Category: The Craft
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From Blood to Whispers: The Appeal of Quiet Horror
I used to live in the guts of horror. By that, I mean the kind of horror that stains your palms and tastes like rust. My other books — especially the Bloody Series with its love for graphic detail, human monsters, and the unforgiving anatomy of violence — live in the places where flesh tears,…
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The Natural Rewards of Writing
I’m sure there are people out there who began writing because they wanted fame and fortune (although I can’t imagine anyone who keeps writing because of all the loose fame and fortune laying around in publishing). Every writer I know, however, began writing for a couple of reasons: There are some writers who are happy…
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MIRROR TEST
The Mirror Test is an experimental technique used by behavioral scientists to help determine whether or not an animal is capable of self-recognition, which is arguably considered to be a sign of self-awareness and sentience. A mark is placed on the animal at a spot it cannot see except in a mirror. If the animal…
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Creating A Horror Book Cover Using Canva or With Photoshop
In an earlier post, I demonstrated designing a book cover using Canva. I do most of my cover design work in Photoshop, but Canva is a great tool that I use regularly to design as well, so this time, I thought it would be fun to try designing the same cover in both Photoshop and…
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THRILLSEEKING
I haven’t really done a lot in terms of watching or writing horror in the last month. However, Sunday (for some reason) I recalled the movie Ronin, which I love dearly, and how I like Jean Reno’s cautious cool persona. This led me into trying to find a film he starred in I couldn’t remember…
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An Appalling Lack of Discipline
“I’m not a big believer in disciplined writers. What does discipline mean? The writer who forces himself to sit down and write for seven hours every day might be wasting those seven hours if he’s not in the mood and doesn’t feel the juice. I don’t think discipline equals creativity.” ~ BRET EASTON ELLIS The…
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Pacing in Horror & Dark Fantasy: 10 Tips
Think of pacing like a musical composition — it’s all about emotional tempo. To create the rhythm of a piece of writing, an experienced author must use all the techniques at their disposal, reeling in their readers at just the right moments. Here are ten tips for pacing your horror. Let me know if you…
Threads that Bind 