© Joe Leonardi
I am a self-published storyteller, not under contract by a major publishing house and have sold a very limited number of books. In the literary world I am insignificant. That is the truth, but that truth doesn’t change the reality that I am a storyteller. Storytelling is my passion and drive. Storytelling is my love and... Continue Reading →
I am proud to announce the official worldwide release of my latest novella in The Damaged and Broken Collection - THE COMFORT OF DESPAIR I ask that you please click the below link and order your copy today - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y5QWW57 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y5QWW57 Comfort - To give strength and hope to. Despair - The complete loss of... Continue Reading →
Chaos – a noun: complete disorder and confusion. Conflict – a verb: be incompatible or at variance; clash Two words. One a noun, the other used as a verb. Both connotate similar emotions. The universe was created of chaos. Human beings can’t seem to live for any extended periods without being in some state of... Continue Reading →
Hemingway had a simple trick for overcoming writer's block. In a memorable passage in A Moveable Feast, he writes: Sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little oranges into the edge of the flame... Continue Reading →
Yes, one of our very own, a fellow author becomes a totalitarian dictator laying down commandments -- commandments cut in stone by their fiery finger whose very ability to express is a freedom held so dear.
When someone tells you not to live in the past --- tell them to fuck off!
Another question from my interview with Jim Riley was why I chose to write in first person. The answer is simple - so the reader can easily insert him or herself into the story. We probably can all see a bit of the main character in ourselves. It is easier to understand that main character... Continue Reading →
Each time I am writing a story, I read the following, and strive to do all except numbers 3 & 6 (which I will discuss in an upcoming post). This particular list comes from open culture. In a writing phase, I read these every morning, every night, and of course, each time before I sit... Continue Reading →
I still remember the first night I didn’t sleep the night through. Of course, there were random nights before. How could there not be? Especially being at sea in the U.S. Navy. But this night, was the night that began a chain of sleepless nights that has lasted uninterrupted for close to twenty years. ----------------------------... Continue Reading →
Am I wrong in my presumption that by omitting parts of the story, they will understand the layered depth of the world I am creating? Or, is their perception limited only to what the words which appear on the page, or screen, tell them?
Cash can’t be saved. Retirement is nothing but a dream. I will most likely die on the job, or homeless, cryogenically preserved in some street’s gutter.
Thank you for all of you who follow and read my blog. Lately I have been posting almost daily. I am now getting back into writing "The Damaged and Broken Stories," so, will be posting about 2 - 3 times a week. The following are my plans for the next 6 months, I am expecting to... Continue Reading →
I have developed a bit of a disdain for the overuse of the term "mental illness." I truly believe it has become overused for what are normal personality traits and differences. In a country as free as the United States of America is supposed to be, we have a group of medical professionals and pharmaceutical... Continue Reading →
For when it comes to that burning passion which is to write – I have no choice, I have no free will.
...because at that point in the story, the character is fragmented, and I want to convey that to the reader using the narrative. Instead of telling or showing, I want the reader to experience the story.
