wanted: your sticky thoughts

plus crab adventures and a fresh batch of bird sadness

I love, love, love stickers, especially as a motivational tool. Last month I started thinking about why, and (surprise, surprise!) it turned into a research project, which will in turn become my next post for The Last Word on Nothing. 

This is where you come in. If you, too, are a sticker or sticker-chart person—or if you hate stickers, or if you’re indifferent—I’d love to hear from you. Just click this link to answer a few quick questions. For science.*

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a thing i wrote

My linked-haiku poem “Window: White Pine,” about birds and stranger danger and the passage of time, is up now at The Last Word on Nothing. You can read it here.

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writing prompt: crab adventures

I’ve always been a little in awe of fiction writers and their ability to conjure entire people, planets, galaxies out of thin air. The idea of doing it myself felt laughable, like crossing an invisible tightrope over a yawning chasm. What is there, even, to hang on to? How would I know where to place my next step? Obviously, fiction was not for me.

Then someone said, Write me a fantastical story, 250 words or fewer, with crabs in it.

Which is exactly what I did. And it was some of the most creative fun I’ve had in my entire life. Is it any good? Will the magazine want to publish it? I have no clue. But man, did I love writing it.

So: whether you’re a seasoned fantasy/sci fi/magical realism microfiction writer or, if you, like me, have never even tried, please do yourself a favor and give this one a go. What happens to your crab story once you’ve written it is your business. Submit your story to Crab Tales Magazine or keep it to yourself. Send it to me and/or write it on fallen leaves and scatter it in the woods. No one ever has to see your crabby story—but I do hope you’ll try writing it.

(This is not sponsored content! I’m just high on crab writing and want you to join me.)

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tenderness toward existence days…

…will likely return next month. The wacky holiday calendar just wasn’t speaking to me this time around. If you have any favorite autumn observances that I should know about, please do leave a comment on this post.

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Hey: thanks for reading all the way to the end. I’m so glad you’re here.

Drawing by me; photos via Unsplash.

*Not science.