M.M. Schreier's Blog, page 2

Publication Alert: Writers Resist

Creation is an act of resistance. Literature, art, music, film all have a long history of highlighting social and political injustices. Anyone who reads me knows that social commentary is nothing new for my work either.

I’m super excited to have a story: “She, I, You, We: Every Woman” out today in the Spring issue at Writers Resist. This is a story about how women move through the years, measuring our worth and identity. It’s bitter as well as hopeful, because that’s what resistance is about, isn’t it? I hope it resonates with all my femme coded readers, and perhaps appeals to the empathy of those who are not.

Don’t forget to check out all the other stories in the issue, too!

Publication Alert: Forgetting Something?

The world’s on fire right now and if you could use a good laugh, I have news for you! A new comedic ScfiFi anthology from Page Turn Press (NOT the same as that scammer press with a similar name) is out today.

Forgetting Something? is a compilation of fourteen humorous tales featuring aliens getting up to various shenanigans. How can that not give you a giggle or two?

Within the pages, you will find some amazing authors and hilarious tales. My own story — “Jason Mimosa and the Search for the Hipster King” — is probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever published.

Not to be missed is the foreword, where the stories are introduced by the remarkable Ai Jiang. (I’m not just saying that because she mentioned mine is one of her favorites in the book. lol Go read her stuff. Seriously.)

Now listen, I know the collective “We” isn’t shopping today, and I totally am onboard with that. Also remember, small presses and indie authors are somewhat reliant on the big distributors. Pulling back the curtain a little bit, for my own books I make almost twice on a paperback sale at Amazon as I do through an indie outlet. It’s sucks, but we’re just trying to put good stories out there and the options are not ideal.

I get the buying blackout. But maybe put the book in your basket tomorrow. I also get not wanting to shop the evil conglomerate. Perhaps ask your indie bookstore to order it for you if they can.

Anywho, I do hope you get a chance to read it. This is a not-to-be-missed book and we could all use a little humorous escapism right about now.

Writing In Progress Podcast: Live Outline

Have you ever wondered how a collection of random prompts gets turned into a story? Well, here’s your opportunity to hear how four authors approach the problem.

I had a really fun time with the amazing and lovely Charlie Rogers as a guest on Writing in Progress (or here on Spotify) where we joined Justin and Jon in a live brainstorming session. In about an hour and a half, we took some pretty eclectic prompts – genre, subject, character, action, and object – and turned it into a solid outline, including plot, worldbuilding, character development, and voice.

I think there’s some interesting insight into process in this episode, as well as just some silliness. (Which is par for the course when you put the four of us in a “room” together.)

If, a year ago, you had told me that I would be a guest on a writing podcast not once, not twice, but multiple times in 2024 I would have scoffed. While I have a performance background, getting up and talking as myself is outside my comfort zone. It certainly tickles my Imposter Syndrome–no one cares what I have to say, no one is listening, and if they are, they are rolling their eyes or laughing. But I will say, J&J are delightful hosts and it’s become a good time chatting craft with friends. (I can almost forget there are strangers out there listening!)

Hope you give it a listen!

Great Reads 2024 Edition

According to goodreads, I’ve read 112 books in 2024, to date. (I expect I might be missing a couple I listened to on audio and will probably squeeze in a couple more before the year ticks over.)

I think, if I were to sum up my reading in 2024 in one word, that word would be “escapism.” It was kind of a tough year, and I definitely spent some time hiding in cozy mysteries and haunted house novels. You know the kind that don’t overtax the brain, can be read in an afternoon, and the reader knows, from page one, that everything will be resolved by the end of the book, whether that’s the bad guy caught, or the wandering spirits put to rest.

Many of us, I am sure, were looking for happy endings and closure this year. While these kinds of books are a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, none of them were exceptional literature or the kind of immersive tale one is quick to recommend to a friend.

That being said, I did read a bunch of five-star books that I would recommend. Picking a favorite is impossible, so here’s my list of twelve outstanding reads, in no particular order.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown, dystopian scifi
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, thriller
Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles: book 2) by TJ Klune, LGBTQIA+ fantasy
Still the Sun by Charlie N. Holmberg, fantasy
What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier Series: book 1) by T. Kingfisher, LGBTQIA+ horror
     bonus book: What Feasts at Night (book 2 in the series)
Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield, historical fantasy
A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher, southern gothic horror
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (The Inheritance Trilogy: book 1) by N.K. Jemisin, fantasy
     bonus books: The Broken Kingdoms, and The Kingdom of Gods (books 2 & 3 in the series)
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, magical realism
The Woods All Black (novella) by Lee Mandelo, LGBTQIA+ horror
Butcher the Doll (novella) by Charlie Rogers, LGBTQIA+ scifi

Obviously, my tastes run towards speculative fiction. Of the twelve, seven were written by women, four were LGBTQIA+ fiction, but only one written by a person of color. I’ll definitely be looking to expand that for the 2025 TBR pile. What did you read in 2025 that you think we should all add to our lists of “must reads”?

