Author: Fallton Havenstonne

Short Stories

Fallton Havenstonne

I’ve been writing some short stories since I published THE INVAS10N. They’re not all connected stories like THE INVAS10N, but some of the stories are. I took a different approach to writing them where I waited until after I finished all the stories before editing them. Usually, I edit a story right away when the ideas are still fresh in my mind. But I had so many ideas stirring in my mind that I wanted to get them out first.

I’ve been reading Shirley Jackson’s Just an Ordinary Day, a collection of her unpublished and published short stories. Many of the short stories are like vignettes: a story of a scene or what happens in a day or so. I’m halfway through the book, having finished her unpublished stories (the first section of the book). They’re a mix of dark psychological tales with comedic ones.

In the short story Come to the Fair, a woman is invited to a fair and is unwittingly asked to partake as a fortune teller at one of the stands. Since she knows the people in the community, she actually pulls it off with surprising success. In The Story We Used to Tell, a woman disappears, and later, her friend finds out that she had been pulled inside the world of a painting.

In the introduction of the book, Shirley’s children write how they landed upon their mother’s unpublished short stories, which Shirley had filed away. Many of her other stories were found in the archives of the San Fransisco Public Library. She was a voluminous writer and it’s great that her body of work is seeing the light of day since she last published.

Reading the short stories in the collection, I’m inspired by the creativity and imagination that went into them. I had read her other stories years back, but it’s great to read her unpublished works and see the range and scope of her work.

New Ideas

Fallton Havenstonne

After the release of THE INVAS10N, I decided to take a short break. I think it’s nice to take a break after completing/releasing a book/project, as it helps to regain your energy before starting a new project. Also, I read a lot more when I’m not writing, so it’s also great to be inspired by other authors.

Even as I relax, ideas continue to crop up in my mind daily. I can’t help but feel eager to get back into another story and write again. I often write my ideas down so I won’t forget them–to return to them later on another project. When the same idea keeps floating around in my head, it begins to evolve and take on a life of its own.

Another great thing about taking a break is that you give yourself the time to reflect on ideas you haven’t considered. I often say to myself that I want to write something new, to explore something I haven’t written before. We’ll see what I come up with.

THE INVAS10N: THE RED PLANT CHRONICLES

Fallton Havenstonne

My new sci-fi book, THE INVAS10N: THE RED PLANT CHRONICLES, is available on Amazon. It’s a story told in 10 tales that describes an alien invasion.

When four astronauts land on a faraway planet teeming with forests and jungles, they are astonished to find it uninhabited. But soon, they will discover the truth to this mystery, one that will threaten all life on Earth.

Get ready for 10 tales that explore an alien invasion that will ravage the planet. As governments try to stop the invasion, they will discover that their technology and weapons are useless against them. With the aliens regenerating after each attack, the only thing to do is run!

Will humanity find a way to stop the alien species? Or will they face the fact that all is lost?

Book Review: The Horse and His Boy

Fallton Havenstonne

The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis, is the third book of the Chronicles of Narnia series. The story takes place in the world of Narnia and is about a boy named Shasta, who runs away with a horse named Bree (since Shasta was about to be sold). He meets a girl named Aravis, and her talking horse, Hwin, and they set off to Tashbaan, where Shasta bears a striking resemblance to the prince there (Prince Corin).

Shasta leaves Tashbaan before he is caught, and Aravis overhears the plan of a prince named Rabadash, who wants to invade Narnia and take Queen Susan to be his wife. From here on, Aravis and Shasta ride on horseback to Narnia to warn the Kingdom of the coming invasion.

Whereas the first two books of the series were full of mystery and wonder, (establishing the world of Narnia), this story is more like an adventure in the world of Narnia. Like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, there is an epic battle at the end between the armies of Rabadash and Narnia.

The story has humorous parts to it, especially at the end with what befalls Rabadash. I did like the twist at the end with Shasta, and enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first half. The first half of the book focused primarily on exposition, establishing what was going on and who the characters were, as well as Rabadash’s plot to invade Narnia. The second half was more action packed, and it was great to see Aslan (the lion) make an appearance as well.

