Napoleon, a survivor from the Mutiny of the Bounty, and a demonic killer in the cobblestoned streets of Toulon, 1793.

This is Part 6 of the story.
If you haven't read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , or Part 5 yet, please start there.

A SKIRMISH OF WITS

TOULON, NOVEMBER ...

"Sweetie, look, this was just delivered. It's from ...," my wife reads the card while unboxing the birthday present, peeling off red gift wrapping, "... your Aunt Salomé."

"That's nice — wait, Aunt Salomé? But — "

The red gift wrapping blooms into an orange fireball.

The shockwave pushes me, s...

The short story "Valentine" was written in the "Pantser" method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: by the seat of my pants, using no outline, making it up as I went along. 

Of course, there are **spoilers**, so if you haven't read the story yet, do that first, using ...

The flash fiction story "Kill The Messenger" was written in the "Pantser" method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: by the seat of my pants, using no outline, making it up as I went along. 

Of course, there are **spoilers**, so if you haven't read the story yet, do t...

The flash fiction story “The Monsters” was written in the “Character” method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: taking a character through a transformation.

Of course, there are spoilers, so if you haven’t read the story yet, do that first, using the link in the firs...

1567
Edinburgh

“I’ll gie ye a skelpit lug!”

His father followed through on his promise, landing a slap on Brod’s ear so hard it made the inside of the young boy’s head ring like a great bell.

Brod began keening, tears running down his soot-smudged cheeks.

“Haud yer wheesht, and stop y...

Gunshots, then a loud crash, then the doors to the casino flew open, a man ran out, gun in hand, three men in pursuit, then more gunshots, the man crumbling into a shivering heap on the wet pavement under the yellow streetlight, rain mixing with dark blood, then the heap stopped shivering, and...

Napoleon, a survivor from the Mutiny of the Bounty, and a demonic killer in the cobblestoned streets of Toulon, 1793.

This is Part 5 of the story.
If you haven't read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4 yet, please start there.

THE RACE FOR GLORY

TOULON, NOVEMBER 1793

I want to write well rounded characters that go through changes — meaningful transformations. How do I write character arcs in a story? These are 12 aspects of writing character arcs:

1. Story Arc vs Character Arc
2. Idea to STORY: The Character Method
3. Lies and Truth
4. Bliss and Fears
5. Wants
...

LOS ANGELES, 2079

NOVEMBER

(TONIGHT)

Oh, I could eat you up. Eat you whole. In one bite.

Valentine smiles to herself, in her close-lipped way, 'pensive' they call it in the publicity sumsen. She always smiles this way. Lips closed. She has beautiful, blinding-white, even teeth, light...

“Where are we?” the old man said.

“In a dark wood.”

“Who are you?” said the old man.

“Just … a brother,” said the young man.

“Stop,” the old man said. “Let me look at you.”

“It is dark.”

“And I am blind. For me it is always dark. I can see with my hands, if you will allow me.”

“Yes.”...

Napoleon, a survivor from the Mutiny of the Bounty, and a demonic killer in the cobblestoned streets of Toulon, 1793.

This is Part 4 of the story.
If you haven't read Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3 yet, please start there.

' 

SHANGHAIED

TOULON, NOVEMBER 1793

The man c...