Baker's Dozen: 100 Post Edition

I suppose I should be excited; I've finally created 100 posts on Vocal. But...

I'm not excited, or even remotely happy at hitting that long-awaited mark. If anything, I'm disheartened, frustrated, and really questioning just how much longer I will be on the site, or in what capacity if I do stay. Host of reasons, but not the main topic of this piece. Though, in rereading, I did put a number of jabs in; I've been chomping at the bit to write out exactly why I'm so fed up writing here for nearly a year. Soon; but not yet.

Any case...

Despite my disappointment at reaching the "milestone", I do enjoy some of the work I've done here (even if no one else ever sees it, which is often the case as we'll see), including these kinds of lists. Below, in no particular order for the most part, a fond look at my favorite 13 stories I've posted in the last two years and 100 posts, ranging from a plethora of fiction stories centered around challenges, to open mental health, to other "Baker's Dozens" lists. Let's see what were the best written, most fun or interesting, and those most dear to me. Bear in mind, plenty have their own playlists - often linked at the very bottom of a story so as not to ruin the "view" for potential readers (put it at the top, it's gonna be the first thing a reader sees in the "preview" and it tells them nothing about a story).

1) "The Caregiver's Routine" - First ever Vocal piece, written for the "Little Black Book" challenge.

Creation and Stats: Created ~2 years ago, 30 reads total.

As stated in the heading above, this entry was my first-ever piece on Vocal. I'd not held a job in the public eye for about 6 years at that point, as I was constantly at the ready to go over to help with my younger brother with a multitude of disabilities at my parents'. This was also about the time that I started getting really, truly comfortable in my current relationship - and with finally feeling like I could put down roots in the 6-year relationship and house we'd lived in for 3-4 years by then. Prior, I assumed it would all fall apart at any time for any number of stupid reasons, so I hadn't let myself get so attached.

It had happened before. I've been rejected as a potential partner because of the responsibility caring for my brother imposed on a few occasions. My longest prior relationship had been all of two months...

Any case, just before seeing promotions for the challenge and creating the piece, I was struck by a bad bout of insomnia over a glaring detail I had overlooked when we bought the house; it is not well-suited to house my brother should we need to take him in immediately. I was very stressed out about that fact, wondering how I would handle certain aspects of care in this house. As such, it should come as little surprise that my first piece, written around the same time, would focus largely on care-giving - it's what was on my mind.

Now, the "Little Black Book" challenge stipulated the typical word count, but also that a little black book be included and that someone came into a large amount of money. Naturally, this gave my care-giving story that hopeful kind of karmic ending where the care-giver is rewarded for the unending amount of work that goes into caring for a disabled adult sibling. Particularly mine; the story is largely based off of my dad's and my own experiences caring for my brother.

Besides the cheesy karmic ending (yeah, like people really help caregivers out at all) the only thing that took away from the sense of what that care-giving is like was the incorrect punctuation around dialogue, though there is little of it. Though I had been working on larger projects for some time, I had grown rusty writing out dialogue correctly, especially the punctuation around it. I had been writing more notes containing the dialogue than actually writing out the full dialogue, and that shows in this piece - until I revisited how to write it out for later posts.

That all said, being based on my own care-giving experiences and brother, this first piece, despite its flaws, is near and dear to my heart. There was no way this story wouldn't be included, first and foremost, on this list.

2) "Museum Musings" - One entry for the "Dream Date" challenge.

Creation and Stats: Created ~2 years ago, 26 reads total

While I enjoyed both of my entries for the "Dream Date" challenge, I think I like this one just a little more. This challenge required that a glass of Merlot be involved in a first date-themed story. While I had fun with a fossil dig in the prior entry, this time, the date takes place at a museum with the museum curator. In between various exhibits, "we" go and get another glass of wine. It truly is an after-hours date I would have actually enjoyed. Sign me up!

Moreover, while writing it, I had one of my favorite places in Denver, Colorado in mind; The Denver Museum of Nature and Science (formerly the Denver Museum of Natural History). I can't tell you how many times we went there on school field trips growing up, but it was the only time I ever got to go and I loved it every single time. It's like visiting old friends when I do get to go and check out the epic animal dioramas and towering replicas of our state's fossilized creatures. And our gemstones section is designed to look like a mine! I love that place... One day, I'm just gonna go by myself and spend as long as I want; no one else to worry about annoying or hurrying me along when I wanna just... look. Admire. Enjoy.

