Mark Gagnon
Bio
My life has been spent traveling here and abroad. Now it's time to write.
I have three published books: Mitigating Circumstances, Short Stories for Open Minds, and Short Stories from an Untethered Mind. Unmitigated Greed is do out soon.
Achievements (1)
Stories (451)
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Just a Few Suggestions for Vocal
When I found this platform in December of 2021, I had no idea what to expect. Writing was a new venture for me, and I never thought it would become such a big a part of my life, but it has. Is it the challenges, no it can’t be that because I’ve never even been acknowledged as an also ran. Maybe it’s the occasional five dollars and the accolades I get from receiving a Top Story award, or the pittance I receive from reads. It’s actually none of these things. What’s kept me participating for the last four years is the welcoming group of writers that have made this platform the great community it is. Now it’s time to return the favor, assuming this letter reaches anyone in Vocal management.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Motivation
Deliberate Confusion
Have you ever attended a lecture and when it was over you thought, I didn’t understand any of what the speaker was talking about. Maybe if he or she had used normal words I would have understood the point they were trying to make. That person must really know their stuff. What makes things worse is when you look at all the other attendees. They are applauding and commenting on how intelligent the speaker is. Now you may be thinking, boy, am I dumb? I wish the person had spoken a little plainer, so I knew what they were talking about. Was all that technical jargon necessary or was it meant to impress the audience with how smart they are?
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in FYI
A Personal Milestone
If I am lucky enough to wake up fifteen days from now it means that I have existed on this planet for three quarters of a century. Some of you may be thinking, so what, I’m older than that, while many more of you will say, damn he’s old. No matter which side of that number you’re on, you must admit it is an accomplishment.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Longevity
I Heard That
This is the time of year everyone acts all friendly and happy to see each other. People I haven’t seen for a year show up at my door bearing food and presents. They are all smiles and hugs. It’s all for show. Why are they never around the rest of the year? If they cared that much, I would think they would come around more often instead of waiting until the official, it’s time to be nice to each other, time of year.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
A Wilted Dream
This is my childhood dream. Before I understood what I was staring up at I wanted to be part of it. Twinkling lights created pictures in the blackness of space. They called to my young mind enticing me to explore their universe. Like all of us, what was important to me then has diminished as I’ve aged. The luster of the stars has dulled. What draws me now is one speck of light where a new year is being celebrated. It’s where I long to be, celebrating with those I’ve left behind knowing it’s impossible.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
Revenge Best Served Cold
The attendants were so busy tossing corpses into the crematorium’s furnace that the idea that one body was missing never crossed their collective minds. I stayed low while keeping the attendants in view. What was keeping me in that hell hole of a place wasn’t that the doors were guarded, it was how was a naked man supposed to go roaming around outside unnoticed. The only ones with clothes were the employees, and I was trying to avoid them.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Horror
Cold
Damn, it’s cold in here! I’ve never felt this cold in all my life. I did come close once when walking across a lake and the ice gave way. The freezing water soaking through every stich of clothing causing me to gasp as all the air rushed from my lungs. Ironically, it was those same saturated clothes coupled with the frigid air that saved my life. I placed my jacket arms and mittens with my hands in them on the ice and they quickly froze to the lake surface. Now I had the leverage needed to pull myself out of the water. Ice crystals immediately formed over my entire body. Fortunately, another ice fisherman saw the whole event and helped me back to a warm campfire.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Horror
Attempted Prisonbreak
The sky was pitch black. Only a hint of starlight tried to illuminate the surrounding landscape. A determined wind drove the bitter cold through the tightly woven fabric of our clothing and into our shivering skin. This was no night to be out even if it was necessary. It was obvious that others felt the same way since the parking lot was almost empty. The building was a large brick edifice, multi-floors high and stretched over a block in length. It was intimidating. A place I wanted to spend as little time in as possible. Unfortunately, I wasn’t given a choice.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Journal
And Then There Was One
It was that time of year again. The eleven of us joined together for our annual reunion party. This gathering had been happening for one hundred and fifty-four years. We didn’t all join the party at the same time. The founding members got together for the first time in 1870. One of us had been around for over two thousand years, but there was never anyone to join with back then. My three oldest friends joined me at different months of that year. What bonded us back then and continues to hold us together today is that we represent the core values people believe in.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Journal
2050
I feel utterly useless. There is no longer anything for me to do. I'm the type of person who likes working with their hands and likes feeling as though I've finished something. All those things people did that offered a sense of accomplishment are gone now. Manual work is all done by machines. People just occupy space. Sure, there is work for scientists, programmers, or inventors, but not for the average person who likes working with their hands. Humans have been made redundant. It wasn't always like this.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Futurism
Wanderer. Top Story - November 2024.
Some people have told me that I’m this way because I was born under a wandering star. Others say my name, Cain, has cursed me to roam the Earth just as the first person that bore this name was. I’m not sure if one theory or the other is right. Maybe they are both right, but probably neither one is correct. I am more like a magnet that hasn’t been able to find that special piece of metal to attach myself to. I’m searching for that unique attraction that doesn’t seem to exist, no matter where I look, and it probably never will. So, I continue to wander.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
