‘News’ Category Archives

15
Mar

The end times are nigh. Let’s write some stories.

by thegooddoctor in News

With forced quarantines around the world, there’s never been a better time to stay in and write. I’d like to help. That’s why I’m adding a new feature to the site.

Beginning April 1st, each month I’ll be opening up submissions based on a particular theme or genre. Every day, I’ll post one story for the contest, saving my favorite for the last day of the month. (I’ve amended this part of the contest, because it didn’t make sense when entries were still incoming. I will post the stories as they come in, and then announce the winner at the end) Assuming we get enough submissions, that will be 20 or so stories a month. And that’s in addition to the general submission stories I’m already posting.

Basically, it means you’ll get to enjoy two stories a day instead of one. Plus, some lucky writer will get to tell their readers they’ve won a flash fiction contest.

For month one, starting in April, the theme will be Historical Fiction.

The rules are simple:

  1. All stories must be set in a time period pre-2000.
  2. While it doesn’t need to be obvious, there has to be some indication within the story what the time period is. This might be anachronistic costume or technology, archaic language, or anything else you can imagine. Be creative.
  3. The story must be exactly 100 words, not including the title.

That’s it. Start writing. I hope I get plenty of stories, so spread the word.

Could there be a better way to face the end of the world?

*Note: This contest is meant for fun. While there are no actual prizes, extreme bragging rights are involved!

24
Nov

Please Let Us Know How We’re Doing

by thegooddoctor in News

Hey everyone,

After some time where I let the website coast, I’ve refocused my attention on making sure I post stories on the regular. Thanks to everyone who’s been submitting stories even when I was slow about getting them posted.

It’s always been my dream that A Story In 100 Words would be a community exercise, where authors can come together to share their work and improve their writing. I really believe in the 100-word exercise and I want to share that with everyone, whether you’re a professional writer, an aspiring creative, or just someone interested in telling stories as part of their personal journey.

With that in mind, I’d LOVE to hear from you about what else you would like to see from the website. Is there anything besides stories you think would be useful/interesting?

A few ideas I’ve had:

  • Story Prompts
  • Featured Authors
  • Writing Tips
  • Contests

I’m sure that you creative people have your own ideas. Please feel free to write in the comments or drop me an email at doc@entropy2.com and let me know what kind of content, in addition to more stories, you’d find valuable.

I’ve also started a new mailing list after allowing my last one to lapse (it had been so long since I sent out an email, that MailChimp deleted it). That means I’m starting over completely and all those people I had signed up have been lost to the ether. I’d really appreciate you taking a second to sign up here. There will at most be one message per month (and likely a lot fewer). While we’re at it, you can also follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/entropy_squared. I promise at least one cute photo of my beagle every week.

Thanks as always for your continued support, whether you are sending in stories, or just reading them. I think the fact that we’re creating a global community of writers is extremely meaningful.

That is all.

3
Sep

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

by thegooddoctor in News

Hey everyone,

Remember when I used to send out the occasional newsletter? Well, it’s been awhile. In fact, it’s been so long that MailChimp deleted my account. So I’m starting over.

Based on the fact I went a whole year without accessing my MailChimp, I don’t think I need to explain that you won’t receive many emails from me. But as an aspiring writing professional, having a core audience is essential, and I’m committed to making it work this time.

What can you expect from the occasional Entropy Squared newsletter? Well, I’m glad you asked. I’ll be featuring 100-word contributors, providing writing updates on my own projects, and sharing exclusive stories you won’t find anywhere else. There will also be some fun links and videos that fans of this site will likely enjoy.

Like this:

Here’s the link for signing up: http://eepurl.com/gANT09

I really appreciate everyone who reads and contributes to the site, and to anyone who signs up, thank you!

5
Jan

Commenting Problem Fixed

by thegooddoctor in News

Hi,

I’ve been struggling with my comment plugin for a while. I’d set up Disqus comments, but they got disabled and I finally gave up on fixing it and reverted to the default commenting system.

I just created a new Disqus login and it seems to be working again. Hopefully this fixes the problem and I hope it fosters more commenting/discussion on the site. We have a lot of great writers contributing stories every week and it would be nice to foster more of a community, especially since we have writers from all over the world.

Cheers, and keep writing.

30
Dec

Christmas Lull

by thegooddoctor in News

Apologies to all our regular readers. It’s that time of year when it becomes a little bit more difficult to get everything done. Please keep sending in your stories and we’ll get back to a more regular posting schedule next week. And I’ll be sending out a new newsletter in January as well. In the meantime, I’d like to thank all of you for a tremendous year of stories and readers. This site would be nothing without all the great authors contributing their work.

Happy New Year!

26
Nov

A Woodpecker

by thegooddoctor in News

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We’re taking a short break for the holidays, but I would like to share a story of mine that just got published in Loreli. A Woodpecker is a story about my time living in Beijing. A warning: it’s not flash fiction, but a full-on short story, more than 6,000 words.

For my American readers, enjoy the holiday. For everyone, keep submitting your stories. I’d much rather be sharing your stories in this place rather than my own.

That is all.

