Dayton's Blog: A pimple on the ass of the Internet.

Back on Halloween, I presented my flash-fiction story "Last Stand" as a series of tweets on Twitter. Each tweet was appended with the hashtag #laststand so folks could keep track of the feed I was conjuring.

Since then, I've had a few requests to make the story available so that it could be read by normal people, without the hashtags and the need to read the feed in reverse chronological order. I've also asked about some kind of follow-up for Twitter, either a sequel to this story or something else entirely. I haven't had time to give that much thought, but I do have an idea or two percolating in the back of my brain. If I have time over the coming holidays, I may put some juice to that and see what happens.

In the meantime, here you go: "Last Stand"

So, I decided to try an experiment this Halloween.

Tomorrow night, starting sometime after 6pm Central time (about the time I assume my post as CandyGuy at our front door), I'm going to start "live tweeting" over on Twitter. One tweet at a time, I'll present a flash fiction story I wrote back in 2007 called "Last Stand." It was a story I originally wrote as a favor to friend and fellow writer Christopher Pimental (chrispimental) for his e-Zine Thug Works and its Halloween-themed issue.

I'd been thinking of posting a "Twitter-fied" story of some sort for a while, and a month or so ago, as Halloween 2009 began looming on the horizon, I decided that was a good time to try something. Thug Works unfortunately has passed on into the aether, taking with it "Last Stand" and all the other, better fiction that once called the zine home. With the story appearing nowhere else -- at least, not so far as I've been able to determine -- I figured the story might be the right vehicle for test-driving this sort of thing. It's short (850 words originally, but I pumped it up to just over 1,000 while reformatting it and tweaking it for Twitter), is told in first person (perfect for Tweeting), and it's got foul language, violence, and zombies.

Trick or treat, yo.

Anyway, tomorrow night, you can follow me (@daytonward) on Twitter, and/or the "#laststand" hashtag, to watch "Last Stand" unfold in all its Twitterific glory. For those of you with lives and/or better things to do, I'll likely post a transcript at some point in the coming days.

Hope to see you there!

Thanks to reading tapestry01's LJ, I'm reminded that today marks the 3rd annual International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day. According to author Jo Walton, who founded this festive occasion in 2007, the purpose of IPSTD is "to encourage writers to post "professional quality" works for free on the internet." The reasons for this are made clear in the Wiki article.

I haven't seen much in the way of folks celebrating this occasion again this year, but I'll go ahead and post links to stuff of mine that you can read for free. For last year, I was able to direct folks to the first three chapters of my ongoing flash fiction serial, "Stayin' In Vegas," which no reside in the warm confines of writer Christopher Pimental, online noir zine, Bad Things:

"Stayin' in Vegas"
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

New since last year's festivities are Parts 4-6:

Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Chris has Part 7 waiting in the wings, and I've finished Part 8. I may finish Part 9 later this month, depending on my schedule.

So, get on with your techopeasant self!

Just this evening, I sent friend and writer Chris Pimental the seventh installment of "Stayin' In Vegas," the serial I'm writing 700 words at a crack, flashfic style, for his Bad Things "pulpazine." The site is chock-full of hard-boiled/noir/hard crime stories, which went live back on January 15th. He's prepping the second issue as I write this, and shouted at me to get off my ass.

The first six installments are currently available for perusing right here.

I've actually had Part 7 for a while now, but I've purposely held off on taking the story any further. My self-imposed rules for this exercise are that I wouldn't outline, and that I would write each installment based on where I left things with the previous piece. No going back and changing stuff in earlier installments, nothing. Whatever card(s) I deal myself, that's what I have to live with. It's fun sitting down cold each time, and figuring out where to take things next.

Thanks as always to Chris for giving me a venue. Most of the stuff you'll read at the site is pretty hard core with respect to language and subject matter. So, if you don't think it'll be your thing...you're probably right :D.

Friend and writer Chris Pimental has launched Bad Things, an online "pulpazine" dedicated to stories of the hard-boiled/noir/hard crime persuasion, which went live just today. He's collected a nice assortment of short stories and flash fiction from both veteran and rookie writers.