Contests: Twisted Tournament 2

I’ve said before that micro fiction is not my favorite format. While I certainly don’t consider it one of my strengths, I also generally don’t enjoy reading it. Perhaps because there’s just a lot of not-so-great micros out there.

It goes without saying that it’s pretty challenging to get all the things that make a good story good into such a short word count. Because of this, I think a lot of writers leverage shock-and-awe endings in order to create impact. Well done misdirection can be fun, but unearned twists come across as a cheap device, leaving the reader feeling tricked, confused, or dissatisfied. (Sometimes all three.)

Of course, I’ve read some pretty stunning micro fiction as well, and the format feels very popular right now. I have to admit, it’s probably here to stay. So, I figured I’d start practicing my own micro skills. Even if nothing worthwhile came of it, it was still an opportunity to practice precise and impactful language.

Enter the . This is a peer judged tournament where every writer receives a series of prompts to craft three stories over three rounds – 500 words, 250 words, and 100 words.

I ended up writing a bit of a “the leopards eat their faces” story (500), a cautionary environmental tale (250), and a tragic epistolary romance (100).

Imagine my surprise to see myself as the high-scoring overall winner!

It was definitely fun to sharpen my figurative pencil and work on my skills and rewarding to be recognized for it. 10/10 will try again!

Creation is an Act of Resistance

Now, more than ever, we need women’s stories.

Through the end of the month, get an e-book copy of Bruised, Resilient at Smashwords for 50% off. (Coupon code: EGS43)

$2.50 USD for thirty tales of relationships, motherhood, the stigma of not wanting to be a mother, loss, fat shaming, wedding culture, friendship, aging, abuse, unrealistic social expectations, bullying, conditioning, and double standards.

There is also strength and empowerment, for we are both bruised and resilient.

That’s a very small price to pay for us to be heard.

We will not be silent.

Publication Alert: Sally Port Magazine

What would you do if you went outside and found a faerie hovering around the porch light with the moths? My newest YW magical realism story — “Almost Forget” — explores explores just that.

Sally Port Magazine is an exciting new speculative venue, and I’m very pleased to have this story featured in their initial issue. You can buy the magazine by the issue. Or, for less than the cost of a fast food combo meal, you can get an annual subscription with 4-issues each year.

You’ll get access to electronic versions of every issue released during your subscription and special subscriber-only content as well.

Well worth the price of admission! Happy reading!

Publication Alert: TL;DR Press

Every year since its inception, I have participated in TL;DR Press‘s 1,000 WordHerd contest. And every year, since its inception, I’ve been lucky enough to place in the top scoring stories, and so published in the winners’ anthology.

If you’ve been following along, you already know that I have a soft spot for flash fiction. The fun thing is that every participant in this contest has a unique-to-them set of prompts.

This year, my prompts were: a roadie and an abandoned prison

Knowing that the good folks at TL;DR Press reward creativity, I took a risk with the location prompt and wrote a tale of a broken man who gets a bizarre chance to inhabit a nurse’s body and how that peek inside a woman’s life changes him. The narrator is coarse and a little unlikeable, and definitely very different from the typical characters I tend to write.

I think it’s a fun little story, and you can check it out in the anthology–Figments and Fragments. For about the price of a fancy latte, you get my story “Moving On” as well as 24 other remarkable tales of varying styles and genres.

If that’s not enough to motivate you, all proceeds from the anthology go to Trans Lifeline a non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis. I couldn’t be more proud to have my work support this amazing organization.

What are you waiting for? Go get your copy right now!

Publication Alert: Flash Point Science Fiction

As many of you know, I’m a big fan of flash fiction. As a reader, it’s just the right length to be devoured quickly, but if well done, can linger in the mind for some time afterward. As a writer, it isn’t a lot of words to put on the page, but it is a huge challenge to choose the right words so that a very short tale is complete and immersive and engaging.

Today, I’m very pleased to be able to have the honor of my tale–“Interpreting the Prime Directive“–published as Flash Point SF’s 100th story! What a fun milestone for a great venue that focusses on genre fiction–both science fiction and fantasy flash.

Enjoy!

(Art by Kevin Pabst)

Making Stories Accessible

I think every author daydreams about being on the NYT Bestseller list or somehow getting on Reese’s Book Club picks. We imagine which A-list actors could play our characters and occasionally browse beach house listings on Zillow for when we sign with Netflix and become independently wealthy. (Just me?)

The reality is, none of that is likely to happen. And honestly, I don’t care. I already have a career that I’m good at, that affords me a comfortable lifestyle, at a company that’s doing good things in the world.

For me, writing is not an avenue to get rich or famous. I just want to tell stories. And to tell stories, I need readers.

I understand that not everyone has 15 bucks to fork over for a paperback. So, in an effort to make those stories more accessible to more readers, I’m really excited that the eBook of Bruised, Resilient is available at a variety of digital library services:

BorrowBox
cloudLibrary
Hoopla
OverDrive

Borrow a copy today! (And don’t forget to leave a goodreads review if you do!)