ASPIRING to Stop Aspiring

Are you an aspiring author? No, you're not. If you're a writer at all, then you're a writer. What makes a writer "aspiring" is a person who's planning on writing. A writer needs to write. A few words here, a few words there. It doesn't have to be on your WIP. The next time you eat out and you dine in, have a notebook with you (a pad of paper, though if you must your laptop). Have a pen handy, and just think about anything. If it helps, clear your mind and let randomness fill it. Is their customer near you who loves to hear himself speak, and makes you wish you charged the iPod before you left the house? If so write it down, then add a couple elements to it to make this person a character in a possible story. Use what you have to write.

We are writers; making word-sauce is what we do. No one ever said it had to be Stephen King, and even the King of horror bows to editors, his wife (also one of his editors non-officially) and the onslaught of criticism of his work. And as he says, "a professional is the amateur who didn't give up."

You don't have to write the next great American novel, or sell the screenplay that makes you copious amounts of money. Maybe you're in this for the big bucks, and that's fine, but if that's all writing is for you, then I have nothing for you. But if you write because you're a writer, then the content in which you write can be anything. Only worry about your content and the quality of it when you decide to submit it.

I have WIPS, most writers do. But I also have a story I'm editing that needs to be sent back, and a couple of short stories to finish. We writers have an ongoing pile of stories to write. And new ideas are always popping up. Write them down, and try to remember where you store them (unlike me who tends to forget which notepad, or which computer file has the deets that I'm looking for). Keep back ups of all computer documents, I use Dropbox, I have it on two computers; I save in public space so all I need is my password when I use a different computer. I use jump drives and back up to Google Docs. I have problems with Google Docs glitching up, but it does make for additional storage.

There's a lot that may go into writing, but most of it is about life habits, and mostly small ones at that. I take my book bag with me everywhere I go, and I keep a binder with folders and two notebooks inside with several pens. It's my mobile command desk. Along with a Kindle (with not just books but files I uploaded so I can work on drafts without internet), and when I remember to pack it my laptop.

You can also just keep it easy, have a pocket notepad, and a couple of pens (at least three) on your person. There is no "aspiring" to write. You just do it. Now, you aspire to be published, and aspire to improve on your craft, or aspire to be more like your favorite author; but that's completely different. Look at yourself in the mirror, and say, "Self, you're a writer." Or something like that. It was when I stopped calling myself an aspiring writer that I became a published writer. Aspiring makes it too easy to put things off, and if you say you're something then you have to prove it time and again. Your words on paper or computer is the proof you're a writer. Program your brain to believe. If you feel in your heart of hearts that you're a writer, then prove it. Now prove it again. I'm sorry, I only kind of believe you, prove it again… You are writer, bleed ink on those pages!

Keep on writing, make those lovely batches of word-sauce, and call yourself a writer. Or a Pen-Monkey (Chuck Wendig's label he coined), I like that one personally. Now go snuggle with your muse, play Pattie-Cake, whatever you and your muse do.

Author and Press Owner, Kevin Strange

One of the best new voices in Bizarro, Kevin Strange joins me today to talk about his new book, VAMPIRE GUTS IN NUKETOWN for free. Alright mister Strange, how about telling us about your new book.

A lot of people are saying it reinvented the vampire. I don't claim to be nearly as ambitious as that. I was just trying to write a really fun, conan-esque apocalyptic bizarro book that just happens to be about giant mutated batlike dudes with psychic powers. I will say that it was an absolute blast to write, and takes inspiration from ultra violent video games like Splatter House and Nightmare Creatures. It's bloody, sexy, extreme adventure. I don't recommend it for the faint of heart or easily offended.

Pure awesomesauce! Now, you seem to be very knowledgable in the Bizarro genre, how about telling us what it is about the genre that draws you in, and your thoughts of where it's going in the horror field.

I started my artistic career as a writer and director of obscure cult movies. Bizarro fiction is often compared to Troma and John Waters movies. When I started out making movies, I was emulating those kinds of films as well. There exists a micro budget film genre that I've seen called “Porno Horror” or just horror/comedy, cult horror, or whatever. There are quite a few dudes doing it now, but back in the early 2000s, we were few and far between. Eventually I grew extremely weary of all the bullshit that goes into making movies for budgets of less than 1000 dollars, and turned my sights to fiction.

At first, I had no clue that the Bizarro genre even existed. I'd grown up in the splatterpuk era with authors like Clive Barker and Poppy Z. Brite killing and fucking their way through books, but all with a serious, dark tone. I wrote fiction like that, too, at first. But the over-the-top satirical nature of my movies was calling for me to include it in my fiction. I'd never read anything like that before around 2010, honest to god. I didn't think it existed. I thought that somehow, my kind of bizarro storytelling method just didn't translate well into fiction, or the market was so small for something that like, that I was basically on my own.

It was while scanning through books on Amazon that I came across the book “John Dies at the End” which has connected to it in the “Customers also bought” section a slew of bizarro books. I was elated as I surfed through book after book with amazingly offensive covers and titles. The descriptions of the books were essentially the same as I'd have on the back of my DVD cases. I'd been writing bizarro fiction for years and didn't even know it. I've sense written two novels and countless short stories in the bizarro genre and have never looked back. I champion bizarro anytime I can get someone to listen. I love this shit.

So, you're the man behind Strangehouse Books Press, tell us about it? 

