Well, it's another Tuesday and I'm thinking about my writing--what else is new, right?! The last two weeks, I posted about how writers get their ideas for horror stories. Sometimes we all have a great idea, but we aren't sure how to get from point A to point B. Lately I've been stuck in a rut with my ideas, so I've taken to watching a few good shows and movies to help me. More and more I watch with a critical eye, rather than just enjoy the film. I want to learn more about writing and what really makes a good story. Of course I lean toward horror, but I've also t[...]
Category
Horror Writing
8 So last week, I posted a few questions for us all to think about. Horror writers have to be inspired by something to get the story ideas that they cultivate into scary novels and films. But the question is, where? How? And just so you know, not all horror writers are crazy;) So, for all of you out there that wonder where the hell it all begins...here are a few answers: Where do your ideas for a new story come from? 1. My ideas come from taking all the things I love and slamming them together until they work. 2. My brain is sort of always marinating in a 80s ste[...]
You think writing a unique story is tough? Try writing a different and plot twisty horror. But if this is truly your love, let's talk about ideas. I mean it...let's talk. I'm opening up the first Tuesday of the month to horror writing related questions and answers. We are a community and we'd love to have more interaction with lovers of horror stories. How will this work? 1. I'll post new writing questions on the first Tuesday of the month. That means, you can either ask us questions in the comment section, on Facebook, or on Twitter at anytime, but I'll post[...]
I love it when everything I think I know about writing horror gets turned on it's head. One, it helps me to grow as a writer. Secondly, it means I got bloody well scared during the process. Bloodborne, the newest game for the Playstation 4 from From Software, did both these things. Yet, on paper it shouldn't have. First it's gothic horror, which hasn't been scary in years (but it's the last refuge of solid atmosphere) and it's cosmic horror, which is probably the hardest subgenre to pull off. Don't get me wrong, I love them both, but that doesn't change the fact[...]
If I could have dinner with one author, it would be Dave Eggers. His writing style is my muse. His merger of artistic quality with social justice inspires me. I want to be like Dave Eggers--except scary. In A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, he writes: “[M]y mother read a horror novel every night. She had read every one in the library. When birthdays and Christmas would come, I would consider buying her a new one, the latest Dean R. Koontz or Stephen King or whatever, but I couldn't. I didn't want to encourage her. I couldn't touch my father's cigarett[...]
A lot of people avoid the book, because a lot of people simply avoid books from the 1800s, and that's okay, but you're missing out on some great classic quotes here, and that just can't happen. Because I'm all about compromise, I'm posting some of the more famous, and some of my favorite, quotes from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It pays to remember when reading these that, as mentioned in the trivia on my first Frankenstein post, the monster talks in the book, unlike in the early films. Quotes from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein! “Life, although it[...]
Midnighters, I have a fantastic post for you today! I had the honor of interviewing actress and author, Elizabeth Fields, who is currently writing the screenplay for a few of her horror stories that are slated to begin filming soon—which is so cool, by the way! The best part???? She is a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer!!! Definitely the perfect match for us here at The Midnight Society. Enjoy:) 1. How did you get started writing horror? I’ve been writing since I learned how to hold a pen. I read a lot of Goosebumps as a kid. I tried my hand at writing[...]
I never set out to write a New Adult story. What I did set out to write was your good old fashion YA horror, one that I've submitted into many contests and to many agents. It was during one of these contests that I had my first "ah-ha" moment when an author came to me and said that my story really fit better in the New Adult category. The second eye opening moment came from an agent I had queried. Needless to say, she was sending me a rejection but noted that really my story was not meant to be labeled as young adult. New Adult Since I had these two experiences,[...]
It all began with a book. It. One read and I was hooked. Stephen King taught me what it was like to be a reader. After being forced to read classic stories in both middle and high school, I wasn't someone who picked up a book to read for fun. In fact, I bought Cliff Notes just to get a passing grade on anything related to the books my teachers thought I should be reading as a teen. I can't remember who it was that put It in my hand, but I know what happened after that. I was a reader. Once that light went on, I kept reading. And I read every book Stephen King wro[...]
As acquiring editor for SHINE, the new YA/NA line from Leap Books, I’m always in the market for great reads and what better way to seek them out than to share news about our upcoming releases and provide our submission guidelines? Leap Books, LLC has been around since 2009, but we’re just venturing into the world of ebook novellas for both young adult and new adult markets. Early in 2015 we’ll see the launch of two young adult SHINE titles and I can’t wait for these babies to go live. Tina Ferraro, a two-time RITA Young Adult finalist and the author of T[...]