Dr. Harleen Quinzel’s view: What have I been doing all this time? Why am I imprisoned? Why am I kissing that freak The Joker? I look at him in horror. He is my patient, what the hell is he doing? I push him away. He strikes me. I have a baseball bat. I’m not sure... Continue Reading →
Excerpt from Angelic Adultery... an Embrace The Wild Fantasy He gets up from his chair. He approaches. He doesn’t say a word. He has shorts on. I can see, genuine is his desire. There is still time for me to turn around, to tell him I can’t be here, I shouldn’t be here. I can’t... Continue Reading →
It is your birthday. I give you a gift, a pair of thong underwear, that admittedly is more for me than you. You are fifty-three years old and have never worn them. You thought they would be uncomfortable. I offer to take them back. You say no. With graceful ease, you lift your skirt and... Continue Reading →
Those of us who follow The New Savior, lead an open sexual lifestyle. Unfettered sexual encounters with other members is not only accepted — it is encouraged. The New Savior herself has made love to upwards of one hundred of us at any given time. Her love, and our devotion is something to cherish. The... Continue Reading →
I get some interesting comments concerning my writings. Comments that often make me reflect. Comments that convince me to continue to keep telling stories. I write about the reality that life is not always perfect. I write that not all win their battles and overcome their demons. I write for the damaged and broken. Is... Continue Reading →
As I travel life’s road, I realize, the path I view in the windshield is considerably shorter than the path I glimpse in the rear-view mirror. I have had, on average, a good life. Sometimes fantastic, other times, downright horrid. It is often said the journey, not the destination, is that which is important. As... Continue Reading →
At my desk, I work. From the task at hand, the aroma distracts. Perfume, sweet and subtle. My head follows my gaze. In front of me, you appear. Framed by wavy hair, eyes so deep, beauty so genuine, my heart for a moment ceases beating, then beats much too fast. More than a decade, almost... Continue Reading →
I am a self-published storyteller, not under contract by a major publishing house and have sold a very limited number of books. In the literary world, I am insignificant. That is the truth, but that truth doesn't change the reality that I am a storyteller. Storytelling is my passion and drive. Storytelling is my love... Continue Reading →
The social media pop-psychologists are out in full force. The self-righteous self-helpers offer unsolicited words with only one purpose --- to give themselves a superior sense of self. Lacking even a single request, they offer their self-aggrandizing wisdom - -To those they have never met. -To those they do not know. -To those they do... Continue Reading →
The fact of the matter is that life can suck. For so many there is no joy, there is no elation, there is no happiness. The treadmill to nowhere keeps moving and there is no choice but to keep pace until the effort causes the body to become frail, the mind to falter, and the soul to flail.
According to Jenna Blum in The Author at Work, “Hemingway said that only the tip of the iceberg showed in fiction—your reader will see only what is above the water—but the knowledge that you have about your character that never makes it into the story acts as the bulk of the iceberg. And that is... Continue Reading →
Since I have yet discovered the path to earning a living as a writer, I have another career, one that takes a great deal of time, attention and devotion. Yet, that does not change the fact that I have a compulsion to write. There are some days, actually most, that if I don’t sit and... Continue Reading →
Take a tour of Key West, Florida and follow the Old Man as he passes on his accumulated knowledge of being alive for more than 200 years. One Day I Was is a work of historical fiction that follows the Old Man on a journey through U.S. history. During his expansive lifetime, The Old Man... Continue Reading →
In 2019 I am expecting to release at least five more stories in The Damaged and Broken Collection --- • “It Is Never Just A Slap,” which I am currently working on, a woman trapped in an abusive relationship. •“Abandonment and Addiction,” a girl from a broken home who becomes addicted to heroin. •“A Father’s Son,” the breakdown of... Continue Reading →
I am often asked if I am writing about people who suffer from mental illness. Recently, a fellow blogger had indicated a similar sentiment, so I think it is time to share my insights and drive concerning the characters I bring to life. As I am writing these characters, I don't give them an innate... Continue Reading →
Take a tour of Key West, Florida and follow the Old Man as he passes on his accumulated knowledge of being alive for more than 200 years. One Day I Was is a work of historical fiction that follows the Old Man on a journey through U.S. history. During his expansive lifetime, The Old Man... Continue Reading →
....doesn't mean you didn't write a good story! On the author pages to which I belong on social media, I see comments from authors distraught that someone gave their writing a negative review. In a profound way, when I read these comments, it pains me. When someone reviews a story, the odds are their review... Continue Reading →
