This week I’m diving into something a little different: why I decided to dust off the short stories I wrote over a decade ago, rework them, and finally start publishing them. It’s not just about the old stuff, I’m also writing brand new ones along the way.
In this episode, I talk about:
- The very first story I ever wrote (yep, it involved vengeful spirits )
- Why I never published my fiction back then
- What made me finally say, “screw it, I’m sharing these”
- How gaming and real-life events sneak into my storytelling
- And why I’m excited to explore my favorite genre: mystery and suspense
If you’ve ever had creative projects sitting in a forgotten folder, this one’s for you.
You can find and subscribe to Unwritten Ends on Medium. If you’re not a Medium member, you can also check out the stories here on my blog.
Listen to Unwritten Ends on YouTube
Full Episode Transcript:
Hey guys, you’re listening to JacQ of All Trades, the podcast for curious minds, multi-passionate peeps, and anyone who’s ever had 37 browser tabs open at once.
I’m Jacq, your host and that one friend who always has a new side project brewing. This podcast is where I unpack all the messy in-betweens of being a creative human to random epiphanies about why I’m suddenly re-editing stories I wrote over a freaking decade ago.
Today we’re going to talk about why I decided to dig into my old short stories, rework them, and start publishing them on my blog and Medium, specifically in my fiction nook called Unwritten Ends and even narrating them on my gaming YouTube channel. Yep, the very same channel where I usually post my gameplays.
So, here’s how it started: I was doing some digital spring cleaning, going through old folders back in my university days. Oh yeah…if I have a physical vault to store all those, it’ll be massive, like 5-6 football fields combined. Glad they’re all stored digitally.
Anyway, I stumbled across a bunch of short stories I wrote back in the day. At first, I cringed. Like, full body cringe. We’re talking paragraphs that made zero sense, half-baked stories without ending and characters who suspiciously resembled people in my life.
But… weirdly? I felt a spark. Underneath all the drama and bad grammar, I saw something. I saw the version of me that just loved telling stories even when I didn’t have the right words yet.
That part of me has been around for a long time. Like, way before I ever properly learned English. Back when I was a kid, I used to make up stories on the fly for my friends. No outlines, no editing but pure imagination. Looking back now, I probably missed my calling as a Dungeon Master. Maybe in an alternate timeline, I’m running a chaotic D&D campaign somewhere. I hope she’s thriving.
By high school, I was deep into fiction. English became my favorite subject. I was obsessed with RL Stine, Christopher Pike, Anne Rice, and of course, the king of nightmares; Stephen King. My parents had no clue what I was reading (bless the language barrier), which meant I could devour all the creepy stuff in peace.
Whenever we had essay exams, I always went for the fiction prompt. I’d just let the story pour out, pages after pages. Then in Form 6, which is kind of like pre-university here in Malaysia, I finally got to formally study Literature in English. Shakespeare, Austen, and Dickens. It was so cool, but still, it didn’t feel like enough.
University came and went, and in between classes and late-night drinking sessions. I’d be holed up in my room, hammering away at the keyboard. I probably wrote enough raw, chaotic fiction to fill a couple of novels. The first “real” story I ever wrote was called Vengeful Spirits. It was supposed to be a short story… emphasis on “supposed to.”
I ended it with a cliffhanger and sent it to some friends over email. Their response? “So… what happens next?” and “When’s part two coming out?” Which is hilarious, because there wasn’t supposed to be a part two. That was the end.
But because they kept asking, so I just… kept writing. Next thing I knew, I had about 15,000 words. I didn’t actually send the full story out to them. It’s just for my own reading. Then life happened and I got busy but that was the first time I realized stories take on a life of their own once you put them in front of people. They don’t stay in your control anymore. And I kind of love that.
Here’s the thing though…I never published any of it. Not. A. Single. One.
Why? Oh, let me count the excuses:
- I’m not a native English speaker.
- I didn’t study literature “properly.”
- I didn’t think I was good enough.
- And let’s be real… I was scared.
But recently, something shifted.
Perhaps it’s because I’m getting older and realizing how fragile life is? Maybe it’s just not having the energy to give a damn anymore.
