Budgie Does it Again

As some may know, I've recently started a short story challenge of sorts where someone gives me a title and a random word, and I'm to create a 200 word story. Unfortunately, because of hectic running around and lack of schedule, I've only been able to complete 2, with 3 more only half done.

If you're interested:
Challenge 1 "Plague of Hate"      
Challenge 2 "Savannah on the Moon"



Now, I was inspired to take part in this creative writing challenge by the talented Mr. Lee Barnett

Lee Barnett gave other writers, and readers of his blog, a simple challenge... to challenge HIM. He requested: "reply with a title (no longer than four words) about which you'd like me to write a fast fiction of exactly 200 words, along with a word you want me to include in the tale."

He then took the best 180 short stories and published them in a book called The Fast Fiction Challenge

He's now doing it again, and I stumbled across this and found his stories absolutely genius!
Some of my favorites include "Why is Orange" and "Once Within Memory"


I had to get in and offer him a challenge myself. And of course, he wowed me. I was HOPING he would do something with a science fiction feel and he did <3 Here was my challenge

Title: Autumn Gate Estimate
Word: scandalous
Challenger: @jazminlee23
Length: 200 words exactly

"The starship had taken sixteen months longer than expected to return to its home. The reasons for this were debated for further long months among the crew and other interested parties such as investors, regulators, the news media and the insurers.

Fourteen separate mutiny attempts over a three year period according to the ship’s log had, it was generally agreed, played some part in it, though this was more often put down to the experiment of having members of a single family comprising the majority of the thirty-seven crew complement.

There was also the question of faults in the construction, the later official inquiry revealed; voice activated internal doors that only opened when the word “scombroid” was whispered were found to be less than ideal.

The navigation computer had its third nervous breakdown as it approached the wormhole gate nearest the Autumn Nebula, and made repeated requests of a sexual nature to the crew, most of which were not granted.

The scandalous behaviour of the chief engineer, when it was discovered that he was neither Scottish, nor a drunk, also led to inaccurate conspiracy theories.

Accurate conspiracy theories were so much less fun, the actual conspirators knew, and relied upon."


Awesome right?? For more of Lee's work check out his Live Journal and follow him on Twitter. And bask in the glory that can be found in fast fiction ;)  

Yay, someone's using my work!

So I'm always making art and posters and fliers and junk for random bands and FINALLY someone is using my hard work! Good lord! I created a flier for an August show featuring two amazing bands. 3 and Terrible Things. Both bands run by the awesome Eppard Bros, Joey and Josh, respectively.

First, some background info on the banda (Thank you facebook <3)

"3 is a band apart: Dark yet uplifting, spiritual without any connection to religion - theirs is a sound that transcends the genre conformity of modern pop culture. Rapid-fire acoustic guitar infused with dynamic percussion, animated drumming and thunderous bass culminate in a listening experience that is at once accessible and unique. Polyrhythms pulse within a symphony of driving metal guitars and melodic vocal acrobatics. 3 offers musicality without pretension." Read more here...



"New Universal Motown band Terrible Things may be hailed as rock all-stars – with ex-Taking Back Sunday vet Fred Mascherino, Coheed and Cambria alumnus Josh Eppard, and Hot Rod Circuit guitarist Andy Jackson forming the powerful triumvirate.

Appetites whetted for the splintering, pointed rock we’ve come to expect from each member of the reserved trio should prepare for added twists to their own reliable brand this time around". Read more here...


Now they have a show on August 8th and I can't wait. I have yet to see these bands live and I would love nothing more than to see the Eppard bros kick ass back to back to back. So you could imagine how excited I got when I was asked by the wonderful Miss Neesh (The First Lady of all things Eppard in my opinion) to design a flier for the show. I, of course, jumped at the idea, creating a few different ones, and this is the one that made the cut.

I was extra thrilled because the dame in the photo just so happens to be me :)
(see pink photo on right)

Just felt like sharing with me 18 followers the little bit of pride I just felt seeing my work being used <3

To check out the event go here

Must Have: Original "Amory Wars" pages by Chris Burnham

"The Amory Wars", as most of my followers know, is a science fiction story behind the music of alternative rock giants Coheed and Cambria. Written by Co&Ca front man, Claudio Sanchez, the story has been told primarily through comics published under Evil Ink Comics. (If you haven't checked out the comics or the story behind the music, I URGE you to now. It's amazing.)

