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| H. M. Longo |
Author has written 46 stories for Fantasy, Humor, Humor, Romance, Haiku, Horror, General, Life, Historical, Essay, General, Sci-Fi, and Fable. There is nothing more wonderful than written language. A Note: I'm working hard on getting actually, honestly published. This means I won't be posting pieces here when I finish them, instead I'll be sending them out to innumerable magazines and publishers first. Anything that goes up here will either be too short or oddball to be sent to a magazine, or else it'll have garnered so many rejections that I get annoyed and want it to see the light of day. (November 2011) A short biography: I'm still in my twenties and I go by the nom de plume of H.M. Longo. I like things historical and things poetic. My writing style (and my entire being, for that matter) is somewhat out of date. I'm one of those rare few who still writes with pen and paper. . I sometimes emulate greater authors, but I've been influenced by so many that it's difficult to say where one author's voice ends and another's starts. I'm a bit of a linguist, a bit of a nerd, a bit of a historian, a bit of a hermit, a bit proud and I've a bit of a tendency to use the phrase "a bit" where "very much incredibly so" would be a bit more accurate. I do not write one-shots; I never have and I never will. I occasionally manage a very short story, from idea to final draft, in one sitting, but it isn't a one-shot, it's a very short story. A few of my favourite authors and poets are (in no particular order): Robert Louis Stevenson, J. R. R. Tolkien, John Keats, H. P. Lovecraft, Jules Verne, Bram Stoker, Lord Dunsany, Yuki Kaori, Cynewulf, John Masefield, John Donne, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edmund Spenser, Samuel Beckett, Vernon Lee, Raymond Chandler, Æschylus, Neil Gaiman, Thomas Mallory, Aleksander Pushkin, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, Tom Stoppard, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Thomas Chatterton, Lewis Carroll, C. S. Lewis, M. R. James and many more which I'll list later as time and space permit. I've also a taste for our old epics, including Beowulf, the Eddas, Das Hildebrandslied, Das Nibelungenlied, The Kalevala and every bit of Old Anglisc alliterative verse I can get hold of. The first pieces I put on this website I wrote in 2005; that was some time ago -- expect the stuff here to be of vastly varying quality. And with that I bid you enjoy my pieces (or do not enjoy them, if you are so inclined), I'd be obliged for comments either way. And I'm not at all adverse to readers pointing out my flaws, as long as they're not asinine about it. Don't inform me that my old limerick "sucks", instead have the decency to tell me why it "sucks". If my punctuation, spelling or usage seems a bit strange but not quite incorrect, assume I have absorbed an archaism without realising just how archaic it is. | |||||
1. Wings »Two short poetic prose pieces. This is an attempt at dark beauty and an experiment in style, I was trying to go back to the feel of my Dunsanian pieces without actually mimicking Dunsany. I believe it's a success on all counts. T for death & bloodFiction: Fantasy - Rated: T - English - Horror/Poetry - Chapters: 2 - Words: 106 - Published: 1-5-12 - Complete2. How to Write a Story » reviewsA short distillment of my fiction writing method; originally written for the benefit of a friend of mine, an 8-year-old aspiring writer.Fiction: Essay - Rated: K - English - Chapters: 6 - Words: 1,439 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 7-4-113. The PlagiaristA short prose poem reminiscent of Dunsany and Wilde.Fiction: Fable - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 366 - Published: 6-2-11 - Complete4. Forever, the Nocturnal reviewsNot for them the blazing colours of day and sunshine, but the unsullied clarity of stars and moon.Fiction: General - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 253 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 4-25-11 - Complete5. I'll Only be Here a Moment reviewsThe machine operates on time, and here where there is no time it is nothing other than a lump of a rather interesting carbon fabric, it does not even hum. I cannot return to time.Fiction: Sci-Fi - Rated: K - English - Sci-Fi/Fantasy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,336 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 2-19-11 - Complete6. On myself and authors » reviewsFifth chapter up: Kafka's Metamorphosis and hidden meanings. This is an ongoing collection of short pieces, some autobiographical and some more objective, about certain authors and my thoughts about them.Fiction: Essay - Rated: K - English - Chapters: 5 - Words: 1,807 - Reviews: 1 - Updated: 1-7-11 - Published: 7-7-097. Power Outage reviewsI've always loved power outages. There was one last summer, and the when