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I bet the hardest balloon animal to make is the porcupine

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Solstice Fun Fact:

During the solstice, the sun’s gravitational pull on the earth temporarily increases. As a result, the tide rises two inches higher, people weigh six ounces less, and Tumblr users are thirty percent more gullible.

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Baseball and Dad's Favorite Kid

So I just learned something…

Every Father’s Day, my brother, sister, and I ask Dad who’s his favorite kid. He always says, “I’m batting 300!”

None of us follow sports, so we always assumed that meant “you’re all home runs!”

But apparently in baseball "batting 300" means "one out of three swings was a hit."

Good for my brother, then?

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The Black Vortex

Morgana put on her leather dress and went to meet her new client, her stiletto heels clicking across the floor. "Welcome to the Black Vortex. Ready to suffer?"

"Yes, mistress. Bring on the whips and chains."

"Oh, I have my own methods." She called to her assistant. "Bring me my banjo!"

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Fairy Ring

Eden took Dr. Solomon to the far end of her estate, near the gazebo. "See? A fairy ring! How am I supposed to host weddings if people are…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "…taken to the other realm?"

He nodded. "This is a clear treaty violation. I'll talk to them about it."

He stepped into the ring and instantly found himself in a cave. The air was cold and dank, and the sound of dripping water came from somewhere in the dark. "This isn't the fairy realm… Where am I?"

He cast a glimmer spell, summoning a glowing orb. Three-foot mushrooms ran from the light, hissing and backing away into the darkness. "Ah, Basidium! Haven't been here in ages."

He walked deeper into the cave, coming to a decaying throne room. Growing from the rotting throne was Stinkhorn, the so-called king of Basidium.

Stinkhorn raised a wooden goblet and drank. "Hail, sorcerer. What brings you here?"

He jabbed a finger at his chest. "Don't play dumb with me, you bloated puffball. Why are you growing imitation fairy rings?"

"To trap fairies, of course."

He laughed. "Whatever for?"

"They're stealing my livelihood! Mushrooms that let humans visit other realms? I invented that!"

He plucked a scroll from the air. "According to your treaty with the human realm, you may provide visions of other worlds, but not actual travel."

"Piffle!" Stinkhorn pounded the throne with his ham-sized fist, spilling his wine.

Flames appeared above Dr. Solomon's palm. "Unless you want me to roast your little kingdom in butter, return the fairies and close any unauthorized portals."

"Bah!" Stinkhorn grunted. "No one eats my subjects but me. Fine, sorcerer, have it your way. But with fairies providing real travel, how am I supposed to sell mere visions? My kingdom needs gold!"

"Ever hear of a human art form called rock music?"

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Demonic Demotion

(Comedy horror story) Even demons aren't immune to office politics. The demon Fenriz is demoted and finds out that Ouija board duty is worse torture than anything hell has to offer.

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Cold Reading: A Reformed Psychic's Guide

Cold Reading: A Reformed Psychic's Guide - I used to read palms at parties. No one ever suspected it was all a trick. Learn how cold reading works and how psychics make you think they can read minds.

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The Used Future Trope and Writing Science Fiction

I loved science fiction where the technology is both amazing and junk. Learn about the used future trope and how to use it to write better stories.

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Indiana Fun Facts

Did you know Indiana's state motto is "Crossroads to somewhere more interesting"? Learn about the Hoosier State with these Indiana Fun Facts!

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Council Elections

Ichor stormed into the room, his cape flapping dramatically. "I should be the head of the vampire council, not that cretin Vlad! I am the primordial undead, first of the devil's creations!"

Gavin laughed. "What are you talking about? I turned you in 1983, outside a Kajagoogoo concert. Your real name is Keith, for god's sake."

"How dare you!" Ichor threw back his cape, storming off in a huff.

"You got that cape at Sears!"

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Writing Tip: Character Names

If you need a character name, just Google it for some quick suggestions!

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Preventative Measures

Gavin stopped on the sky bridge, halfway between two buildings, and attempted to flag down a police car, but it just kept flying. "No one will help me," he thought. "Maybe I don't deserve it."

It had all started when he discovered an archive of old slasher films, from back when violent movies were still legal. He had grown obsessed, started putting together his own slasher costume, even making plans. A list of names. But it didn't happen like it did in the movies. Things were different now.

The woman he'd been following turned out to taking psy classes. She was studying telepathy, remote viewing, the whole bit. With one glance at his face, she discovered his plans. She knew everything.

And now she was following him.

He continued across the sky bridge and down to the street, knocking over people, tipping over trashcans, throwing things in her path to slow her down, but she just kept coming. The closer she got, the more his heart pounded. She was just some college student, but he felt like he was being chased by a pack of wolves.

Turning a corner, he tripped on some broken sidewalk, landing on his hands and knees. The woman broke through the crowd, all dark hair and stormy eyes.

"I know you read my mind," he said. "It was just a daydream! I would never do any of that! It's a fantasy!"

"You're lying."

His heart struggling in his chest, he gasped, "No psy can do this. Not even a TK. What are you?"

"Your final girl."

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Types of Characters in Fiction: The Ultimate Guide

At their heart, all great stories are about characters going through change. Characters in fiction will either resist change or fight for change, depending on their function in the story. To build a great story, you have to understand these different character functions and how they interact.

Learn about the basic types of characters you will see in well-written fiction. Some of the terms refer to character roles, the functions characters serves in a story related to the plot and conflict, while other terms refer to character types, the way a character acts or reacts to the other characters.

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Zoo Accident

Seconds after Dave’s mother fell into the enclosure, she was surrounded by a pack of vicious, man-eating sloths.

“Hold on!” he cried. “I’ll go get help!”

“Don’t worry about me,” she said. “I don’t want to be a burden. You enjoy the zoo. If you get hungry, there’s a granola bar in the car.”

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The Filter

“The killer hacked the augmented reality servers,” Tom said. “Edited himself out, like the system does for trash and graffiti. He’s invisible.”

Sue frowned. “So we can stop the killings if we get people to take off their AR lenses?”

Tom laughed. “Have you seen unfiltered reality? No thanks.”

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Lady Luck

Garret placed the lucky amulet on the poker table and recited the incarnation. A strange shape appeared in the corner of the room. Instead of the voluptuous vixen depicted in the engraving, it was a bloated, pig-faced man. “I was trying to summon Lady Luck," Garret said. "Who are you?”

“I’m her cousin, Fat Chance.”

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Writing and MacGuffins

Writing is hard work. Since writing is so tough, writers have come up with shortcuts to make creating a story quicker and more efficient, such as writing prompt lists and all manner of story element generators. One of my favorite writing shortcuts is the MacGuffin.