short story – Tall Tech Tales

The Shadow Within – Flash Fiction

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on June 21, 2018

Evening had descended on the village. Stars twinkled in the cloudless night and the bright light of the full moon cast a pale white veil over the cottages. A cool breeze drifted down from the mountains, the trees swaying in harmony as they sang the unintelligible lullabies of the night. In the distance low, dark […]

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Beacon – Short Story

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on May 26, 2018

Trevyr sat on the bed in his cabin, his eyes on the monitor that hung on the wall across from him. Sweat trickled down his forehead in the abnormally warm and muggy cabin. The space station, once a barely visible pinprick on the screen, had grown in size to the point where he could make […]

Featured Software Tools Writing

A First Look At The Genre Writing App

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on December 27, 2017

If you’re a writer, chances are you have a favorite app you use for writing, whether it’s Word, Scrivener, Evernote or one of the multitudes of other apps out there. Obviously, we all have our own preferred way of getting our writing done, one way or another. However, no app is perfect. I know I […]

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My Plan for NaNoWriMo

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on October 31, 2017October 31, 2017

As I’m writing this, there are just hours remaining before the 2017 edition of NaNoWriMo begins. Writers all over the world are prepping their stories, ready to start writing at midnight November 1st. In fact, depending on the time zone, some have already begun. The last few weeks, I’ve been going back and forth on […]

Featured Software Tools Writing

The Writing Log Updated

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on July 16, 2017July 19, 2017

When the first version of the Writing Log was released back in March (then known as the Monthly Writing Log), just in time for Camp NaNoWriMo, I knew that there were many other things I wanted to do with this tool. One of the major limitations from the very start was that the writing […]

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My Wattpad Experience

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on July 13, 2017July 16, 2017

Since I joined Wattpad almost two years ago, I’ve had mixed feelings about the platform. Quite honestly, at this point in time, I even have a hard time remembering why I even joined, whether it was to read or to have others read my stories. Regardless, throughout these last couple of years, I’ve had an on-off-on-again […]

Featured Reading Review Writing

Written Treasures From The Writing Challenge – June Edition

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on June 7, 2017

Back in April, I posted links to some of the stories written by Writing Challenge participants that I had come across. At that time, my goal was to repeat every month, highlighting the fruits of the labor of my fellow writers. Alas, time ran away from me and it didn’t happen in May. Now, with […]

Android Featured Fiction Writing Software Tools Writing

Sync Scrivener With Android Devices For Writing On The Go

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on May 27, 2017September 18, 2017

For many that engage in novel writing or any writing for that matter, Scrivener is a well-known program. It’s been around for quite a while and has served many of us well. With its availability on both Mac and Windows (as well as Linux for a limited time), pretty much anyone with a desktop or […]

Featured Review Tools Writing

Create An Appealing Book Cover with Canva

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on May 16, 2017May 16, 2017

Throughout the years as I’ve read books and articles about writing fiction, the one thing that has stuck in my mind is the hook. You need to hook your reader. The first paragraph, the first sentence, it’s all important. You have to get it right. Screw it up and your reader may not get past […]

Featured Reading Short Stories Stories Writing

The Descent – [Short Story]

Mattias Ahlvin Posted on May 8, 2017May 8, 2017

Denton Staxx sat at his desk, engrossed in the latest commentary from the Interplanetary Olympic games when a chirp in his ear notified him that a new case had been assigned to him. He tapped an area just behind his ear to acknowledge receipt. His attention drifted back to the holographic commentators hovering just inches […]