Status Update

Tina hated the outdoors. But there she was, Saturday morning­—hiking with mom.

“You’re on the phone too much. You need to experience the outdoors,” her mother said.

Just then, Tina’s friend texted: Don’t forget to update your status, nature girl. LOL.

Pouting, Tina logged onto Twitter and tweeted: ‘Urban girl meets nature.’

Instantly, 5 likes. Tina smiled.

“Mom, where’s the bathroom?”

“Privy is over there.”

Inside, Tina looked around, tweeting: ‘First time in a Porta Potty.’ 7 likes. She smiled again.

‘So nasty, so gross—'

Plop.

Tina paused momentarily. Then carefully navigated her finger into the fetid blue liquid.

Tweet.

From Guest Contributor Jennifer Lai

Dangerous Dan

Dan is a famous television personality. He tells everyone via Twitter, television, and sky writing that he is a rich and brilliant man. His public statements have attracted a following of those who hate the same people that he does. Recently he advised people to drive 100mph in dense traffic without seatbelts, despite transportation experts saying it would lead to deaths to both drivers and the innocent. Many thousands died following his advice. Dan laughed it off, until he himself was injured while driving at 100mph. Several others were injured in his crash. What do you think of Dan now?

From Guest Contributor Doug Hawley

My Doctor Must Not Have Seen The Hashtag

"STATES DEPRESSION IS STABLE. NO THOUGHTS OF SELF-HARM. DOING PRETTY WELL ON [redacted]. NO SIDE EFFECTS. REALLY NOT THAT MUCH EFFICACY, HOWEVER." That's my medical chart, caps lock and all.

A hot take on treatment-resistant ("stable") MDD. Weird it's called mental health, which per Twitter, university listservs and healthcare.gov, "matters," but not really without physical evidence.

Maybe by next appointment I'll throw myself in front of the doc's Porsche so he'll believe me. But if I die, only the Eliphazs, Bildads, and Zophars retweeting "Ask for help #mentalhealthmatters" will get the glory.

So, my hands are tied. Bound until bleeding.

From Guest Contributor Connor Orrico

What Happened To Ben?

“So, uh, what happened to Ben?”

“Twitter. Once he discovered that, well, he just sort of fell into a black hole.”

“Do you talk to him on Twitter?”

“Oh yeah. All the time.”

“That’s funny. I can’t get him to return my calls. I even went to his house one day and he didn’t answer the door.”

“Just tweet him. He’ll respond.”

“That seems weird. Does he make sense? Talk in complete sentences?”

“He’s hilarious. Same old Ben.”

“Only he’s not really there. He’s just a digital ghost.”

“When you put it that way it just sounds sad.”

“I know.”

From Guest Contributor Dan Slaten

Pre-Order Quitting The Grave

I'm very happy to announce that Quitting The Grave, my first full-length novel, is now available for pre-order.

Quitting The Grave Book Teaser from Entropy Squared on Vimeo.

If you want to read the first chapter, all you have to do is sign up for my monthly newsletter and I will send you a link to download a free preview. OR, follow me on Twitter, and tweet out "@doctorentropy2 I want to read the first chapter of #QuittingTheGrave" I'll PM you the download link.Eugene, Oregon. October, 1999. After three graves robberies--in each instance, the abducted corpse was a John Doe--the police have few leads and little interest in the case. Caya Blumenshine, a reporter for the local newspaper, canvasses Eugene, questioning anarchists, wyccans, and politicians, until her search hits upon a secluded house on the outskirts of the city. Its owner, Alexander Hilyard, a history-writing hermit who hasn't been seen in years, may be involved in the grave robberies, or may have been the most recent victim.Fort Vancouver, 1830’s. A trading outpost on the Columbia River is charged with harvesting as many furs as possible for the Hudson Bay Company, while at the same time discouraging American pioneers from settling in the region. Dr. McLoughlin, the chief factor, and his three adopted sons find the undertaking challenged by the arrival of Jason Lee and his Methodist missionaries, who seem more interested in establishing a new territorial government than converting any natives.Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1846. After the murder of her father, Helen Hunsaker wants nothing more than to escape the strictures of a society that views women as second-class citizens. She sets out on the Oregon Trail hoping to find a measure of freedom not afforded to her by her family circumstances or gender. Unfortunately, a spurned suitor chases after her and will apparently stop at nothing to win her hand in marriage.Three stories that span more than 150 years of American history, united by a shocking mystery. Will Caya be able to discover the truth? And how far will people go to keep their secrets buried?In addition to the regular Kindle version, iPad owners have the option of purchasing an enhanced version, made possible thanks to the generous support provided by my Kickstarter backers.The enhanced version of Quitting The Grave, available exclusively on the iPad, features more than 35 videos and 100+ photographs, illustrations, and maps that will help readers learn about the true history behind the stories and characters of Quitting The Grave.To pre-order Quitting The Grave, visit Amazon. And for the enhanced version, check out iTunes(The Enhanced Version will be available starting February 28th).

