt excitement as he entered her then his gaze fell to her neck. Lowering his head to that delicate neck was the last thing he remembered. He blacked out during the thrill of intense feeding. Before the feeding, Will felt an attraction for the girl, and for the short time they were together, he fought to keep himself under control with the fleeting promise of companionship. But as the alcoholic must have his drink, in the end, Will’s desire to feed won out.
May 12, 2013 at 7:08 pm
My consistent readers,
In a few days I will post a snippet of a short story. If you are interested, you can email me and receive the entire story.
May 10, 2013 at 5:35 pm
This is a pitch I am using to gain interest in my novel.
In the future I shall post some sample chapters.
Before that, however, I have much to share with you.
If you cannot wait to read those chapters, let me know.
I am extremely flexible if there is interest.
Name: Walt Trizna
Title: The Beast Awaits
Genre: SciFi Thriller
Word Count: 80500
A population of illegally harvested embryonic stem cells harbors a primordial cell the existence of which is unknown to the scientific world. This cell has the ability to become any organism once exposed to that organism’s specific cellular nutrient. One cell will give rise to a beast the likes of which mankind has yet to encounter and this beast will devastate the planet.
April 25, 2013 at 6:45 pm
My consistent readers,
I am about to embark, with your help, on a new endeavor.
I am a writer, a solitary person, and not a salesman. However, in today’s publishing environment, one must be both. Using my blog, and with your help, I offer to you the opportunity to read my work, and if you find it interesting, recommend my work to others.
In the future I will be offering snippets of previously published stories. If you are interested in reading the complete work, all you need to do is email me and I will send it to you free. You may ask why not post the entire story? I have in the past and gotten no feedback one way or another.
Here is my email address; wtrizna@comcast.net
Subject line; Story request
I don’t open email without a subject and this way I will know the email does not contain some hidden agenda.
I will post chapters from my novel, New Moon Rising, published by Mélange Books.
You will also be able to read some of my unpublished work. I want to share with you chapters of my novel, The Beast Awaits, trying to gauge what interest there is and what the future might hold for this work.
Unpublished short stories will also be on the menu. If you are interested you can receive the entire work.
As you can see, I want my work to be read and see what interest it generates. With my work and your help we can make this experiment successful.
April 24, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Older Posts
Newer Posts
Walttriznastories's Blog 