About this series
Fiction writers are taught to show, not tell. In each Short Fiction Lab, award-winning short fiction writer Peter M. Ball presents an original story and an accompanying essay showcasing a particular aspect of the craft or business of writing inspired by the creative work.
The Story: Winged, With Sharp Teeth
There have always been lands not mapped out in an atlas, and those lands have always needed heroes. Once, Steve had that chance to visit another world, but he stayed and grow older, finding contentment in his friends and his job as council librarian. In Winged, With Sharp Teeth, Steve learns his new boyfriend had a similar opportunity… and the winged crocodile determined to tempt Duke into becoming a hero hasn't abandoned the quest just because Duke's an adult.
The Essay: Two Hundred Copies or Bust
In Two Hundred Copies or Bust, Peter M. Ball asks what success really looks like for a writer, whether they're traditionally published, self-published, or just starting out. From the expectations of other people to the secret ambitions that drive the writer, Ball explores the tensions that wear on a writer's ambitions and shift our perceptions of whether a story is good, great, or disastrous.
Titles in the series (2)
- The Early Experiments: A Short Fiction Lab Primer: Short Fiction Lab, #0
0
Fiction writers are taught to show, not tell. In each Short Fiction Lab, award winning short fiction writer Peter M. Ball takes one of his own stories and explores an aspect of the writing craft in the accompanying essay. In this introductory primer to the Short Fiction Lab series, Ball presents four short tales for lovers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Upon Discovering of A Ghost in the Five Star: There's a ghost in the Five Star Laundromat. The worst thing you can do is accept her balloon when she tries to give it to you. Nick's interest in the dead girl is causing problems with his boyfriend… but he isn't sure he's ready to give her up just yet. Counting Down: Phil thinks he can catch a bullet as a party trick, but he needs someone to pull the trigger. Mattie isn't sure he's got what it takes to fire the antique Luger at his friend, but he's also caught a glimpse of the bats living inside Phil's skull and knows what it means if they get out. The Place Beyond the Brambles: The women who emerge from the land beyond the brambles are always strange and always beautiful. They're also prone to returning home, long before the men who marry them hope they will depart. Ethan's wife has done exactly that, leaving behind a daughter and memories that only Ethan can recall. The Things You Do When The War Breaks Out: Henry and his dad are going to the moon for a holiday. The dinosaurs who occupy the dark side of the moon are no longer content to share it with humanity. When war breaks out and the moon is evacuated, Henry's father sees an opportunity to resolve some old grudges. In the accompanying essay, Here Comes The Boom, Peter M. Ball takes on the question all writers seem to shirk: where do you get your ideas from? He takes readers through the inspiration behind each of these short tales and breaks down why a great idea is often the least important tool in the writer's arsenal.
- Winged, With Sharp Teeth: Short Fiction Lab, #1
1
Fiction writers are taught to show, not tell. In each Short Fiction Lab, award-winning short fiction writer Peter M. Ball presents an original story and an accompanying essay showcasing a particular aspect of the craft or business of writing inspired by the creative work. The Story: Winged, With Sharp Teeth There have always been lands not mapped out in an atlas, and those lands have always needed heroes. Once, Steve had that chance to visit another world, but he stayed and grow older, finding contentment in his friends and his job as council librarian. In Winged, With Sharp Teeth, Steve learns his new boyfriend had a similar opportunity… and the winged crocodile determined to tempt Duke into becoming a hero hasn't abandoned the quest just because Duke's an adult. The Essay: Two Hundred Copies or Bust In Two Hundred Copies or Bust, Peter M. Ball asks what success really looks like for a writer, whether they're traditionally published, self-published, or just starting out. From the expectations of other people to the secret ambitions that drive the writer, Ball explores the tensions that wear on a writer's ambitions and shift our perceptions of whether a story is good, great, or disastrous.
Peter M. Ball
Peter M Ball is the author of more than fifty short stories and six novellas, along with essays, RPG material, articles, and poetry. His short stories and non-fiction have appeared in venues such as Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, Shimmer, Dragon Magazine, Writing Queensland, and Apex Magazine, and has been included in several Year’s Best anthologies. He’s previously taught creative writing at Griffith University and the Queensland Writers Centre, spent five years as the manager of the Australian Writers Marketplace, and convenes the biennial GenreCon writing conference in Brisbane, Australia.
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