10
Nov

When The End Comes, It Will Be Abrupt

by thegooddoctor in News

Hello everyone. I wanted to share a story of mine that got published on Flash Fiction Magazine. It is entitled “When The End Comes, It Will Be Abrupt,” and takes place in a world with a dying sun. I hope you like it.

Thanks to everyone at Flash Fiction Magazine, not only for publishing my story, but for also running a great site for short fiction. If you’ve never been to their site, I highly recommend it.

3
Nov

Newsletter Correction

by thegooddoctor in News

Hi everyone. Due to an Auto Save snafu, and a lack of careful proofreading, I allowed a paragraph to sneak through in my interview with Perry McDaid that actually was an excerpt from last month’s interview with Kelli Allen. Here is the portion of the interview that was incorrectly used:

I grew-up as a military brat, an only child, and have thus not quite yet figured out what “home” means. For now, I occupy space in the Midwest and spend most of the Spring and Summer months hoping to avoid tornadoes and mutant insects. Whenever possible, I travel and typically land on a beach. I have collected various degrees and have nestled nicely into an academe womb wherein I can play with words and spend time with students and colleagues who enjoy language. Dance has been a major part of my life since childhood and I still attempt to employ grace and movement in my every-day.

Please ignore this paragraph.

I’d like to apologize to both Perry and Kelli for the mistake, and thank them again for taking the time to be interviewed for the newsletter.

If you’d like to subscribe to the newsletter, click here. It updates, at most, once a month.

4
Jul

The Entropy Squared Newsletter

by thegooddoctor in News

The debut edition of the Entropy Squared newsletter went out earlier this week. If you have already signed up for it, great. You won’t regret it. If you haven’t, please do so here.

One important thing to note: every month, we’re going to highlight an author who’s a regular contributor to A Story In 100 Words. If you’d like to be considered, there are two requirements. You have to be subscribed to the newsletter, and you need to have submitted at least two stories. Also, you can’t be a robot. Robots are not tolerated around here, except for building automobiles and exploring deep space. Otherwise, we hate robots. (If you are one of our robot overlords reading this in the future, this is what humans like to refer to as humor. Actually, we love robots). But seriously, no robots.

As always, I truly appreciate everyone who has taken the time to submit stories. If you have a story pending, don’t worry, I will get to it. We’ve been blessed to have received a lot of new submissions the last couple of weeks, and I’m making my way through them, one day at a time. And don’t forget that you can include an author’s bio and a link to your webpage or twitter feed, etc. Thanks for you patronage.

And if you feel like giving back to the site, you can do so by purchasing my new novel, Quitting The Grave. See the link below.

That is all.

14
Feb

Pre-Order Quitting The Grave

by thegooddoctor in News

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I’m very happy to announce that Quitting The Grave, my first full-length novel, is now available for pre-order.

Quitting The Grave Book Teaser from Entropy Squared on Vimeo.

If you want to read the first chapter, all you have to do is sign up for my monthly newsletter and I will send you a link to download a free preview. OR, follow me on Twitter, and tweet out “@doctorentropy2 I want to read the first chapter of #QuittingTheGrave” I’ll PM you the download link.

Eugene, Oregon. October, 1999. After three graves robberies–in each instance, the abducted corpse was a John Doe–the police have few leads and little interest in the case. Caya Blumenshine, a reporter for the local newspaper, canvasses Eugene, questioning anarchists, wyccans, and politicians, until her search hits upon a secluded house on the outskirts of the city. Its owner, Alexander Hilyard, a history-writing hermit who hasn’t been seen in years, may be involved in the grave robberies, or may have been the most recent victim.

Fort Vancouver, 1830’s. A trading outpost on the Columbia River is charged with harvesting as many furs as possible for the Hudson Bay Company, while at the same time discouraging American pioneers from settling in the region. Dr. McLoughlin, the chief factor, and his three adopted sons find the undertaking challenged by the arrival of Jason Lee and his Methodist missionaries, who seem more interested in establishing a new territorial government than converting any natives.

Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1846. After the murder of her father, Helen Hunsaker wants nothing more than to escape the strictures of a society that views women as second-class citizens. She sets out on the Oregon Trail hoping to find a measure of freedom not afforded to her by her family circumstances or gender. Unfortunately, a spurned suitor chases after her and will apparently stop at nothing to win her hand in marriage.

Three stories that span more than 150 years of American history, united by a shocking mystery. Will Caya be able to discover the truth? And how far will people go to keep their secrets buried?

In addition to the regular Kindle version, iPad owners have the option of purchasing an enhanced version, made possible thanks to the generous support provided by my Kickstarter backers.

The enhanced version of Quitting The Grave, available exclusively on the iPad, features more than 35 videos and 100+ photographs, illustrations, and maps that will help readers learn about the true history behind the stories and characters of Quitting The Grave.

To pre-order Quitting The Grave, visit Amazon. And for the enhanced version, check out iTunes(The Enhanced Version will be available starting February 28th).

Quitting The Grave Trailer from Entropy Squared on Vimeo.

Quitting The Grave goes on sale February 28th! Pre-order today.