I don't believe in melodrama. I do not write because I have to. The words are not beating against the sides of my skull, clamouring for release. They swirl in the alphabet soup that is my mind, though. They create streams, and currents, and eddies. And sometimes, they coalesce into beautiful, foaming images. These, I write down. I save. For myself, for the sake of keeping something that could jump so stark in my mind.

I don't write because I have to. I write because I do.

Black and White - The loss of innocence. This was written for an exercise whose rules included evocative and changing use of colour. Perhaps a touch noir.

Colours - Love at first sight and consequences. This was also written for an exercise. This one had to start with the phrase "It was not yellow". Simple, shallow, short.

Enlightenment - What is the nature of obsession and dependency? This is a fantasty-type story. It still rings true in my soul.

I remember - A short piece, seed for longer pieces, maybe even a novel one day. Inspired by David Mack's Kabuki. This was written for an exercise that required the piece to start and end with the same line.

Scarlet - Schemes and blood-soaked politics. This is the oldest of the pieces here. Written in high school, during my present-tense period. I still like the concept, and the execution isn't too bad, but the details are a little hazy.

The Muse - Finding inspiration in giving inspiration. This is the embodiment of my own first blinding flash of inspiration. The visualisation of this story was not quite matched by the eventual story, but I still like the way it turned out.

The Red Umbrella - A subtle study of fleeting moments and boredom. Perhaps. Something I'm very proud of, but don't know what to do with.

The Witch Within - I've always been interested in the idea of conformity and rebellion. This was written for an exercise, but morphed into the first thing I ever sent away to publishers. This was the start of my serious writing.

Veiled Meaning - Boredom and escaping. It was written for a plot-devising exercise. The first story I ever plotted in the traditional sense, and I was quite proud of it.