Independent Writers and Storytellers

The wooden apple keeps coming back. A maintenance man with thirty years at the academy knows why. Part Two of Clay Boone's serialized horror story set at the real Wentworth Military Academy.

Superman was rejected. Spider-Man was called a dumb idea. Star Wars was self-funded because nobody believed in it. Christopher makes the case for trusting your creative instincts.

Italian author Massimo Lorusso has written with voice technology since 1993. Here he makes the case that authorship has never lived in the fingers — it lives in selection.

A disgraced programmer takes a job at a military academy and finds himself alone with ghost stories, local history, and a building that doesn't quite feel empty. Part One of a serialized horror story set at the real Wentworth Military Academy.

Ben Cibula spent months querying literary agents for his debut novel, pitched over a hundred, and self-published instead. Here's what he learned about traditional publishing — and the tool he built from the experience.

Writer Oleksandra Fomichova on the moment she realized she wasn't creating anymore, she was manufacturing. On soul-driven work versus content engineered for approval.

At 22, Matthew King started The Secret Entrance with a simple question: why do the random, spontaneous parts of life disappear as we get older? Experiment 001 is his answer.

A soldier sees UFOs over Baghdad in 2003. Years later, working at Area 51, he records something he was never meant to hear. Clay Boone's original horror fiction for Feeling Creative.

Self-published author Ben Cibula on his first in-person book signing: why Twin Peaks sold his novel, why presentation matters more than you think, and what he'd do differently next time.

Christopher Valentine completes his Damara/Valiant Knight trilogy with The Valiant Alliance: a 1960s sci-fi hero story about hope, DC mythology, and what modern superhero stories have forgotten.

Self-published author Tye Burroughs on the six steps he wished he'd known: planning, drafts, formatting, ARCs, storefronts, and the soul-crushing part nobody warns you about.

Writer Oleksandra Fomichova on attention as creative currency: why inspiration doesn't disappear, why protecting your focus isn't selfishness, and why you're the one holding the hourglass.

Autistic indie author Jonah Baird on using generative AI as an accessibility tool, writing three novels, and finally finding a creative process that fit the way his brain works.

A high school English teacher and oral traditions scholar makes the case that podcasts, social media, and spoken word aren't new — they're humanity circling back to its oldest form of storytelling.

Circus and pole artist Yaroslava Slonova on her path from Ukrainian rhythmic gymnastics to the Las Vegas Strip, and writing one of the first practical books on creating original circus acts.

A writer's guide to crafting noble, aspirational protagonists, drawn from four Knights of the Round Table: Gawain, Galahad, Percival, and Tristan.

A figure navigates an ordinary Saturday with extraordinary dread. An original piece of literary short fiction from Phil Allard, author of Returning from Silence.

Hungarian author W. L. Know went from outlining a mermaid novel to writing a vampire serial killer thriller. A witty essay on seeds, gardening, and how books find their own shape.

A petroleum engineering PhD candidate wrote a dark crime thriller in the cracks of his research schedule. Karthik Sivaraman on logic, fiction, and why the two were never really enemies.

Christopher Valentine nearly burned down his uncle's food stand. What followed was a reflection on Viktor Frankl, Eiichiro Oda, and why embracing your foolishness might be the best thing a creative can do.

Phil Allard's debut novel follows a skeptical chemistry teacher whose near-death experience refuses any scientific explanation. A philosophical thriller that unsettles in the best possible way.

Most indie authors treat marketing as an afterthought. Here's what to do before your book launches, from building your platform to getting early readers to nailing your cover.

Inspired by Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Texas author and teacher releases Bonemeal — a horror anthology spanning short stories, novellas, poetry, and two-sentence terror, with hand-drawn illustrations throughout.

A debut apocalyptic novel rooted in a real father-son survival pact. The author behind The Day The World Went Dark on the bond that inspired the story and what happens when every light goes out.

Since August 2018, Marvin Harding has logged hundreds of UFO encounters from his Maryland home. With government disclosure now mainstream, he's finally sharing his story.

Cynthia Woods spends her days in compliance and her nights writing werewolves, vampires, magical sprites, and old west love stories. Meet the prolific indie author who can't stop creating.

Christopher Valentine breaks down the two core hero archetypes in fiction, why the no-kill rule matters more than critics think, and what happens when writers stop treating storytelling like a science.

Pulp sci-fi author Brendan Onfrichuk breaks down the cliffhanger serial structure and character dynamics behind Arkolny Abyss, his fast-paced sequel built to be read in a single sitting.

Audio engineer and producer Miguel Dembora shares a practical 3-step framework to beat perfectionism in the studio and explains why shipping at 90% is the secret to growth.

Author and ghostwriter D.A. Cairns coins the term "Ghost Reader" to describe the frustrating reality of beta readers vanishing before finishing a manuscript.