Rhymer Reisen

Big. Muse. Energy. Rhymer

My Port. My Stories. My World.

40-time Quill-nominee; 9-time recipient!

     Hey, there! Thanks for checkin' out my version of my WDC portfolio! Whether you came for a reason or you've drifted here while goin' down the WDC rabbit hole, I'm glad you're here. Please, find a chair and settle down for a bit.

     My name is Rhymer Reisen. I've been a member of WDC since January 7, 2021, and I was promoted to Preferred Member on December 11, 2021. I'm a gay forty-two year old, and I really don't care what pronoun you use for me as long as there's respect. One-third of a throuple since 2016, I live in Oklahoma, United States.

     Writing.Com has afforded me every opportunity to learn and evolve in every way I've allowed. I feel fortunate to be a representative of WDC's LGBTQ+ community. I'm proud of the genre, and I'm proud of the people who contribute to give a more accurate and rich assessment of what it's like to be queer right now. This time will eventually have been gone for years, and our voices will still be singing our stories.

     By joining and participating within the paramaters of the Writing.Com community, I've learned my truth is that writing is everything. I can quit writing any at any time, but my muse won't let me stop.

     Feel free to walk around, poke things with a stick, and stalk me like a wierdo. No, it's okay. I've pulled the curtains back a bit, and you can see right through the window. Please don't tap the glass and no flash photography. Otherwise, my world is yours...

Selected Works

Short Stories

Honors: 2021 Quills Honorable Mention for Best Short Story Collection and Best Entertainment; Finalist for Best Horror/Scary

Notes:

These are some of my favorite short stories. Some are awarded; all were a rung in my ladder of evolution. I've gone through hell and back with a lot of these, and they mark transformations as I learned. And I hope you'll find them entertaining.

Domus Veritas

Written: October 2022

Notes:

A story about a man who creates that which he fears, I wrote this story inspired by the photo in Short Shots in October of 2022.

The cool thing about this story is that I wrote it while depressed, and I had no idea how much psychology I was vomiting into the character. And it all worked together somehow to create this image of what I fear the most.

The Meta-floor

Written: October 2021

Honors: 2021 Quills Winner for Best Dark Story; Honorable Mention for Best Inspirational; Finalist for Best LGBTQ+ and Best Short Story

Notes:

A story where a man realizes his truth while on his back on the floor of a greasy Chinese kitchen. This story was so meta and a huge metaphor, and there were some fun themes to play with, really good philosophies. My muse did a great job with this story.

I wrote this for "Quotation Inspiration" in fall of 2021, and though it didn't place, it did kinda kick ass at The Quills. I'm proud of the win, and I think it's especially cool that it was a finalist representing the LGBTQ+.

Interview with LeeLoo

Written: April 2021

Honors: 2021 Quills Winner for Best Animal and Best LGBTQ+; Honorable Mention for Best Comedy and Best Short Story; Winner, Humorous Short Story Contest

Notes:

A story where a man interviews his kitten about her involvement with the story Lessons from LeeLoo.

LeeLoo is my sphynx bambino cat, and I'm such a queer that there was no way I couldn't write about her. I don't remember much else about actually writing the story except that it was hot and dusty outside.

I entered it into The Humorous Short Story Contest in May where it won first place. It was nominated for Quills, and while I love all the awards my kitten and muse earned, my personal favorite is the win for Best LGBTQ+. I love the genre and the writers creating the community, and this was an honor on personal levels.

There's no depth to this story at all; I didn't really know what I was doing except mimicking my cat. There's no arc, no climax...just a story about a boy and the kitten who owns him.

Pride Goeth

Written: August 2022

Honors: Winner of The Humorous Short Story Contest, September 2022

Notes:

A story about a self-conscious writer on a blind date with another writer, this story was written before I could type it out.

The Humorous Short Story Competition announced its final round for September 2022...I'd already won this comp the previous year with Interview with LeeLoo. Look, if I'm being honest, I wanted to win the last "Queen of Comedy" badge. Less-than-honorable intentions led to one of my favorite stories. With this one, you either get it and think it's hilarious, or you don't like it. That's okay. I love the absurdity that someone could hear a difference between a hard "C" and a "K".

This was a fun story to write because I pulled the main character from my novella The Queen of Serpents. I like Eric Calanthe for some reason, and maybe it's because he's the first character whom I learned to add a little depth. My muse did well here, and I think this story was a good look for Calanthe.

Glitter That Sparkle!

Written: July 2022

Honors: Winner of Kit'z Higher Ratings Contest; 2022 Quills Nominee for Best Short Story, Best Animal, Best LGBTQ+, and Best Fantasy

Notes:

A story about a guy on a huntin' trip with his stepdad as Hunter reveals himself...

I wrote this story to see if I could handle a little foreshadowing and misdirection, and then I found "Kit'z Higher Ratings Contest". At the time, this piece was rated GC for language, and it won first. I've since lowered the rating to 18+, but I like this one.

Connor's Conundrums

Written: May 2021

Honors: Third Place in Quotation Inspiration, May 2021

Notes:

A story about a kid renting his first house when it all just goes to hell. I entered this into WDC's "What a Character!" where it took third place.