In addition to porting over the first five installments of my flash fiction serial "Stayin' In Vegas" from DZ Allen's late and very much lamented Muzzle Flash site, Chris invited me to keep the serial going there, so Bad Things is now home to the all-new sixth installment. How 'bout them apples? Part 7 is waiting in the wings as we speak. After that...hell, I still have no idea how it's gonna end. All I know is I'm having fun writing it and trying to figure out what happens next. As for the site: I love the pulp page layout; it makes me want to pull that old Royal manual typewriter out of the closet and rock the rest of this story old-school.

Thanks to Chris for putting it all together. Most of the stuff you'll read there is pretty hard core, so far as language and descriptions, and subject matter is concerned. So, go check it all out, but don't say you weren't warned.

Received an e-Mail from editor D.Z. Allen that his Muzzle Flash fiction site is closing up shop after a little more than three years in operation.

For those who don't know, MF was a home for hard-boiled flash fiction, with all stories written to a strict limit of 700 words or less. From January 2007 onward, I had seven stories posted to the site, one of which was later selected for inclusion in the site's sister publication, the print mag Out of the Gutter. I also co-authored another piece with defcons_treklit. Compared to some of the stuff DZ posted, the stories I sent for consideration were pretty damned tame. Still, it was a shitload of fun to do something that had absolutely no connection to the stories I usually write.

In addition to no longer being able to read the fiendish stylings of the numerous writers who submitted material to the site, one downside for me is that I was in the midst of writing a flash fiction serial. I'd made it to the fifth installment being accepted to the site, with parts Six and Seven waiting in the wings, and Eight waiting for me to get back to it. Not sure what I'm going to do with that stuff now, though. I may continue writing the installments in their original flash format as I get bored or have free time (HAH!) to play with it, then try to do something with the completed story. Or not. I'll have to give it some thought.

Anyway, many thanks to DZ for letting me play in his sandbox, and for introducing me to a whole new cadre of kick-ass writers!

DZ Allen e-Mailed me to let me know that the fifth installment of my ongoing, interminable flash fiction serial "Stayin' In Vegas" is now up and available for reading at his Muzzle Flash site.



Part 6 has been in his hands for a while now, and he told me today that it should make the site sometime in the next couple of weeks, depending on how many other stories are ahead of it in his queue.

Also, and I neglected to mention this before, but I also provided an assist on another story which is featured on the site, "God's Ways" by Jens Deffner (aka defcons_treklit to his posse). Don't believe whatever he tells you; it was his story, his idea, and his characters...I just helped him polish things up after he translated it from German to English. So, be sure to check out that twisted little ditty, too.

As always when we talk Muzzle Flash, the stories there aren't for the faint of heart or those who dislike pervasive foul language and the occasional bit of disturbing imagery. In other words, decent folk should just stay away.

Enjoy!

I keep forgetting to post this, but an e-Mail from a reader reminded me that I hadn't said anything.

Anyway, editor DZ Allen has posted my flash fiction short "Personal Foul" at his Muzzle Flash site. He actually accepted it months ago, but has been waiting for football season to cycle back around before posting it.

Like most of the stories on MF, it's not for those who don't particularly like coarse and/or explicit language. So, don't say I didn't warn ya.

Heard from DZ Allen today that the fourth installment of my infrequent serial, "Stayin' In Vegas," is now available for perusal at Muzzle Flash.

The piece also contains links to the first three parts, and DZ also told me today that he's got the fifth part sitting in the queue, awaiting its turn to hit the site at some point in the next few weeks (maybe).

As for what's next? Damn if I know. I write each piece cold, so I have no idea what I might do for the next installment(s). Guess I should start giving thought to Part 6 one of these days.... :)

Thanks to an assist from friend and fellow writer Bill Leisner, I was reminded that today marks the 2nd annual International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day. According to author Jo Walton, who founded this festive occasion last year, the purpose of IPSTD is "to encourage writers to post "professional quality" works for free on the internet," and was first celebrated on April 23, 2007 for reasons made clear in the Wiki article.