Whatever it is, I’ve decided I don’t want to take all these stories with me to the grave. Like seriously, what’s the point of hoarding all these ideas if they could actually make someone feel seen? Or entertained? Or just mildly disturbed in a fun, fictional way?
So I started digging through those old stories. Rereading. Reworking. Adding new layers now that I’ve lived a little more, have different perspectives and life experiences I can use to enrich the stories.
Back then, my stories leaned heavily into fantasy; demons, vampires, werewolves, you name it. But as a reader? My heart has always belonged to mystery and suspense.
The thing is, I didn’t think I’d be good at writing those genres. Fantasy felt “safe” because it could be as unrealistic as I wanted. Suspense… that’s different. It’s slower. More intricate. It needs precision. But with this little side project of reworking my old stuff, I’m giving myself permission to explore it. To experiment.
One thing I’ve realized? I love blending reality into my stories. A lot of them are inspired by real events, because it helps ground the weirdness. It lets me weave in pieces of my own memories; things I’ve seen, felt, or overheard and it keeps me connected to my own past while still creating something fictional.
Now I’m bringing these stories, as mentioned earlier, under my little fiction nook called Unwritten Ends. Even though most of my stuff on Medium leans more self-help or business-y, I figured, why the hell not? Fiction deserves a seat at the table too. It’s where all these slightly strange, emotionally loaded, and sometimes-haunted short stories live. This is also where I could experiment with ideas and maybe even build up to some mini ebooks one day.
Plus, who knows? Maybe someone out there stumbles on one of my stories by accident and thinks, “Huh. That was strangely different. I like it.”
And beyond just the act of sharing, it’s about connecting. With people who love characters that make bad decisions. With folks who enjoy slightly haunted plots. With readers who don’t need every story tied up with a pretty bow.
If that’s your thing, welcome to the weird little corner I’m building. It’s the reason why I’m reworking my old short stories instead of letting them rot in a forgotten folder.
Life is short and these stories deserve to be told. And also, I’ve got a lot more where that came from. If you’re curious, check the links in the show notes that’ll direct you to Unwritten Ends.
Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you enjoyed this episode, give it a follow, leave a rating, or share it with your favorite fiction nerd.
Until next time, tell your stories. Even the messy ones. Especially the messy ones.hat’s different. It’s slower. More intricate. It needs precision. But with this little side project of reworking my old stuff, I’m giving myself permission to explore it. To experiment.
One thing I’ve realized? I love blending reality into my stories. A lot of them are inspired by real events, because it helps ground the weirdness. It lets me weave in pieces of my own memories; things I’ve seen, felt, or overheard and it keeps me connected to my own past while still creating something fictional.
Now I’m bringing these stories to Medium, as mentioned earlier, under my little fiction nook called Unwritten Ends. Even though most of my stuff on Medium leans more self-help or business-y, I figured, why the hell not? Fiction deserves a seat at the table too. It’s where all these slightly strange, emotionally loaded, sometimes-haunted short stories live. This is also where I could experiment with ideas and maybe even build up to some mini ebooks one day.
Plus, who knows? Maybe someone out there stumbles on one of my stories by accident and thinks, “Huh. That was weird. I like it.”
And beyond just the act of sharing, it’s about connecting. With people who love characters that make bad decisions. With folks who enjoy slightly haunted plots. With readers who don’t need every story tied up with a pretty bow.
If that’s your thing, welcome to the weird little corner I’m building.
So yeah. That’s why I’m reworking my old short stories instead of letting them rot in a forgotten folder.
Life is short and these stories deserve to be told. And also, I’ve got a lot more where that came from.
If you’re curious, I’ll be publishing these stories on my Medium compilation list, Unwritten Ends, and narrating them over on my gaming YouTube channel…yes, the same one where I occasionally yell at zombies and do overly dramatic playthroughs.
Check the links in the show note, or just search Unwritten Ends on YouTube and Medium lists. I promise it’s chaotic in the best way.
Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you enjoyed this episode, give it a follow, leave a rating, or share it with your favorite fiction nerd.
Until next time, tell your stories. Even the messy ones. Especially the messy ones.
