Howlietzer Publishing

Category: FICTION

  • The Game

    No one knows who created the game. Maybe it existed when the first cars drove off the lot and onward to their destinations, but whoever it was probably didn’t see this coming or intend for it to happen.

    The game, as Harold Pfinster and his friends called it, was a driving game. On any stretch of road with two lanes, driver A would pull up to driver B in order to drive with him/her, side by side. The fun was to make driver B uncomfortable, so they would, inevitably, slow down or speed up. Driver A, in turn, would keep pace, in order to keep the fun going.

    Harold would argue that he invented the game. No one he knew of mentioned it, and his friends were shocked when he taught them the game. It was fun until one Friday night when he and his three friends went driving late at night looking for something to do. Unfortunately their little town didn’t have any cool hangouts for teens. At age seventeen and an itch to explore the adult nightlife, the group had very few options.

    “We could go walking around Wal-Mart again,” said one of them.

    (more…)

  • Constructing Paranormal Fiction: The Rules

    When writing paranormal fiction, the writer must be aware of the rules. Paranormal fiction is a world much like fantasy fiction, there are key rules that need to be understood and these rules are nothing less than the physics applied in each writer’s world.

    A common character used in paranormal fiction is the vampire. Whether the writer follows the traditional vampire character or goes for something off the beaten path, like Stephanie Meyer, there are certain rules that need to be made known to the reader so that they can make sense of the world they are stepping into.

    What can the vampire do? What kills it? What is it in essence? If it is something outside the explanation of modern science in the “Real” world, there needs to be a well constructed theory to give those readers, who won’t take a story at face value, an explanation for why things happen the way they do.

    This will take a lot of research, but if you’re interested in paranormal phenomena, then it will be fun. Writing is a large percentage of imagination, but there is also a fair amount of research to make your paranormal fiction believable.

  • Friday Fictioneer: 12/28/12

    coffee(Copyright Jean L. Hays)

    I love early morning coffee, and 708 Fulton Cafe is my favorite stop.

    They roast all their beans in house. No pre-made bags, every cup expertly made, and roasted to order.

    My favorite? The light roast for a smooth, mellow taste that eases me to pleasant, zen-like alertness.

    My problem? My favorite barista left for a corporate job at Starbucks. I can’t blame her. She had a degree and finding a higher salary is rare.

    The new barista is still learning, but I’m impatient. She can’t get the flavor right, and I wonder just how much longer I can hold in my dissatisfaction.

  • Son of Santa

    Eric, the miracle child of the Claus’s, in the tradition of his father, slung a brown leather sack over his shoulder, pulled on his Elven snow boots and set out to visit his friend Cready in his little cottage in the Elven suburb of Spotted Elephant.

    The North Pole had several Elven suburbs that surrounded Castle Christmas, the home and workshop of Santa Claus, and Spotted Elephant was one of the largest. Cready, Eric’s friend, had left the long tradition of toy making to become a doctor, much like his great uncle Hermy, who went on to become a dentist.

    His family didn’t understand at first, but just as a dentist became necessary, a doctor did as well, as Eric learned all to well on their many great adventures. And many other Elves followed suit, opening shops, boutiques and doing other odds and ends for Santa and all the other citizens of the North Pole.

    Today, on Christmas, however, Eric was visiting Cready for a simple Christmas party. All their intimate friends would be there, since Cready wasn’t fond of large gatherings.

    (more…)

  • The Master

    Friday Fictioneers 12/21/12

    Photo- copyright Scott L. Vannatter

    cat

    This dinner gives me pause… Don’t giggle! I know you think it’s funny, but this is ridiculous! Your will is not yours now. You gave that up the moment you took me home. When I told you I wanted turkey tonight, I meant 6:00 sharp! Not 6:30, which you’ve begun to get in the habit of, but 6:00 pm.

    Where have you been all day? My bidding has yet to be done. I left a list on my bed (which I graciously let you use), and I seriously doubt you’ll be able to get it all done before your morning duties. Now cook that bird!