I have a good excuse as to why I abandoned my social media presence. Doesn't everyone? Those of you who've been guilty of not posting as scheduled-- would you agree that the longer one stays away, the harder it is to return? You have this I'm Back post you feel compelled to write, and you …
Tag: on writing
My Why
About a month ago, this was me: It wasn't District 12 Reaping but a zoom call. WANTED: volunteers to help with an HWA Ohio Chapter podcast that would focus on the craft and process of horror writing. Although I have thoroughly embraced the introvert I am and the comfort zone of no-human-contact, the teacher and …
My Latest Horror: A Repurposed Church Sermon
I had heard the sermon on at least two occassions. My pastor came from a large (and I mean large, < Brady Bunch) family. So many I can't recall the number. Enough that, were they chickens, you'd not know who was who when you ate one. This is my daughter's formula, by the way, for …
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Bad Words & Kool-Aid
There are the usual suspects: just, very, so, well, really, like, that, then. And the reflectives: felt, saw, heard, etc. that insert space between the reader and character. Also and of course (thank you, Mr. King) adverbs- any and all. Especially after dialogue tags like said (which should also be used sparingly). She said sorrowfully. …
Writing Advice from Lizards
Run fast, stand still. In quickness is truth. The faster you blurt, the more swiftly you write, the more honest you are. In hesitation is thought. In delay comes the effort for a style, instead of leaping upon truth which is the only style worth deadfalling or tiger-trapping. - Ray Bradbury Learning from iguanas. Close enough.
The Truth Will Set You Free, but First, You’ll Think You’ve Been Quoting Gloria Steinem and Not Knowing it ALL THIS TIME. And Then (After Googling it) You’ll Wonder if You Were First With the Quote. And Then You’ll Try to Find Out. And Then. THEN…You’ll Realize How the Truth DOES Piss You Off Before, During, & After it Sets You Free…But Most Especially When it Eludes You, as Truth so Often Does
Most writers, myself included, are an unlikely mix of brazen and bashful. Brazen: Who puts words out there for anybody to see, is never more than moderately certain of their accuracy and origin, and still forges ahead, possibly confidently wrong? And bashful: Who's more comfortable undressing her soul to the world-at-large than to a friend, …
I Stand Corrected: You Can Have Your Cake & Eat it Too
Confidently wrong. That is a phrase that's been used to describe me. It's quite annoying. I don't mean for me. I'm talking about those unfortunates who ask me a question. My confidence causes them to take my advice, and my wrongness causes us to be, well, wrong. And we usually discover it together. In the …
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A Far Fall – Published in Reflex Fiction
I had a dry spell for several months, so it felt especially good to have my flash story "A Far Fall" longlisted by Reflex Fiction. I woke up to the lovely surprise of seeing it in print today. You can read it here. (I hope you will!) Interested in subbing to a free flash fiction …
Spontaneous 10: Outlines, Like Recipes, Are Negotiable
Even if I have all the ingredients, I feel this uncontrollable urge to substitute things. It's not always easy to follow a recipe, but— can we agree— it's less risky? There's a frontiersman in me that doesn't want to take a well-worn path, even to chocolate cake. Where's the fun (or artistry) in that? My …
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Everyone Wants to be a Writer
But almost no one wants to write. Even writers don't always want to. Let's define a writer, shall we? Because I've met people who write my socks off, yet they don't consider themselves "writers" because they've never been published. (Nevermind the fact that they've not actually submitted anything!) Any person who writes regularly is a …
KL Griffiths 