I have no idea why, guys, but I got emotional with that last chapter of this story—LOL!—and needed a little time to recover from it.
Into the Eye of Erin is one of my most experimental stories. Although it took me a little over two weeks to write this 5,000-word short story, I had actually been working on it since August 11th (a few weeks before The Shortys opened), when the tropical wave that eventually became Hurricane Erin moved off the coast of Africa. I studied its progress every day and was fascinated when it exploded to Category 5 strength in just twenty-four hours, so I had to do something about it!
Thus, Into the Eye of Erin was born.
I’ve been studying hurricanes for years. I find them so fascinating amidst the death and destruction, and because it was such a close shave with Erin, I turned her unique path into a coming-of-age allegory told from the perspective of the hurricane itself.
Into the Eye of Erin is a disaster story, but it’s not the high-stakes, action-thriller disaster media we usually see. This story follows a system like Disney Pixar’s Lava, personifying the natural disaster, and I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much—because it’s so different, even from my other stories.
Writing is all about trying something new; it’s the only way you’ll truly grow. Do not be afraid to write something different; you might surprise yourself, just as I have.
That said, I hope you guys liked this story as much as I did, and keep an eye out! I may expand it into a novella for the 2026 Open Novella Contest.
Love you all, and may the Force be with you!
- Victoria/Viktoria
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and then Add to home screen.