Words Deferred is a blog about writing fiction, in all of its myriad forms.
It’s 2025, and I’m reviewing books and giving away my story ideas!
2024 was my Year of Short Stories. I spent 52 weeks writing sci-fi and fantasy stories and submitting them to publications. I wrote weekly updates to discuss my progress, as well as the ins and outs of writing and submitting short fiction in these markets. Read the kickoff, or see all the posts.
Previously, I spent almost two years writing Razor Mountain, a novel that I updated here twice per month. I documented the entire process, from ideas and outlining to the cover design and back-cover blurb to the chapters themselves. You can read all of it on my Razor Mountain landing page.
If you’d rather read some of my free microfiction or hundred-word drabbles, check out the Fiction section.
If you’re looking for something else, use the search, categories and tags in the sidebar, or check out my most recent posts below.
Week 1 — Year of Short Stories 2026
2026 is another year of short stories. In this weekly series, I talk about the stories I’m working on, from idea and draft to submission. Jan. 1 – Jan. 9 Due to the new year, I had to incorporate a partial week here at the start. This “week” was nine…
The Short Fiction Posts
In 2026, I’m once again focusing on short stories, so this seems like a perfect time to revive a series of six posts I did in 2024, all focused on short stories. In this series, I cover why short stories are important to read and write, how they’re generally categorized…
Interpreting Short Fiction Rejection Letters
I recently crossed the threshold of 50 short story submissions, and I’ve decided to celebrate that milestone by talking about rejections! For most writers, rejections are a natural part of the submission process, and it’s expected for a short story to rack up at least a few before finding a…
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Words Deferred 