With that in mind, it's easy to see where the exhibits in this story come from, featuring sections very similar to those mentioned above - plus one! But I'm not gonna give that one away. It was certainly fun to think about, "if I had to start over, what kind of dates would I like?".

3) "The Icing on the Cake" - A criminally fun story!

Creation and Stats: Created ~2 years ago, 24 reads total

I rarely have as much fun with a short story for Vocal as I did with this one - usually due to trying to fit in (sometimes shoehorn in) the component(s) of the challenge, time constraints, or just having to tone down my typically very dark, detailed gore and the trauma that typically goes with it!

It isn't perfect by any means, but it was just a fun write that really stood out in the midst of the Summer Fiction Series challenges - 8 challenges released at once, each with its own needed representation. While I did my best to make all of my entries fit into whichever of the challenges still existed, I generally wrote one story that largely focused on the challenge closing next with the others being met less eagerly.

A great example of that was "The Big Gulp", which was focused largely not on the Summer Fiction Series challenges going on at the same time, but on the "Deep Dive" challenge. So my sharky idea for that challenge then wound up with the remaining 7 Summer Fiction Series challenges tacked on as odd little toss-ins so I could have it submitted to as many challenges as possible and as many pieces entered into the challenges as possible. Up until that part of the story, where I tried to shoehorn in items that I never intended for that story, it was doing really well. I love that story too - up until that point. It's not terrible, but there is a clear shift in the story.

In the case of, "The Icing on the Cake", the challenge expiring next was "Death by Chocolate". Naturally, my first thought was chocolate cake. I think the reason I enjoyed this one so much was just the fact that I normally don't write crime stories. Watch crime shows and documentaries and listen to crime podcasts? Oh yes - those I do in spades. All the time. Rarely is there a week without some form of crime sleuth playing in the background here. But it's not something I generally write; maybe criminal activity within another genre, but not an outright crime story.

And this one turned out to be a "slice of just desserts" (as I've often promoted it) for some scummy people. The ease with which the crime is committed might not be truly plausible, admittedly, but strange things do happen - sometimes with such ease! It was really fun twisting a tale around the way I did in this piece!

4) "Context" - The piece that made me decide to seek therapy.

Creation and Stats: Created ~year and a half ago, 12 reads total

In 2021, I had a fallout with my mother - and by her side of things alone, the rest of my immediate family. It hasn't gotten better, and likely won't for some time - if at all! But around that time, it became clear that I could no longer put off seeking a therapist.

It was as I was writing this candid piece, where I laid out many large events in my life, that I realized the totality of their effects on my life. And that I was over my head with so many things to straighten out. Nearly 70 sessions later - about 15 months so far with the expectation of a few more years of therapy - I can now say I was subjected to emotional neglect, have suffered depression for decades, and have been - more recently - subjected to the effects of my PTSD. At the time, a few of these things were suspected by my partner and myself, and it's surreal to me that I wrote this piece detailing so much.

While not the worst of the worst, clearly, the subject matter within this piece was enough to prompt my search for my current psychologist. Reader discretion for crude and profane language, sexual harassment, self-harm and suicidal thoughts...etc. It is neither a short read, nor a light one, but a very, very important one to understand how I got to where I got in the past and the types of struggles I am currently wresting with.

5) "Marigolds Dancing Beneath the Aurora Borealis" - A soft, bittersweet tale.

Creation and Stats: Created ~year and a half ago, 23 reads total

Written with the "Golden Summer" Summer Fiction Series challenge as the next closing challenge, this story took some unexpected turns. I thought I had the story planned out, but then...

...It turned into something far more tender, beautiful, and touching.

The initial idea was to write a tale about a teen boy or young man dreaming about a girl in marigolds he had a crush on, and upon waking, going to find her to ask her out, and that is where the story would end. The main focus of the story would be the dream.

Instead, the ending plays out a little differently; recalling his dream, the main character wakes up to unfamiliar surroundings and an old woman sitting near... Without giving it away, I can say the more touching ending has earned this story a special spot in my heart. A dear friend that has read the piece often brings it up, always mentioning that it gives off similar vibes to "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men.

6) "Baker's Dozen: 13 Perfumes I Enjoyed in 2022" - A Top Story featuring my favorite scents that year.