the power came back, I fired up the computer and typed this. Then I stashed it in an odd corner of my harddrive and forgot about it, and then just now I found it.Poetry: Life - Rated: K - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 95 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 1-3-11 - Complete8. Whisper reviewsThis is a very very short bit I wrote a while ago. I've always thought it could be part of a larger piece, but anything I do with it lessens it. I've finally decided it can stand on its own.Fiction: Fantasy - Rated: K - English - Spiritual - Chapters: 1 - Words: 68 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 11-23-10 - Complete9. Darkness reviewsAbsolute blackness. Darkness which can itself be seen, and through which nothing else can be seen." A short descriptive piece.Fiction: Fantasy - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 205 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 11-23-10 - Complete10. From the Edge of What Is Not reviewsHe came from the Woods, the twilit Woods at the edge of What Is. He came to the cities and told tales of the Wood from which he came." A short piece, almost a fragment. I think I've been reading too much Dunsany and Lovecraft.Fiction: Fantasy - Rated: K - English - Fantasy/Supernatural - Chapters: 1 - Words: 346 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 11-11-10 - Complete11. Centuries reviewsThis is not verse, instead it is meant to use cadence and sound and the visual quality of the words to convey an atmosphere which compliments the meanings of the words. Best viewed in a serif font such as Perpetua or Sylfaen. Forgive the lack of indents.Poetry: General - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 51 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 8-1-10 - Complete12. The Poet and His Poem reviewsA poem in prose with no moral, no meaning and no intent aside from the obvious . If I had to say what this is about, I'd say "it's about art". Inspired by too much Oscar Wilde .Fiction: General - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 432 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 4-16-10 - Complete13. Let Words Flow reviewsA short, self-referential piece about the writing process. The previous sentence sounds trite. This is a short poem, the only way to know what a poem's about is to read it. I heartily appreciate reviews, both negative and positive. Thanks.Poetry: General - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 67 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 3-28-10 - Complete14. Each Loamèd Tear reviewsA very short bit of what might be poetry. I spent over a month refining this into what I hope is perfection. Yes, it is about someone, someone most of you know. Ask me and I might tell you. Feedback, both laudatory and unfavourable, is much appreciated.Poetry: General - Rated: K+ - English - Poetry/Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 47 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 3-5-10 - Complete15. I weep for Adonais reviewsThis is, to an extent, autobiographical. I shall let you decide for yourself to what extent.Fiction: Romance - Rated: K - English - Romance/Tragedy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 151 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 2-22-10 - Complete16. What is a novel but a dream on paper? reviewsA short Something which I dashed off the moment it came to mind. Just a few lines on such lofty matters as dreams, life and reality.Poetry: Life - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 59 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 1-16-10 - Complete17. Some Lines Worth Writing reviewsEvery now and then I think of a sentence or a phrase that really should be a quote, but that I'm obliged to put my own name after. Many of them start as ideas for essays but never get written because I manage to distill the thought into a single line.Fiction: Essay - Rated: K - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 392 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 1-16-10 - Complete18. The Dreams of Raymond Wighte reviewsRaymond Wighte dreams, that's what he does. And then the dreams stop. The first part of a projected novella. Never mind the genre tags, there weren't any that fit so I approximated it. Please note that any archaic spellings are intentional.Fiction: Fantasy - Rated: K+ - English - Fantasy/Spiritual - Chapters: 1 - Words: 759 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 12-23-0919. Theodwita reviewsTheodwita is an Anglo-Saxon word roughly meaning Historian or Loremaster;I tried to capture the essence of that idea. I'm not sure if it works or not, but I'm trying to set it to music anyway. I'm annoyed that there is no "Historical" genre tag here.Poetry: General - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 100 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 