The End

An Apocalyptic Romance

By: Stephanie Albright

Narrated by: Allyson Voller

We all have it. That feeling that something bad is about to happen, something really bad. We don't like to think about it, and we never talk about it, but still, we worry about it. Sometimes, we can almost feel the Earth holding its breath and waiting. We are all preparing in our own ways. Some have built bunkers and gathered supplies, some have a contingency plan on paper - or maybe just in their head - but nothing concrete. Then there are those of us who are in the middle; we don't have a well-supplied bunker, but we have a stash of things we might need when that day comes and a sort of plan to go with it. We think about how much we will miss things like chocolate bars, wine, and coffee, and brainstorm about ways to preserve the things we will miss the most. We decide where to go, if leaving is possible, and consider the pros and cons of each possible location. The more pessimistic at heart are checking things off their bucket lists before it's too late and maybe even devising an exit strategy.

When Lucy and her sons wake up to a living nightmare on the last morning of their weekend camping trip, they must make the most of the people and resources surrounding them to endure. Along the way, Lucy finds romance during the end of the world as they fight to survive and discover the truth about the attack that has forever changed their lives.

©2014 Stephanie Albright Shivers (P)2015 Stephanie Albright Shivers

In need of a creative writing course or two

Dear author, you have a pretty good premise, but please consider attending a creative writing course and/or hiring a good editor. Family members and friends don't always cut it if they aren't experienced novelists. What is lacking? Where to start? I'll limit myself to the fact that this is nothing but the outline of your story. The fact that your chapters don't exceed the 10min. mark tells you that there isn't much development there, just a series of events that talk about 'what happened" but no "how" they happened. I have graded compositions of students who have had the same problem as you, dear author. I always ask them to rewrite their stories one more time, this time thinking of your role as narrator as a guide to a blind person. You can't simply assume that by having a great idea, it'll automatically transfer to paper and that the readers' minds will fill out the rest. That's very lazy storytelling, and with a good story like yours it only needs a bit more effort and experience.