Creation and Stats: Created ~5 months ago, 33 reads total

My 5th - and so far last - Top Story! One of the few indications I might have some talent yet, this piece showcased the 13 perfumes I enjoyed using most in 2022. Many of these were very old hand-me-downs or gifts, and with the details and the links to the scents themselves, I often included a tale associated with the perfumes.

This was also a piece where largely only my own photos were used (besides like the cover photo), and they turned out really well against a newly cleaned and partially redecorated bathroom. 5 months later, it hasn't seen too many views - ~35, but it is a really niche topic. But it was a really fun write and I thought it came together beautifully on many fronts. I guess Vocal agreed, giving it that Top Story stamp of approval.

7) "Jaguar Eyes" - A dark tale of twists.

Creation and Stats: Created ~year and a half ago, 13 reads total

This bit of dark fiction was written with two ongoing challenges in mind - "Foggy Waters" and "The Scarlet Macaw". The first required a body of water (possibly in horror?) and the other required the inclusion of the Scarlet Macaw, which despite the name has multi-color plumage. Both criteria were met, whatever the exact specifications.

It's among my most twisted on the site, topped only by a later entry on this list. It's the darker tales I really enjoy writing, but I do have to rein it in for the platform, which usually compromises the strength and effectiveness of the stories. This one, however, still stands to me as one of the best that walk that thin line, combining (fictional) spiritual beliefs, grief, rage, distrust, betrayal, and more twisted themes. But don't worry! The ending, to me, is satisfying; a real rarity. I was in form for this one.

The gist is an uncle attending his nephew's funeral, only to catch wind that his niece suspects him of being involved in her brother’s death. The appearance of ghostly scarlet macaws in the spiritual realm signals that the boy was murdered. But the real horrors come after the children's parentage comes into question...

8) "Swallowed Screams Aboard the Screaming Agony" - A dark tale worthy of a disturbing content warning.

Creation and Stats: Created ~1 year ago, 6 reads total

Now this...

This, so far, is arguably my darkest piece on Vocal, worthy of an overall content warning in the title since Vocal doesn't give us options to write story summaries or check boxes for content warnings. So too, is the following deserving of a warning: content warning for mentions of non-consensual pregnancy, forced pregnancy/birth, suicidal thoughts, abortion, and potential future suicidal actions as a result of said forced pregnancy/birth.

It's profane, and it's dark, and it is angry. Written for the "New Worlds" challenge, wherein the story needed to start with or contain the sentence, "no one can hear a scream in space". Naturally, my traumatized ass immediately went to some of the darkest shit I could think of: forced pregnancy. Not surprising given the political climate and my own stance that I have held since a young child myself. I've literally had nightmares around this shit.

I have never desired children and would rather follow through with my decades-old suicidal thoughts than give birth. That is exactly what will happen should I become pregnant despite my best efforts not to and should I be denied any other option out, no questions. Not even the future of my brother, whom I have care-given for my entire life, is enough to keep me then; I would end it were something like this forced on me. It's never been something I've wanted - it's just not something for me. I would literally rather die.

And I gave that representation in this story. The woman in question has no way out - she's on a spaceship full of men, pregnant by non-consensual artificial insemination. Technically, she's in labor, and it's not going well...

The only thing I feel a little weird about (well, besides the content) is the dialogue. It's very crass, angry, and jarring. It does help to set the tone, but in a very... discordant way. I don't know if I can say I would change it - I'm not sure what I could have changed it to that would capture the magnitude but not be so jarring. It's not a fun read, especially because of the rough dialogue but it's also not meant to be a fun read.

So why is this on my list of favorites, given this ultra-dark theme and the anger that bellies it? I mean, I like dark themes, sure. But it's something that doesn't get brought up in such a way in the conversation about abortion or the forced-birth supporters (they can call themselves pro-life, but it's just pro-forced-birth).

Making someone give birth does not mean they will tolerate, accept, want, or care for the child. We ask how mothers can kill their children; it's pretty easy when they never wanted them and can downright despise them and what they had to go through and suffer in order to birth them and care for them. Quit forcing motherhood on those who do not want it - they don't want or have children for a reason. Usually a good one. My own mother told me - twice - that I was the child she considered aborting. And you what? I wish, so often, that she had... Read "Context" - it's in there.

I am someone who has never wanted children and I take measures to prevent that while being in a long-term relationship (8 years now) that thrives with intimacy - and where intimate moments often lead. But I fear what happens if those measures fail.

