Arthur Macabe

I’m seeking short stories to share here on Strange World. If you wrote a story – either fantasy or science fiction – which illustrates how you’ve felt in 2020 and want it shared, please contact me. I will post the story and ask the writer a few questions about what...

One of the main inspirations behind my short story, Human, was the palpable impatience in conversation. How often do we find ourselves explaining the context of a situation – whether personal or professional – and the listener suddenly ceases to be just that, a listener – as they interrupt with...

I recently found a short poem I wrote by hand. This was back in 2012, before I tried writing short stories and longer works – and before I had sufficient practice in the writing craft. I wrote this during a sleepless night as I listened to the walls in my...

Happy Halloween, fellow lovers of horror. It’s been a strange year indeed. Hopefully there are great stories being written and shared through our many experiences during this time. It’s been two years since The Schlikt was originally published in Kyanite Press’ Halloween Special, and I’m truly thankful for the opportunity...

Cal Newport recently published an article about Ray Bradbury and his short story THE MURDERER. What caught my attention is how real the world Bradbury illustrated has become. Interestingly enough, HUMAN also captures this idea of being constantly connected, though my focus is not on the mental distraction as portrayed...

Perhaps the most motivating feeling in the world is to self-publish an ebook for the first time. For me to see my own work on Amazon available for sale is an incredible experience. Last week I self-published my short story, HUMAN, and of course I encourage everyone to read it....

For those curious about what editing physically looks like, here’s a page from my short story: Saturn: Journey to the Core. It’s interesting to look back on this and see how much I crossed out. I didn’t delete just words, but entire sentences. The first paragraph was deleted in the...

Highlights Ideas are more important than the writing itself. Flash fiction and short stories are essential mediums for ideas. We need ideas that haven’t been written about before. Welcome to the 51st episode of Interviews from the Void, where I interview writers about their writing process, discussing the mechanics and...

Starting provides the necessary momentum to keep going. In a recent interview with my fellow creative friend Andrew Hall, we discussed the transition from world building and research to writing. When – and more importantly, how – do we make that transition? How much world building and outlining is too...

Highlights How our upbringing impacts our storytelling. Learning what level of plotting and outlining works for each of us individually. The desire for our readers to escape into our story worlds. Welcome to the 50th episode of Interviews from the Void, where I Interview writers and other creatives about their...

I was fortunate enough to meet Ani Paoletti via Twitter when she noted she was providing free book covers for writers during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve been searching for an artist to help me with cover are for a long time through Twitter and DeviantArt with no luck to date....

Writing a novel takes intense focus. How do we focus on such a task when there is so much noise around us? I sought the answer to this question in 2018 through my interview series with other writers. One concept I wanted to explore further was Deep Work, an idea...

Looking back on the my writing history, I think it’s important to thank the group of people who read and published my first story, Saturn: Journey to the Core. Without that first publication, it is possible I would not have had the confidence to write more short stories. I started...

My friends at Kyanite Publishing had a great idea when COVID-19 pushed many into isolation: publish short works on their website for reading enjoyment and a means to escape to another world. There are many great story tellers associated with Kyanite Publishing, and I hope my readers will check out their...

Highlights How to start a publishing company. Why the classics are critical for improving our writing. How to create new creatures and monsters for our stories. Welcome to the forty-ninth episode of Interviews from the Void, where I interview writers about their writing process, discussing the mechanics and physicality of...

Why do we write? It’s a question we often ask ourselves amidst the struggle of developing a story or writing a novel. Once our writing reaches a stagnation point – when the enjoyment of it becomes work – we stop. During that moment, I ask myself: Why am I writing...