Storyfeather Gazette: A castle that devours, a sound that destroys, and a decision that devastates

Published over 2 years ago • 3 min read

April 2024: Issue 1

Greetings!

In this issue: a roundup of my podcast episodes around the theme of food, and short stories about devices and machinery. These were all released in March 2024.

Circle format, a three-quarters view of Nila's smiling face from a photo with an oil paint filter applied.

CHANGE IS GOOD 😁

If you're new here, the Gazette has thus far been a monthly publication. Starting this month (April 2024), I plan to send two shorter issues per month.

If you’ve got feedback on this change, now or later, please let me know. You can just reply to these emails.

And now, on to the stories. With the extra day in February and the first of April falling on a Monday...well, there are five short stories and five podcast episodes in this issue. More to enjoy! 🤓

Did you know that I have started posting art progression videos of the digital drawings I make for my stories? Here's one (alt text at end of email). If you'd like to see more you can press on the image for each short story below.

SHORT STORIES

(Pssst, if you want to watch a trailer of the story and learn some background info, press the image.)

GIF: Digital drawing. A dark gray medieval castle sits at center with a bridge in the foreground leading to the open gate. Above, the sky is filled with dark clouds. Rain falls at a slant from upper right to lower left. Shrubbery flanks the castle. Along the left edge is a soft yellow glow. The words “Short Story” and “Genre: Horror Fantasy,” is displayed at bottom. Lines from the story displayed: “It’s not a castle. It’s a machine.” Text fades. Further lines from the story appear: “Not a machine that thinks. But one that eats.” Site URL appears at bottom center.

THE CASTLE THAT HUNGERS

A nightmare machine shaped like a castle devours most who enter, but it is the only way to a path that leads to a golden dream.

READ

GIF: Digital drawing. At right, partial view of an upturned face from forehead to top of lips. Two wires each are connected to the forehead and cheek. The eye glows with sparks of colored lights and faint circuitry shapes. Background of evergreen trees on snowy ground beneath a night sky scattered with stars. Above the trees are wispy colors and ribbons of light that glow bright green with hints of pink, purple, and blue. Watermark of “Storyfeather” under eye. Copyright notice along bottom left reads “Copyright © 2024 Nila L. Patel.” Line from the story displayed: “I watched in quiet wonder.” Text fades. Further lines from the story appear: “I was alone, drifting toward a stand of trees. Site URL appears at bottom left.

THE LIGHTS OF THE NORTHERN CITY

A woman uses a technology that allows a person to experience astral projection, so she can see a sight she can’t yet afford to see live.

READ

Digital drawing. A circular plate, or coin, or relief with a hazy bearded face at middle, overlaid with glowing forms of gears and lines. Around the plate’s circumference are simple images depicting clockwise from top left, a giant open-mouthed figure behind several people bearing shields and swords running; two demon or gargoyle figures; three figures at different heights, one kneeling and two with arms toward the demon figures; a figure reclining on a long seat; and three identical figures kneeling with hands held in praying posture. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along bottom of long seat. Copyright notice at bottom center reads, “Copyright © 2024 Nila L. Patel.” Lines from the story displayed: “We cannot bargain. We cannot drive them back.” Site URL appears at bottom right.

THE DESTROYER NOTE MACHINE

When immortal demons dominate and destroy the known world, the fearful and desperate mortals band together to build a machine they hope will destroy the demons.

READ

THE NEXUS OF MOON AND MACHINE

An object is approaching a moon on the edge of known space, where researchers may have accidentally activated a device.

READ

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FASHIONER CONFERENCE

Two up-and-coming designers demonstrate their jacket at a high-tech fashion conference and get caught up in news of a scandal.

READ

I'm in my 11th year of storytelling. The overarching theme for the Year Eleven stories is Frontiers. To explore even more press the button below:

~APRIL STORIES~

The monthly theme for the April short stories is Aliens—it's Alien April. By definition, what is alien is unfamiliar, so there are a lot of possible frontiers. Encountering new sentient species, or maybe we are the aliens.

And in this season of the podcast, I sometimes have episodes grouped by theme. In April that theme will be...flight!

PODCAST EPISODES

Press the buttons below to watch a trailer, listen to the episode, and read the story.

Title card with the words “Storyfeather Podcast” and “A Fairy Tale Episode” is displayed at top. Text displayed: “All they had left to give was a basket of lemons.” Digital drawing. A lemon tree full of lemons. At bottom right corner, a person holds a baby over their shoulder. The baby’s head is facing forward and obscuring the other person’s head. The baby’s own head rests on the shoulder, arms loosely curled around the shoulder. The baby’s eyes, partly open, look down and to the side, and each contains a burst of soft light. Watermark of “Storyfeather” at bottom right. Website URL at bottom left.

A TALE OF NINE LEMONS

To help a young man seek his fortune and his purpose upon leaving home, his parents endow him with a parting gift, a basket of lemons.