Though I've heard of no official announcements that a second edition is scheduled for this year, I'm following Bill's lead and posting links to stuff of mine that you can read for free. Here are links to the first three installments of an ongoing serial I'm writing for DZ Allen's Muzzle Flash:

"Stayin' in Vegas"
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Part 4 is supposed to be up soon, the editor also has Part 5 in his queue, and I'm thinking I'll write Part 6 some time this week.

Also, I'm considering taking another page from Bill's book, and pulling from my dank, dusty archives a long-buried piece of fic: a Captain Proton serial I wrote many years ago while serving as a moderator on the old AOL Star Trek Club. However, I'm sure there would be no illusions as to its status as a work of "professional quality."

You know, like pretty much everything else I write.

Edited to add: The following folks have chimed in today, as well:

Allyn Gibson
Terri Osborne
Keith R.A. DeCandido
David A. McIntee
John S. Drew
Scott Pearson

Vive la Révolution!

Well, I just sent off the fifth installment of my flash fiction serial-in-progress, "Stayin' In Vegas," to the editor and good folks at DZ Allen's Muzzle Flash. As with the four previous segments, I did it for the hell of it; you know, because it's fun. I'm told Part 4 should show up on the site in the next couple of weeks, and Part 5 takes its place in the queue behind the other submissions the editor's gotten (assuming he doesn't think my piece sucks, of course).

Anyway, I needed to get this done and off my plate. The 2nd annual International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day is coming in just a few weeks, and just like last year, I wanted to do my part.

So there.

Many thanks to everyone who either commented in the LJ or who sent me e-Mail about my little adventure last week. I'm happy to report that I'm doing quite well. I'm working at home this week, getting caught up on stuff that lagged while I was out of the office. My writing's taken a serious hit, but I'm hoping I can have a good December and keep on track with the project Kevin and I are currently working on.

A couple of writing-related items:

During my little sabbatical, I received my contributor copies of Creative Couplings, the tenth Star Trek: Corps of Engineers omnibus.



As with Grand Designs, this book has a spectacular cover that definitely isn't done true justice when you view it online. The collection includes CoE novellas written by John S. Drew (drewshi), me and Kevin, Glenn Greenburg, J. Stephen York and Christina F. York, Glenn Haumann and Aaron Rosenberg (gryphonrose), and David Mack (infinitydog).

Also, I got word from DZ Allen that the third installment of my flash fiction serial, "Stayin' In Vegas," is now available for perusal on the Muzzle Flash site. Many thanks to DZ for that!

Cover your eyes!

Christopher Pimental, bad-ass writer who's also editor of the e-Zine Thug Works, invited me to participate in his Halloween-themed fifth issue. The result is "Last Stand", a 850-word piece of flash fiction that I wrote one evening while watching Death Proof on DVD. I did it strictly for the kick, had a blast writing it, and am very jazzed that Chris thought enough of it to include it in the new issue.

Anyway, when you're done perusing my pithy contribution, be sure to check out the issue's other stories, as well as a great interview with writer Harry Shannon.

Nice job all around, Chris. Thanks for letting me play!

So, I'm sitting in traffic this morning, watching the idiots go about their idiot ways and listening to sports radio. First there's the latest in the OJ circus, followed by a fresh round of moaning and groaning about the Chiefs. This, coupled with other football-related crap I've been reading lately, is festering in my head.

And then, it happens.

An idea for a story -- not a long, drawn-out story, but one of those flash pieces I've been having fun with recently -- pops pretty much full blown into my head. "BAM! Here I am!" it says, thumping the insides of my skull. "Write me! Write me, damn you!"

Okay, okay. I get it. Chill-ax, dude.

So, in and around these testing jobs I'm running, I start tapping away. A few tweaks here, a couple of trims there, and voila! A piece of flash fic is born.

The day is so much more fun when shit like that happens.

Got word today that DZ Allen's Muzzle Flash has posted another piece of my flash fiction, "Stayin' In Vegas, Part II."

I hadn't intended the first "Stayin' In Vegas" to be the start of anything, but instead a standalone diddy I did for the kick. But, someone on the site mentioned that they might like to see that happens next, and so I decided to take that cue and write a continuation. Like the first part, this installment follows the site's rules of being no more than 700 words in length.

