I started 2020 focused on writing growth, but I struggled to put my dread and horror into words. I'm sharing five things that made my writing, and my writing life, grow.
Yearly Archives
2020
1 This year more than others, it feels like Krampus is everywhere. On ornaments and sweaters and coffee mugs OH MY! And I can't say I'm upset. His horns, long tongue, and evil grin adorn the world with fear and delight. Let's celebrate Krampus! A Krampus Carol Last October this anthology from Burial Day hit the world. Edited by Cynthia Pelayo and Gerardo Pelayo, this book offers thirty-one stories and poems, one for each day of December. I've been reading one each day this month and live-tweeting my reactions on #AKrampusCarol. So far, each story offered[...]
Last month Midnightober movies took over, and I made new horror friends on Shudder's #61DaysofHalloween. We watched so many movies, some great, some good, and some that left me blinking in confusion...or laughing. We now return to my normal live-tweet, and this month's movie Tigers are Not Afraid. Time for the return of... My brain rejects the idea of one movie a month, but I might get more done when not glued to the screen. I chose a dark one this month, a heavy topic, but hopefully with a bit of magic to give us hope. For good horror offers hope.[...]
Like most of my stories, Cast Away Stones started as a seed about superstition and ancient practices. Originally, when I set out to write a story based in folklore surrounding winter, I remembered some research I’d done on the Cailleach, an ancient winter goddess associated with the grain harvest in Scotland and Ireland. There was much folklore attached to her, with rural agricultural communities relying upon her for their prosperity. Not only did they worship her and try to keep her happy, they also revered her, believing their very livelihoods, and th[...]
Months and months ago, I don't remember exactly when, a call for tales inspired by Krampus for Burial Day Books' sixth volume of their Gothic Blue Book went out across this wide writerly world. Great glowing Christmas lights! I desperately wanted to write a Krampus story and, though I didn't think I stood a chance, submit it. I had to try. When faced with a submission call, one problem must be dealt with...the blank page, leaving the mind swirling with dark ideas and thoughts. So many. Too many. My mind latched onto one thing, the final scene of the mov[...]
We are very proud & excited to announce three of our members - Kathleen, Victoria & Mary - have all placed a story in the latest edition of the Gothic Blue Book series from Burial Day Books. GOTHIC BLUE BOOK VI: A KRAMPUS CAROL A collection of short horror stories and poems resurrect the spirit of the Gothic Blue Book. Gothic Blue Books were short Gothic fictions popular in the 18th and 19th century. Burial Day Books presents its sixth Gothic Blue Book, A Krampus Carol. A Krampus Carol is a celebration of folklore and myth around Christmas,[...]
It's autumn — the season of crispy leaves, trick-or-treating, and scary movies. But before you could visit Netflix and put on a variety of shows to thrill and scare you, there was theater. One theater in specific specialized in horror and frights, and became known around the world for the shows and the posters that accompanied them. Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol, better known as the Grand Guignol, was a theater in the Pigalle district of Paris. You probably know its nearby neighbor, the Moulin Rouge. The location (20 Bis, Rue Chaptal) was once an old chur[...]
The Haunting of Bly Manor hit Netflix on October 9th, and, as you can guess, people are watching and whispering and posting with vague words and emotional phrases. As soon as I saw the trailer, I couldn't wait. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tykS7QfTWMQ And now, it's here! I've watched the first five episodes, and I like it! Creepy. Mysterious. Atmospheric. And the stories are unfolding at just the right pace. As I watched the first episode, I immediately connected this to the recent movie The Turning, which showed in theaters at the beginn[...]
It's October, our favorite spooky season! Which means that it's also the birthday of one of our all-time favorite people, Victoria Nations. You know her as horror writer and biologist, with a flare for fashion and a love for nature. To celebrate, we're throwing her a party. We'll be in the garden, waiting. Don't mind the fog and the sound of creatures lurking beyond the woods. They wont bite...much. Photo found here. Everyone gets a purple candle and a match. And you'll follow the trail, down down down until you're in the clearing, surrounded by giant tr[...]