It’s been a long time since I’ve posted any news about my WIP. My progress is still slugging along, but it’s still going. I’m up to Chapter 20 right now, and feel that I may have reached the halfway point. I do know that I have a lot of editing to do once I get [...] Read more »
Flash 2: The Promise
Theo scratched at his face. I knew what that meant. My place was in the sidelines while the men gloated over their victory. That was all right because I knew I had won mine. I would be teaching in a brand new church that my lover had built. “Are we going to have a gala [...] Read more »
Flash: Chasing the Dead
This is my first piece of flash fiction. I wouldn’t call this horror, but this is what came out of me this morning. His brown eyes locked onto me when he walked through the front door, so dark with despair. The harsh glow of the entryway light bleached his olive-toned skin. He was a wasted [...] Read more »
Gore Vs. Psychological
I’m going to date myself by saying that I read my first horror novel in 1981–Dean Koontz’s Whispers. From that point, I got swept up in the horror boom of the 80′s and read all the crap my weekly allowance would allow. My tastes have evolved since then. I expect a good plot with plenty [...] Read more »
Plot Backstories
I put weeks of thought into the backstory of Prosperity because I wanted to know why it was haunted by thirty-some ghosts, two of which are very angry and vengeful. Originally, I had only one ghost, who was lynched 80 years ago for a crime he didn’t commit. Then, as I was delving more and [...] Read more »
Character Backstories
If you’ve been writing for a while, then you know what these are. However, if you’re a complete newbie, then I’ll give you the straight-forward definition. Backstories are mini-biographies of your characters and your plot. Is it necessary to write backstories for your characters before you write a word of your novel? I’m torn by [...] Read more »
Prosperity: My First Writing Challenge
I was sitting at my kitchen table when I found myself invisioning a woman standing on an island in the middle of Hell, searching for the soul of her dead husband. Black Roses was still a chapter or two away from being finished, but I had to jot this idea down in my notebook. I [...] Read more »
Story Ideas
Every story begins with an idea, big or small. Mine has always begun with a mental image. I can actually see my character inside my mind, either having a great time or going through something excruciating. Since I’m a horror writer, I prefer the latter. So far in my “career”, I’ve written two novels, both [...] Read more »
Creating the Voices Inside My Head
Drawing up characters is my favorite part of writing. I’ve tried using the various character charts and software on the market, which helps outline their likes and dislikes, traits, etc. But nothing beats having a “conversation” with them. Most of the time, these conversations will occur inside my head. Other times, I catch myself talking [...] Read more »