Jeffrey Alexander Martin

I have a friend in Russia that writes stories in English, Oleg. A few years ago a meteorite exploded above a Russian city and coated the city in alien dust. What if there is alien bacteria, or an alien virus, from the meteorite? That's what inspired Oleg to start writing. I've helped him a little bit with editing some other works he translated for friends. Next year he plans to publish an anthology of flash fiction horror stories featuring writers from something like a dozen different countries. It's a cool project. I'm going to contribute and co-edit it with him. So, today I'm going to come up with a flash fiction horror story idea, but I'm going to go over seven completely different ideas I've had first, because horror isn't my main focus. Number One This is a two brothers story. That archetype has a great tradition with Cain and Able and Romulus and Remus. In this idea I take two brothers. Something sets them on exploratory quests, I'm not su

I've been thinking quite a bit about why we read fiction. Here is how I'm defining it, I'll explain it afterward. Fiction, and art in general, is a make-believe conceptually modeled simulation of reality, often exaggerated and distorted into hyperreality, that is useful for emulation learning as well as being an entertaining and enjoyable end in itself. Basically, I've come to the conclusion that we read fiction, and appreciate art in general, for two different reasons. One, to prepare for life, to practice life. To try to understand and wrap our minds around people and situations. In this sense fiction is a distillation of life. A novel is a sort of potion, essence of life. The second reason is almost the opposite. Sometimes we read fiction, or delve into art, to escape life. Decisions and problems are too much. We are worried, we are frustrated, and we need to go somewhere else, do something else, be someone else. I will probably delve more into this in the fut

It's interesting to get comments from students. Through one of the companies that I teach for I have an almost random selection of students. A student pops up, a workbook pops up, and we start. That's where these comments come from. They are mostly translated from Chinese into English, so it might sound a little odd. Here they are, in reverse chronological order. 1 - Thank you for your patience 2 - Thanks tor teaching me English toningt.In fact,you should teach my little brother,but he is very shy and it is a first day to learn English.I hope you don't angry with him. Thank you!！ 3 - Very patient teacher who will guide children in communication, good teacher 4 - Thank you! Ttacher. 5 - I am sorry, teacher, I will not send my heart, only one, do not mind. I really like your class and I'm glad to meet you 6 - You are a good teacher. You teach well. Thank you. 7 - Teacher you are very good ! I like you soo much ! Your class is very fun ! I will study Eng