About this project
UPDATE: NEW GOAL: $2,950! If we reach this new goal, everyone who pledges $25 or more will receive a limited edition, signed and numbered booklet of sketches from the book. Please see Update #3 under the "Updates" tab. And thanks again to everyone who has pledged so far!
TWISTED: TALES TO ROT YOUR BRAIN is a fun collection of coiled and contorted thoughts, brimming with black humor and playfully illustrated experiments about haunted people, hairy eyeballs, and brains that don’t quite stay where they ought to. Nora Thompson is one of those rare writers who can make the sick seem endearingly sweet (and vice-versa), and her artwork is distinctively bizarre and beautiful at the same time. I can’t wait to read Volume 2!
—MICHAEL ARNZEN,
author of 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories
Are you a little twisted?
Twisted: Tales to Rot Your Brain is a collection of 28 flash fiction short stories aimed toward anybody who giggles when a story takes a surprising turn, from middle grade readers through their adult equivalents. The stories in the collection unfold using traditional text, illustrated text, text with illustrations, stand-alone illustrations and even a graphic novel.
And all of them lean toward the edge of the twisted.
Twisted as in: “Twist your brain around this.”
Twisted as in: “I didn’t see that coming.”
Twisted as in: “You’re twisted, you know that?”
Yes, I do.
The stories are told from unexpected perspectives. Or maybe they aren’t about what you thought they were. Maybe they don’t head in the direction you thought they were going to. Maybe you should expect the unexpected.
And you're on Kickstarter because...?
All these stories want out. They insist on being read. But getting them into a position where they can be banned from your local library requires support, and that’s where I need help.
(I know I need help in a lot of ways, but right now I’m just asking for your wallet.)
I want to publish the book independently, but that requires printing setup fees along with catalog fees to get the title listed on places like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other distributors. I also need to purchase a separate ISBN for each format of the book that I’ll be selling (hard back, paperback and digital). Add to that registration fees for copyrights in the U.S. and Canada as well as a site domain and hosting to sell the book, and all these balances are due even if I never sell a single book.
But if you help me get this thing moving, I’ll give you stuff.
Seriously.
I’ll give you bookmarks and book copies and prints and posters, all for free, with your pledge to the cause. O.K. It’s kind of like you’re actually paying for the stuff, but wouldn’t you rather get an overwhelming sense of pride knowing that 100% of your donation goes toward supporting someone else’s dream of publishing their own book?
I thought you would.
I’ve built a site for the book with sample stories and illustrations and an explanation of how the book got started in the first place: http://www.hairyeyeballs.com
I’ve also been keeping a blog that documents the book’s progress: http://www.hairy-eyeballs.blogspot.com
FAQ
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Flash fiction stories are really short. Different people have different ideas of how short fiction needs to be for it to be considered flash. I can't compare by word count because some of the stories are told through illustration, but to give you an idea, the stories in the book range from one page long to six pages long (plus another two pages for the accompanying illustration).
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If by "holidays" you mean Halloween, I'm hoping so. If I can't get everything printed and shipped in time for Halloween, I'm hoping rewards will be out the door before December. Of course, when I can ship depends on how quickly the printers can turn the jobs around.
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It depends on the kid. The stuff I do would likely be rated PG by today's movie standards, PG-13 if they wanted to give me a hard time. I have one simple rule: I don't create anything I would be embarrassed to show my dad. Feel free to take a click around my sites to get an idea of the kind of work I do if you're having doubts.
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Here's a direct link to one of the illustrated stories: http://www.hairyeyeballs.com/extrasWhatChildrenDont.html
And here's a direct link to the graphic novel:
http://www.hairyeyeballs.com/extrasDeadLine.html -
Nope. I tried to figure in enough for shipping in each of the pledges, including international, so no extra for shipping.
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on September 17, 2011.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
You're in! Just for that, you'll get to download an official bookmark with an illustration from the book that you can print out as often as you like until your paper runs out. Or your ink. Your call.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Thanks a bunch! At this level, you'll get a pdf of the entire book. All of it! Not only that, you'll be able to download an official bookmark with an illustration from the book to have for your very own. Ooh hoo!
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
Coo-wel! So you must be wanting a copy of the book to hold in your own little hands? Not a problem! Get yourself a signed paperback copy at this level along with a physical copy of the official bookmark so you don't lose your place.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
Wow! Thanks! Maybe a signed hard cover copy of the book is in your future! And while we're at it, let's just throw in an official bookmark because I'm liking you. No, I'm not kidding. I really am liking you.
Pledge $75 or more Pledge $75 or more
You're awesome! So I'm thinking you're wanting a signed hard cover copy of the book? Am I right? And how about a bookmark to go with that? And since you're so special, let's mail you out a signed 8½"x11" print of an illustration from the book. You lucky dog, you!
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
You rock! Thank you thank you! And just for scrolling down this far, I'll give you a signed hard cover copy of the book, an actual physical bookmark, a signed 8½"x11" print of one of the illustrations in the book and an 11"x17" poster of the cover image. No, really. You deserve it!
Project By
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I'm an illustrator, fine artist and graphic designer. Sometimes I write stuff.