7-12-09 - Complete20. Feathersorg » reviewsThree pieces about Feathersorg the Penguin which I wrote in 2006. Each is a very different style, and all three are surpassingly silly.Fiction: Humor - Rated: K+ - English - Humor/Adventure - Chapters: 3 - Words: 1,028 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 7-4-09 - Complete21. Tapio: Spirit of the Forest reviewsA monologue concerning the woods. This needs some revision for style, but is resonably good as it stands.Fiction: Fantasy - Rated: K - English - Supernatural/Spiritual - Chapters: 1 - Words: 565 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 7-3-09 - Complete22. Vignette of a Young Man on Inventing Something New reviewsThis is an attempt to write a character who has almost nothing in common with myself. It's a first-person monologue and somewhat experimental for me. I think the writing style may have suffered because of the narrator, but it's still quite readable.Fiction: General - Rated: K - English - Angst - Chapters: 1 - Words: 915 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 6-17-09 - Complete23. My Sister Katrine reviewsA young man from the eighteenth century meets his sister from the twentieth. This story contains long, archaic sentences; the narrator is from the 1700's so I took some liberties with the style. I can't think of a title for this, I just changed it again.Fiction: Historical - Rated: K+ - English - Sci-Fi/Family - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,027 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 6-12-09 - Complete24. Valhalla AwaitsA short bit of narrative describing the aftermath of a battle from the point of view of one fallen in that battle. Inspired by the song "Perfection or Vanity" by Dimmu Borgir and written for the Livejournal group notemeetsletter.Fiction: Historical - Rated: T - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 259 - Published: 5-29-09 - Complete25. Beowulf sets sailA translation I did of a brief section from the Anglo-Saxon poem BeowulfPoetry: General - Rated: K - English - Poetry/Adventure - Chapters: 1 - Words: 226 - Published: 4-13-09 - Complete26. A somewhat true story reviewsThis story may or may not be true. Likewise, it may or may not be hilarious. I can assure you, though, that is isn't very good.Fiction: Humor - Rated: K - English - Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 52 - Reviews: 4 - Published: 3-11-09 - Complete27. Once upon a time there was a horse reviewsOne paragraph of silliness which I assure you is reasonably well written.Fiction: Humor - Rated: K - English - Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 71 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 2-19-09 - Complete28. A Story reviewsI was playing around stylistically and came up with a story told with the very minimum of facts. I apologize for the horizontal lines in the middle of the text, the system wouldn't let me use the quadruple line breaks I wanted.Fiction: General - Rated: K+ - English - Drama - Chapters: 1 - Words: 84 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 10-7-08 - Complete29. The Maiden and the Minstrel Knight reviewsA typical story, with a protagonist who realizes that his story is quite typical. Please note that the tense shift towards the end of the second paragraph is thoroughly intentional. Also note that my rating is not my intended audience but a RATINGFiction: Romance - Rated: K - English - Romance/Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 301 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 10-7-08 - Complete30. On Piecraft reviewsPies are beyond awesome, they are one of the best things to ever happen to mankind. But Pies are not allways easy to obtain. Untill now. Now with this little dissertation even a kitchen phobic bachelor can make his own pie.Fiction: Essay - Rated: K - English - Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 754 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 11-19-07 - Complete31. A Sea Battle reviewsViking dude battles a sea troll. Written in a high style while avoiding Latinate & French words, for some reason that made it be first person present tense. Definately not inspired by the AngloSaxon epic Beowulf or Metalocalypse's Murmaider at allFiction: Historical - Rated: K+ - English - Adventure/Fantasy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 422 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 11-19-0732. Geardagum reviewsThe result of sitting in the library reading Seamus Heaney's works instead of doing Calculus homework. Some random poetic lines - but not really a poem - dealing with my feelings about history and the events of the past.Poetry: Life - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 256 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 10-1-07 - Complete33. The Horror at the Castle reviewsA parody of H.P. Lovecraft. I used Lovecraft's style and methods for