Keromaru

Self-Interview

2013-02-13T11:41:00.004-05:00

Apparently this is a thing going around the writing blogosphere. I got tagged by Bryce Wilson, and meant to do this last week. I thought this would be a good way to talk about what I'm working on right now. So here goes! What is the working title of the book?The Dream Sutra Where did the idea come from for the book? Back in college, I had the idea of writing a book my niece might like. I

"The Tether" now on Bradbury Quarterly!

2013-02-02T16:33:00.001-05:00

The good folks at Bradbury Quarterly have published a revised version of "The Tether!" You might be interested in the version I published here, but I'd honestly prefer you read the more up-to-date version. Here's what the editor had to say about it: Alex Scott gives us a new classic in “The Tether,” a heartfelt story of friendship between two boys reminiscent of Will Halloway and Jim

Whoa, another one.

2013-01-21T18:56:00.002-05:00

And no sooner do I begin my foray into ebook publishing than I suddenly get another story accepted. This time it's a fledgling zine from Berkeley called Imaginarium. The story is a revision of Perdition Lost. I can finally start writing substantive cover letters now!

"No Different From Anyone Else" Now on Smashwords!

2013-01-20T02:15:00.001-05:00

Last summer, the good folks at Spaceports and Spidersilk published a revised version of "The iKid," called "No Different From Anyone Else," in their Fall 2012 update. They've moved on to the next issue, so this is no longer online. I figured, why let a good story go to waste? Now you can purchase a copy of "No Different" at Smashwords (and I believe other ebook retailers, too) for only $0.99.

Story Sketch: Mundane Batman

2012-06-12T22:57:00.001-05:00

This is a thing I wrote as a prompt in my writing group, Drinkers for Writers. If I remember correctly, the prompt was "Batman doing something mundane." So read on to see Batman shop for textbooks. I sneak in through the vents. The alarm system is weak. Compared to the Joker's death traps, this is child's play. Not even a security guard. No lights on. I turn on the night vision. Not

The Shocking Story of Popo, the Stolen Penguin

2011-08-26T19:36:00.001-05:00

"That's twice you've helped me move, Luc," Jerry said. "I almost feel like I should be paying you for it." "Let's just say we're even for that dead mouse in my trunk," Luc said. Luc had spent the last few days moving Jerry into his new place, after his old landlord turned out to be a sadist. At first Luc thought he was exaggerating, but then news of the torture chamber spread, and Luc

Story: "The Mouse, The Landlord, and the Laundry Room"

2011-06-03T11:39:00.000-05:00

I'm back with another entry in the Talking Time Writing Circle. This time the plot elements were a little stranger. I'm revisiting the dead mouse theme, and including an out-of-place torture chamber. It was also a chance to try a few different things as far as revision. Lately I've been learning to listen more to my writing. That will mostly take the form of reading it out loud, or at least

Story: Tuffy's Funeral

2011-05-09T20:00:00.001-05:00

And I'm back! I've been working on some assorted things since last fall. In the meantime, I've rethought the purpose of this blog a little. I'm going to use it more for off-the-cuff writing than for long-form professional stuff. To start with, a thing I wrote for the Talking Time Writing Circle. Basically, all the

Story: "The End of the Rainbow, Starring..."

2010-12-08T23:57:00.001-05:00

Another week, another story. I'm on vacation from my day job, and I've been spending it revising earlier stories one last time so I can send them out to some editors. I'm also starting to revise my novel, currently called The Dream Sutra. Haven't quite decided if I'm going to post it here yet. This one is kind of a love letter to a youth spent watching cheesy movies, especially on Mystery

Hooray!

2010-12-07T11:26:00.000-05:00

I'm now listed on Web Fiction Guide! Check out my page here.

"Rina" - Story Hub

2010-12-01T13:47:00.000-05:00

"Rina," the story of a fifth-grade class, an exchange student from the Realm of Faerie, and how the class responds to her magical pranks. Told in three parts. Click the image to go to each section:

Story: "Rina" (part 3)

2010-11-26T20:43:00.002-05:00

I'm finally back with part 3, the thrilling (I hope) conclusion! Stay tuned, because I have artwork in the works for all three parts. I would have gotten this done sooner, but I've had a cold this week. Let me tell you, that can really tear your productivity a new one. Feel free to read part one and part two first if you want to catch up. From part two: Papu's voice rang out in the darkness

Story: "Rina" (part 2)

2010-11-15T19:40:00.003-05:00

Part Two is here! If you need to catch up, read Part One here. This time, things escalate a bit, the kids get in some trouble, and we meet some more elves, with names like Papu, Galam, and Zsusa. Part Three coming soon! Before I start, I should note that the language gets a little salty in a few places. But based on what I remember about fifth grade, it's not exactly out of place. So here

Story: "Rina" (part 1)

