The Scribble File of Malcolm F. Cross

(7400 words / 30-45 minute read) * Hartley stopped dead in the office corridor, staring at Rick’s arm. “Is that shit?” “Uh, no, sir.” Rick covered the stain with his hand. “It’s iodine. We had to clean up after the gullets were flushed.” “Iodine gets…

Sometimes, while trying to figure things out, I engage in a process I refer to as 'ToQQing', or 'Talking out quiet' - as opposed to talking out loud - to work on my thoughts. Here's an example from today where I muddle my way around…

Some writing for a TTRPG I'm running - three versions of The Little Match Girl from three different Histories - divergent timelines. And, yes, some serious inspiration for the structure of these has been taken from Book of Hours/Cultist Simulator. The Opening... A fairytale by…

(approx 1800 words, less than 10 minute's read) ‘The Boy Who Loved’. Henry hated the epithet – his classmates seemed to think it made him a hero. He wasn’t. If he was a real hero, then the world wouldn’t be full of hate, and his…

(Approx 4000 words / 20 minute's reading time) Separate art from the artist, they say. It’s the intellectual thing to do – death of the author, even though in Death of the Author Barthes told us to feel free to ignore the author’s intention, not…