Editing Short Stories vs. Novels

Fallton Havenstonne

I’m almost finished with editing the 10 short stories. I’m finding that editing a collection of short stories is a lot different compared to editing a novel. With a novel, you’re focusing on the progression of the events from one chapter to the next. You’re making sure that the narrative ties together by the conclusion of the story. With a short story, you’re focusing on the cohesiveness of the plot itself. You’re checking to see if you’ve conveyed what you needed to in a short amount of time/space.

With each short story, I felt like I was exploring a new scenario. A good analogy would be like visiting different rooms/galleries of a museum.

Because the short stories are linear, I had to plan the sequence of events as I would with a novel. The interesting thing about this collection is that it feels like a series of vignettes while something larger is happening. It’s definitely a neat experience.

10 out of 10

Fallton Havenstonne

I completed my 10th short story over the weekend, and it felt great when I typed THE END. With each story, the tension builds, and I hope that by the conclusion of the book, the reader is left surprised by the ending.

I’m now in the process of editing the short stories. Given that they take place in the same world, I’m paying attention to the details, making sure that they’re consistent and that they interconnect.

Writing 10 short stories back to back was a challenge. With a novel, I can just continue the storyline and keep moving forward with the same characters, but with 10 different stories, I’m creating a new storyline and a new set of characters each time. Most of the stories in the collection take place in the same town, with some of the characters appearing in other stories.

It’s been a goal of mine to create a short story collection, since I’ve been a fan of reading short stories for years. I remember reading Isaac Asimov’s Robot Visions years ago, and being hooked by each story, which delved into the laws of robotics–putting the laws to the test.

I’m also a fan of Shirley Jackson, who is well known for her short story The Lottery, amongst other stories. Her short stories take you to a different state of mind where things are out of kilter. Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson are other writers whose short stories I enjoy. It’s amazing how short stories can take you to a different place and time–the impression they can leave on you.

In other news, if you haven’t pre-ordered Kitewell yet, you can do so at Amazon. I’m excited to release it on Saturday, May 30th, 2020. Although it is a YA story, all readers can enjoy the story.

I plan on releasing the paperback version around the same time as the ebook. I’m very happy with how everything turned out with the book. In the Afterword of Kitewell, I describe my struggles writing the book, and how I eventually came to complete it.

8 out of 10

Fallton Havenstonne

As I work on my 10 short story collection, I recently finished the 8th story. The stories are interconnected, so I’ve been keeping track of details to keep them consistent and tied together. The overall storyline is linear, and although most of the stories involve a new set of characters, the background scenario has an influence on each story.

It’s been quite a challenge to plot and finish each story, since it is kind of like writing mini-episodes for a series. But I do like how each story gives you a facet of what’s going on and how the larger picture is affecting the characters. The story becomes more apocalyptic toward the end, but it is hopeful as well.

Coming Soon – Kitewell

Fallton Havenstonne
Kitewell will be released on May 30th. It’s available now for preorder on Amazon.

My newest novel, Kitewell, is about magic, courage, and hope. It takes place in a town called Kitewell where two girls meet their mysterious neighbor, Mrs. Kantor, who tells them a ghost story about the town’s dark past.

Mrs. Kantor also tells them about an evil wizard, Malik, who wants to take over Kitewell and the world. The girls must use the magic they’ve learned to defeat Malik, but will face many trials along the way.

The story is a fun adventure filled with magic and mystery. There are twists and turns along the way with a lot at stake.

At the end of the novel, I’ve included an Afterword about my journey in writing the novel.

Writing Short Stories

Fallton Havenstonne

I’m working on a collection of short stories right now. I’ve completed 3 of them so far, and my goal is to finish 10. They’ve been a lot of fun to write. The approach to writing short stories is a lot different than novels.

With writing novels, I’m eager to expand the world, to create layers of intrigue and suspense. It’s exciting to build the sequence of events, to add twists and turns in the narrative. There’s so much to explore in a novel, so many things that could happen.

With short stories, the approach is more like exploring an idea through a limited number of scenes. The twists and turns arrive much quicker, but one must be careful not to let them happen too fast or else it’ll spoil the surprise.

Instead of including a plethora of details as I would in a novel, I’m capturing the essence of the scenes, of the characters. When everything comes together, it feels as if it needn’t be long at all.