Posted on by Justin Deming

Phantoms ~ Creative Nonfiction

Image: Five Minutes

“Phantoms” appeared on January 3, 2022, in Five Minutes. Click here to see the original publication.

It was well past witching hour. We huddled together, silent, as we tiptoed past tombstones and stumbled over crumbling stone walls, the moon our lone guiding light. When ghosts appeared, we bolted back toward base, trying to avoid their ghastly flesh. We drank the sweet summer air in gulps. The man who lived in the nearby trailer threw his front door open, aimed his shotgun in our direction, and yelled wild whiskey curses into the night. By the time he fell silent, we had morphed into phantoms, shadows, creatures of the night – quiet as the dead beneath our quivering feet.

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Posted on by Justin Deming · 7 Comments

New Story Published!

Hi everyone,

I have some exciting news!

Spillwords Press published my short fiction titled “A Mile Away” on November 5th, 2021. The story is about overcoming obstacles, not giving up, and the importance of being a steadfast parent.

If you’re interested, please follow the link here. (It’s a sixty-second read!) Thanks a bunch.

Wishing you all the best,

Justin

Posted on by Justin Deming · 3 Comments

An Overdue Update & Story Acceptance

Hello…?

To whoever is reading this, it’s been quite some time since I’ve had a chance to post any updates. Thanks for sticking around and for being here! This past year has been one of my worst in terms of writing, but one of my best in terms of living. My son turns one in eleven days, and my daughter is right around three and a half years old. What a blessing it is to be a parent of two wonderful children.

Where do I even begin? Recently, I accepted a teaching position much closer to home. I was making a round-trip commute of three hours per day, so it eventually drained the life out of me. I only spend ten minutes to and from work now, so I’m in a much better situation all around. The new gig is awesome (and my students, too), so I’m thankful to have landed in such a great place.

Alright, let’s talk writing and publishing. After giving it my best shot, I decided to throw in the towel with my microfiction publication, Friday Fix Fiction. It was a bummer to many loyal writers and readers, but I knew in my heart the publication had run its course. The venture began on Medium back in 2019. Last year, I attempted a standalone publication but was quickly overwhelmed with the logistics, design, and development of a website – not to mention the waves of submissions that rolled in. If I had more time, it might have been possible for me to continue the journey, but I know I made the right decision to shut it down while I was ahead. I am grateful for the experience and for the connections it allowed me!

I’m happy to say that I have resumed publishing through my Substack newsletter, Micro 2 Go. I write two short works of fiction (microfiction) on a weekly basis and email them to anyone who signs up. I also send a weekly writing prompt. The stories are sent on Mondays and Fridays while the prompt is sent on Wednesdays. If you have a minute, please feel free to stop by the site and check out some of my stories and prompts – and if you enjoy what you see, consider signing up!

My first story submissions of 2021 went out very late – not until mid September. However, I’m happy to say that a micro-memoir of mine will be published in Five Minute Lit in January of 2022! The piece is titled “Phantoms” and it’s exactly 100 words. I won’t give out any other details about it other than it’s an experience from my teenage years.

Well…I think that’s it for now. Thank you, reader, whoever you are, for taking the time to read this post. I hope all is well with you and that you are safe and healthy!

All the best,

Justin