Laura Pruett
Bio
Laura Pruett, author of The Dwarves Of Dimmerdown and others.
Achievements (1)
Stories (93)
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A Dwarf's Life -- In Brief (Episode 3)
To Gromdahl's dismay, before he had time to react, before he really even had time to fully realize what was happening, the vines had already wrapped around the cart's axles and had begun to tighten around Bessie's ankles as well. The goat tried to bolt, tried to escape from the creepers’ infernal grasp, but she was held fast to the spot and could only bleat in terror. Gromdahl released his grip on the crank and drew his axe from his belt with a bellow.
By Laura PruettExclusive • 6 months ago
The Boy Who Wasn't
I walked out my back door and there he was, the boy with the dark brown hair and the Nerf gun. Looked like he’d stepped right out of the ‘80s. It shocked me more than I care to admit. Not because I didn’t know him, or because he was trespassing on my property. Not because of the mischievous twinkle in his eye as he ducked behind the abandoned hot tub in my back yard. Not even because everything about the kid screamed a hot summer day in 1986. No, it was something else . . . something less . . . tangible. It was the feeling – no, the certainty, the absolute conviction that the boy wasn’t really there.
By Laura Pruett7 months ago in Fiction
Winner Announcement: New Contest For May, Featuring Your Very Own Deranged Lighthouse Keeper!. Top Story - June 2025.
It took me a while to judge all of the lovely entries into the New Contest For May, Featuring Your Very Own Deranged Lighthouse Keeper! contest, but I've finally done it! Here's a link to that contest, for the uninitiated:
By Laura Pruett7 months ago in Writers
The Great Bouncy Park Race
In long ago days, in a far away land, past the Woodward Large, where the trees whispered secrets and the ground kept them safe below -- even beyond Horse-Hoof Canyons, where half-shod hooves beat an echoed tune through granite caverns -- in this land lay Bouncy Park.
By Laura PruettExclusive • 7 months ago
A Dwarf's Life -- In Brief (Episode 2)
"Plague," Gromdahl muttered under his breath. "Jus' like the boy would've said if not for his meddlin’ mother. Well, nothin' to worry me there." That mystery solved, he hurried on toward the blacksmith's house, hoping to get enough coins for a few mugs of ale and a good night's sleep. As he did, he heard the window slam shut behind him.
By Laura PruettExclusive • 7 months ago
The Evolution Of A Word: Eve
Introduction Earlier today, I was merrily traipsing about on X (the platform previously known as Twitter) when I noticed the phrase “Happy Friday Eve” trending. Now, while the word “eve” is usually associated with holiday events (e.g., “Christmas Eve” or “All Hallow’s Eve”), it can certainly be used in other contexts. We could say “Taco Tuesday Eve,” for instance, or “Final Fantasy Pre-release Eve” – and so, without a doubt, we could certainly say “Happy Friday Eve” without expecting much backlash. However, it did start my mind down a certain path, on which I wondered: “What, exactly, is the etymology of the word?”
By Laura Pruett7 months ago in Geeks
A Dwarf's Life -- In Brief (Episode 1)
"Halt! Who goes there?" a voice rang out from the darkness. "Just yer average dwarf," came the gruff reply. Which was exactly what Gromdahl Stonefist was. Nothing more, nothing less. And he'd take a pickaxe to any dwarf who said otherwise. The guard at the gate snorted, covering a laugh, then continued. "I need a name, or you're not gettin' in."
By Laura PruettExclusive • 7 months ago
Staying Inspired
Okay, here’s the thing with me: I have an unspoken time limit for everything I do. It’s silent, it’s sneaky, and it’s always there. No one knows what the time limit is, including me, but like the timer in Scattergories, that limit will be met, and it will be impossible to continue when it is met. This applies to every single thing I do in my life, including writing a story. What this means for me is that I have to either knock out stories fast, or not at all. I do have methods to improve my ability to do this, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about today. Today, I’d like to tell you what other people have to say on the matter.
By Laura Pruett8 months ago in Writers
New Contest For May, Featuring Your Very Own Deranged Lighthouse Keeper!. Top Story - May 2025.
I've been thinking about hosting another contest for a little while now, and I think the time has finally come! What, you may ask, will you be hankerin' to hear from us this time? Well, after much thought and deliberation (a few seconds, at least), I have come up with an ever-so-nefarious prompt. I bet you can't wait to hear it!
By Laura Pruett8 months ago in Writers
The Keeper
The man hesitated, teetering on the brink of the crevasse. Hardly a foot of space lay between the wall and the drop-off, and the abyss loomed stark before him. Could he make the leap? Was it even possible? If he could not – if he fell to his death below – he condemned everyone above to an icy demise. He was the only adult left who knew how to do what needed to be done. The plague had taken many lives over the last year, and the only other Keeper who remained was but a child. Yet the ancient knowledge had been passed down from one Keeper to the next in preparation for this moment, and it was his duty to do what must be done. It wasn’t the first time. It wouldn’t be the last. But perhaps, it would be the last for him.
By Laura Pruett10 months ago in Fiction
