J.K. Ullrich's Blog, page 7
April 12, 2020
Writer-in-(non)-Residence: Living In Limbo During the COVID-19 Lockdown
“So this is how the robot apocalypse begins,” I whispered to my Laddie under the shrill whine of the drone outside. Back pressed to the wall, I risked a peek through the curtains. The quadcopter hovered against the February sky, red lights winking like the eyes of a giant cicada. “I hope they can’t spot... Continue Reading →
Writer-in-(non)-Residence: Living In Limbo During the Covid-19 Lockdown
“So this is how the robot apocalypse begins,” I whispered to my Laddie under the shrill whine of the drone outside. Back pressed to the wall, I risked a peek through the curtains. The quadcopter hovered against the February sky, red lights winking like the eyes of a giant cicada. “I hope they can’t spot... Continue Reading →
April 1, 2020
A COVID-19 Parody Song for April Fool’s Day (Because We All Need A Laugh Right Now)
Did you know that I write more than just novels? As a teenager, I was a prolific writer of song parodies. Most paid homage to my favorite fictions, including a riff on the Spin Doctors’ “Two Princes” to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, half a dozen popular songs restyled for... Continue Reading →
March 1, 2020
Buried Treasure: Five Reasons You Should Read Your Old Writing
You know the scene in adventure movies where the protagonist, digging feverishly where the “X” on the map has led, hits metal in the mud? That was me last weekend, only I wasn’t excavating earth, just the closet in my home office. And the telltale clunk wasn’t a spade striking a strongbox, but an heavy... Continue Reading →
February 1, 2020
The Stoic Writer: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Creativity
“Learn something new every day.” I’ve lived by this charge since graduating university more than a decade ago, determined not to let my brain atrophy amid the numbing routines of adulthood. Raw curiosity (and research for my novels) usually keeps me in good stead, but to supplement my cognitive nutrition, I always have a page-a-day... Continue Reading →
January 1, 2020
Turning the Page: 2019 Annual Review & 2020 Writing Resolutions
If I see one more decade-in-retrospective listicle, I’m going to shred my calendar. Entering the 2020s doesn’t necessarily mark the portentous turn of some cosmic page. January 1 has no more inherent significance than December 31, or any other planetary spin cycle. Silly humans, inflating the importance of our own arbitrary frameworks (ironic in this... Continue Reading →
November 24, 2019
Recent Reads: “No Time To Spare”, by Ursula K. Le Guin
My father and I call and text like typical 21st century family, but we also maintain written correspondence like 19th century intellectuals. (Occasionally we even write like them: planning a holiday visit might be phrased as “Cherished father, I propose myself the pleasure of waiting upon you and my mother this Michelmas…”). We’re both English... Continue Reading →
November 10, 2019
Flash Fiction with #VSS365: October 2019
Sometimes #VSS365 flash fiction prompts are perfect opportunities to share glimpses of my longer works. October’s collection, with its macabre Halloween theme, proved ideally suited to the visceral elements of my cyberpunk novel Binary Chop. Every installment this month is an excerpt from the book, modified for length where necessary. Prompts are in bold, and... Continue Reading →
October 31, 2019
The Bountiful Harvest of Fear: Writing About What Scares You
When did Halloween become such a big deal? As a kid, trick-or-treating with my sister, I don’t recall much neighborhood decor besides the jack-o-lanterns grinning on the porch or some fake spiderwebs strung across the hedges. Now Halloween seems more popular than Christmas. Specters dangle from the trees on my block; front yards become graveyards;... Continue Reading →
October 20, 2019
The Infield Plot Model: How Baseball Can Improve Your Story Structure
October is my favorite month for many reasons, including the Major League Baseball post-season. The crisp air amplifies the crack of wood on leather, and my strident voice when I scream at the television: “Come on, ya chumps! You got a runner in scoring position, just put the ball in play and…” I paused in... Continue Reading →
