The short uncategorized stories you post for us, caters perfectly to my attention deficit disorder. Brief, interesting and well written fiction. You're a very prolific writer that produces consistent thought provoking stories. No need for an apology or a heads up.
This is more geared for newcomers, because at this point I don't think I could possibly choose one pinned piece that would be representative of the work.
It's kinda like the Welcome Center at a National Park, though this one would say " It's okay to feed the bear's ego."
Well I'm a newcomer, and have been on a binge of your free content for about a week. I have no reason to feed your ego, any praise from me is well deserved. A writer friend turned me on to your work recently. I was reluctant to even give it a read, due to being witness to an incident 30 or so years ago that left me with an unfavorable opinion of you. I'm glad I did. While I do not personally know you, your work has changed my opinion to a more neutral position. Some of the stories you post invoke my own painful memories, which I find myself reading more than once and instead of recoiling, I look forward to more like some kind of benign masochism.
I assure you I'm not nearly the same person I was 30 years ago. Being a hardcore alcoholic for decades leaves me with much more to atone for than the average person. Not an excuse for any bad behavior, more like a possible explanation. I'm glad you took the time to give the writing a chance.
I’m biased, of course, but I’m so glad you’re continuing to write. The stories, the characters, and their worlds just get better and better. Your skills improve and we benefit from your gift of storytelling.
Your stories have taken me down alleys, into places and introduced me to so many characters. I have enjoyed meeting and traveling with all these people and places as they are mostly out of my cookie jar. Thank you and keep up your secret recipes that invite us to the dessert table everyday.
Obviously, that can be said of many, but out of the ordinary, come the extraordinary.
Something I meant to do when I first began reading your works, but failed from the get-go, was to catalogue each of your stories.
You are correct when you claim they almost defy categorizing, but since we live in a digital age, we can easily create a compendium by date written, age (juvenile, teen, mature, NSF), subject matter (human interest, lifestyle, choices, struggles) nature, etc.
Naturally, some lists would be longer than others, but the reader could choose, based on their choices to create a list - even a random order list, aka by date!
I wouldn't advise you trying this yourself, as you have enough on your plate already - just keep cranking them out and let the historians collect and order the chips where they have fallen. Those 'guys' are the experts on lists!
You definitely get the award for Most Prolific Short Story Writer.
Congratulations and All the Best for the next 877!
ps: don't discount this "A Note from Me" as it is a story on it's own and would make a great forward to one of your books
Enjoy analyzing structure and character and setting interaction. Retired English teacher in me finds enjoyable challenge, more fun than crosswords now I’m 86. Also a Detroiter to start.
I hope you enjoy the content of the stories while doing analysis.
I come from a punk rock background and enjoy the storytelling aspect of writing. Some of them may not pass Chekhov litmus tests, but I don't concern myself with those things.
Publishing daily omits the luxury of fine tuning and hefty rewrites.
I invite you to dig in and I hope you find some stories you adore, but I'm much more concerned with the people who sell souvenirs outside the Eiffel Tower than I am with the Tower itself.
Having said that, if you find any glaring errors that disrupt flow, please let me know.
And I'd love to know what part of Detroit you're from.
Love this. 9/10 people (including me) would have imposed arbitrary, unhelpful, whimsy-destroying categories to hold a collection like this as a way to self-soothe anxiety. You definitely made the right call.
I'm excited about that too. I have a great group of people who read and comment regularly. The bulk of the stories were written the day before or the day of publication. There are some video reads in here too. Thanks for hopping on, Michael.Be sure to leave comments whenever you want, as far back in the archive as you want.
I've only read a bit of your work, but I liked this little heads up piece. Likening your page to an old bookstore seems perfect. I will surely be back to wander through the stacks.
I will be happy to do that.
Should be done. Check your email. I comped you 3 months.
I'm fit'na try. Detroit guys aren't quitters.
The short uncategorized stories you post for us, caters perfectly to my attention deficit disorder. Brief, interesting and well written fiction. You're a very prolific writer that produces consistent thought provoking stories. No need for an apology or a heads up.
Thanks. Thanks a ton.
This is more geared for newcomers, because at this point I don't think I could possibly choose one pinned piece that would be representative of the work.
It's kinda like the Welcome Center at a National Park, though this one would say " It's okay to feed the bear's ego."
