Author: Nicholas

  • Remembering Donny Fife

    Thirty years ago, an 8th grader named Donny Fife died while skateboarding in Tustin, California. He was hit by a car on the Santa Clara bridge after chasing his skateboard into the street. At the time, the Santa Clara bridge was a narrow, unlit overpass above the Costa Mesa Freeway, and Donny’s death sparked a […]

  • Late August Lament

    Late August lament for the loss of summertime. The rapid fade into autumn.  There’s dew on my windshield in the morning, and a slight chill in the air at dusk. Swimsuits become sweatshirts. Sandals become shoes. On the roads, there’s more traffic. School’s in session, but I’m not ready to accept it. Here’s a weird […]

  • Making the Myth

    Jim Morrison wanted to “take the planet back, reinvent the gods, make new myths.” As father of young children, right now I’m settling for a humbler task of maintaining the myths, childhood fables, the magic, the monsters. There’s a thief character in Disney’s Tangled named Flynn Rider, who’s real name happens to be Eugene Fitzherbert. […]

  • More Good News! Naughty Maggie receives honorable mention in contest

    Pleased to see “Naughty Maggie” earned an honorable mention in this year’s Easy Reader Writing Contest. The contest usually receives entries with a geographical focus on the South Bay, a region of Los Angeles that includes the southern shore of the Santa Monica Bay. The South Bay boasts several sun-kissed beach cities including El Segundo, […]

  • Summer News

    Reading away this summer at the beach with the kids. My son likes to read the local paper, Easy Reader, keeping up on local events. He also loves eating sand. Super excited to get an acceptance letter from Effervescent Magazine.  The issue comes out August 25th and theme is “Tempestuous.” Looking forward to reading about […]

  • Finding the time

    As a father of two toddlers, I’m challenged to find quality writing time. I move from work to daycare, from bath time to bed time. The stories inside me simmer; I thumb-type snippets on my phone while attending my daughter’s dance class, but I miss her new twirl, and the scene crumbles when my 11 […]

  • Montauk Ranch and other updates

    The other day I received two copies of Writer’s Digest March/April 2016 issue and find my contest contribution to Your Story printed in there.  So great to finally see my little entry about Montauk Ranch in print.  Thanks to Writer’s Digest for running these monthly contests, as it’s a great way for an emerging writer […]

  • Patterns wins honorable mention in Exposition Review (formerly Southern California Review)

    I’m pleased to announce my new flash piece “Patterns” won an honorable mention in Exposition Review’s inaugural Flash 405 Contest, and they’ve published it on their website.  My heartfelt thanks to Abigail Mitchell and all the staff at SCR for the long hours they put in reading all the entries. I’m honored to have my […]

  • Nicholas Gustavson places third in Writer’s Digest Fiction Contest

    Thank you to everyone who voted for my entry in the recent Writer’s Digest Fiction Contest, Your Story #69.  My entry, which I call “Montauk Ranch” finished third, beating out some tough competition. Congratulations to the winner for an inventive entry charged with adultery and murder. The contest results I believe will be published in […]

  • Vote for my entry in Writer’s Digest Your Story Contest

    I’m pleased to announce my entry “Montauk Ranch” is a finalist in the latest Writer’s Digest Your Story Contest. The contest is looking for the best opening sentence to a story based on this photo. Please help me out by voting for my entry, either by clicking here and leaving a comment, or emailing “Entry […]