Urgh.

I'm world-building.

Anyone who's done that, knows what that does to you. Not only do I have a story writing itself in my head all the ding-dang-day, but I've got the specifics of the world to figure out.

I've drawn a map, even.

I feel like a geek, doing it. I'm labeling things, and placing "cities" and mountains, rivers, lakes, weather patterns, making it all planet-like, and possible. I'm designing its solar system, political systems, technological level, raison d'etre, you know, building a freaking world.

And fitting it all into the story. I know half of the building I do won't even matter. I hope! But it's on my mind, and it's taking shape, and I have to know the why's and what-fors so it makes sense to anyone reading it.

It's a whopper, too. At least three novels out of this story, and with an intro that leads to an unlimited supply of future story-fodder. If I do it well, it could be something quite cool.

Doing it well leads to zoning out, not being able to put together a grocery list, and making my three-year-old play with imaginary Teen Titans instead of me. (Not all the time, just while I'm particularly inside my fake world that's not quite cohesive.)

It's rough. But so fun. And hopefully absolutely worth it.

Anyone else out there building a world?

On a different note, Every Day Fiction put out their table of contents for April last night. My flash piece (I've got time to write those!), Show Me Brave comes out on the sixth. Please to check it out. It's not at all like most of my writing. And I put it in a world that exists here on Earth, one I'm quite familiar with--A Mexican cantina.

I'll post a link to it on the day it's live. I hope you visit.

Have great days.


Here's the ToC for Every Day Fiction this month. For those of you regular readers of the zine, you'll notice a great mix of returning writers and newcomers to EDF. I'm looking forward to some great reading this month.

April’s Table of Contents

Apr 1 Matthew Strada The April Fool
Apr 2 Sarah Wagner April Scabs
Apr 3 Rena Sherwood A Hero For Bobo
Apr 4 Bill Ward An Imperfect Swordsman
Apr 5 H. Earl Wilkinson Style
Apr 6 Kevin Shamel Show Me Brave
Apr 7 Jennifer Tatroe Conversation, 9:04 PM
Apr 8 Katherine Shaw Sick Day
Apr 9 Michael Ehart Without Napier
Apr 10 Ramon Rozas III Raindrops Like Cold Kisses
Apr 11 Sarah Hilary An Angel in a Plane Tree
Apr 12 Robert J. Santa Setting Up Shop in Devil’s Gulch
Apr 13 Mike Whitney The Test
Apr 14 Rhonda Parrish Ironic Angst
Apr 15 Sarah Black Leonidas and the T-Bird
Apr 16 David Beers A Trial by Kiss
Apr 17 Scott M. Sandridge The Philosopher in the Dark
Apr 18 Vrinda Baliga Imprisoned
Apr 19 Michael D Turner I am Tired of Bombs and my Dog is Dead
Apr 20 Angela Carlton The Watered Down Version
Apr 21 Oonah V Joslin The Wisdom of Alcuin
Apr 22 Pamela Tartaglio Photocopies
Apr 23 Celeste Goschen Yardie Girl
Apr 24 Patricia J. Hale Sharp Boundaries
Apr 25 Travis King Edward’s Song
Apr 26 Bill West Pretty as a Picture
Apr 27 Lee Beavington A Fungal Fiend
Apr 28 Frank Roger A Tale of Patricide and Impatience
Apr 29 Jill Barth The Sniper’s Son
Apr 30 Tim Lieder Some Day We’ll Meet