Once I became aware of the bizarro genre and saw what I think is its limitless potential, I decided to forgo the mind numbing and years long process of trying to work my fiction into a publisher's hands by starting a publishing house of my own, featuring a mash up of my favorite genres, Lovecraftian Horror, Splatter Punk (now called Hardcore Horror for some reason), and my new found love: bizarro. Our goal is to serve up some of the best genre fiction in today's volatile, ever changing literary environment through aggressive marketing, sheer tenacity, and endless touring. So far, 14-15 months in, I think we're doing an awesome fucking job so far.

SBP seems to be picking up a steam, any hints of what's to come?

We've always got something new coming out. Our next book is an anthology mash up of Lovecraftian bizarro stories. Really whacked out stuff. I can't wait to put this book out. It's got some of the most imaginative stuff I've ever read concerning Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos including one of my favorite stories I've ever written, called Mchumans. I just released an apocalyptic bizarro novel that I guess attempts to re-invent the vampire called, Vampire Guts in Nuke Town. That wasn't exactly my conscious intention, but I've been told my take on vampire lore is pretty unique. Beyond that, check out our website, www.strangehousebooks.com and see what we've got out and what's coming out soon. If you love weird, you won't be disappointed.

Awesome having you here, Kevin!

Guts is a bad motherfucker in a bad, bad world. The government nuked the sky ten years ago to combat a super fast spreading virus that turns humans into blood thirsty, ravenous killing machines that look more like giant, mutated bats than people. 

The new sky kills these "vampires" instantly, but at a cost. The entire planet is slammed with mega-high doses of radiation every time the sun comes up, completely changing life on earth as we know it, and completely decimating what little civilization there is left. 

In Nuke Town, Guts wakes up in a strange motel with no memory of how he got there. A brother and sister duo are the only two humans in sight, but are they friend or foe? As the paranoia sets in, and Guts begins to understand the true implications of a nest of sophisticated, mutated vampires, he must use all the cunning and skills that his years in the wasteland have taught him if he hopes to survive the horror that awaits him in ... VAMPIRE GUTS IN NUKETOWN!

THE WORLD is Our Muse

Hello readers, I love you! Those of you who sneak about reading me when you don’t know I can see you (I saw that, cute), those of you who follow me and comment, and those of you who hate my guts but like a bad train wreck you just can’t look away. I get that when I try to dance too, but I’m not going there today.

Use what you know as a muse, This isn’t just about occupation or where you live, this isn’t just about sappy feelings (yes I’ve been sappy lately, leave me alone already! I still fantasize on various torture techniques at the blah-job), I’m talking about those you disagree with, fight with, lock horns, etc.

We all have our opinions; they matter because it’s who we are. And no matter how much we might want to connect, there will always be conflict. It’s unavoidable. You’re logic verses mine, your hundred facts against my hundred facts. We could spend a week just writing enough online posts to fill a book each on our side along with a work’s cited. Sometimes it’s kept classy, sometimes it’s messy. We pull back asking ourselves why do we put ourselves out there only to draw back with a headache? There are those days where we just get so overwhelmed with what we see as stupidity, and then those on the other side come back with their version. I use to shy away from it after putting myself out there too much, not anymore. Now I just keep it contained.

You see it’s all about regulation. That seems to be everyone’s favorite new word these days next to swag (one of the times I’ll ever use that word). The key is to pick your fights, what hill do you wish to defend? And how far are you willing to go to defend it?

I get pretty worked up over some issues, but I do try to keep it classy. Not always easy, but I’m getting better at it. Remember that those you lock horns with are people with good hearts and are dedicated to their creeds just like us. Give them their due, a lot of people these days are apathetic, at least they have passion.

But use it. A lot of the times these people are writers too, and they will use you in some way or another. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up slowly tortured to death in one of their stories, again all about being a muse. I’m cool with it because I write what I know.

How does one justify the things that’s accepted by modern day society that I detest? Well start a debate and find out. People can justify anything, if you saw the world the way I do, you would know exactly what I mean. We’re some sick puppies, and not in a cute fun way (like me :^D) The world is our muse, we learn from it. Authors say we shouldn’t write what we know, but write about what we don’t, or something along those lines. Good advice, but also try knowing something that is outside your knowledge.

Think in the terms of being a FBI profiler (or as they are actually referred to as, a supervisory agent). Those guys put themselves in the mind of a killer in order to catch him/her. They start with how the UNSUB (unknown subject) looks at everything. From a pack of smokes to the way blood cascades down a window. How does a male UNSUB think of women? What is it that drives their urge crazy? Why do they want to kill? Is it just an urge? Or is there a deeper reason? How do they justify killing? When the urge is fed, what do they have to say for themselves?

People are who they are, good, bad, or most of the time gray. Everyone has a different truth, different common sense. We’re never going to understand everyone and why they believe what they do, but we can pick brains, and use it. Hell, you can make your protagonist a person who’d completely disagree with in real life. I actually suggest it. Writing outside of our comfort zone is a good thing. If we can make a believable and even loveable character from someone we’d oppose in the real world, then we are creating something amazing.

This goes back to my comment of making mince-meat out of lemons. What bothers you? What do you stand for and against? If you find my opinions stupid, ignorant, or just plain wrong, then why do you stick around? Am I like a trained ape to you? It’s okay if I am. That makes me a muse. I’m okay with it because I’m guilty of it too. The world can be beautiful, but it can be so very dark, and not in an entertaining way. We are creators making art to move or entertain each other. We may not all be rocket scientists, but everyone of us have our own evil brilliance. We contribute a piece of ourselves that non-artists can’t. We’re special, and so we feed on the world.