2010-11-08T23:31:00.004-05:00

RINA (part one)Our class buzzed about the new girl that morning. We didn't know much, just that her name was Rina, and she was part of a special exchange program. People wondered if she was rich, or pretty, or ugly, or athletic, or sickly, or something. I just thought she'd introduce herself, take the cards we made for her, and fifth grade would move on from there. Mrs. Horn brought Rina in

Slicing and Dicing

2010-11-01T22:48:00.001-05:00

Editing has always held me back as a writer. Not that I don't know how to do it. It's that for a long time, I didn't know when to stop. I would often take ages just to get one story's plot to the point where I could write it down. Sometimes even after I did, I'd rewrite it again and again, rearranging plot points and reinventing characters. I've rewritten "Perdition Lost" so many times

Story: "A Short Meditation on Death"

2010-10-21T21:48:00.007-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. The main story I'm working on, "Rina," has been taking a while due to its length. I would have spent the last week or so revising it, but the power supply for my laptop started sizzling and smoking, so I had to take it in. Just got it back today. I had an old iMac, but it hasn't been quite as convenient. I can't take it to the cafe, for one thing. But I

Say a Thing, and a Guy Will Draw It

2010-09-25T14:15:00.003-05:00

U8XAXKQY56ZP My favorite message board right now is Talking Time, over at Gamespite.net (formerly known as ToastyFrog). A thread is there called "Say a Thing and a Guy Will Draw It," which is pretty self-explanatory. Someone suggests a strange mashup--say, Cloud Strife working at Benihana--and someone draws it. In this case, the uber-talented HessianD. I've contributed, too. Some of my

Illustration: Nick and Michael

2010-09-24T20:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, so "before I go to Boston" turned out to be "Tonight." I ended up finishing my illustration for "The Tether." I'm very happy with the coloring. I experimented a lot with the brush tools, and it turned out almost exactly the way I originally imagined it. So here you go: Nick and Michael, from "The Tether":

Progress Report

2010-09-24T15:59:00.000-05:00

On my next story: The first rewrite is coming along. It's tentatively titled "Rina," and looking like it's going to be a two-parter. I want to get a full draft ready before I start posting. I'm at the part right now where the kids go to the exchange students' dorm so they can go to the Realm of Faerie. Yeah. On my next drawing: it's definitely an illustration for "The Tether," which I'd

Illustration: Malphas

2010-09-19T16:11:00.001-05:00

Hey, guys! I'm still hard at work on my newest story, but that doesn't mean I don't have any content for you. Just recently I found my missing stylus, and to celebrate, here's a drawing of the central demon from "Perdition Lost," Malphas. (Special thanks to Gustav Dore for the background illustration)

Story: "The Time Drill," or, "Liveblogging the Dwight Lazar Press Conference"

2010-09-13T17:18:00.004-05:00

This was written for a short story contest held by a local alt-weekly, the Chattanooga Pulse. It sadly didn't place, but that just means I get to share it with you sooner. Personally, I'm just proud that I managed to tell a time-travel story in less than 500 words. Liveblogging the Dwight Lazar Press Conference (Posted at 14:23) I'm here at the press conference. Not much longer before Dr.

Story: "The Tether"

2010-07-09T23:31:00.003-05:00

This has been an incredibly challenging story to write, but ultimately, I think it's worth it. It's a story of friendship on board a space elevator. ***UPDATE*** 2/2/2013: A revised version of this story is now online at Bradbury Quarterly. Enjoy! Nick gazed out the window on Gemini Deck of the Big Lift, searching for the tether that attached it to Earth. The clouds swirled over the

This is all Boxbot's fault.

2010-06-11T15:14:00.000-05:00

I honestly thought I'd update more frequently. Oh well. Don't worry, though: this blog ain't dead. I've just been taking longer on the next story than I expected. I have the actual story down. It's just the more technical details that need working out, especially the fact that all the action takes place in zero gravity. I guess it shouldn't be too big a surprise that it's giving me trouble

Story: "The iKid"

2010-05-04T11:10:00.002-05:00

I'm back, y'all. This time, a little story about the uncanny valley between two sisters. UPDATE (5/4/10): Added a few paragraphs toward the end, and some italics to some words that lost them in the copy/paste process. UPDATE (1/19/2013): It's two years later, and in the meantime, I sold a revised version of this story to Spaceports and Spidersilk, a small YA zine. It's since gone offline,

What Jonathan Coulton Has to Do With This

2010-04-23T20:35:00.000-05:00

Basically, he gave me the idea to publish my writing on this blog. I was first introduced to JoCo's music a couple years ago, during a trip to Alaska. My nephew had me listen to "Tom Cruise Crazy" and his cover of "Baby Got Back," and later watched him play Portal, which of course features his song, "Still Alive," over the closing credits. I think at some point I heard "Presidents" on the