As many of you and my friend's know, I'm bombarded by stories day in and day out, it makes it hard to finish anything. I cannot block them from my imagination receptor. So, I've taken to just writing down these ideas as short stories in a notebook. There is a growing trend in my stories. Most have the basic back story of "Beauty and the Beast". This gave me an idea: Why not put them all together in a collection of short stories. Many authors have published collections such as this, so I thought I'd see what I could do with it. I've never written really short stories before. Wish me luck with this.

I blame my recent "Beauty and the Beast" obsesseion on the 1978 Beauty and the Beast film, which I've currently been watching online. I highly recommend it. It's a much darker version of the tale. I really like that the Beast is very much a monster and has to fight his beastly urges to kill. It's awsome!

Anyway, I've gotten a few ideas and I thought I'd run them by you. Her are some story ideas and their summerys.

The Blacksmith's Hammer: A blacksmith falls in love with a merchant's daughter, but he feels he isn't worthy of her. When she expresses to him that she has fallen in love with him as well, despite the fact that he is not attractive in the slightest, he is wary to believe her.

Visiting Hours: As a severe burn victim rests in the burn unit of Saint Francis hospital, no one comes to visit him and he believes that he has been forgotten until a young woman appears in his room during his usual lonely visiting hours. The first thing he notices about her is the scar that encircles her head like a crown and that she has no hair. Her name is Jane. She is suffering from brain cancer and the doctors haven't given her much time to live. She hasn't much time left for this earth, but then again neither does he. They might as well love while they can.

Cage of Thorns: A more traditional retelling. In a world of fantasy, filled with everything magical: sorcerers, dragons, unicorns, goblins, elves, fairies, strong warrior maidens and cursed beasts, there lived a sorcerer, poisoned by his own power, turning him into a monster. The stronger his magic gets, the more beastly he becomes. Sent on a mission by his fair queen, the sorceress Envy, the brave old knight, Sir Wisdom goes to the cursed magician's castle to retrieve a crystal rose, which is said to be the secret to immortality. However, the beast captures him and throws him into the dungeon, where he will remain for all eternity. After he did not return, Wisdom's three children, his sons Bravery and Honor and his daughter, Beauty, set out on a quest to find him. For seven years, they fight their way to the castle encaged by thorns, only to find that they may be to weak to win him back from this sorcerer that is neirther man nor bird, nor beast, whose power infects everything it touches like a plague.

That's all I've gotten so far. I'll update you on more as it comes to me. I may upload the collection on here. Maybe. We'll see where this all takes me. What do you think? Have any suggestions? I'd love to hear them!