I'm lucky our state has protections, but Colorado is famous as a blue island in a sea of red states, and people who won't have to live my life are trying to tell me how to live my life should my birth control fail, and my backup plan then is death. I am looking into a more permanent solution - some form of sterilization. While it might be easier to have my partner get a vasectomy, and I don't think he'd be opposed, him getting that does not prevent me from being used as a breeder. There are instances of rape victims being forced to carry a pregnancy with their rapist because their rapist wanted to keep the baby; I want no opportunity to be used as a breeder against my will. Much less a rapist's breeder. But I'm about $11,000+ shy of an invasive tubal ligation that might be complicated by doctors trying to convince me I don't know what I want even though I've known kids weren't for me since I was like 5. I might be in an identity crisis, but that I don't want children is one thing I do know about myself.

Great job, "pro-lifers"! People like me will kill themselves if you try to force a pregnancy on them…

It also comes down to the obvious as to why I enjoy this dark tale; this story is as personal as personal gets to me. Through my main character, I get to scream at those who would force me and others like me into a situation not unlike that of the character. I get to let them know exactly how I feel about that situation. Can't really do it in any other form, no?

I realize I'm likely flirting with boundaries here on Vocal in this section, but this is how and why this piece came to be, and what it represents. Who it represents. I hope they will allow it. If not, not really a big deal I guess - it's not like my writing here is worth anything anyway. I can take some comfort that, of the 6 reads it has, 5 gave a heart. Shared on a Vocal Facebook group, a few supportive comments were left as well, so... there's that? At least I made one person think about that perspective for a minute, and that's all I can ask for in this conversation. Though, gotta say, nice to see someone say they'd love to see a novel of it. That's a plus.

9) "Life in Azeroth: Letters to Shadowsithe Ghoststrike" - A look at some in-game mail my main has received over the years in World of Warcraft.

Creation and Stats: Created ~a year and a half ago, 14 reads total

Okay, we need some palate cleansers after that last one.

Here, we take a look at a piece I wrote about my main in World of Warcraft, Shadowsithe Ghoststrike.

I created her back in 2009 and she's mained the same specialization (combat/outlaw Rogue) on the same server since. And sometimes, I do random, nice things with her: send folks free mounts, pets, gold, or maybe find a rare mount for someone else. I even held Halloween and Winter Holiday giveaways on my main servers in 2020! In response, she's received a slew of letters in return - perfect reads for those dark nights when I'm not doing well and just need something to "stay" for.

I always want to write more about her, but I've never figured out quite in what manner. Instead, there's only two posts about her so far; this one, and the one explaining her journey to 50 million gold in auction sales. Of the two, this is the shorter and more fun version - she's all work in the other, constantly farming materials to sell and re-posting those auctions. Here, Shadowsithe is fun, and kind, and generous.

Besides for a light read on dark days, the screenshots of the letters are charming; there's a bunch of different people writing in a bunch of different ways on a bunch of different good deeds. From guild members requesting I send a mount to their Guild Master, to new guilds I donated gold to to help them get started, to the one where I got a new nickname from a giveaway, it's a nice look down memory lane at the things I still enjoy about the game even after so many years and changes.

10) "Baker's Dozen: My Favorite 13 Tapestries in 2023 (So Far)" - A story I really wish more people would read just to look at how pretty the tapestries are!

Creation and Stats: Created ~1 month ago, 2 reads total

I was gutted when this one didn't do well. I honestly thought it would be my next - 6th - Top Story. I put in the same energy as what I had for #6 on this list - my prior Top Story. The pictures - mostly great. Sure, office is messy, but those close-ups... Glorious! Over a month and it's only had 2 views. Worse, I was just excited to share how beautiful the tapestries are, but despite my attempts... only 2 views; basically no one saw it. I'm not sure if there was too much mental health in it, if the usual issue here on Vocal of, "does this fit in this category?" screwed me over - again - or what. I was so sure it would do well, but instead, it did nothing. And it sucks, because it's a good one to me too.

But the gist is that, in trying to decorate our home and help me identify what I like and want in the midst of an ongoing identity crisis, I found I really love tapestries! They also work really well with projectors I bought to help create the kind of room ambiences I want, especially when my PTSD acts up, and they are so easy to switch that it's not a big deal if I want to change things out multiple times in a day. I love how easy it is to switch up a room and I can showcase nature in our home without putting on the T.V. I want less time online/around that kind of media (Vocal, take note with all your posts about promoting ourselves even more on social media! Aren't you a platform? Where's your active promoting of your creators?).