The story of Amory Wars, is told throughout each of the band's 5 albums, usually along with some literature to correspond with each album's story. That is, with the exception of "NWFT", which, aside from fans' own interpretations ( found on Cobalt), still stands at a blur, story wise.
(When are we gonna hear about that one, guys?)

Their last album "Year of the Black Rainbow" was actually released as a full hardcover novel, telling the origin story of Coheed and Cambria, the two main characters for which the band is named.

The comics have not been around as long as the music, so obviously they are lagging behind. The first two volumes of The Amory Wars have been released in single issue and TPB form. THOSE coincide with the band's first album "Second Stage Turbine Blade". We are now up to the second batch of comics entitled "Amory Wars: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3", telling the story of the band's second album of the same name. I got the first issue covers A and B (Signed, thank you very much!)... and they are amazing. The writing and the art flow together so beautifully...


:::WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE POINT OF THIS BLOG:::

Chris Burnham is an amazing artist who worked on The Amory Wars as well as many other comics. His work is stunning and I'm a big fan to say the least. He has a bunch of his ORIGINAL AMORY WARS PAGES up for sale at www.cadencecomicart.com and I MUST have one.

So to all my dear friends, allies and loves alike, my birthday is in 4 days. <3

Story Challenge #2 "Savannah on the Moon"

Challenger: Anonymous 
Title: "Savannah on the Moon""
Word: Vonbraun

The day had reached its end. The animals were fed, 
the family asleep, and Khali was finally left to 
watch the sun set just beyond the crater in peace.  

He made his way to a tree that sat a few short 
miles from home with the softest patch of grass 
beneath it. Years of laying in this particular 
patch had created a nook perfectly fit for his 
unique form. The rising mist of the freshly 
developing spring nearby brushed his face and 
cooled his skin with every breeze. 

Looking up he could see the faint glow of the 
Vonbraun as it hovered just above the night sky. 
He wondered if it knew he could see it, or if it 
even knew of his existence. Was it capable of 
learning more than its assigned lessons? Could it 
forget things? Could it lie?   

His supreme honor Oliseo told him and the others 
that the Vonbraun had made a pit stop there on its 
voyage to another planet. 
 
He said it had ventured from an entirely different 
universe, looking for life on this other planet a few 
light years in the other direction..

But we live on a moon..  

Talk about lost.

Story Challenge #1 "Plague of Hate"

Challenger: Joey Nova
Title: "Plague of Hate"
Word: callous

The community was nearing the realms of non existence.

Elder Lee Boyle made it clear that the sudden wave of deaths was more than unfortunate coincidences. He was certain that this was something sent from a higher power to punish their people. To kill off all those actively against what he called "The Deliverance."

"The Deliverance" he explained, was a daily sacrifice to be determined in the form of a lottery. An event that needed to take place in order for their people to reach a state of rich land and morals.

Unfortunately, nobody would believe, or admit, that their god was an angry boy who only wanted a single gift and, when denied, would take a greedy handful to compensate.

He sat in his little crevis in the settlement and spoke enchantments to the winds as those around him dropped like flies. With his callous fingers, he marked on his wall the names of the passing, and proclaimed all should follow his leading in order to avoid the wrath of god.

He cried the words "An agreed end of one, prevents untimely ends of many, the many perhaps, in the end, being more deserving of life than the one."

Short Story Challenge

Following in the footsteps of the talented Lee Barnett, I want to try his fast fiction challenge. Give me a title of 4 words or less, and a word you want me to mention, and I'll write a short story of exactly 200 words.

Also, when offering your challenge, please leave your name and Twitter or facebook id so I can tell you when I've completed your story...

Ready? GO!

Art: Weerd Science

One more for the night for Mr. Eppard

If you can’t beat ‘em, beat ‘em. Cuz they’ll be expecting you to join them, and you’ll have the element of surprise.