As of this moment, I have 99 files in my Drafts folder for the Green-Walled Tower, stretching from 2012 to the present. Sometimes I get an idea and start writing but then stop because I haven’t figured out where it’s going to go or I run out of time or I realize it’s stupid. Sometimes it’s only a sentence or two and now I’ve forgotten what the story was supposed to be about. Here are some of my stalled stories that I’ve given up on doing anything with. If you want to suggest a story for any of them, let me know (or write it yourself; maybe I’ll post it 😊).

Stalled Starts

“Remember when parasols were just for girls?”

Jack scratched his butt, balancing the umbrella with the other hand. “Ha! I’m not getting skin cancer just to prove my manliness.

The Pies are Alive

“Look, I know how this sounds,” I said. “It’s the sort of thing even Flat Earthers roll their eyes at, but it’s true. The pies are alive.”

“Uh huh. So that’s why you smashed up the pastry shop, is it? To kill all the evil pies?” The cops looked less than impressed.

I knew I should have stopped but I couldn’t help myself. “They’re not all evil

Meditation with Dummies

Walking, By Me

Chateau de Sable

I was just putting the last of the dishes away when I realized that my son Harry, six years old the week before, had been too quiet too long.

I walked over to his playroom and looked in. It was its usual disarray of toys but in the middle of the room sat a superb Lego creation, a castle that could have been featured in Legoland, perfect in every minute detail. Harry was nowhere to be seen. I walked over and that was when I saw the crumpled

Glass Cones

We didn’t know until we went in person, but there are ghosts on Mars, screaming, relentless demons that burrow into men’s minds, devouring thoughts and hopes and feelings. All that protects us is the energy cones at the center of every settlement and on every vehicle.

That’s what they told us, at least.

Alex never knew how big the city really was until the night she drove around its sodden, dark underbelly, searching for one homeless man.

Cannoli I Have Eaten

If you don’t know what a cannoli is, look it up. I’ve only eaten three in my life, so I’m no expert. It’s a kind of dessert and they’re sweet (unlike most desserts, right?) Still, I think of think of them as bittersweet and here’s why.

I had my first cannoli (or cannolo, if you want to get technical) when I was thirteen. It was summer and I was going to play baseball with my friend Martine. He

Dirty Grey Robe

By the Rules

Filip was a man of rules. He lived by rules (except when he didn’t, but those were Exceptions, and he didn’t count those).

Rule 1: make a list every day. Every day when Filip got up, he made a list of things to do. It was not a constructive

Icy Streets

The streets today were like an ice rink. Actually, they were an ice rink. I saw children skating through traffic, dodging out-of-control taxis and desperately trying to get to their extra-curricular activities on time. I even saw a girl do a perfect double axel at a cross-walk, although this is the country of Kim Yun-Ah, and Koreans don’t do anything—even cross the road—without doing it very, very well.

Bonus: This is a completed piece that I did back in 2013 but never got around to posting it since it didn’t seem to be worth it.

An Ode to Minimalism

Oh Minimalism!

What else can I say?

Happy New Year everyone!