Welcome to 1,000 Characters!

This is a project about exploration, into writing and into characters. The goal is to create one thousand characters, and learn more about all of them. Most days (at least twenty per month) there should be a new story snippet to keep the words flowing. Do not fret that everything (or at least most things) are short, as that is the intention.

1,000 Characters is a practice for better storytelling, improved fiction. The focus is diving into characters, looking curiously and deeply into their hopes, dreams, desires. Exploring new characters, their stories, the places they live and work, becomes a journey of fun. This process of discovery should, in many cases, lead to longer stories, possibly even a novel. Dare it be said: maybe novels.

A total of 99 works of fiction featuring 31 different Characters!

Featured Story

Published: Oct 29, 2020

First Show

The first time Larry Bernard played the drums in front of a crowd was the late 1960s, in a club on the South Side of Chicago. He was under 18, and had to lie about his age to be admitted inside. His brother new the bass player in the band who backed Junior Wells. An arrangement had been made to let Larry play for a song or two in place of the regular drummer, as a favor from one friend to another.

The air was smokey and smelled heavily of marijuana. It was loud, almost enough to make him turn back. But Larry tightened into himself, a kind of self-hug, that brought him a little comfort, and he pushed through several clumps of people yelling at each other. Not yelling from anger but because that was the only way to be heard.

He liked the music, it had a solid beat and a simple riff. His brother was at the bar, and couldn't be missed because he always wore a snake skin Trilby.

Recent Stories

Published: Jun 19, 2023

Jonesy

featuring: Harold White

Trash tumbled down the parkway, carried by the wind. Trees swayed, the crescendo of rustling leaves drowning out the sounds of the street at the end of the block. Harold watched from ...

Published: Jan 25, 2022

Email is Popular

featuring: Kroft Rodgers

I thought about writing this story last week. The plan was to type some words and see what I thought of them. Instead researched the top searched words on Google. I learned ...

Published: Jan 24, 2022

Shoveled Snow

featuring: Kroft Rodgers

I shoveled the snow this morning. It was a great workout, which is about the only reason I do it. I come into the house, covered in the white stuff below the ...

Published: Jan 23, 2022

Let's Talk

featuring: Kroft Rodgers

I just took up writing again, after many years of typing out computer code. I like sitting on my ass, getting old, wasting away. Whoever said we should all live to be ...

Published: Jan 22, 2022

Virus Blues

featuring: Kroft Rodgers

My son has Covid. Nothing more than a cold, thankfully. I'm writing this down for the future, which future or what future I do not know. Soon viruses will have to spread ...

Characters