writing horror but used a silly subject. I think it's hilarious, read it and let me know what you think and please be honest. Updated summer 2009 to correct spelling and clerical errors.Fiction: Horror - Rated: T - English - Parody/Suspense - Chapters: 1 - Words: 999 - Reviews: 4 - Published: 4-24-07 - Complete34. Shiny distraction reviewsA random bit of action. It involves a shiny distraction, a lot a insanity and charging with a sword.Fiction: Humor - Rated: K - English - Humor/Adventure - Chapters: 1 - Words: 74 - Reviews: 4 - Published: 3-6-07 - Complete35. The Great Engulfer reviewsMy couch eats all my stuff. This is the result of having a bit much coffee in me when it ate my phone.Fiction: Humor - Rated: K - English - Humor/Horror - Chapters: 1 - Words: 264 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 2-13-07 - Complete36. It has ferrets reviewsA brief conversation between a warrior who is afraid of fish and nothing else and someone who is trying to dissuade him from going somewhere dangerous. Some grammar and usage slightly revised July 2009.Fiction: Fantasy - Rated: K - English - Humor/Adventure - Chapters: 1 - Words: 136 - Reviews: 4 - Published: 2-5-07 - Complete37. Húron's Epiphany reviewsA single epic sentence of 119 words, most of those words kennings or adjectives. As with most of my pre-2009 work, the topic is silly. Updated July 2009, some slight changes made to the grammar and the character's name changed out of respect for Tolkien.Fiction: Fantasy - Rated: K - English - Spiritual/Parody - Chapters: 1 - Words: 135 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 2-1-07 - Complete38. Of Sleep And the Lack ThereofThis is poetic prose, I'm too respectful of the poets to try and pass this tripe off as poetry. It's just pretty words with no reason to them or subject behind them.Poetry: General - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 290 - Published: 1-4-07 - Complete39. On a Piece of Lint I Found in My Coat Pocket reviewsAnother bit of not-really verse, shamelessly aping the masters of verse. The result of hypercaffination and overtiredness. If I don't stop now I'll be as bad as the Vogons.Poetry: General - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 129 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 1-4-07 - Complete40. To My Muse, The Lady Caffeine reviewsThe result of reading Elizabethan Sonnets while drinking energy drinks out of a wine glass. It's not really a poem, just poetic prose. I like to think the words are quite pretty although the topic is just a bit silly.Poetry: General - Rated: K - English - Poetry - Chapters: 1 - Words: 214 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 1-4-07 - Complete41. An Unspeakable Horror reviewsA description of an unspeakable horror from the depths of the sea, a parody of H.P. Lovecraft's style. It may be rated K, but that doesn't preclude it from containing Lovecraftian words such as "ichor", "pulsating" and "travesty".Fiction: Horror - Rated: K - English - Parody/Horror - Chapters: 1 - Words: 132 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 10-21-06 - Complete42. The random poet: A Haiku collection reviewsIt has always annoyed me that so many English Language "haiku" are actually just a disguise for the fact the the author cannot write verse at all. My response was these lines of complete doggerel, but I like to flatter myself that it's amusing doggerel.Poetry: Haiku - Rated: K+ - English - Humor/Parody - Chapters: 1 - Words: 190 - Reviews: 6 - Published: 12-1-05 - Complete43. She is Beautiful reviewsIn 2005 I was being inundated with badly written romance, so I thought I'd try the genre myself. As with everything else from 2005, this is a parody of worst, or is it the best? sort.Fiction: Romance - Rated: T - English - Romance/Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 158 - Reviews: 6 - Published: 6-18-0544. Busted OR The TechnoMonk reviewsWhat would happen if a Monk got on the internet? This is a story about a boy who wants a Computer Science degree but his parents want him to be a monk.Fiction: Humor - Rated: K+ - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 572 - Reviews: 2 - Published: 5-9-0545. There Once Was a Rabit Named Dot reviewsA little limerick I wrote years ago; 1999 or 2000, if I remember correctly , and the only one of my childhood pieces which I still have committed to memory. For simple humour I don't think I've surpassed this in the last decade of trying.Poetry: Humor - Rated: K - English - Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 30 - Reviews: 5 - Published: 4-17-0546. Runekaster reviewsThe opening section of a novel-length fantasy which I may or may not finish. Written April 2005 and newly revised for grammar, usage and niceties of style July 2009Fiction: Fantasy - Rated: T - English - Fantasy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,436 - Reviews: 3 - Published: 4-17-05