Quitting The Grave Trailer from Entropy Squared on Vimeo.

Quitting The Grave goes on sale February 28th! Pre-order today.

Are You Up For The Twelve Month Writing Challenge?

It's that time of year again. The clock is ticking on 2013. If we haven't fulfilled our resolutions by now, it's almost certainly too late. But most of you are probably already contemplating your pledges for 2014. Hopefully that includes a fair bit of writing in your future.

If you don't have something specific in mind, then I invite you to join me on the Twelve Month Writing Challenge. Each month I will write one short story entirely within that month. By the end of the year, I'll have a collection 12 stories.*

Here are the rules:

1. Each story must be completed within a month
2. The title of each story must include the name of the month
3. Each story must be posted publicly by the end of the month
4. Each story must be accompanied by an original photograph that is thematically related and which was taken during that month
5. At the end of the year, the 12 stories must be collected into one volume and made available to readers for free
6. Minor editing can take place subsequently, but the writing for each story is finished when the month ends

Please note that there is no restriction in terms of content or story length. The story doesn't have to be related to the month. For example, March can refer to the month, the verb, or the hare. The idea is to create a construct that will help motivate you to write, and to write publicly, while still allowing for a great deal of freedom. By the end of the year, we should all have something to share with readers. That's the whole point.

I'll be posting my finished collection as a free download on Amazon and other online bookstores. If you don't have a place to post your work, submit it to me and I'll be happy to post yours stories on my blog.**

I'll be tweeting updates throughout the year using the hashtag #12monthchallenge and I encourage all of you to do the same. We can help motivate each other and provide feedback. If you're worried about the time commitment, don't be. Each story can be 100 words or even shorter. In fact, it's better to set small goals and exceed them than to intend to write a novella each month and give up half-way through January.

Happy New Year everyone and I look forward to reading your stories.

*No need to double check that math. That's cold, hard fact!

**As long as your work isn't pornographic, hate-filled, or gratuitously violent.

Silence

The drive back to the mansion house was long. Selena found it unendurable, but not because of what was waiting for her.

It was the silence she couldn't abide. She abhorred silence. She needed music or television playing in the background at all times or she'd fill the emptiness with whatever twitter occurred to her in the moment. Most people found the chatter annoying, but Richard had thought it endearing, which was odd, because for the most part he hated anyone who talked too much in his presence.

The fact Richard was dead made the silence especially interminable.

Part Seven

The Masked Crusader

Nobody has ever seen a hero quite like the Masked Crusader. Resplendent in his uniform of blue and yellow, he combines colossal strength with supersonic flight and a prodigious intellect. He seems to have leapt right off the pages of the monthly comics.

In his secret lair, he monitors police frequencies, intercepts 911 calls, even follows Twitter. He patrols the city streets at night, listening for cries of help. He wants the world to know the world’s first superhero is an agent for good.

But his greatest nemesis proves the suddenness of crime. He invariably arrives just after the fact.