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 94 works of fiction featuring 29 different Characters!

Featured Story

Published: Oct 08, 2020

He's a Screamer

He screamed today. At the top of his lungs. I mean it; he screamed today. One of those fits that you cannot predict or stop once it's begun. You've got to let it run its course. I always ask him about them later. If you ask too soon, he'll call you names, kick you, punch you. He knows the problem he has, but he does not know how to stop it.

I'll say, "What happened today?"

He'll say, "I don't know."

"You know you can't act like that."

"Yeah." His eyes aimed at the ground, searching for ants. "I know."

"What can we do about it?"

"I don't know."

We've had this discussion a number of times, more than I can count. Round we go without any improvement.

Recent Stories

Published: Jan 12, 2021

Escape Time

featuring: Traelyn Nelsen

Traelyn found an escape pod. Odd, he thought, that after flying spaceships for forty years that this would be the first time he needed one of these. Inside was smaller than he ...

Published: Jan 11, 2021

Crush

featuring: Monica Charles

I started seeing Monica when my wife checked into the rehab center. Not because I was a bad husband or a terrible person, but because I needed comfort. Monica was unafraid to ...

Published: Jan 08, 2021

Job Offer

featuring: Angela Moriss

There was a job offer, but she wasn't certain it was for her. It meant going into an office, the office, again. The people, in person, were not her biggest problem. It ...

Published: Jan 07, 2021

How to Outlast a Door

featuring: Steve Suns

Several days later Steve returned to the door. It was still golden and spotless. He felt just as unsure of his next action as he had at last visit, and quite sure ...

Published: Jan 06, 2021

Used to be Wind

featuring: Steve Suns

"Hard to believe there used to be something called wind," Steve said to Uhlrick. "Never heard of it," the younger man said, swinging from his safety cable from bolt to bolt with ...

Characters