Threads that Bind

Snow White: A Tale of Terror

Last week, Dr. Thomas Davison regaled us with a tale of a truly spooky mirror. This week, I want to take a look at a tale that features perhaps the most famous mirror of all, the fairy tale Snow White. More specifically, I want to take a look at the Michael Cohn film Snow White:…

David Lee Summers

May 29, 2025

horror movies, Stories, The Craft

fairy tales, horror films, Michael Cohn, Sam Neill, Sigourney Weaver, Snow White, The Brothers Grimm

The Mirror

The following short story, The Mirror, is part of a series from my soon-to-be-published new book of horror shorts, Unleashed Nightmares: From the Depths of My Soul. “The truth is, we all, as human beings, fear different things. I have never been overly fearful of the serial killer with the knife or axe. Or, overly…

Dr. Thomas Davison, author

May 22, 2025

Stories

CREATIVE WRITING X: A New POV

There have been several interesting and informative posts here of late regarding various aspects of creative writing, so I thought I’d share some thoughts in that vein this time around. Beyond the basics, there are two quotes that I especially like and now try to keep in mind when I write. They were not much…

Garrett Dennis

May 15, 2025

Philosophy of Writing, Stories, The Craft

writing fiction

A Lasting Gift

‘He’s here, you know…’ ‘Grandma, who’s here? What do you mean?’ ‘It’s my sweet John, your granddad, he’s always here when I need him. He’s just over there, at the end of my bed. I know you can’t see him. But he’s smiling that smile I used to love so much’. Eloise looked up at…

Peter

May 8, 2025

ghosts, Stories

fear, ghosts, historical fiction, horror, romance, short story, VE Day, Victory in Europe

THE SHADOW

My last post was the continuation/conclusion of “Testament”, a terrific story posted by Jack Tyler. It felt so good to be able to have some writing done, since lately life has been preventing me from doing so. I’m glad to say that I decided to start a short story for my post this week. But…

merchakandrea

May 8, 2025

Stories

short story

Happy Days

A chill fog dampened the sounds of the city as I arrived, cloaking the once proud Victorian street in gloom. Dilapidated and awaiting demolition, the street had one remaining house showing signs of life. My destination. Above the door, a flickering neon sign proclaimed “Happy Days”. In the grimy window hung a lopsided sign announcing:…

Peter

May 5, 2025

ghosts, short story, Stories

ghosts, short story

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…

Jack Tyler

May 1, 2025

Personal Experience, The Craft

The Lair of the Beast

Silence, heavy and invasive, enveloped me. Resting against the coldness of a wall, I took what could be my last breath. And listened. The only sound came from the pounding of my heart. Nothing from within the lair of the beast. The beast was away. But not far, foraging for sustenance. This was my brief…

Peter

April 28, 2025

short story, Stories

fear, horror, short story

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…

bryceraffle

April 24, 2025

The Art of Horror, The Craft

Chimera

They call these places Gothic. Ruined places of worship that horror movies love to shoot, in the dark, preferably during a thunderstorm. Except today was a bright blue gem of a day, not a thundercloud in sight. If it wasn’t for the decayed body of a man recently found in the ruins of the crypt,…

Peter

April 21, 2025

ghosts, horror of the mind, Stories

ghost, short story