It's basically just a, "here's some pretty things I like and why I got them" I guess. Shame basically no one has - or will - see it. They don’t even have to read it - just look at the pretty pictures!

Update: with the addition of the Art community on Vocal, I asked that the story be moved to the new community, and it has since become a Top Story!

11) "Unwise Gossip" - A dark story where nothing is as it seems.

Creation and Stats: Created ~1 year ago, 3 reads total

I was really excited about this one! It was another dark entry, but like "Jaguar Eyes", it's largely satisfactory all the way through!

It's also the second story I ever received a tip on, and my biggest yet - $5! Sadly, though the tip came from the first reader, it has only seen 3 reads total after over a year. And that tip was the last one I've received too. 2 tips totaling $6 in 2 years - I'm really thriving here...

It's a real pity, because it is a stand out piece in my first 100 posts and was another case of largely being in my zone.

Children mysteriously disappear, and a local woman is thought to be a witch taking them. When the town has had enough, they seek to kill the woman, leaving her husband in the aftermath. As time moves on and she doesn't return, he begins a new relationship. Little does he know, he's going to learn the hard way just how harmful gossip can be...

12) "Baker's Dozen: 13 Things I Liked to Say to Guests at Jurassic World: the Exhibition (Denver 2022)" - A look at the only job I've ever missed!

Creation and Stats: Created ~8 months ago, 5 reads total

I truly do miss this job at Jurassic World: the Exhibition! I never imagined myself doing something like it, and it was so awesome to be surrounded by so many other fans of the franchise in both the guests and the staff! It really made it a fun gig overall!

I wrote this piece when I was waiting to hear back after being re-interviewed; the exhibition was moving on to San Diego, and I loved it so much I was willing to follow it out there with the help of my ever-supportive partner - on his dime (I wouldn't have made enough at $17/hr to stay in San Diego for the 3-4 months I figured I could continue). We both thought me staying on and getting a chance to live on my own for the first time would help me continue to build the confidence that I had started to develop in my first four months on the Denver team and would be a good learning experience for me.

Sadly, I was not asked to keep on; very few had asked to continue on and I would've been the only one staying on at that point anyway. So probably for the best that I didn't go since the team that bolstered my confidence wouldn’t be there, but since I had fully intended to follow it, I wasn't ready to let go when it ended. It's still hard for me to watch most films in the Jurassic Park/World franchise, and the exhibition left in September 2022 - a full 9 months ago at this time.

I've kept in contact with many from the team - I couldn't believe how many new friends I gained from that job and I'm still surprised how many I am still in contact with!

However, my memory has begun to fade; the minute things around the break rooms, time limits - small details and whatnot. So I am very happy that I wrote this back then when things were bright and fresh, or else my favorite lines might be lost forever due to disuse. It's not quite the same as standing next to those colossal, gorgeous robotics and delivering the speeches, obviously, but at least through this piece, the things I enjoyed saying at the exhibition have evaded total extinction.

From calming down guests on the ferry to Isla Nublar when those T-rex roar "advertisements" come on, to letting folks know all about our raptors, to talking crap in the Hammond Creation Lab, I couldn't help but put this post here; the exhibition left an Indominus Rex-sized hole in my heart.

I don't even know what kinda job I can get after that that I would enjoy half as much. Sure can't cut it writing.

13) "Mischief at the Barn" - First Top Story, entry to all 8 of the Summer Fiction Series challenges (and then some), and most read story to date*!

Creation and Stats: Created ~2 years ago, 267 reads total

Finishing off this Baker's Dozen is my first Top Story, "Mischief at the Barn"! This one is special on many levels.

This story was created for the 8 challenges making up the Summer Fiction Series in 2021, and it was the only entry I made that was submitted into all 8 challenges. Which is probably why it did as well as it did; being submitted into all 8 challenges meant it was listed - early - into all 8 and then it was a Top Story, featured on the front page. A lot of people saw it when it was freshly submitted into 8 challenges, and a lot more saw it when it showcased on the front page.

I think this was like my 8th story ever on Vocal or something like that (too lazy to look through my profile again for it for the exact number), and it gave me a false idea that writing here might be worthwhile. However, I've found that wasn't the case; though this story saw 267 views in a short span of time, that was all. Even after trying to promote it many times since, the story hasn't seen an extra view in over a year! It's just been stuck there. Even writing this and including the link in this article, I don't anticipate it getting more views. It's done; old news, no one cares.