One more thing in honor of someone I once cared about who left me on bad terms a few years ago who recently came back to mend fences. A lot of us are hurt in a way that’s destructive to our lives and those around us. We push each other away instead of embracing each other. Even if you’re not an artist, you can inspire or be inspired. You can use your pain to help others, and you can find refuge in the arms of someone who cares. None of it’s easy; life gives us a shit sandwich heavy on the shit-sauce. And we’re not allowed to complain or take it to work. We’re supposed smile and not let it show while it tears our insides apart like a pack of hellhounds.

The world is also your muse. Use it. Thrive in it. It’s a dark world to everyone, no one has a monopoly on suffering. Not you not me. However, in pain we are united. I’m thankful I can get to know someone who mattered very much to me all over again. The person I saw that she couldn't see now thrives. She cared enough to change her life, and she didn’t do it alone. She found inspiration from caring people, and she wanted to better herself. She’s my hero.

I have known her in darkness, and now I know her in the light.

Life's a muse, you’re a muse, I’m a muse, those we love and hate are muses. Take it all in and create, in words, in paint, or just by living your life. I mentioned non-artists earlier in the post, that’s kind of an oxymoron when you think about, almost everyone is an artist. We create it by living, and if we recognize it, and accept it, we can thrive. And that’s a story worth writing about :^)

LEAVING Nemo (Nobody)

Author Dale Eldon

"I have a very strong feeling that the opposite of love is not hate - it's apathy. It's not giving a damn."~Leo Buscaglia

More and more people are becoming apathetic. For some, they just don’t see a reason to care. For others it’s a survival mechanism. By not caring they can live a happy life which is an oxymoron. They care only to live in bliss even at the sacrifice of things they care about.

Relationships, the world around them, anything that threatens their bliss. And when things happen where they might have to care, and understand, they crawl back inside of their hole. They push harder and harder to become a nobody, or as it is in Latin, a nemo.

It’s easier to move on and be happy when you don’t have to care about anything. The more you limit your emotions, the more you just exist without empathy or sympathy, the better your life is; well from this perspective.

But this is the epidemic of our modern society. Instead of reaching for God, or leaning on those who care about them, they work on not caring themselves. Which means they end up losing feeling for those or things they love.

Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, but then again I've always cared. Maybe it’s because I've always been a writer even before I picked up a pen. What I do know is that I care too much for those who do not. They’re incapable of understanding because they don’t care to. They’re unwilling to care about my perspective. And that’s okay, but to me apathy is death.

As a writer I care about a lot of things. I look at them as a child would. I care about people I love even when they become apathetic. I care about those I use to hate because really they’re only a version of me if I went down a different path. To be apathetic to them would mean I’d deserve the same in return. I don’t. If people don’t want to care, then that’s their problem. I can’t make their lives better for them, they have to do that. They’re adults, they have to want it. For those who claim that I have helped them, I couldn't have done so without their willingness. And they’re some of the best people I know.

I have a huge amount of respect and love for those who can pull themselves up, and carry on and do so with love and passion. Those very people I hold a level of understanding for more than they will ever realize; why? Because I care. Because I’m not apathetic. If I was I wouldn't be an important factor of their lives, and rightfully so.

I don’t want to be a nobody. My name’s not Nemo. And let me tell you apathetics out there something, without the few people who care about me, I’d be nothing. Which would make me a nobody. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to name call here, but look at it this way, if you don’t care about anything or anyone, then who are you? Why should you matter? What’s the point to anything in your life? Just think about it. I’d rather see people wake up and become a somebody than stay the way they are. People have the chance to shine; some of the worse have the brightest center. They just need to care.

And this isn't only the worse thing in the world, which it is, it’s even worse for us writers. We need to care. We need to love. I can write a book from the POV of a monster human or not, go so dark it makes your stomach churn, but that doesn't mean I don’t care. The reason I can write dark stories is because I do care. I recognize that they’re dark. If I didn't care then it wouldn't matter if they’re dark or not.

Love. Passion. Do it and repeat. Be fulfilled. Don’t be empty, don’t be a nobody. And if you are a nobody, if there's a faint hint of care in your heart, then do something about it. We can't change the world, but we can change ourselves.

In Honor of Rick Hautala, Please Share

Do not buy these books in lieu of donations. The best way to help is to donate directly to Holly Newstein Hautala (see Christopher Golden's post). That said, Joe McKinney and I were touched by Rick Hautala's support of our recent ghost stories, INHERITANCE and SUNFALL MANOR. This is just our little way of paying that support back. Special thanks to the additional stakeholders in these titles for donating their profits for April: Charles Day, Eric Shapiro, Mark Scioneaux, Robert Shane Wilson, and Jennifer Wilson, and everyone at Evil Jester Press and Nightscape Press. Without their generosity, we couldn't do this.

Joe Mckinney's INHERITANCE

Pete Giglio's SUNFALL MANOR


A few words from Dale Eldon:

No one should ever be left to suffer alone the loss of someone they love. There should always be support for those left behind, it's the hardest for the survivors. When I heard of Rick's death, I wanted to give my repsects online along side fellow scribes. But when I heard about Holly in need of financial help, I knew that anyone willing to share this, should.

I don't care what anyone believes, whether you be a Christian or an atheist, helping those in need especially those left behind is perhaps one of the best things we can do for  each other. As a Christian I belive we're our brothers/sisters keeper, but this belief isn't limited to my faith. It shines on in people from all walks of life. The loss of someone special is hard enough, that should be the only challenege to live with. I'd hope if the situation were reversed, and I left behind a wife that people would do the same.

I hope if you feel led that you will help Holly in her time of need. She has more on her plate than she should, as I'm sure many of you would agree or have went through this before.

