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only wings remain

Water seeped in long ago, washing away the words. The stories disappeared but their mystery remained. The pages wrinkled as they dried, half-hearted hues clouding the once-bleached paper. Bloodstains of the stories killed in the flood, perhaps.

Glue dissolved, but the charcoal sketches held fast in the book’s embrace. Now they gather dots of mildew like age spots on the hands of couple growing old together.

The pain of losing them is gone now and the lost stories shift into myth. I think I like them best this way, though I’ve switched to waterproof ink.

Posted on by JenniferShelby · 7 Comments

Who am I? What am I doing here?

Let’s restart. I’ll introduce myself: I’m Jennifer. I’m a writer. Story hunter. Author. Keeper of imaginary beasts. I’m also a mother, a wild thing inspired by nature and twisted trees, and lover of animals. While I write non-fiction too, my passion lies in fiction and playing with my imagination. I’ve had a few stories published here and there and I have a novel I’m currently editing.

And this is my blog.

Sometimes, like this time, I break the third wall and reveal myself, this wild tangle of stories and reality and coffee. There’s both a confident writer inside me and a writer who gets discouraged. Seasons change.

More often than not, I share bits of fiction: pieces written just for this audience and daydreams that don’t fit the conventions of the fantasy journals I submit to.

I hope to traditionally publish my middle grade fantasy novel. I hope to win a Newbury Medal someday. I hope to inspire children and adults to read and daydream and live wonder-filled lives. For now, I hope you enjoy my stories.