Hoping to find some inspiration and direction in life, an aimless young woman buys a top hat at the estate sale of a magician. Genre: Mystery, Mythology, Science Fiction

Excerpt:Ro checked the bookcases and found some intriguing titles. Animating Your Crafts Finding the Right Writer to Type on Your Haunted Typewriter Philosophy and Alchemy: A Foundation Illusions to Fool the Physical Senses: A Foundation Illusions to Fool the Psychic Senses: A Foundation Love Potions, Snake Oils, and Other Tonic Myths In fact, they all looked intriguing. "Where do I begin?" she thought.

The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: Transdimensional Top Hat This episode landed on OBJECTS OF POWER. I chose a top hat, which made me think of stage magic, and other kinds of magic. Find more stories and episodes about powerful objects here: Year of Objects of Power.

MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE

NEWSLETTERS The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create)

Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me) Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)

MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE

Music:"Abstract Vision #3" by ANDREW SITKOV (Intro & Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)

Music by ANDREA BARONI (Cyberleaf)"Ground Control""You Were Always in the Right Place""Fugue for One Synthetic Heart""Forest Bathing""Evolving Cities""Slightly Across""Dancing Operators""March of the Waking Lights"

Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music)"Abstract Vision #3""Abstract Vision #2""Abstract Vision #1""Abstract Vision #4"

All tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.

Music by Andrea Baroni and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketSound effects from AudioJungle, GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Vocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.

Find more music by Andrea Baroni and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com

Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. A young woman at center seen from knees up, dressed in top hat, ruffled shirt, and a jacket with coattails. She stands facing forward, turned slightly to the right, arms raised and bent, hands flourished. From her right shoulder, a flock of a butterflies fly up to upper left corner, one of them perched on her right index finger. Bottom right corner, waist-high to the young woman, stands a classic style robot made out of blocks and circles, with right arm raised, see from mid-section up. Watermark of "Storyfeather" beneath right collar of jacket.