If you don't have the money to donate, or just not fond of people asking you for donations ( I'm not unless it's a good cause, which this is) then please share this post, share the links, and spread the word.

Peace be with Rick's wife, family, and friends. His books will live on for his fans who grew up on him and for those who will discover him through us. I have no doubt his loved ones will do him proud as they push forward. That's what I focus on when dealing with a loss, making them proud. It helps.

 

 

Author Prep, Preparing for the Worse

It's something that happens to a lot of us, we're working hard on a story and then whamo, the computer crashes, or the jump drive breaks or corrupts. We writers have a lot going on, most us anyways; we have friends, family, jobs along side our writing career. So in the spirit of Doomsday Preppers, I'm writing a post on how to best protect your work.

First off, nothing is safe. All we can do is give ourselves an edge. Here's a prepper plan that I have started for my own work:

First off, copyright. Even if it's not done through a lawyer. Get it dated. May not hold up in court, but you will have ground to blog about it across the interwebs. Word of mouth has huge power. We writers work too hard on our own ideas to have some pirate stealing them. This is not about using a vague idea that another author thought of, but taking an idea released and changing just enough of it to get away with the theft. Here's a free copyright site that you can use to date your stuff in case someone goes full douche bag on you: http://myfreecopyright.com/index

 

 

THE DISASTER BINDER-

Since I own a kindle I have taken my stories, blown up the font, changed the margins to one inch all around, and PDFed them. I store them on my Kindle to read so when I write by hand I have my material to draw from.

 

Make sure to keep your Kindle charged, one thing that helps is to keep your Wi-Fi off when you're not downloading books. Only have it on when you absolutely need it. And charge the battery daily.

 

Keep at least two jump drives with at least two gigs.

This goes with the above, have a plethora of note pads and working pens. Make sure you have at least one good pad (maybe two, I have a double length file drawer filled with unused notebooks) and three pens (rule of three here, that way if one goes you have a back up). By using your Kindle docs and note pad you can go back to your writing.

I have dozens of binders. One thing I did was attach a few folders, and I keep everything but my Kindle inside. Here you can store your story as you write it.

What I suggest doing with your disaster binder is as you write out your pages, take breaks after so many written to put into the Word document, then re-upload to your Kindle. This way you keep room in your binder and your story safe. Always update your work, when you type on the computer hit the keys Ctrl+S religiously. You can never save too much. Don't let life take your work away without a fight.

Have your ideas for Author Prepping? Feel free to share it in the comments below.

Calling All Authors and Fans of Rick Hautala!

 

ATTENTION FELLOW AUTHORS, RICK HAUTALA FANS, AND FRIENDS!

Rick's passing by now has reached most of us in one way or another. I first heard of his passing from one of my presses, but since then words of love and respect have poured from writers everywhere. And to make matters worse, his lovely wife Holly is need of help. This is not meant as a guilt trip, but for those of you who can spare a few bucks, and want to help, here is a post about the details.

 

It's not easy living in a broken economy, even for a legend such as Rick Hautala. People seem to think established writers make the big bucks, but even the very best struggle to stay afloat.

 

Words cannot express my sadness not just for the loss of a brilliant scribe, but they sure as hell can't express my anger that the Hautala's had such a rough time making it, and now it's even harder on Holly. I know life isn't fair, but this is ridiculous. I want to spread the word, a lot us know what it's like to go through this crap, and I want to see less of it. The only way that works is if we pull together. And with so many supporters of Rick and his wife, I'm hoping she will do fine. I never met them, I knew of Rick. I have read his works, and admired his honest opinions. The man was never afraid to be himself or to speak his mind.

 

I also know what it's like to live on the fringes, wondering from pay check to pay check if I will even have a home. I know what it's like hanging from a thread, but for someone who earned their reputation in writing since before I was born, this shouldn't be a problem for the Hautala's.

Okay, enough of my rant. Do what you can if you feel led too, if nothing else, share the blog post highlighted: http://www.booksofthedeadpress.com/2013/03/help-holly-newstein-hautala.html and spread the word!

 

Here is an Amazon list of Rick's works if you wish buy some of his books.

 

 

 

Steampunkin’ Around, By Tonia Brown

By Tonia Brown

I have no intention of wasting this whole article explaining what steampunk is. Folks have spanked that subject more than the counselors spanked that chunky kid who broke into the cake hut at fat camp. (Why did they have a cake hut if they didn’t want me in there? But I digress…)

Instead, follow this Wikipedia link for an in depth idea of what constitutes the genre of steampunk.

Read it, and then come back.

Go on.

I’ll wait.

*waits*

*waits more*

*checks watch, but is patient because she knows it is a long article over there*

Back so soon?

I am willing to guess that many of you didn’t go and read the link, and even less of you give a fat rat’s ass, which I suppose leaves me with having to explain it all just a bit. But that is okay, because I have a standby question for this very purpose. Here is my all encompassing single question regarding what steampunk is:

Have you ever seen the Wild, Wild West television series?

(The film will do, but not as well.)

If you say yes, then congratulations! You have been exposed to steampunk.

If you say no, then step away from the computer. You need a time out, buddy.

