Richard Schiver

Tag: short stories

  • Weekly Writing Challenge 11/05/2025

    Weekly Writing Challenge 11/05/2025

    Eric took a moment to read through the names, stopping when he came to a familiar one. Joshua Watkins. Jared’s last name was Watkins. The connection sent a chill across the flesh of his arms, and he brushed it off. It was obviously just a coincidence.

    He turned to Jared who stood right beside him. “Did you have any relatives who worked in this mine?”

    “I don’t think so,” Jared replied. He stepped around Eric to look at the plaque, the beam of the flashlight stopping on the name in question. He shook his head. “It doesn’t ring any bells.”

    Eric shrugged as he turned away from the plaque and approached the shaft at the back of the mine. This was how they would get down to the natural cave. Someone in the past had left a rope to make the descent easier, but Eric chose to use his own. He didn’t know how long the other rope had been in place, and with the amount of moisture present in the mine he wasn’t sure how sturdy it would be. Halfway down would be a bad time to find out it couldn’t hold him. Using the pinions already in place he secured his own rope and tossed the bag containing it into the black depths below. After a few seconds the sound of the bag hitting the bottom came to him.

    According to his map once they reached the lower level it would get a lot easier as there were ramps built into the interconnected shafts that would allow them to walk down to the cave. Once they were done they would use an ascender for climb back up the rope.

    “Are you ready for this?” Eric asked as he turned to look at Jared.

    Jared nodded, but Eric could tell by the expression on his face he wasn’t really ready. They would have to rappel down to the next level that was only fifty feel below.

    “I don’t know man, I mean I know you taught me how to do this, but it’s so dark down there.”

    “You’ll have the light on your helmet, as long as you don’t get in a hurry everything will be all right.”

    They had rappelled several times from a nearby cliff and Eric had proven to be adept at doing so.

    “I know, I need to quit being such a baby and just get it over with,” Eric said. He stepped up to the lip of the shaft and after turning on his light he peered over the edge. “It doesn’t look too bad, but I’ll need your help hooking up, I want to make sure I do it right.”

    “No problem brother, let’s get you set up.”

    Eric turned his back to the shaft and Jared hooked the rope through the brake bar rack attached to the front of his harness. Once they were done Jared held onto Eric while he carefully added his weight to the rope.

    “This doesn’t seem too bad.”

    “Just remember, lift the lever to speed up and push it down to slow your descent.”

    Eric nodded then pushed off the lip while lifting the friction bar. He dropped from sight with an exhilarating shout and Jared looked over the edge to watch as he descended. In a matter of moments Eric reached the bottom and looked up at Jared, momentarily blinding him with his headlight.

    “Are you good?”

    “I’m good man, I’m off the rope, come on down. This is great.”

    Jared turned and wound the rope through his own rack and stepped off the edge. He stepped off the edge and dropped about twelve feet before swinging back to the wall and bringing down the bar to stop him. As he did he heard someone talking below him.

    “What did you say?” He shouted.

    To be continued!

  • Fridays 5 with Eric A Shelman

    Fridays 5 with Eric A Shelman

    1 When did you first consider yourself a writer?

    A. In 1992, I sold a short story called The Crossing for $2.00. That was the moment I felt I was a writer.

    2 What is the hardest part of writing?

    A. The hardest thing about being a writer is finding the right story. A story you’re not excited about will not inspire you to write.

    3 How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?

    A. At the completion and release of my first full-length book, it was a major milestone … a hump that once you’re over, the floodgates open and the next and the next are easier.

    4 In addition to writing, what else are you passionate about?

    A. My band, The Mood Zombies. Check us out at http://www.reverbnation.com/themoodzombies

    5 If you could ask any author, living or dead, one question, what would it be?

    A. I don’t really have any questions for other authors anymore. Not after 26 books!

    Eric lives in southwest Florida with his wife, Linda. A fan of horror since he was young, he’s been writing since his teens. Growing up his room was filled with monster models, including The Wolfman, Dr. Phibes, Frankenstein’s Monster, and many others. His first novel, A Reason To Kill, was about a serial killer before he moved on to his true passion with The Witches of Laguna Beach. In 2009, after a 12 year hiatus, he wrote Dead Hunger. He currently has over 20 books to his credit, all but two of which are novels.

    Eric can be found online at his amazon author page

    He also shares his stories on his You Tube channel.

  • Weekly Writing Challenge 10/29/2025

    Weekly Writing Challenge 10/29/2025

    While working on today’s episode yesterday morning the purpose of the story presented itself to me. Quite frankly I can write novels easier than I can write short stories, hence the reason I started doing this challenge. To force me to buckle down and work on a short story until it was done. I chose to follow the alphabet format and have completed the first drafts of stories up to the letter G. As time allows I work on rewrites and edits of the past stories as I try to whip them into some semblance of a real story worth a read. One of these days I’ll release them for everyone to read.

    Without further adieu let’s get into the continuing saga of Jared and Eric in Hell Hole.

    Story begins where it left off.

    They didn’t look sturdy enough to support the weight pressing down upon them, and it appeared the wood had rotted away on the surface, making them half the size they had originally been.

    “You know why they call it hell hole?” Jared asked.

    Eric shrugged. “Rumor has it the mine went so deep you had to be careful which way you swung your pick.” He stopped as he maneuvered around an old coal car whose steel sides had rusted away to nothing, leaving a flat surface covered in debris.

    Eric pushed past the coal car, coming to a section of tunnel that appeared much older than what they passed through earlier. Here the jagged walls and ceiling were brown and in some places water leaked through the various cracks and crevices that covered the entire surface, filling the space with the incessant sound of dripping water.  It looked like the entire ceiling was about to collapse and he wanted to turn around right then and there.