To date, "Mischief at the Barn" is my most viewed story, even with no additional views in over a year. However, another of my Top Stories - and Baker's Dozen - is close to dethroning it! "Baker's Dozen: Cannabis Strains I Loved in 2021" saw decent success as well, and only by becoming a Top Story - it was never entered into any challenges. It's still got a ways to climb, sitting at just under 230 views, but it is one of the only stories that does see traffic fairly often compared to the rest, even without my trying to promote it. It might take the rest of 2023, but I wouldn't be surprised if "Mischief at the Barn" gets bumped into second place by it. It should be safe there for a while; the third most-read story has about 85 views and the rest drop off to the 20s, 10s, and a lotta zeros...

All that said, this story was an interesting write and the humor in it came off very organically. I was combining the requirements of 8 challenges into one story, and I pulled it off best in this first attempt. Initially, I did some very loose planning on paper, which I sometimes do, but not often. Half of the story wasn't even planned on that - the only marigold initially was the one placed in a main character's hair, the bull was mentioned early but the later incident with the pranksters wasn't included. The marigold fields and chocolate cake with the elderly farmers wasn't planned. And neither was that punch line! It started out according to plan, but then it took on a life of its own.

And for once, I wrote something a couple hundred people read. How could I look back on the last two years and not include it with all that? It is the most "successful" story I've written here - for a little while longer, anyways.

And I think that's gonna do it! I know I bashed Vocal a lot in this; while I love a lot of the stuff I write here for one reason or another, I find myself almost outright hating the platform after two years. I'm very sick of them telling creators how to better promote themselves when the platform does so little to help their creators in that. I see a lot of areas they could make fairly minor changes to and make that work better for creators... It's frustrating. I feel like the site could do more and do better and it would help the creators do better overall too. But that's a whole other dedicated piece in the works.

So I am not very happy to hit the 100 story milestone - there's nothing here to celebrate really except a lot of wasted hours on stories that never got read or so few reads it's like, "why did I even bother?". That last $100 bonus is likely to just pay off next year's Vocal+ charge and nothing more - I've two years here and nothing to show for it. Like $7 and change from reads - should I be happy about that?

I wish I was happy to hit the milestone; I really do. I've worked towards it for 2 years. But I’m not.

My future here is unknown. I will say, I do enjoy things like these Baker's Dozen's lists - a rare few were even good enough for $5 bonuses. I am reluctant to stop writing things I find fun, like about my World of Warcraft main, Shadowsithe Ghoststrike. I just wish my efforts weren't such a waste of time; they're meant to be enjoyed, but are basically never seen. How many hours down the drain, fully uncompensated?

And yet... I loved every story I shared in this list. Some more easily than others. But I enjoyed creating them all. I can't deny that. These are all very special to me.

Time will tell. I am persistent, after all, and it wouldn't be the first time I've stayed somewhere far longer than what is wise. I’ll never be one of those featured week after week because I don’t write enough content and I don’t engage in every social media available like the 8 or so that are ALWAYS featured. I'm never going to see enough compensation to get anywhere. But it can be fun. For a depressed idiot like me, fun is a rare thing. I'm not eager to throw it away, even if it doesn't do anything else to help me. But that doesn't mean it still isn't frustrating and hard to want to write here.

Anyway, I’ve got a whole thing in the works about all my grievances about the site. I’ve also got one about all the things I like about it too. Plenty of Baker’s Dozen lists for the year, including more tapestries and perfumes. I’m not really excited to be here anymore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have more things planned here either. If it sounds confusing, don't worry - it is. You might have noticed I'm having a real time with a love/hate relationship with the site.

Thank you for your time. If you enjoyed, please consider subscribing. Shares and tips are greatly appreciated - I think this list proved most of these don't earn much and there's very little compensation for all the hours I've spent on 100 different stories. I’ll be lucky to get 15 reads on this, and I've been working on and off on it for days…

If you don’t mind some short works - micro-fiction of 100 words or less - I’ve included a few very short tales that I had fun writing for the Microfiction challenge. There’s more on my profile and even more in the works. If not for the Microfiction challenge, it could have been months more before I cranked out enough stories to hit the 100 story mark! Wouldn't be a fan of it around all the time, but every once in a while to shake things up wouldn't be terrible!

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