LISTEN

WELCOME TO THOUGHTSBURGER

A young journalist follows her latest lead into a quirky fast food place located in her dreams.

LISTEN

Title card with the words “Storyfeather Podcast” and “A Science Fiction Episode” is displayed at top. Text displayed: “An unnecessary idea or a solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist.” Digital drawing. Bottom half, three kids gathered around a laptop monitor, all facing forward, two sitting and one standing behind them. They all look down at the screen. Behind them stands a banana plant bearing bunches of bananas just above the standing child’s head. Some of the bananas in the bottom bunches bear a streak of magenta color along the peel. Watermark of “Storyfeather” on laptop lid. Website URL at bottom right.

MAGENTA BANANA

Three friends decide to do their science project on a forgotten novelty invention, a self-peeling banana.

LISTEN

Title card with the words “Storyfeather Podcast” and “A Fantasy Episode” is displayed at top. Text displayed: “What am I putting in this crust, kombucha?” Digital drawing. Lying on a tabletop at left seen from one corner is a pizza box that’s slightly open to show a pizza with multiple toppings within. The box is labeled “Pizzapothecarium” along the front overlapping edge. The right edge of the box is labeled “Madeleine Miriam’s.” The top of the box, at a steep angle, shows a smiling woman from waist up holding up a pizza at shoulder level in the hand of her bent right arm, and resting her left hand on her hip. Bottles surround the pizza box. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along bottom of pizza box. Website URL appears at bottom right.

MADELEINE MIRIAM'S PIZZAPOTHECARIUM

During his first week working at a unique pizzeria, Ronnie encounters some uncanny late-night customers, who place an order for the rarest pizza on the menu.

LISTEN

Title card with the words “Storyfeather Podcast” and “A Science Fiction Episode” is displayed at top. Digital drawing. A fully stocked refrigerator seen from an angle with the door opening out to the left. The top third contains a freezer section. Recognizable items in the door are bottles at bottom, milk cartons, jars, butter (labeled), and at top, ice cream and a bag of chicken nuggets (labeled). Recognizable items in the main compartments include vegetables, a carton of eggs, a covered bowl, and flat cartons labeled “pizza” and “pepperoni.” Text bubbles surround the refrigerator. The three at left read as follows from top to bottom: “On toast? I’m in,” “Time for tacos. Lime for tacos,” and “Saute in me!” The five at right read as follows: “Why wait for Sunday?” and “Scramble me,” “Poach me,” “I want to be a pot pie,” and “Stew us!” (four times). Website URL appears at bottom center

MY FOOD IS SPEAKING TO ME

Do the voices coming from the food in my fridge and pantry want to harm me, help me, or just…be?

LISTEN

I'm in my 7th season of podcasting. The overarching theme for the Year Seven episodes of Storyfeather is Prompts. (I used writing prompts to inspire most of the stories). To explore even more press the button below:

Think you might have missed a previous issue? You can read all back issues of the Storyfeather Gazette right here:

STORYFEATHER GAZETTE ARCHIVES

So...how did you like this issue? Do you like the GIFs that give you a sneak preview of the trailers? Did you already know about the art progression videos I've been posting? If you've got Pinterest, I've been posting trailers and art videos there as well (@storyfeather). I'll send you one more issue in April. In that issue, I'll recommend a space sci-fi trilogy I just finished reading, and wax philosophical about pens.

Till next time.
—Nila

[ALT TEXT for the art progression video: Drafting of story image from Sketch to Final. 7 seconds. Digital drawing. At right, partial view of an upturned face from forehead to top of lips. Two wires each are connected to the forehead and cheek. The eye glows with sparks of colored lights and faint circuitry shapes. Background of evergreen trees on snowy ground beneath a night sky scattered with stars. Above the trees are wispy colors and ribbons of light that glow bright green with hints of pink, purple, and blue. Watermark of “Storyfeather” under eye. Copyright notice along bottom left reads “Copyright © 2024 Nila L. Patel.” Text at top reads “Digital Drawing for Short Story.” Text and final image fade to display the starting sketch. Text “Sketch to Final image” appears and fades. Video transitions through several images showing sketch, inking, laying down of base colors, addition of shadows, highlights, textures, and background to arrive at the final image. Story title appears, “The Lights of the Northern City.” A watermark of “Storyfeather.com” appears at bottom left throughout.]

Share this page

I have stories to tell you!

Storyfeather Gazette: A castle that devours, a sound that destroys, and a decision that devastates

THE CASTLE THAT HUNGERS

THE LIGHTS OF THE NORTHERN CITY

THE DESTROYER NOTE MACHINE

THE NEXUS OF MOON AND MACHINE

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FASHIONER CONFERENCE

~APRIL STORIES~

A TALE OF NINE LEMONS

WELCOME TO THOUGHTSBURGER

MAGENTA BANANA

MADELEINE MIRIAM'S PIZZAPOTHECARIUM

MY FOOD IS SPEAKING TO ME

I have stories to tell you!