I recently heard Martha Raddatz state, that in the United States, only 1% of the population serve in the military. To my brothers and sisters in arms, my fellow veterans, those who remain in the guard and reserves and those on the front lines serving on active duty --- We belong to an exclusive club.... Continue Reading →
To get started, write one true sentence. Hemingway had a simple trick for overcoming writer's block. In a memorable passage in A Moveable Feast, he writes: Sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/cuuH4HZ1X44 “Who am I?” The Damaged and Broken Collection I am an independent, self-published teller of tales. I am currently an author of scarcely any renown. However, as a storyteller, I know who I am, and with that persona, I am both confident and comfortable. I invite you to visit my website, ShortStoryScribe.com and/or Amazon Author Page, if you are so inclined please purchase... Continue Reading →
Perhaps one of the biggest cons in life is believing in the future. We attend school, for the future. We save money, for the future. We work hard, for the future. So focused on preparing for the future, we forge chains that will not hold us in death, but hold us in life. We become... Continue Reading →
I spent much of my younger years as a vagabond, it is the life to which my very soul was drawn. While not looking. I found someone. That person claimed a desire to move with me. However, over time it was apparent she did not share my wanderlust. Sadly, I had become accustomed to a... Continue Reading →
I am often asked if I am writing about people who suffer from mental illness. Recently, a fellow blogger had indicated a similar sentiment, so I think it is time to share my insights and drive concerning the characters I bring to life. As I am writing these characters, I don't give them an innate... Continue Reading →
I have had people criticize my work for breaking conventional rules of writing and grammar. Sometimes, these notes are accurate, and I make corrections. Often, however, they are given by those who believe themselves superior to others. These over analytical people are more concerned with picking out the placement of a comma or a semicolon,... Continue Reading →
I kiss your neck, working my way down each shoulder With your permission I move my hands down the perfection which proves God exists Slowly your pants fall down your legs With great care, I lower you onto your back Gently I rub your body Again, I seek your approval A nod encourages me onward... Continue Reading →
I write short, and novelette length, stories because I am heavily influenced by both Poe and Hemingway. I like to tell a concise story, one that can be completed in one or two sittings. Additionally, in today's day and age, it is more advantageous for the reader to purchase, download and finish reading all in... Continue Reading →
Here on my blog, on my website ShortStoryScribe.com, and on various social media platforms, the side of my personality that is visible is The Author Persona. In those areas, I am exploring the part of me that is the storyteller. Much like my pen name, that side of my personality is but a small sample... Continue Reading →
Scono Sciuto is a unique storyteller, one shrouded in mystery, who combines erotica with awareness, fusing strong feminine sexuality with female empowerment. https://youtu.be/dm_S_-zV-1E
"I am no longer the boy who came here, nor am I the man I was destined to be." Does a returning war veteran ever escape the horrors to which they bore witness? Shell shock was the terminology of WWI, today it is called PTSD. Whatever it is called, it has long lasting effects. War... Continue Reading →
Click or copy & paste https://www.amazon.com/Scono-Sciuto/e/B00IVDABB6/
I stand in the phone booth, a droning buzz fills the space. Flickering light on the inside matches the chains of lightning outside. Both portend monumental shifts . Less than twenty four hours ago, you professed your love. Less than one, you told me it was over. Shocked, I left, drove away. A dream it... Continue Reading →
To get started, write one true sentence. Hemingway had a simple trick for overcoming writer's block. In a memorable passage in A Moveable Feast, he writes: Sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the... Continue Reading →
Contrary to the idyllic lives shown to the world on social media, things don't always work out. Life isn't always good for everyone. Life is often times a cruel bastard. It is time to get back to reality, not the social media bullshite fantasy lives we are fed and over-fed on a daily basis. I... Continue Reading →
-26- Out the window of the small jet I stare. The skies become gray. The ground below is scarred and dotted with waste from a long dead coal industry. I don’t need the pilot’s announcement to let me know we are nearing AVP. The jet begins a steep downward trajectory. Culm rises up to meet... Continue Reading →
Do you miss the passion we shared? Do you long for the romance of uninhibited desires? Do you think of the moments in which we lived lifetimes of raw sensuality? Does your heart ache for the memory of what was? Does your body shake for the lust that was beyond expectations? Does your soul cry... Continue Reading →
