Back in 2024, I was feeling particularly inspired. I created two new characters and wrote several short stories and flash fiction pieces for each of them.
You might have seen one or more of those stories if you’ve been here regularly.
The first character I created was a space jockey called Raf. I first met him in the far future. He was trying to get his life together after a tragedy, when he was left with just his ship and his AI computer for company. The computer was equipped with the personality and voice of his now-deceased wife, with all her emotions and quick wit. His wife’s name was Catherine, but everyone had called her Cat.
Her computerised voice and sarcasm were the only things keeping Raf sane, out there in the cold, dark loneliness.
Together, Raf and Cat roamed the galaxy, bickering gently and doing whatever they could to get by.
The other character was a little closer to home. She grew up in 1950s America. Her name was Winona Guidry, and her life changed the day she helped an old Cajun woman in the swamps of Louisiana. In return, she was given superpowers on her eighteenth birthday. The only conditions attached to this gift were that no one must know who her alter ego was, and that she had to bathe in the light of the full moon every month to renew herself.
Her name was Captain Starlight.
Since they first appeared, I’ve been turning to these characters as a way of overcoming writer’s block. When I get stuck on any other project, I think up and write stories featuring them for a while. As a result, I’ve now got quite a few. They’re not in any order, just short, random vignettes from the characters’ lives.
The question, as always, is what I should do with them?
The answer is publish them.
I used to publish serial fiction on Medium before moving to Substack in 2025.
So I’m going to start this week with a semi-regular instalment either from Raf and Cat or Captain Starlight.
The first one is live over there now. It introduces Captain Starlight, Housewife Superhero.
You can read it for free (no subscription required) by clicking the picture.
Next week, I’ll be posting a Raf and Cat story. If people like them, I’ll carry on. Let’s see how it goes.
If you want to know more about anything to do with my writing, just drop me a comment. Until next time,
Happy reading.
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