The following piece of flash fiction is one I was never sure what to do with. It's more of a vignette than a traditional narrative. However, it is still one I keep around and enjoy for some strange reason. Perhaps, you will too. Revisit the original post here, or continue below to read "The Dent" in it's entirety. It also happens to be the most popular story on the site within the last 30 days. 

It's been awhile since I've started a series in the Forbidden Blog, but as I travel along a seemingly endless path of life, I can't help but notice all the little things that keep a writer from writing. It's as though I personally need to jot down a handful of them, if for nothing else, as reminders for future Chris.

From my teenage years to my early twenties, I always felt as though nothing in the entire world could stop me from scribbling down a tale. Oh, how I was wrong! Once college concluded and it was back to an often bleak real world, obstacles positioned themselves around every turn that led to completing a story.

What you'll find below is just my personal observations and opinions. While some triumphs and hardships are universal amongst all human beings, not everyone's life is the same. Some writers have different enemies distracting them from their work; some have the same but with a different flavor. Perhaps, you'll relate to the entries on this list on some level. Perhaps, you'll want to suggest another enemy of writing in the comments. Perhaps you'll think I'm full of shit. Either way, I hope you enjoy the following 10 Enemies of Writing, starting today with the first five.

Enjoy a trip back to the summer of 2012, when I tried to make it on my own in New York City. While I ultimately headed back home to Indiana, my time spent in the Big Apple wasn't all for naught. Nerves wrecked, I found myself lost in Harlem, and what ensued that particular night inspired a tale from No-Injury Policy called "Last Stop."  Continue reading below or check out the original. 

Check out the most popular story on the site from the last 30 days. 

"All Things Beautiful" is one of my personal favorites from my short story collection No-Injury Policy. It's a tale about a young boy who is locked in his bedroom while his family disappears. Keep reading below for an excerpt of the the story, or read the original here.