Hello witches and warlocks. Today I'm here to tell you a little bit about a new book that I read and loved. I did mention this on my blog this morning, but I'm sharing here as well! Don't forget to enter the contest below to win a FREE copy of the book! Yippee! That's at the bottom of this post, but first, let me tell you a little bit about this book AND what I thought about it. First off, I have just read your new favorite book. Have you heard of Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly? I've actually never read anything from Tina Connolly before but I can assure you th[...]
Category
Writing
1 Research. A necessary evil in the writing world, yes. Although all writers do research for the same reason--to better the story--there are a few different ways this can be done. For example, if I were to write a book about mythology, I would absolutely have to research so that my facts were correct. That I was writing a story with the correct information. Now, I don't write the type of stories where I need to do a lot of fact checking. But I do research. When I'm writing a horror story, I immerse myself in the world of fright. For my first novel (a NA psychologi[...]
I've been working (not as quickly as I'd like) on my second installment of short stories. Titled Tragic Tales of Strange Girls, Volume 2, the stories are about exactly what you'd think: unhappy stories with odd female characters. I write horror, but less blood and guts and more pretty, unsettling creepiness. Okay, who am I kidding... there is a nice amount of blood and guts, too. But, with this first song in particular, you may listen and scratch your head like "Um, how is this supposed to sound scary?" As the lyrics suggest, I'm writing a character who is in the[...]
I love short stories. Writing them and reading them. During the busy holiday months, short stories are perfect. I love bite sized pieces of beautifully creepy prose or soul jarring scares that fit into those small stolen moments of reading. A few of my favorites, should you be looking for short pieces of horror heaven during the holidays: Beautiful Sorrows by Mercedes M. Yardley Really. If you haven't read her, do it now. The Moon Will Look Strange by Lynda E. Rucker In the Tall Grass by Stephen King and Joe Hill Gothic! Ten Original Tales edited by Deborah[...]
We all know of Scrooge from Dickens' ghost story, A Christmas Carol, but how many of you have actually read it? If nothing, you've heard it retold, but I want you to write like Scrooge, not a scrooge. A scrooge is stingy. He sits on piles of wealth, but exercises thrift in handing it out, even when he knows the dire circumstances of those around him. In the story, even Scrooge lives a modest life in spite of his wealth. He doesn't live like Scrooge McDuck. At all. Unlike the retellings, Scrooge has depth. There are clear reasons why he's afraid to invest in pe[...]
You think your family is weird? There are some doozies out there, guys. Some of the old photos I've found floating around the internets are pretty creepy. This is the photo for your prompt. Write a little flash fiction piece (or longer, if your little black heart desires) about a strange family, with all of its bizarre members. If you want to share, post it in the comments. For longer pieces, leave a link. And remember: blood is thicker than water. Mwahaha. [...]
There's no way to beat the Monday Blues than to write through them. Whether you're suffering through writer's block, working on a new book, or you're looking to understand your main character better... we've got a fantastic writing prompt for you. I personally love urban legends. A particular urban legend inspired this one. Monday Writing Prompt Your main character is parked in a car at Lover's Lane and he/she is making out with their love interest. Until they hear a sound... a strange sound. What happens next? ***** We'd love to read your answer in the comments[...]
I am a huge Stephen King fan. I enjoy reading his stories and watching his words come to life on the big screen. But the real reason I have so much regard for Mr. King is because of his ability to take himself and writing so seriously. A few years ago I read his book on the craft of writing aptly named, On Writing. If you haven't read this yet, I implore you to get a copy now. Seriously. I've recently come back to read some advice he gives--because honestly, sometimes writers need to give themselves a good ol' pep talk. Reminding yourself once and a while abo[...]
There are three different book festivals / conferences that I haven't been to that I am dying to attend. One is BEA (but we're not talking about that right now and how R.L. Stine was there and how Midnight Society Member Amy went and I am supremely jealous). The 2nd is SCBWI (but we're not talking about that right now either). The one I really want to attend is Thrillerfest. Now, I know this is a horror blog but thriller and horror novels are very interrelated. In fact, most of my early R.L. Stine books have them listed as YA thrillers, not YA horror novels. H[...]
I have to say just how fortunate I am to be surrounded by all of this talent! Not just the ladies I blog with here at The Midnight Society, but also those who have been so kind as to allow me to dig into their writer brains. Amazingness has come from these fabulous women and I hope to continue to be blessed. Now, without further ado--please welcome Bailey Knight to the cemetery! 1. What does the word “horror” mean to you? If it frightens me, I’m probably into it. I love horror because fear is universal and unavoidable. We are[...]