Now that we have covered the basics (read the article if you feel we haven’t) let’s get down to brass cogs. So you want to inject a bit of historical vibe into your horror, but you know diddlysquat about history? (Just for the record, Microsoft Word recognized the word diddlysquat, but not diddly squat. It doesn’t recognize steampunk either. And also, I am terrible at compound nouns.) Well, lucky for you, steampunk a great historical genre to experiment with because it emphasizes parallel history as apposed to historical accuracy. Though, I should add that there are about ten thousand hardcore steampunk fans out there, right now, rending clothes and gnashing teeth at that singular statement. Yet I stand by it. Steampunk is full of robots and ray guns and steam driven computers, airships and mad scientists and undead horrors, while somehow managing to remain true to the time period as far as the language and dress and attitude of the characters.

Keep in mind this doesn’t mean you can just set your werewolf attacks in 1890 and everything will be hunky-dory. To make it truly steampunk, it needs a bit of out of place tech to back it all up. Make your werewolf the product of a mad scientist hell bent on taking over the world, and you have a good start. Put your werewolf in a clockwork battle tank and make him the general of a werewolf army created by our mad scientist with the soul purpose of raiding the Queen’s farmlands, thus crippling the economy of late 19^th century England, and now you’re cooking with steam! (Oh, that’s not a bad story idea. I call dibs!) Just keep everything in line with traditional Victorian dialogue and fashion, and it will all come out in the wash. This means blowing that clockwork werewolf army all to hell while dressing your main character in a bowler and a tweed smoking jacket, and making him say something pithy like, “I say, those wolfy maniacs won’t jolly well mess with the Queen’s sheep again. Rather!”

Of course I have over simplified the whole thing by the above example. Writing steampunk is a little more difficult than just redressing your horror story in posh Victorian clothes and words. Much like any other genre, the readers will know if you’re just faking it. So, put in a little research into the Victorian era. Watch a documentary or two. But more importantly, read some other steampunk works. Take the time to enjoy steampunk first, then try your hand at it.

Good luck and have fun!

Tonia Brown is a southern author with a penchant for Victorian dead things. She lives in the backwoods of North Carolina with her genius husband and an ever fluctuating number of cats. She likes fudgesicles and coffee, though not always together. When not writing she raises unicorns and fights crime with her husband under the code names Dr. Weird and his sexy sidekick Butternut.

You can read her ongoing webserial Railroad!, a weird western steampunk adventure, at: steampunktrain.blogspot.com

You can learn more about her and her other stuff at: www.thebackseatwriter.com

FIFTY Shades of Madness

And yes, I am the Big Giant Head :^P

The other day I read a blog post by the ever brilliant Chuck Wendig (an author and blogger triple dipped in volcanic awesomesauce!) who discussed the author of Fifty Shades of Grey, E.L. James writing a guide on writing. Okay, I know there has been an onslaught of remarks, insults, and copious amounts of laughter (that last one from me for sure), but to be fair, as poorly written as the book may be-or the series for that matter-the author has not only sold enough copies to supply public restrooms around the world (for reading material, what else? *Looks innocent*) but she has manage to get more people reading.

Personally, I don't know if the author is good or not based on writing a series that pleases the average person, she might very well be one of the best out there, but wrote "what would sell" over "good writing". Now when Harry Potter first came out, I didn't take it seriously, then I started to read a little and became hooked on J.K. Rowling. The woman can write. Stephanie Meyer who wrote Twilight, from what I understand when she penned the original manuscript, it was ten times better than what got published. Meyers seemed like an author who has the ability to write, and I did like the fact she added some nuance to the genre, but in the end with the exception of Rowling, these authors had to do whatever it took to get their work out there. Isn't that what a lot of us are doing?

Alright, anyone of you who know me, know I'm the last to back this kind of fiction. Me and mainstream very, very, very rarely agree on what's good writing. Mainly because so many of the audience for mainstream don't read, they watch movies and TV shows instead. Why read it when you can watch it? I have heard this TOO MANY TIMES!!!! In which I always reply, "Because the book is nine times out of ten… BETTTER!" But with the mainstream crowd getting into books now, the author about has to weaken their story if they want to break into that market. Madness? You betcha! And this isn't even Sparta.

To be fair, I, and many other authors out there do whatever our editors tell us to do. Of course the editors I work with are awesome and never mess up what I'm writing, and instead make it better, but still I do as I'm told. It's because this is how it's done, if I want to succeed, I need to play ball, and rightfully so. And it's not much of a secret that mainstream isn't for the most part high quality. I would love to have a best-selling book turned into a movie, and live happily ever after. But if I did, I would choose to be more like J.K. Rowling. The woman matured the characters so well from book to book, not only making you believe in them, but caring about their fate. Sadly, not every author can pull this off. Maddening.

So while I find it hilarious that E.L. James is writing this how to book, she did get into a market that made her who she is. She sold the books to prove it. Sure, it makes me worry about what will be expected by the next generations of readers, but hopefully there are enough J.K. Rowling fans that there is a chance for us. And who knows, maybe we can introduce them to some new ideas, and better written. Perhaps E.L. James and Stephanie Meyers can help us by being the innovation that brings on a new renaissance of intelligent books.

And before you shake your fist at me, just remember what manure does for a garden. We can wallow in it, or grow.


(As you can tell, I see both points of view on this)

MY ONE Piece of Advice for New Writers

And like Curly from the movie, City Slickers, I hold up the one finger (no, not the bad finger), the one thing that matters most for a writer (in my POV as a writer moving up at the bottom).

As a horror writer it's my job to know people. Granted I don't know everything, and I can't read minds despite failed attempts. But I know me, I know my life, and I know how those around me are effected/affected. I know things that I can't express, feelings that none can identify with. Things that make me a one-of-a-kind, which to be honest, I hate. I know what it is like to lose a family member to murder, and I know it is like to watch someone go insane. I know what it's like to watch someone you love slowly fall apart from health problems that can't be cured.

