Patrick W. Marsh (@patrickwmarsh) Bsky

The Greenland Diaries: Day 54 Last night was another stale and stifling darkness in my hiding spot. The Drum boomed like always. I wonder if the plants make the sound. Some sort of leaf-skinned snare drum. Something has to be doing it, some unseen and unknown horror. Sometimes, I dream about new shadows and shapes stalking me. I’m angry that fear has spread to my dreams, but it’s easy to be paranoid when hiding in a shed every single night.

So much of this story is about isolation and what we do when we're along and in danger. It is hard removing characters from the narrative, even if it is just temporary.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #apocalyptic #journal #monsters #novels

12 hours ago 2 0 1 0

Visit me selling books at the Curious Crow Hey all! I'm excited to announce that tomorrow (April 19th) will be my first book event of 2026. I will be selling my books and doing a short reading at the Curious Crow in Lexington Minnesota. I'll be there with a bunch of other authors. The event goes from 12 - 5. I'll have all my books for sale, plus artwork and potentially some candles and other wares.

First book event of the year! Super excited to be selling books at the Curious Cross for their book fair. Plus, food, booze, games, and other geeky delights. Hope to see you there! Details below:

#bookevents #writing #books #amwriting #bookfair #amreading #reading #curiouscrow #writing #booksale

2 days ago 3 0 0 0

Beware the Ills: Part 39 I leap in close to him and spin my sword around narrowly. He’s too close to pull his spear point around to counter it. He blocks my quick slashes with the handle of his spear. I kick him in the chest. Blood sprays out comically from his mouth. I’m not pulling any punches now. He falls and scrambles away. I stab him leisurely.

This major battle scene will be coming to a close next week. Loved writing this one. I enjoy a long and stretched out fight scene. Enjoy.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

3 days ago 3 0 0 0

Red Guitar Wins Daily writing prompt Describe something you learned in high school. View all responses So, I originally wanted to start this post saying the number one thing I learned in high school is that nothing matters in high school. I still think this applies in many ways FYI, but of course I did find one experience in my memories of high school that was actually sort of insightful and echoed into my actual identity.

I wrote a post about how I impressed my friends in high school with an analysis of photos of electric guitars. In the post below. Enjoy!

#writing #blogging #highschool #art #lessons #amwriting #wordpress #dailywordprompt #blog #amblogging

5 days ago 2 0 0 0

The Greenland Diaries: Day 53 Last night, between the echoes of the Drum, two fast moving jets roared over the neighborhood in jet-fueled howls. I loved the sound. People are still alive out there. Pilots are still flying the sky in the beast-soaked darkness. When the Drum first started, I found some torn up wreckage of passenger planes closer to the highways. They’d been clawed to pieces, so I’m surprised anything would fly, especially when the Drum sounds.

Day 53. Only about 300 more to go. Enjoy, and thank you for reading my work. Every Monday there be monsters.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #apocalyptic #journal #monsters #novels

1 week ago 2 0 0 0

April Free Book Giveaway Two books for this weekend are FREE on the Kindle. Today and tomorrow you can get both my short story collections Monsters, Monsters, Everywhere, and Leave the Name for free. These are both excellent collections. They are multi genre as well. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, apocalyptic, and many others are represented here. You will find a monster you love. I guarantee it.

More free Kindle books for this month. Each short story collection is filled with genre and monsters. You'll find something weird and scary you'll love. They're hereeee. Details in link below:

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #novels #FreeBook #FreeKindleBook #KindleFreebie #BookGiveaway

1 week ago 5 0 0 0

Beware the Ills: Part 38 He lands on one of the floating sheets about four leaps away from me. The spear sits beyond him by the same amount. He runs. I follow, running sideways across the ice. I’m doing this to intimidate, to match his speed in a more relaxing posture. To his credit, he continues to be focused on retrieving his spear. He runs wild, and inarticulate, in flailing strips of pale skin and armor.

In the heart of a magnificent battle scene. Sort of my specialty when it comes to action. Lots of anime and gaming influences in this one. Enjoy. More to come!

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

1 week ago 3 0 1 0

Six American Poets Daily writing prompt What book could you read over and over again? View all responses For all the media I've consumed over the years, and from what I've talked about on this blog about what raindrops from the zeitgeist I keep catching on my tongue, one collection of poetry jumps up in my brain when I saw this question. That collection is Six American Poets.