Well I'm a newcomer, and have been on a binge of your free content for about a week. I have no reason to feed your ego, any praise from me is well deserved. A writer friend turned me on to your work recently. I was reluctant to even give it a read, due to being witness to an incident 30 or so years ago that left me with an unfavorable opinion of you. I'm glad I did. While I do not personally know you, your work has changed my opinion to a more neutral position. Some of the stories you post invoke my own painful memories, which I find myself reading more than once and instead of recoiling, I look forward to more like some kind of benign masochism.
I assure you I'm not nearly the same person I was 30 years ago. Being a hardcore alcoholic for decades leaves me with much more to atone for than the average person. Not an excuse for any bad behavior, more like a possible explanation. I'm glad you took the time to give the writing a chance.
I agree with you, I love spending time this way too!
One of your characteristics is that you don't get in a rut
Understatement of the year!! ❤️
I’m biased, of course, but I’m so glad you’re continuing to write. The stories, the characters, and their worlds just get better and better. Your skills improve and we benefit from your gift of storytelling.
Your stories have taken me down alleys, into places and introduced me to so many characters. I have enjoyed meeting and traveling with all these people and places as they are mostly out of my cookie jar. Thank you and keep up your secret recipes that invite us to the dessert table everyday.
Super happy you are having fun Carol. I'm going to keep it up as long as I possibly can. Gotta find a way to bring more people to the buffet.
Jimmy, you are impressive.
Obviously, that can be said of many, but out of the ordinary, come the extraordinary.
Something I meant to do when I first began reading your works, but failed from the get-go, was to catalogue each of your stories.
You are correct when you claim they almost defy categorizing, but since we live in a digital age, we can easily create a compendium by date written, age (juvenile, teen, mature, NSF), subject matter (human interest, lifestyle, choices, struggles) nature, etc.
Naturally, some lists would be longer than others, but the reader could choose, based on their choices to create a list - even a random order list, aka by date!
I wouldn't advise you trying this yourself, as you have enough on your plate already - just keep cranking them out and let the historians collect and order the chips where they have fallen. Those 'guys' are the experts on lists!
You definitely get the award for Most Prolific Short Story Writer.
Congratulations and All the Best for the next 877!
ps: don't discount this "A Note from Me" as it is a story on it's own and would make a great forward to one of your books
Thanks Joe! I promise I won't try it myself.
I do need to get the new book rolling.
Thanks for the constant encouragement. It steers me in the right direction.
Enjoy analyzing structure and character and setting interaction. Retired English teacher in me finds enjoyable challenge, more fun than crosswords now I’m 86. Also a Detroiter to start.
I hope you enjoy the content of the stories while doing analysis.
I come from a punk rock background and enjoy the storytelling aspect of writing. Some of them may not pass Chekhov litmus tests, but I don't concern myself with those things.
Publishing daily omits the luxury of fine tuning and hefty rewrites.
I invite you to dig in and I hope you find some stories you adore, but I'm much more concerned with the people who sell souvenirs outside the Eiffel Tower than I am with the Tower itself.
Having said that, if you find any glaring errors that disrupt flow, please let me know.
And I'd love to know what part of Detroit you're from.
Love this. 9/10 people (including me) would have imposed arbitrary, unhelpful, whimsy-destroying categories to hold a collection like this as a way to self-soothe anxiety. You definitely made the right call.
I'm not sure I get credit for this. I just woke up one day with a few hundred stories in the archive and no librarian or archivist on staff.
Just me. And I'm not digging through and slapping a Dewey Decimal System number on em, especially now that I'm approaching 900.
nice words sir
Thank you
Found you on Notes. Just started a paid sub. Excited about it.
I'm excited about that too. I have a great group of people who read and comment regularly. The bulk of the stories were written the day before or the day of publication. There are some video reads in here too. Thanks for hopping on, Michael.Be sure to leave comments whenever you want, as far back in the archive as you want.
On it 👌👌
I aspire to be as buttery with words as this... Thank you for the gift of stories, digging in...
Please comment on any of them you love or don't love so much. Being able to interact is such an underappreciated part of Substack.
Did I say Fries, Bitch??
That one is immortal
I've only read a bit of your work, but I liked this little heads up piece. Likening your page to an old bookstore seems perfect. I will surely be back to wander through the stacks.
Thanks. 10 bucks a month accesses the entire archive. Probably 900 stories behind the paywall. I promise it's worth it.