Hi, I’m Jesse Whitehead. I write short stories about ordinary people who occasionally find themselves in very strange places.
I’m particularly fond of stories with twists, misdirection, unexpected perspectives, and endings that make you reconsider what you just read. Some are funny. Some are dark. Some wander into science fiction, fantasy, horror, or the supernatural. And some are simply about being human.
I came to fiction relatively late in life and, to my surprise, discovered I had a particular affection for writing small stories with a big punch. There’s something satisfying about unfolding a story in just a few hundred words, then finding just the right place to spring the trap door.
Not every story here has a twist. Not every story needs one. What matters more to me is that a story leaves something behind: a laugh, a question, an uncomfortable thought, a little sadness, or a reason to look at something differently than before.
I often describe my approach to writing this way:
“Some writers try to write beautifully. I try to write truthfully. Sometimes it’s the same thing.”
That’s what I’m trying to do here.
Welcome to Twisty Tales, where every little room may hide a trap door.