History

My English 101 instructor used to make us type for 10 straight minutes without stopping. We weren't supposed to worry about errors or even staying on topic. It was an interesting strategy that I've adopted into my own classes; however, it was also the source of the Silly Stories.

One day, I decided to use that time to do something truly goofy. I tried to be as random as possible, and in keeping with the rules of the exercise, didn't look back. At the end I shared it with a fellow classmate and friend and we had a good laugh over it.

The next week, I did another. This one I showed to a few more friends.

This pattern continued until I stumbled into mailing out a silly story (or more) every week to a specific list of people. I started writing stories while not in class, though under similar constraints. The mailing list grew and so did the number of stories. We even started collecting and monitoring replies and at one point had a most creative reply contest. The comment gnomes were soon instituted and it was decided a staff was needed to keep them and other silly story aspects afloat.

Eventually I made a website which, now that I have taken several web design classes, I consider an eyesore. Click at your own risk to see it. 

Then, suddenly, the silly stories vanished.

I can't say what lead to their sudden coma. Perhaps it was laziness or a shifting lifestyle. It really is a mystery. Plenty of people were sad about it, but time marched on.

Then, a few short years later, I took a book making classes in conjunction with my MFA. I had a midterm project to do and I needed material. Making the book was going to take enough time, so I couldn't rewrite everything. I was also supposed to try and sell this book.

I did a quick poll of the old silly story mailing list, and plenty of people were indeed interested in seeing the tales in print. So onward ho.

The book was so successful at generating new readers that I ended up consigning it at Atomic Books.

Then I created this site as the Silly Story Revival, but it would seem the stories weren't ready to wake up yet. After a few fun posts, time just got in the way. It was hard to keep up with the demand of the handmade book, the posts, and everything else that was going on in my life at the time.

And so they again went into a mystical, unannounced slumber.

Then in 2012, with my life back in order and my projects manageable, it only made sense to begin again. Atomic Books had been hinting for over a year that they would be interested in a sequel, and I kept putting it off.

I needed a way to keep up with sales of the book and some inspiration for the sequel. So, I re-revived the site and started working on a digital version of A Short Stack of Silly Shorts for the Morally Sidetracked.

A Short Stack will soon be available on Amazon.com and as an e-book for your Kindle, iPad, Nook, or other e-reading format. Once that is out of the way, and handmade production is put to rest, I'll begin on the sequel. I'm hoping to make it a collection of both old and new tales, which means it is time for the silly stories to return, for good this time.