    He was beginning to get irritated with Jared’s endless whining. If he didn’t need him as bad as he did he would never have spoken to him. He was no more than a means to an end, that of his continued survival. Promises had been made, so promises had to be kept.

    “Why?” Jared asked.

    With a deep sigh Eric turned back to face him and when he did he was struck by a deep anger at the lengths he had to go to. “Because you might hit the devils door,” he replied with a laugh.

    “That’s not funny,” Jared said, turning in a complete circle as if he were afraid someone, or something, were sneaking up on him.

    “Come on, let’s go, you said you wanted to see this room of crystals.” Eric turned and started walking into the depths of the mine. He heard Jared scrambling to get around the abandoned coal car.

    “Wait for me,” Jared said as he rushed to keep up.

    Eric smiled, satisfied he had set the hook firmly. Once they got deeper into the mine Jared would be attached to his hip, which was just as well, he didn’t want him wandering off until he’d gotten what he came for.

    The mine had operated from the mid seventeen hundred until 1890 when a cave in sealed off the lower portion of the mine, opening the passageway to the r0om of crystals. They called them the devil’s jewels, locked away deep beneath the earth.

    The miners of the time had been very superstitious, in addition to being God fearing men. But when the only exit from a mine collapses, and God does little to save you, promises made to others became sacred vows.

    Eric had learned all of this from his research into the mine when he first heard about the crystal room. Sure, he was an explorer willing to take chances, but they were calculated risks made only after he was certain about the facts. He had visited the crystal room himself, along with the mouth of the section of the mine where the collapse occurred. Someone had placed a plaque nearby listing the names of the men entombed within. It was rumored if you listened closely you could still hear panicked pounding coming from the other side.

    To be continued!

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    Sign up today for my readers group and get an entire novel only available to subscribers. Every month you will receive an email containing either an edited short story from my writing challenge, or a chapter from a work in progress.

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  • Why Human Creativity Matters in Writing

    Why Human Creativity Matters in Writing

    Artificial intelligence has already entered the realm of writing. From generating articles to crafting emails and even composing poetry. AI promises efficiency and convenience. As the technology becomes even more accessible, we need to stop and ask ourselves. Should we rely on AI for our reading entertainment? The answer, for many passionate writers and readers alike, is a resounding no.

    Writing is much more than stringing words together. It’s about sharing one’s thoughts, their emotions, and their unique worldview. AI tools, no matter how sophisticated, lack empathy and experience. Their output is based on algorithms and databases of existing content. Not personal insights or original perspectives. When we turn to AI for our writing needs, we risk losing the authentic voice that makes each one of us unique. We lose the depth of human storytelling, nuanced humor, and cultural context.

    AI can analyze trends and generate text that fits a given mold. But genuine creativity, the spark that inspires our ideas and our literary works cannot be replaced by machines. The best writing often comes from past experiences that form unexpected associations, emotional depth, and a willingness to challenge the norms. When we substitute human creativity for AI-generated content, we sacrifice innovation and the possibility of pushing boundaries. The world needs new ideas, not endless rehashes of what already exists.

    Using AI in writing raises important ethical questions. Who owns the content produced by the algorithms? Is it honest to present computer-generated work as our own? Additionally, the spread of AI-written content threatens to undermine trust in published materials, making it harder to distinguish between genuine expertise and synthesized output. For students, professionals, and writers alike, this blurring of lines can have significant consequences for credibility and accountability.

    Ultimately, writing should remain a human endeavor. By resisting the urge to delegate this creative task to AI, we preserve our unique voice, foster innovation, and maintain ethical standards. Technology can support the writing process, but it should never replace the irreplaceable value of human authorship.

    What are your thoughts in using AI to write?

  • Fridays 5 with Justin Boote

    Fridays 5 with Justin Boote

    1) When did you first consider yourself a writer?

    A. I would say that I considered myself a writer after I’d written the first 5 stories or so and joined a writing forum to learn more about the craft. Also, when I had my first story accepted for publication some 5 years ago, this helped cement that belief!

    2) What is the hardest part of writing?

    A. For me the hardest part of writing is not so much the editing stage anymore, but probably trying to turn a rough idea into a full, original story. I have lots of little thoughts and ideas for stories but to give them original twists or make them a little different to what I’ve written or read before is the challenge. I’ve written close to 200 short stories by now so that challenge is ever more difficult!

    3) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?

    A. Coinciding with my answer to question no.1, I would say it made me feel that maybe I was capable of writing something that not only people enjoy reading but that publishers are prepared to pay for. That made a big difference as opposed to just hearing friends tell you they love your work. It was a confirmation of sorts.

    4) In addition to writing, what else are you passionate about?

    A. Aside from writing, I do very little else! I’ve loved soccer since I can remember-my team being Liverpool F.C., but also anything related to horror, be it movies, books, whatever. And very possibly a minor addiction to Candy Crush! Other than that, my time is mostly spent writing the next novel.

    5) If you could ask any author, living or dead, one question, what would it be? A. The one thing I’ve always wanted to ask Stephen King for example is how they would go about things today with how big and easy self-publishing has become. Still continue submitting to publishers or go the self-publishing route?

    Justin Boote is a 49-year-old Englishman living in Barcelona, author of dark, horror fiction. Having spent 5 years writing short stories, he now dedicates his time to writing novels. To date he has published around 16 novels, and 3 short story collections, all of which can be found on Amazon and KU.

    Justin’s Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B073Q44SZP

    If you write in the horror, sci-fi, or fantasy genres and would like to participate answer the five questions above and send them to me at rschiver@gmail.com include a brief bio and author photo. Thanks,