For this daily prompt from WordPress I wrote a blog post about Six American Poets, and how its one of my favorite books to read over and over again. I'm such an English Major. Read more in the post below:

#poetry #poems #poet #writing #blog #blogging #reading #amreading #wordpress #dailywordprompt

1 week ago 4 0 0 0

The Greenland Diaries: Day 52 Last night, during the drumming, I wanted to count how many times something brushed against the shed and crawled along the walls of my smashed house. The shed doesn’t have any real protection from anything, but I’ve had too many encounters at the house for me to feel comfortable there. The shed isn’t too bad. A bunch of beetles and centipedes meander their way in from the grassy edges between the silver metal and ground.

And we're at Monday again. You get another entry. More monsters. They're never-ending for me I'm afraid.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #apocalyptic #journal #monsters #novels

2 weeks ago 5 0 0 0

Read my Poem “The Breadcrumbs” Published by Carmina Magazine Hello all, just like my title to this blog post said, I have a new poem out and you can read it right over at the brilliant Carmina Magazine. Hit it hear to read "The Breadcrumbs" at Carmina Magazine This is one of those poems where I didn't know if it would work or people/editors would enjoy it. I'm so honored and pleased to have it published.

I wrote a poem about a dragon who thinks about all the dead knights that have been incinerated outside his hoard. Lucky enough to get it published by Carmina Magazine. Details in the link below.

#poetry #poem #fantasy #dragons #fantasypoem #literaryhorror #poems #writing #fiction #poet #Carmina

2 weeks ago 2 0 0 0

Beware the Ills: Part 37 He’s directly ahead of me. We’re standing where the river bends out wide, and the two shores are at their most distant separation point. I didn’t plan the maneuver at the onset, but I’m happy to see the vast amount of space between me and the western shore, which has been lined with his grunts. The wavering of the ice, and its lack of balance, works in favor of the spear.

Again, it is Friday. You get a Cursed Island. Cannibal covered in animal hides. A berserker with magic in her veins. And the dark POV of the Guardian. Unlike anything you seen before. Enjoy!

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

2 weeks ago 5 0 0 0

Malaise and Pushups Daily writing prompt What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like? View all responses Mostly, I love mornings. Unless I have to go to work. This happens to be the majority of mornings. Despite me writing all the time like some frenzied badger with spectacles and a cardigan, I don't make a living at it, or at least enough to make it my fulltime gig.

I write about my morning routine for this WordPress Daily Writing Prompt. Not much to say, despite my overwhelming tendency to ruminate in the AM and how it impacts my life. In the link below:

#writing #blogging #morningroutine #wordpress #dailywritingprompt #reading #blog #mentalhealth #author

2 weeks ago 1 0 0 0

The Greenland Diaries: Day 51 Snowy and I watched the trees today. I’m still a little shaken from the other night. I can’t hide forever. The world’s moving and changing. It might be easier to go outside if I didn’t have Snowy, if I wasn’t worried about her getting hurt. The monsters have absolutely no interest in dogs or animals. Like I’ve said before concerning the devil’s disinterest, I’m jealous.

Another day in my apocalyptic horror series the Greenland Diaries. Thank you for reading my work and to keep traveling this dark road. It will reward you. I promise.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #apocalyptic #journal #monsters #novels

3 weeks ago 3 0 0 0

Read my Poems Published by Horrific Scribblings Pretty straightforward blog post today. I was fortunate enough for Horrific Scribblings an excellent literary magazine to accept and publish three of my poems recently in one of their issues. All three poems followed the same theme of horrific cultural folklore. The collection was titled: "Stones, Bridges, and Blades: Three Poems of Legend and Lore." You can read all three of them right here…

Lucky enough to get some of my poems published over at Horrific Scribblings. More details in the post below, plus the link. Very honored and most appreciated.

#poetry #poems #poet #writingcommunity #writing #horror #litmagazine #literaryhorror #horrorwriting #horrorpoems #poetrycommunity

3 weeks ago 7 1 1 0

Beware the Ills: Part 36 Blue has collapsed on the troops north of me like fire on ice. They look like tiny little toys before him. His nails, thick as iron and sharp as diamond, form a talon whirlwind blurring around his shape. They fire arrows at him in the maelstrom, but he keeps his left shoulder hugged to his face. A few arrows have pierced his hide and blood smears on him.

In the midst of an excellent battle scene. One of my longest of the book. Perfect time to read it, and plenty more to come. Enjoy, and thank you for the support!

