It’s always midnight — somewhere. The magical hour of midnight figures in a lot of classic stories. Cinderella’s magic expired at midnight. Why midnight? Because it’s magic — midnight is the tiny sliver between one day and the next. It’s the perfect time to set a pivotal moment in a story. Even the word midnight is magical. It’s featured in tons of great movie and book titles — Midnight in Paris, Midnight Express, Midnight Cowboy… Twilight fans might not know that there’s an unreleased novel, a companion to Twilight, retelling the story from Edward’s point of view. It’s called Midnight
Read More
Real Life Heroes
Some MONSTER stories hinge on a hero. In others, the monster — flawed, toothy, furry or ugly — harbors the heart and soul of a hero. But there are heroic people in real life. People who simply manage to do more good than the vast majority, while facing Herculean challenges that would turn the rest of us into basket cases. In my freelance writing life I occasionally meet (more often than not in a virtual setting) people who jump huge hurdles that put my piddling problems into perspective. I recently interviewed Michael Conway for the Tourette Syndrome Association’s newsletter. He’s
Read More
Summer Guest Blogger — Jeri Walker-Bickett
It’s time for another Summer Guest Blogger — Jeri Walker-Bickett! Monster Mash-Ups and the Case of Edgar Allan Poe We live in an age of mash-ups. Abraham Lincoln slays vampires, and Jane Austen’s characters bludgeon zombies. Countless fairy tales provide fodder for X-rated romps or modern day re-telling. Would the stories of Stephen King exist if it were not for Edgar Allan Poe? Perhaps, but our modern masters of horror often cite the influence of Poe’s works on their creative process. Which may leave some of us to wonder where, exactly, to draw the line between inspired and borrowed material?
Read More
My Werewolf Hunt
I’ve been on werewolf hunt — reading a bunch of werewolf tales and hunting for my own brand of moonlit beast. I’ve read about a werewolf private detective, a teenaged werewolf seeking revenge against his abusive father and more. I’ve yet to find the werewolf who suits me. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by memories of Lon Chaney Jr. and his tortured soul in the movies I watched on TV over and over again as a child? Or maybe it’s the macho werewolves of True Blood? Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’ve got an inkling of a story idea
Read More
Writing to Order
Submitting stories to magazines (print and online) is part of a fiction writer’s life. I usually think of it as requesting rejection letters. Knowing the odds, I’ve found it’s best to have expectations that are lower than the basement floor. Reading the specs — length, genre restrictions, etc. — very carefully is also a good idea. The same goes for contests. There are a whole lot of writing contests out there. Some offer a coveted spot in an anthology and royalty payments, others offer a book contract and some nothing more than your story appearing on their page. Exposure to
Read More
Dial M for Technology
“Dial M for Murder” is a classic. It’s one of Hitchcock’s most popular films, starring Grace Kelly, Ray Milland and Robert Cummings; it’s hard to forget. But I’m not seeking it out to see again. This time it would be a period piece. The technology has changed too much. Communications technology has been changing very quickly. We’ve gone from a few tech heads with big clumsy cell phones to ubiquitous smart phones (with cameras, video, email) in nearly everyone’s hands. All the stories that begin with a flat tire or overheated engine on a lonely road at night are completely
Read More
Waiting on the Beta Readers
I sent my new MONSTER to two Beta Readers and then — I waited. I waited and waited and waited. I didn’t want to nudge them or push them in any way, but… It was nerve-racking! Both of these readers are good friends. Neither are writers and neither fit the profile of a typical fan of romantic suspense. Giving them the first draft of my new novella was a risk that I’m glad I took. They liked it! They really liked it! I feel like Sally Fields at the Oscars. Now that I have their notes — and their praise
Read More
Summer Guest Blogger — A.C. Flory
I’d like to welcome the first of my summer blog guests! A.C. Flory is a science fiction author with a wonderful ability to create a sense of time and place for her truly monstrous creatures. She’s contributed today’s post about the elements that make a story great. Genre categories aside, ‘what makes a story catch fire?’ What makes a great story? I have been reading voraciously since I was kid – over half a century now – and the one thing I know for certain is that great stories have nothing to do with genre. Great stories transcend genre,
Read More