I was in the middle of writing this story when I learned what "filtering" is. When I learn something new, I have to use what I've learned, and this was the first story I wrote where I was aware of doing my best to keep out the filtering.

The Queen of Serpents

Written: October 2021

Honors: 2022 Quills Nominee for Best Novella, Best Horror/Scary, Best LGBTQ+, and Best Dark

Notes:

A novella about snakes and queens and a little magic, this piece is still being written. It's in need of a revision, and it's coming soon. It's on this list, however, because it's my first "longer" piece on WDC. And, as of right now, it's lying in the dirt as exposed bones in need of a little more digging.

A Bad Abbadon

Written: February 2021

Honors: Second Place in Quotation Inspiration, February 2021

Notes:

A story about an outcast who finds meaning in symbolism. Okay, I'm starting to recognize a pattern within my writing.

This was the second piece I entered into a competition, and it was for "Quotation Inspiration". It won second place, my first award on WDC, but don't be fooled...it's more of a long vignette than a real story with arc. It's in desperate need of a rewrite. Coming soon!

Poetry

Keyboard Panic
2021 Quill Finalist for Best Emotional; Nominee for Best Free-Versed Medium Poem; Nominee for Best Dark; Second Place in Shadows and Light Poetry Contest

The Coldest Day

Ode to Summer

Obit in Orbit

Blogs

Rhymer's Book

This is my personal blog, the one where I work out what being a writer means on a personal level. There are so many aspects of writing that affect us, and these are usually the characteristics that change who we are.

I want to experience these transformations while rationalizing my humanity.

Rhymer's Reasons

"Reasons" is where I write about writing. Right or wrong, I'm trying to figure it out.

Playin Around

As I work to understand what I can do with a story, I'll add bits and pieces here to see if I can pull it off in at least the most basic terms.

Rising Stars

"Rising Stars" is an awesome class hosted by Lilli regarding the basics of writing and WDC. I have to attribute so much of my understanding of how personal branding works and the importance of standing out to this course. This folder contains the pieces I created as a result of "Rising Stars".

It is my advice that if you're allowed the opportunity to take part in "Rising Stars", do so without hesitation and with gusto. It will change everything you don't know you can do.

My Hosted Activities

Please be advised: These activities are closed for repurposing until Spring 2023.

The Rainbow Readerie

Created in early 2022, The Rainbow Readerie is the only forum focused on the queer community.

A Prism of People

A Prism of People is the monthly unofficial newsletter for the LGBTQ+ community.

The Wilde & Dandy Short Story Contest

Honoring Oscar Wilde, this comp will return soon with a new format!

About Me

My name is Rhymer Reisen, and I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas in December of 1980. I've always written stories, but I'd never considered myself a writer. Nobody told me I was one, so why would I have thought of it?

I grew up reading Stephen King and John Grisham, and it wasn't until I read On Writing that I realized I fit the description of someone starting out. In summer of 2018, I finished my first novel, and although it was horrible, I realized I had full stories in me with the ability to present them.

Rhymer Reisen, February 2023

     I wrote my second novel in the fall of 2020, and it was a little better than the first, but...it was still pretty bad. I decided I should learn how to write for real, and I joined Writing.com in January of 2021.

     Since becoming a member of this brilliant and empathic community, I've learned more about how to craft and present a story to a thirsty and intelligent audience. I'm a writer, and I'm embracing my talents as best as I can as I discover them.

     I believe from my core that I have been charged with the task to work for and celebrate the LGBTQ+ genre starting with the queer community. Often overlooked, it's a genre rich in history and thick in art. In fact, the best of the literary world arose from our community to create the stories upon which we build. Greats such as Sappho, Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman, William S. Burroughs, Larry Kramer, and Randy Shilts recorded our history and voices with their works, and it's my job to continue that work in the best way I can.

When it comes to WDC's queer world, I've learned the best way to lift up the genre is to lift up the writers who are in the same situation, those of us who have a personal calling to see an accurate representation of our era by including all the voices we can to our anthology.

Currently living in the Arklahoma area of Arkansas and Oklahoma, I'm in a relationship with a married a couple; a throuple, if you will. Or if you won't. Doesn't much change what it is. We raise French Bulldogs, and we take pride in our ethics in allowing the animals to be a part of our family before they become yours. And who doesn't love puppies?

Working from home affords me more free time than I should be allowed, and when I'm not reading, writing, or taking care of puppies, I'm usually studying shows such as Bob's Burgers, Minx, South Park, Schitt's Creek, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and other like-minded irreverent - yet sharp - satire.

Basically, I watch a lot of tv.

I look forward to continuing on this path set before me, both personally and as a writer. I'm excited to keep growing by learning screenwriting and other forms of prose, and I can't wait to see what I can offer to the community and the world! No limits!

Rhymer and the for-real LeeLoo

Contact Information

Location: Eastern Oklahoma, United States

Email: rhymerreisen@writing.com

Email: rhymerreisen@gmail.com

Portfolio: Rhymer's Port

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100060236560481