I've often been tempted with the idea to write scary stories tailored for an individual. A person's fear is a very personal thing. What scares you might not scare me and vice versa. It's hard to hit on broad stroke fears that will affect the majority of people. It's the battle I always have with … Continue reading Made to Order
Plans Macabre
So Halloween is rapidly approaching and how. I know you're probably not as excited as I am, since most people who get excited about Halloween are under ten and thinking about candy. As someone who indulges in horror year-round (writing it, reading it, watching it), it's always nice when October comes slouching 'round and everyone … Continue reading Plans Macabre
Closer Now
It's moving closer now, moving sly and subtle, a thing you only notice out of the corner of your eye. Today, for example, I was in the CVS, shopping for my usual lunch of Arizona Iced Tea and a bag of gummy bears. And something felt...off. The hairs on the back of my neck stood … Continue reading Closer Now
It’s Coming
Certain folks have been looking at the weather lately and are claiming that these are portents of God's wrath. After all, hurricanes are a rare novelty on the East Coast and the only explanation can be that a deity who's heavily invested in Congressional hijinks is really angry. Nonetheless, they're all watching for the wrong … Continue reading It’s Coming
The Rules of Horror
Horror movies exist primarily to do one thing: scare people. And, for the most part, horror movies fail in that one goal. They shock, they gross out, they startle, but they don't truly scare. There's nothing scary about Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. There's nothing scary about torture porn like Hostel and the entire Saw … Continue reading The Rules of Horror
Shakespeare on Common
Emily and I went to see Shakespeare on the Commons last week. Every year, folks can see the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company perform on the Commons free of charge. This year, they performed one of Shakespeare's comedies, "All's Well That Ends Well". I didn't know the first thing about it before we went, but, after a quick … Continue reading Shakespeare on Common
The Newest Book
Since it's been a while, let's talk about the book. No, not that book. The newest one. The one that hasn't been written yet. I'm...extremely tentative about this one. I want this one to be perfect. I want the table of contents to work properly. I want the formatting to sparkle. I don't want there to … Continue reading The Newest Book
Suspension of DisBelief
Lately, I've become more and more obsessed with the idea of bringing my stories into the real world. By that, I mean to blend reality and fiction. I want to smudge the boundaries between my fiction and the world we live in. I have one or two ideas on how to do this. I want … Continue reading Suspension of DisBelief
Parallels
There is something powerful about the idea of parallel worlds; the notion that there is a universe for every potential outcome. For every particle that either decays or stays, for every time you turn left or right, for every sun that goes nova or expands; there is a Universe. Every choice you made or didn't make, … Continue reading Parallels
Superstitious
I consider myself a skeptic. I don't believe in things that I can't verify through either my own experience or through the scientific research of people who get paid for that kind of thing. If I can't touch it, taste it, smell it or see it, or if it hasn't been verified in a lab … Continue reading Superstitious
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