Additionally, I also opted to take the idea farther, and continue with the storyline as a serial, writing a new installment as a flash piece whenever the mood strikes or whenever I have time between other writing projects. As an extra challenge, I imposed a rule on myself that I wouldn't plot the story out beyond the installment I was writing, instead leaving myself with a point to jump from the next time after advancing the story. I figured it might be a fun little exercise to revisit every so often. The trick is to make sure each piece has value to the overall story instead of just marking time until "something big" finally happens. That way each piece still fits in with the rest of the stuff being posted to the site.

Why do this? Well...why not? I love the stuff being published at Muzzle Flash, as well as its sister publication, the print mag Out of the Gutter, and I'm having fun experimenting with something that's not Trek or science fiction.

(For those interested, Part III is written and DZ will post it in a few weeks, once he works his way through the backlog of submissions and gets to mine. I have no idea what I might do for Part IV :D).

So, there ya go.

Sort of an uneventful Saturday...a welcome change from past weeks, let me tell you.

The highlight of the day was -- believe it or not -- pictures! With Addy's first birthday approaching (really? SHIT!), we employed the services of a professional photographer to take family photos and whatnot. With luck, they'll be ready in time for my mother's visit in a couple of weeks.

I didn't mention this before, but last Saturday we moved a jacuzzi from my mother-in-law's place to our house. It's practically brand new and has been sitting unused in her garage for months, and she wanted it out, so it looks like Wardo has a new hot tub! We've got a guy coming by tomorrow to wire it up, and by this time tomorrow night I should be sitting in my spa on my back patio, looking out over the undeveloped land that borders my back yard, and wondering why the hell I hadn't gotten around to this years ago.

Came home today to find my subscriber's copy of the new Star Trek Magazine (#7) in my mailbox. This issue begins the magazine's coverage of Star Trek: The Next Generation's 20th anniversary. Included among the various articles are features by friends and fellow writers Keith DeCandido ( kradical), terri_osborne, David McIntee (lonemagpie), Bob Jeschonek (bob_j), and Jeff Ayers. Good stuff all around, so you be sure to pick up four or five copies.

I can also report that my flash fiction short story "Stayin' In Vegas," which originally appeared at DZ Allen's Muzzle Flash, has been selected for inclusion in the third issue of the print zine Out of the Gutter, due out sometime toward the end of the year. Sweet!

Tomorrow looks to be busy, writing-wise. In addition to writing out a pitch for a forthcoming tie-in project, I'm hoping to get a jump on our next article for Star Trek Magazine as well as continue with the short story that's sort of stalled on my hard drive for the past week or so.

Things have been hectic around here lately, and it dawned on me this morning that I forgot to mention a new flash story of mine that's now posted at DZ Allen's Muzzle Flash. It's called "Stayin' In Vegas," and stars a low-life dickwad. Contrary to what you may have heard on Access Hollywood or the Drudge Report, the story is not autobiographical. Anyway, check it out, along with the rest of the site's flash fiction archive. DZ seems to attract a fair number of sick, twisted individuals...you know, the kind you want to party with.

Warning for those who may have such concerns: The story (along with pretty much everything else on the site) contains graphic language and descriptions. If that sort of thing's not your cup of tea, please consider this your friendly advisory before plowing ahead.

Now, on to more important things:



The warmest of Birthday Wishes are extended to the Harbinger of Death, the Grim Reaper, the Mack Daddy himself: friend and fellow writer David Mack. If you happen across him in some online venue or whatnot during the day today, be sure to wish him a happy. Or, at the very least, offer to buy him a drink or three.

For those interested, I have a very short story, "Getting Some Air," posted over at DZ Allen's Muzzle Flash, which you can read for free. I'd never written flash fiction before, nor anything "noir-ish," so it was a fun experiment.

WARNING: The story contains graphic language. A lot of the stories on the site feature such language, along with any combination of violence, sex, and other various mayhem. Just a friendly heads-up if that's not your sort of thing.

Enjoy!