CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Well, January sure blew by fast! And December? Don’t even ask; it was a whirlwind. I think I missed the December progress report, but I won’t bore you with it, now. Now is all about January, and a new year, and new beginnings and all that kind of stuff… unless you calculate your year by the Australian financial year – which would make this the mid-year report, instead of the first annual report. Let’s not do that, okay? Tracking Progress & Pulp Speed (PuSp) Having said that, I track progress by both years, now, so you’ll see those records, below, as well. Another new-ish thing I’m doing this year—since four other new things weren’t enough—is tracking my Pulp Speed—something I decided to do after reading Dean Wesley Smith’s article on it, again, late last year (although, I can’t, for the life of me, find it now…) Anyway, I like the challenge of increasing my word output, and this was a handy way of measuring it, so I wrote down the numbers, and, each month, I check to

Last week we had a science-fiction piece set in the near future . Today’s piece is a short joined-worlds fantasy that forms the February 1st entry in Another 365 Days of Flash Fiction . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the War Zone to… Karaval thought the sky was about to fall, or, perhaps, just the ceiling. The whole building shook as the bombardment continued around him. Dust and small pieces of ceiling fell around him, as he curled under the desk. He had been meaning to go straight through it to the alley beyond, but now… He listened as something whistled and roared overhead, and wished there was a hole he could crawl into. Maybe coming into the warehouse office had been a mistake. He was sure of it when, moments later, two arms reached out of the solid, concrete floor and pulled him through it, and into the tunnel below. He was even more sure, when the monster that held him, tucked him under its arm, and loped down

This week’s verse moves from the urban fantasy fey to a staple of the fantasy stable—the dragon. It is taken from Another 365 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry to be released later in the year, once both collection and cover are complete. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Lonely Flight I ran the night and half the day I ran to hold the fear at bay I ran and with ev’ry sobbing breath I prayed that I’d not be caught by death. I ran right down the mountainside, I ran from where the dragon bides, I ran ‘til I could run more, and then I knocked upon your door. Please shelter me, from what lies behind I’m sure I left no trail to find I’m sure that I’ve run far enough I’m sure my steps left no print rough. Please let me rest, perchance to sleep and then, tomorrow morn, I’ll leave. I’ll leave and never come again Tonight I just need to shelter from the rain My thanks, my everlasting than