I know what it's like to venture into a dark mindset, the kind that makes the humanity I was brought up with cringe. And I know what it is like to love, the kind of love that transforms me to cater to the needs of that special person.

I'm not a good man, but I do care, and this is the missing ingredient in the world today. People either grow to be apathetic, or they're just born that way. And this happens to people of all walks of life.

If there is one thing I say a writer should do, it is to never stop caring. Never stop loving. Humanity can be a good or bad thing depending on how we take it. As human beings we are broken creatures, we can be the very worst the world has to offer. But, some of us flourish, shine above the rest, and not because they are super stars, but because they special. Most people in fact have this potential; they have it in them to shine.

As a writer it is hard for me to not look at the world from the POV of a seasoned homicide detective. But it is also hard to completely give up. I can't be a lot of things I want to be, or do a lot of the things I want to do, however, being there for others who truly appreciate it, feeling the passion of love, it has kept me from losing my mind altogether.

My biggest piece of advice to writers starting out is that no matter what you write, what mind-frame you get into, never stop caring. Don't let your heart turn to stone. Your proverbal balls can be stone (if you're tough like that), but always keep your heart soft, warm, and save the darkness for the fiction.

We are entertainers, and we record the feelings and problems of our lives. Well, most of us. Our fiction can have small amounts of us buried deep for the reader's enjoyment, and who knows, we might even touch someone with our words.

Our past, present, and possible future is fodder for our works. Don't let this kind of homework go wasted.

Last note, I lift my proverbal drink in toast, to all the writers who care endlessly, who have donated their entire checks for charity, who suffer needlessly, and to those madly in love for the first time, and those in love after years of marriage… cheers and be well my friends!

WiHM Part Three

Hi, I’m Rebecca Besser, author of “Undead Drive-Thru, NurseBlood,” and, “Hall of Twelve.” Dale asked me to write about what it was like (for me) to be a horror writer. I guess, first off, I should make it clear that I don’t only write horror; it’s just what I’m best known for. I also write poetry, nonfiction, and other fiction for various age groups and genres. I kind of fell into horror – I say “fell” because once I tried writing horror I loved it. I literally fell in love with horror writing. The other genres close to my heart are Scifi and fantasy.

Honestly, being a female in the horror genre has never been an issue for me. The only instance I can remember anyone saying anything to me that was negative was when someone (a man) told me I should abbreviate my first name down to an initial so no one would know I was female. I instantly got pissed and told him that I would write whatever I wanted. If people didn’t like it, they didn’t have to read anything by me. I refuse to pander to people’s close-mindedness.

I write some very twisted stuff (I’ve been told so by friends/fans), and have the respect of many male writers in the horror genre. I’ve even had many want to collaborate on projects with me. I’ve never in any way felt like an outcast. The sad thing is though, other women have, and that needs to stop.

I’m not a person who likes to fit in with everyone else by being the same. I like to be me, unrestrained. This is why I think my favorite genres appeal to me the most. I love the freedom of no limits – they actually encourage you to go beyond what you know, and think: What if? Horror in particular blows limits out of the water in ways that can disturb you into thinking, not only of what drives the dark in us all, but what makes each of us human and binds us together despite our differences – fear. We all fear something, and we all know there are sick people in the world that would do things to others for reasons we don’t understand…

Sometimes that monster of twisted sickness lives inside a seemingly sane person, and it’s released when the prison the monster is kept in, in their head, cracks. Stress, trauma, and/or grief can do just enough damage to people to turn them into what we fear – uncontrolled, unleashed beasts of carnage and destruction. Those are the stories horror writers tell, among others. Anyone who writers horror has to be able to turn a mirror on themselves that can see the darkness of humanity as truth; it’s not for the weak. You have to be able to push beyond what is comfortable and expose the shocking in a way the reader can relate to, and this is no easy feat. Not everyone can write horror. Not everyone can go where they need to inside and still stay sane enough to come back to themselves. Horror doesn’t care if you’re male or female, because that doesn’t matter. You just have to be strong to write it, otherwise it will break you.

As a matter of fact, the bias idea that someone of a certain gender can’t write in any genre they want makes no sense at all whatsoever. (Men who write romance or erotica have the same stigma as women in horror.) What could possibly hinder creativity because of gender? Do people think that if the writer is a certain gender they don’t know anything about fear or love? The reality is that everyone knows about love and fear – and a great many other things – they just have different experiences and views of it than others.

To fight against the close-minded taboo of genre/gender bias, I challenge everyone to read something by an author you’ve never read before, and if you’ve never read something in a genre from a member of a certain gender, do so. Everyone has their own writing voice, style, and insight into people and situations – regardless of being male or female.

Lose your mind in stories, and loose the possibilities of discovery.

ON BEING A WEIRDO – CONFESSIONS OF A WOMAN HORROR WRITER

By Sara Jayne Townsend

 In my early 20s, I was taken along to a writing group meeting by a member of my amateur dramatic group.  She was an older lady, and indeed most of the group were older than me.  By about 30 years.  However, they were all friendly enough, at least until someone asked me what kind of writer I was.  “Horror, mostly”, I said cheerfully.  Everyone in the room fell silent, and turned to stare at me.  From the looks on their faces, I may as well have said I was a serial killer.  Eventually someone said, “Well.  We’ve never had one of those before.”  Needless to say, I did not go back to that group.

