One Million Stories Creative Writing Project 2010 Anthology

This exciting new collection is a distillation of the global zeitgeist captured by the Project in 2010. Twenty new stories from new and established writers take the reader on an epic journey across an archipelago of ideas: family tension; volcanic ash; political oppression; the perils of air travel; a suicide bombing. Cleverly weaving questions of cultural identity and belonging, these talented authors present an authentic vision of the world.

Welcome to the inaugural volume of the One Million Stories Creative Writing Project. Here begins a journey into the recorded dreamings, imaginings, obsessions, attitudes, celebrations, preoccupations, journeys and reminiscences of people from all over the English-speaking world. It is a celebration of the short story form. It is a festival of the tremendous diversity of people and the stories that they have to tell. Around the world more than a million stories are being told right now. It is how we describe ourselves in the world. It is how we express what we are experiencing to our fellow travellers on this path. “You won’t believe what I saw on my way here today!†“Do you remember when we used to do this or that, or go there?†Okay, so not all of us travel the same way, but experience leaves marks and makes maps. Some of those maps, slightly more than twenty of the best of them, are right here.

A miner on the planet Zarathustra crosses paths with an adorable fuzzy creature -- and soon realizes that the little guy may possess human-like intelligence. This realization may throw the social and political balance of the planet into question, and several different groups are soon engaged in a heated race to gauge the smarts of the small fuzzy fellows.

At last a major anthology of New Narrative, the movement fueled by punk, pop, porn, French theory, and social struggle to change writing forever.

Author and former literary agent Nathan Bransford shares his secrets for creating killer plots, fleshing out your first ideas, crafting compelling characters, and staying sane in the process. Read the guide that New York Times bestselling author Ransom Riggs called "The best how-to-write-a-novel book I've read."

The old wizard wasn't exactly happy with Valder, who'd led his enemy to his hut. Now hut and magical supplies were destroyed. But he'd promised the young scout a magic sword to get him safely back to his own lines -- and a much-enchanted sword Valder would get! The resulting sword gave perfect protection -- sometimes! It could kill any man -- or even half demon. In fact, once drawn, it had to kill before it could be put down or sheathed. Army wizards told Valder that the sword would keep him alive until he'd drawn it 100 times; then it would kill him! It wouldn't prevent his being wounded, maimed or cut to pieces, but it wouldn't let him die. If his new job as Chief Assassin for the army didn't make him use up the spell, he'd be practically immortal. Not bad, it seemed. There had to be a catch somewhere. There was -- and it was a lulu!