Short Story Format

Standard Format

When I first started out writing and submitting short stories, I spent a lot of time and effort learning how to format my manuscripts. Here are all of the short story formatting guidelines I use, collected in one place for your convenience. Cover Page The margins should be one inch…
March 27, 20236 Comments
Sidearm & Sorcery

Sidearm & Sorcery Volume Two

Presenting a  gripping new supernatural anthology featuring some of newpub's finest! Supernatural evils lay hidden, deep in the shadows of society. Be these dangers man or beast, they will strike at unsuspecting, everyday people. What if there are no selfless wizards around when a demon steps from the alley? What…
March 23, 20235 Comments
Financial Jiu-Jitsu

Jiu-Jitsu

It's often said that God can draw straight with crooked lines. And He can bring greater good out of even the worst evil. By any measure, a government that cracks down on religious dissidents, outlaws church attendance, and indoctrinates kids into the ruling party's demonic ideology meets the criteria for…
March 22, 202314 Comments
John Wick 3

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

This blog covered the surprise hit actioner John Wick. Then I handed the wheel to you guys for John Wick: Chapter 2. Keeping promises to my readers takes high priority, so without further ado, here's your review of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. First, the title. Man, these titles…
March 21, 20236 Comments
Character Agency

Character Agency

"What if my characters want to do things  that  sabotage my plot?" That question will baffle outliners. "Your characters are just extensions of your own will," they'll say. "How can they 'want' anything that you don't want?" This misunderstanding stems from the technical differences between authors who construct meticulous outlines…
March 20, 20238 Comments
St. Patrick Getty Images

The Breastplate of St. Patrick

In these days of growing persecution, it's more important for every Christian to put on the armor of God. St. Patrick provides the Breastplate. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of…
March 17, 20233 Comments
Blue Dragon

How PCs Took Down JRPGs

File under: Gaming Ground Zero. And thanks again to author David V. Stewart for sliding this item across my desk. We've covered the descent of JRPGs from their peak in the 90s. Recently, legendary Final Fantasy director Hironobu Sakaguchi explained how Western RPGs dethroned Japanese game devs from their place…
March 16, 202319 Comments
UK NEETs

The UK’s NEETdemic

In other news, it turns out the 19th century model of state-mandated education focusing on rote memorization isn't working any better outside the US. Across Britain, ... businesses ... say the nation's schools, technical colleges and apprentice schemes are not turning out the workers they need, from software coders and…
March 15, 20235 Comments
sentence

Writing Tips: The Sentence Level

Working as a professional writer and editor these past years has not only taught me a lot about writing; it's shown me much that I didn't even suspect I didn't know. Since I always try to have one hand reaching down the ladder to help folks below me up while…
March 14, 20239 Comments
Florida Girl

Florida Girl

We were due for another tale of high strangeness around this place. And as usual, synchronicity provides. Here's a headscratcher I was just told yesterday. A family was vacationing in a mid-sized town in the middle of Florida. While they were driving down one of the main thoroughfares that run…
March 13, 202310 Comments