I’ve never really been into the ‘happy ever after’.  By age 12 I was reading Agatha Christie mysteries and by 14 I had discovered Stephen King and was a fully-fledged horror fan.  The teen romances that my classmates seemed to enjoy so much I found exceedingly dull.  They all seemed to be so formulaic – boy meets girl; boy eventually wins girl; everyone lives happily ever after.  “But life isn’t like that!” I’d shout at the page.  Of course, I was coming at this from the perspective of a girl that didn’t go out on dates.  As a teenager I was a somewhat overweight, intense swot who took life very seriously.  From my perspective, the boys went for the blonde bubbly cheerleader types who were full of fun.  They all thought I was a bit of a weirdo.

Since the age of 14, I’ve been a horror writer.  I loved writing stories with the shock twist ending.  I was particularly fond of decapitations.  Two of my earliest stories appear in my short story collection SOUL SCREAMS – they can be identified easily because they are the ones featuring decapitations!

 For me, there’s been something thrilling about the dark side of life, be it the darkness inside the human psyche, or the things that go bump in the night.  I relish throwing all sorts of horrible things at my characters.  As an angsty teenager, writing was a way of dealing with my own insecurities.  I wrote about loneliness; death; betrayal; isolation.  These were all things I feared and writing about them was a way of dealing with them.  It was a form of exorcism.  I did not want to write about ‘happy ever after’ and girls finding Mr Right.  Mostly this was because I wanted to hold onto the happy feelings, it was the bad stuff I wanted to exorcise.

I still prefer violence to romance.  I want to read – and write – about terrible things happening to ordinary people.  To me, horror is a safe way of exploring the darkness.  When you read about terrible things happening to characters in a horror novel, it can draw you in, make you feel genuinely scared.  But when you put the book down and return to your own life, it seems pretty good in comparison.  The population of the world has not been destroyed in the zombie apocalypse, and chances are there’s no unstoppable supernatural beastie out to eat you.  So maybe the washing machine is broken, you’re skint and it’s two weeks till payday, but these problems suddenly don’t seem insurmountable.

I am, by nature, not a very violent person.  I’m not about to crack and stab my colleagues from the day job with the paper knife for talking too loud on the phone when I’m trying to type my committee meeting minutes.  But I might write about someone who does that.  Yes, maybe that’s why they all think I’m weird, but they should be glad to know I keep my violent tendencies to my fiction.

As a horror writer, I aim to give you nightmares.  If I succeed, then remember that you will wake up from the nightmare, and in the warm light of day, perhaps your life will look brighter than it did in the dead of night.  I am a woman.  I am a horror writer.  And I am proud to be both.

BIO:

Sara Jayne Townsend is a UK-based writer and founder and Chair of the T Party Writers’ Group.  Her short story collection SOUL SCREAMS can be bought in paperback or e-book format from Amazon
UK link

US link 

Learn more about her writing from her website (http://sarajaynetownsend.weebly.com) or follow her blog (http://sayssara.wordpress.com). 

Marianne Halbert

“Are you sure? Because you really don’t look like a horror writer.”

That’s the response I get, verbally, or at minimum by the skeptical glance tossed my way when I tell people, “I’m a horror writer.” I’ve had dozens of short stories traditionally published by various magazines and in small press anthologies. Necrotic Tissue. Midnight Screaming. ThugLit. Evil Jester. Wicked East. The Four Horseman. Grinning Skull. Shall I go on? Because I could, and it would make me happy. Am I striking you as a horror writer yet? Is it my lack of tattoos? Piercings? Black lipstick? (I have been known to wear black nail polish on occasion, and I wear it well.) I just came out with my first collection, “Wake Up and Smell the Creepy”. New York Times best-selling author Rick Hautala said the stories in it “hit you like a punch you didn’t see coming,” and that I have “writing chops to spare”. But still, I get the doubtful shake of the head. I persist, “I’m working on my first horror novel. The Lady’s Pocket. It’s a ghost story.” And yet they repeat, ever so politely, “You just don’t look like a horror writer.” And that is one of the reasons we need a month to recognize “Women in Horror.”

Do women write differently than men? Perhaps. We think differently, we behave differently in some ways. I could claim we’ve got dibs on sexy, or vulnerable, but male authors convey those things quite well. Truth be told, when I’m reading a story, I’d just as soon not know who wrote it. Man, woman. Straight, gay. Race, age, hometown, sweet or dill. What does it matter? It doesn’t. What matters is the story, and getting lost in it. If the author is at the forefront of your mind as you’re reading a story, that’s a fail. Now, when I love it, and want more by the same pen, then I want to know who wrote it. Then I want to know all about them. Him. Her. Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir. Savory or sweet. Tell me more.

I write horror because that’s what draws me. I shy away from gore, but feel the pull of sorrow. Of loss. Of fear. Give me a bent-eared copy of “Rebecca” or “Wuthering Heights”, or anything by Shirley Jackson over gore any day. I’ll see your gothic horror and I’ll raise you a spine-tingle. Anyone can bring a blade into a scene. It takes talent to bring a sense of dread. I like to think I’ve got my finger on the pulse of what makes people tick, what scares them, what rips their heart out, and the different ways they react. How that reaction, and inter-reaction between characters propels the plot. And when those images keep me awake, when they haunt me in the middle of the night, don’t I have just as much right to put them to paper, (or keyboard) and exorcise them from my thoughts and share them with you as any male writer would?

So yes, I’m a blue-eyed, Midwestern, strawberry-blonde. I don’t have a raven perpetually perched on my shoulder, or tentacles embracing my midriff (although a girl can dream). But I love heart-pounding, bump-in-the-night thrills. I love that even though men have cornered the market on horror writing for eons, and I’ve devoured their stories, we’ve come to a point of giving women an equal voice. Because I have a voice. My name is Marianne Halbert. I’m a horror writer. I have something to say. And I hope it creeps the hell out of you.

