Pernell Rogers – Writer

Author Archive

Well, from my previous post, I stated I could expand on a single sentence, and that’s just what I did. That single sentence led to over 500 words! The short story sits at +2200 words now, and that should be good. Adding any more would kill the tension I created.

I’m working on the second +1700 word story right now. This one is much easier to expand upon. So far, I’ve added 400 words and there is much, much more I have to write. I’m curious just how far I can push this one.

Although revisions are a pain, this is where I find plot holes and areas that need more (or fewer) explanations. Editing at this point comes and goes. If I see something obvious, I’ll make a change, but I won’t use ProWritingAid or Grammarly until I’m ready to edit.

There is another piece of software I may try, especially for the novel I’ve temporarily suspended working on. Fictionary looks at my stories from the highest level. It examines character arcs, may help improve the plot, and lets me know if my story is working or not. Basically, it examines the structure of my story. Once the structure is satisfactory, I can focus on line and copyediting before sending the stories off to my editor. I want to try it for one month to see how easy, or difficult, the software is to use. If it really helps, I may purchase a longer license.

Well, back to my short story! Take care!

Hi again. First, I want to thank everyone that gave my website and blog positive comments. I should post more, but I find myself either writing or resting. The reason for resting is to get out of my character’s heads.

Most of my characters are ordinary but are placed in extraordinary situations. If I stay in their heads too long, they may drive me crazy! Now, I see why Stephen King has books and movies about writers where their stories come back to haunt them (think of Misery, The Dark Half, and Secret Window).

I also posted a question long ago under the “Where My Stories Come From” tab. The question refers to a story in the book “It Happens When You’re Alone”, and I asked if anyone can figure out what my fear is.

The Big Reveal is that my fear is in the short story “The Choctaw Elder.” Specifically, it’s the shower scene. I have a closet shower with frosted glass. From inside, you can see if anyone passes in front of it, but you can’t tell who it is. I must admit, that ever since I wrote that story, that fear has retreated. See, writing supernatural horror is therapeutic!

Take care!

Hello all. I hope everyone is still staying safe, even if vaccinated. It looks like, at the moment, I have 8 stories for my new collection, which may be enough, but I’m not sure. A total of +54000 words. Not bad, but I have some major concerns.

One flash fiction story I’m using is not even 500 words, but I dare not change it because I love the shocking ending. I’m fine with that. However, 2 stories are only +1700 words, 1 story is only +4800, and 2 stories are only +6000 words. They’re crazy short.

My two favorites are +13000 and +19000 word stories. They are well-developed. What I want to do is expand those shorter stories, and that’s what I’m finding difficult. To do so, I’m may have to introduce more information that takes away from the original story.

Earlier this year, the stories were flowing from my head (those two longer stories) like a rushing river. Now the river is damned. It’s not the first time, but it is frustrating. I’m looking at one of the +1700 words stories now. It starts off with action and continues with action to the end. I don’t want to add anything that slows the pace down, but I’ve been working on characterization. I’m not sure if adding will slow the pace.

Whoa! I just had an epiphany! There is a single sentence in the short story that affects the protagonist’s life and motivates him to do something drastic. That single sentence has a lot of action, and I can expand on it. It’s a flashback, but it explains why the protagonist is motivated to do what he’s currently doing.

I guess I just needed to put my thoughts down. I have a feeling that I’ll begin adding posts to my website as I run into walls as well as I succeed. Writing is hard. It really is, but I love it so, so much. Pulling these twisted stories from my warped mind actually keeps me happy and totally relaxed.

Everyone take care!

Just as I suspected, the research for this third story occupied most of my time. Since this story takes place in Europe, I had to do tons of research about facets of two societies I have very little knowledge of. It was a fascinating journey, and I’ll probably attempt another story in a foreign location soon.

I have seven more stories to complete for this collection. I’ll choose which one to work with tomorrow, but I already have an idea of which one I want to select. The story is complete, but I have to re-read it to see if it needs to be expanded.

Take care, and stay safe!

Hello all! Well, I’ve just finished the first draft of the second story last night. Just under 20,000 words. I never expected it to be that long. I also listened to podcast about writing a certain type of story (I don’t want to give away the contents) and it’s exactly what I needed. I’m pretty sure the revisions will push the story up to 25,000 words or more!

Also today, I finished the research on the third story in the new collection. This one takes place in Europe, but I won’t tell you where. I love writing stories about characters in other countries like I did with the story ‘Whispers of Cusco’ in my Revelations of Evil Collection. I base this story on one of the small contest stories I entered last year. The prompts for the contest are amazing and give me many story ideas.

This third story will require a little more research to pull everything into a single coherent plot. I can already see it in my mind. Sometime soon, I’ll start looking for a fourth story to make sure this writing kick I’m on doesn’t stall out.

Don’t worry, I haven’t abandoned my novel. It’s nearing the end, but I needed something different to get the creative juices flowing again. I’ll keep you informed of its progress. See ya!

Hello all! Just want to create a quick update on what I’ve been doing the last few months. Much of my writing in the last quarter of 2020 dealt with entering small horror writing contest where I won a few and lost a few. Nevertheless, those flash fiction stories are fodder on an upcoming project. I also worked more on my novel. However, I kept coming to roadblocks, and my creativity wasn’t there, so I went in another direction for the time being.

I haven’t published any stories in a very long time, and I miss it. That’s where my new project came into being. I’m creating another collection of short supernatural stories based on some of the flash fictions stories I created for the small contests.

How is it going so far, you may ask? AWESOME! I can’t believe this, but I’m averaging 750-1000 words a day! I’ve never written so much! I took a 4 day break during Super Bowl weekend, and when I started back up, I wrote 2000+ words in a single day. The stories are flowing well and my creativity is back. I always have the novel in the back of my mind, but I really want to get the first draft of this collection completed. Right now, there is no timeline, but I hope the first draft of all the stories will be completed sometime in July… then come the multiple revisions, sending them to my editor, and making final revisions. All that takes time, so be patient.

I’ve already finished one story and working on the second. I’ll keep you updated on my progress. Thanks for checking in to see how I’m doing.

Stay safe and take care!

Hello all! I’ve added a new story to my vault called ‘It’s the Same All Over’. I wrote it during the week of Veteran’s Day. Being a veteran, I wanted to write a horror story that goes a little beyond the horrors many of our veteran’s experience. My intention is not to offend anyone, especially my brothers and sisters in arms, but the story reflects some social commentary about events taking place right here at home. I hope you enjoy it!

Aloha everybody! No, I not in Hawaii, but I wanted to try a new greeting. This time I’ve added two new stories to my vault. One deals with escaping from the city and the other is all about the sweet sensation of revenge. I hope you enjoy ‘The Mirage‘ and ‘Revenge Can Be Sticky‘!

Wow! I didn’t know that I last wrote a post back in April. My mind has been so cluttered, I’m forgetting what’s important! Well, after a desperately needed two-week vacation, I was finally able to come up with a brief story about teenage rebellion. Most of us can remember what we did and said during that stressful time, and some of us even lived to tell our children about it, maybe. Our parent’s old saying goes, “I brought you into this world, and I will take you out!” Most teenagers should take heed of those twelve words because you never know if it will come true or not!

Enjoy ‘It’s Time for My Wish!‘ located under the ‘Vault of My Mind‘ tab.

Hello all. I’m trying my best to keep writing, but coming up with new ideas has been a challenge. Nevertheless, I’ll keep my mind plunged into the depths of the supernatural world. This latest short story in ‘The Vault of My Mind’ is troubling, even to me. It’s called The Stains of Purgatory. Enjoy!