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

3 weeks ago 3 0 0 0

Goals are Roots to a Forest Daily writing prompt How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals? View all responses I'm not a huge fan of questions like this, which is why I decided to answer this specific daily writing prompt. A question like this oversimplifies the complexities of life and all its many forces that are thrown at you. I just don't agree with reducing down a yes or no when it comes to your goals.

I get annoyed by how simplistic we talk about goals versus reality and being human. So I wrote a blog post about how it is okay if things don't work out exactly as you imagine. In the link below:

#wordpress #blogging #blog #dailywritingprompt #writing #reading #literaryhorror #books #blogs #goals

3 weeks ago 2 0 0 0

The Greenland Diaries: Day 50 I always knew things were beyond me. Last night, that belief was cemented, sculptured and verified. The one night I wander out with a small bit of bravery, someone else decides to be brave and shows me just how easy it is to die. I cleaned up the blood earlier today. It smelled salty. I’m not sure educational would be the right word for what occurred.

Day 50 in my apocalyptic horror series the Greenland Diaries. There is a book series attached to this, but you can slowly experience the monsters one Monday at a time. Wow. 50 days!

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #apocalyptic #journal #monsters #novels

4 weeks ago 4 0 0 0

Bonus Free Book for March Exactly as the post title says, I have a free bonus book for this weekend. It is my favorite novel (alas not my most popular) Beware the Ills, which is FREE today and tomorrow on the Kindle. I have been sharing this novel in chunks the last year, which you can read right here, but if you're dying to finish it, just get the book.

A bit of a bonus for March. Beware the Ills is FREE today and tomorrow on the Kindle. Dark fantasy, steampunk, sasquatch, sword fights, airships, and disturbing POV. More in link:

#writing #reading #fiction #darkfantasy #steampunk #books #horror #novels #FreeBook #FreeKindleBook #KindleFreebie

4 weeks ago 9 1 0 0

Beware the Ills: Part 35 Two machines worked their way towards me in the melee. One stalks in my shadow, the other sits directly in front of me. They start to glow blue-green fire. It collects around their peeled cores in translucent streams and smudges. I tilt the machine over and leap off. The two orbs streak through the air and destroy each other in a verdant flourish of crackling metal.

It is Friday, so that means you get to take your weekly trip to the Cursed Island via my weird and dark narrator. Enjoy.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

1 month ago 3 1 0 0

I Understand Daily writing prompt What was the best compliment you've received? View all responses I felt like this could go a bunch of different directions. There are compliments I've received from friends, readers, editors, lovers, my children, and family through the years. For all of those I am grateful, and certainly not always deserving of them. Some compliments of course mean a ton to me, and I have thought about them often, especially in dark moments that have weighed me down.

This week's Daily Word Prompt was about compliments, and I tried to stay focused, but ended up wandering all over the place with my answer. Anyways, enjoy. In the link below:

#wordpress #dailywritingprompt #blogging #writing #fiction #amwriting #writingcommunity #literaryhorror #horrorwriter

1 month ago 2 2 0 0

The Greenland Diaries: Day 49 I was gung-ho at the start of last night. I was pretty sure I could venture into the darkness and the Drum, and not be humiliated or killed. That confidence didn’t last long. About eight hours give or take. Last night, I took Snowy and waited outside my house where a couple of trees had toppled over in leafy bunches. They were sticky and sweet smelling in the heavy air.

This part of the story switches from the narrator hiding from the Unnamed, to more direct interactions with them. This trend continues. Enjoy.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #apocalyptic #journal #monsters #novels

1 month ago 1 1 0 0

March Free Book Giveaway It is a purely Greenland Diaries theme book giveaway for this March. Today and tomorrow (March 14th and 15th), the first three books in my apocalyptic horror series are free on the Kindle. These books are part of a relaunch of the series with new edits, revisions, and polishings. It is the perfect time to get invested in this collection. Plus, I will have a new Greenland Diaries book coming out this summer entitled the Unnamed.

Free Kindle giveaway! First three books in my apocalyptic, horror series the Greenland Diaries are FREE today and tomorrow. Some of the best monsters ever. Descriptions and links in the post below. Enjoy!