Dale Eldon on Patricia Cornwell, and ladies in horror

One of the first authors to really get me into reading (more specifically, horror) is Patricia Cornwell. My mother turned me onto her since at that point I was into crimnology, but the more I read, the more I fell in love with her ability to not only bring the characters alive, but the way she wrote the gruesome scenes. When I worked a steakhouse, I had one of her books with me, and as I was reading another told me that women can't write. I wanted to punch him in the throat. Cornwell is just a good of an author as any other professional author. Better than the crap that makes millions of dollars in the box office.

When I got into horror, it was horror authors, Rebecca Besser, and Rhiannon Mills that got me going. I remember that Rhiannon had mentioned something about women horror authors being frowned on, which surprised me. People get some strange bias opinions, especially towards genre and authors. Sure we like what we like, but sometimes it goes a bit too far.

Just my two-cents, I'm a fan of horror, period. And women write some of the best horror out there!

2013 Wicked Women Writers Challenge– How Will You Survive?

2013 Wicked Women Writers Challenge – How Will You Survive?

Welcome to the 5^th annual Wicked Women Writers Challenge – hosted by HorrorAddicts.net

Where women show how horror done right is horror that stays with you forever.

What is the Wicked Women Writer Challenge?

A challenge to all women horror writers, published or unpublished. Not only do you get to show off your prose, but we challenge you to perform your story in a podcast recording for all our listening pleasures. Your written and podcast story is publicly judged and voted upon by the fans to determine who becomes 2013 Most Wicked. Each podcast story must be crafted by the entrant and will be limited to ten (10) minutes.

Listen here as the Norns unfold humanity’s fate!

2013 Theme: How Will You Survive?

Premise: Life is never convenient. Why should the apocalypse be any different? Our challenge is how would you survive in an untimely apocalyptic situation.

Story Elements

Upon acceptance in to the 2013 Wicked Women Writers Challenge, your destiny will fall under the Norns Hands of Fate. The Norns will randomly assign the following required elements to help you craft your apocalyptic survival story.

Location: Where will you be when the inevitable strikes? The office lunchroom, stuck on the freeway, a public toilet, or at the gynecologist? We’re pretty sure it won’t be while you’re hunkered down in an underground missile silo with a fully loaded bug out bag.

Disaster: How will the end of the world strike? There is an endless spectrum of how humans will meet their ultimate demise. EMP blasts, super volcano, economic collapse, aliens, terrorist invasion, asteroids, or possibly even zombies are but a few of the ways to end humanity, as we know it. Will you be prepared? What Will You Do to Survive?

Item: It wouldn’t be fair to trap you in a room full of flesh-eating slugs and not give you a fly swatter now would it? Each challenger will receive one item to help them out of their dire situation. Use your item wisely.

Caveat Disability: You are trapped in your designated location. Unfortunately, you have an untimely disability. There is someone or something trying to kill and possibly eat you. Will you escape or battle it through to the bitter end? What might await you on the outside if you do manage to escape? How Will You Survive?

WARNING: The Norns are feeling itchy this year. This challenge is not for the faint of heart.

Ladies, are you ready for this year’s Wicked Women Writer Challenge? Please email your name, headshot, and short bio (under 50 words) to wwwchallenge2013@gmail.com

Killion Slade, our 2012 Wicked Women Writer Winner, will contact you for further challenge details and timeline. Deadline to enter the 2013 Wicked Woman Writer Challenge is June 20, 2013. For More Information: Please go to
http://www. wickedwomenwriters.wordpress.com

Please note: The earlier you enter the challenge, the longer you’ll have to prepare, write, edit, and produce your contest entry before the deadline. Contest slots fill up fast!

Good Luck and May the Norns Take Pity on Your Mortal Soul!


Killion Slade (Women in Horror Month)

Normally, Killion Slade is comprised of a married writing team. However, when it comes to horror, it is Mrs. Slade who takes the reins. Mr. Slade primarily sticks to Sci-Fi and Fantasy. They met in the virtual realms of Second Life, and virtually enjoy everything. Members of the Horrors Writers Association and the Paranormal Romance Guild, they storyboard their characters inside Second Life as their avatars reveal their stories.

Killion’s published short stories can currently be found in The Sirens Call ~ Special Edition for Women in Horror Month, The Danse Macabre, Cynic Magazine, Bewildering Stories, and Midwest Literary Magazine, as well as in several published anthologies Bite from the Heart, Death Sparkles, and soon to be released, The Ghoul Saloon.

Killion Slade is the 2012 Wicked Women Writer Challenge Winner with her horror story “Children of Angels” podcast. She is currently hosting the 2013 WWW Challenge themed “How Will You Survive” where entrants are given impossible apocalyptic scenarios, locations, helpful items, and an untimely disability to weave into their horror short story. Click here to learn more about the 2013 Wicked Women Writer Challenge. ( possible link to blog posting or to http://wickedwomenwriters.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/2013-wicked-women-writer-challenge-how-will-you-survive/ )

Killion’s Current Project: The Exsanguinate Series Both in her reality and virtuality, Cheyenne O’Cuinn must navigate tortuous and violent clues to rescue her kidnapped sisters before exploited to breed a dhampir army. Cheyenne fights against time and her own immortality before the world’s balance of vampire to human ratios tip towards apocalypse.

To learn more about Killion Slade, please visit
or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/killion.slade