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #novels #FreeBook #FreeKindleBook #KindleFreebie

1 month ago 8 0 0 0

Beware the Ills: Part 34 The machines reform their line and lower their chests to the ground. They’re living stones. They look awkward and clumsy. They hiss differently, and something wrinkles the empty air between our two riverbanks. Arrows, thousands of them, shot and sprayed into a continual stream from their centers. There are too many to knock away with my sword, or cloak. Whatever contraption spins in their chest, it really thrusts and fires their arrows.

Friday. Cursed Island. Dark POV. Swordfights. Monsters. Steampunk. Berserkers. Cannibals. All that stuff and more. Thank you for reading my work.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

1 month ago 2 0 0 0

Between Karma and Monsters Daily writing prompt Are you superstitious? View all responses This is a great question, and it was the most intriguing for me out of all the Daily Writing Prompts for the week. For someone like me, who writes literary horror and often uses monsters as objects of karma or divine justice in certain situations, I think about superstition often. I write in superstition a lot as well, in my settings and plot devices.

I talk about karma, monsters, and using superstitions as plot devices in my response to this daily writing prompt. Hit the link below for the whole post:

#writing #blogging #wordpress #dailywritingprompt #horror #fiction #literaryhorror #books #patrickwmarsh #karma #superstitious #blogginglife

1 month ago 0 0 0 0

In a one minute span of time I got three poems accepted by a literary magazine. Then, seconds later, I somehow flipped my Chobani yogurt incorrectly and got Key Lime debris all over my desk, lap, and into my open backpack that was by my feet.

Existence is a mixed bag.

1 month ago 0 0 0 0

The Greenland Diaries: Day 48 We hid in the shed last night. I don’t know why but being inside the house just didn’t feel right. My uncle built the shed when my grandmother lived here about twenty years ago. It’s a small, tin box, with a padlock on the outside. The lock happens to be my father’s from when he was a kid years ago. …

More Mondays from my apocalyptic diaries and book series the Greenland Diaries. I always say the monsters are ridiculously fantastic, and I'm right. They're unique, strange, mercurial, and scary. A good combination.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #apocalyptic #journal #monsters #novels

1 month ago 3 0 0 0

Spaces and Gaps (Plus Expedition 33) Daily writing prompt What is the last thing you learned? View all responses I really wanted to have something cool and edgy to share about this writing prompt, but unfortunately mine is pretty mundane. I have self-published quite a few books. Over a dozen of them now. This was a process I learned myself back in 2013. What a different world back then.

Responded to this WordPress Daily Writing Prompt with learning a new setting on Microsoft Word, plus playing a turn based RPG after a forever break. Hit the link below for the post. Thanks for reading!

#wordpress #dailywritingprompt #reading #writing #expedition33 #microsoftword #blog #blogging

1 month ago 1 0 0 0

Beware the Ills: Part 33 Where is he? Blue, where is he? The river, I told him to meet me at the river. It’s the only large river on the entire island, the only partially frozen spine. I’m at the eastern edge of the water. Behind me, the woods sit sulking. Past the woods are the Shingles, mountains, and the Diamond Town. The river runs from the northern forest, southward, and then into the Diamond Town.

The dark fantasy and Cursed Island is waiting for you every Friday. I love this book, and I'm happy to share pieces of it each week. Thank you for reading my work.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

1 month ago 1 0 0 0

Literary Horror What do I actually write? I get this question a lot in my personal life, at conventions, and even when I ship out books at the post office. I have always struggled to answer it because I carried a certain amount of shame around it. That shame came from multiple places. Some of it came from people in my life degrading the things I write about, dismissing them in favor of other genres that better matched their own interests, like nonfiction.

What do I actually write? I get this question a lot in my personal life, at conventions, and even when I ship out books at the post office. I have always struggled to answer it. Read why in the blog post below.

#WritingUpdate #AmWriting #CurrentlyWriting #WritersLife #WritingCommunity #AuthorLife

1 month ago 5 0 2 0

The Greenland Diaries: Day 47 Bruises have invaded my back and elbows. I didn’t even know they could grow so fast. It looks like I’ve been decorated with a poorly mixed can of blue and red paint. It took me all morning to pull the splinters out of my calves and ankles. That’s the only spot they punctured me. I’m not sure how that works. I’m just glad it wasn’t those little black thorns they throw.

This far into the story, and we're only just getting started. I'm happy you get to experience these monsters with me every Monday. Enjoy!

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #apocalyptic #journal #monsters #novels

1 month ago 1 0 0 0

Posts by Patrick W. Marsh