Tag Archives: writing

May 10, 2022 · 11:37 am

StokerCon 2022

Merry meet all,

StokerCon is only 2 days away. I am so excited!!! I stocked the pantry and want to tidy up, but I would say I am mostly prepared. Polar Borealis just released their newest issue #21. Polar Borealis contains my poem, ‘The Frightened Spirit’, in the online magazine. Here is the link to it: https://polarborealis.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/POLAR-BOREALIS-21-May-2022.pdf  

Enjoy! 

I want to tell you, dear readers, all about StokerCon in this post. StokerCon is the annual convention hosted by the Horror Writers Association wherein the Bram Stoker Awards for superior achievement in horror writing are awarded.

‘In 2022, when May rolls around and we gather in Denver for StokerCon®, the convention will have a new look. For the first time, we will offer three different experiences: the typical in-person event, a simultaneously held virtual convention hosted on Hopin (similar to 2021), and a combination in-person and virtual experience.

We learned valuable lessons from StokerCon® 2021 about the benefits of a virtual convention. We expanded our access to attendees throughout the world. The “hang out bars” gave us a way to reconnect after a year of lockdowns and cancelled events. We mitigated somewhat the time zone concerns by posting recorded panels, readings, and presentations. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

After some discussion, we decided to continue the virtual offering in addition to our regular in-person convention. But why an in-person and virtual option?

By offering a joint in-person and virtual option, we expand the programming offerings and the options by which attendees choose to participate. The virtual platform will host panels different from the in-person event, along with an expanded list of author readings, all prerecorded so you can view them during breaks in the Denver event. We hope to live stream certain Denver panels (to the extent our technology will allow) for our virtual attendees, but also record them, and make them viewable for everyone on Hopin. Have friends who could not travel to Denver but who will be present virtually? The “hang out bars” will return!

Here’s the real benefit, though. In 2021, we ran an encore of the virtual convention. We will do the same for 2022. Too busy during Denver to check out the virtual content or attend all the panels? You will have time after you return home to see it all and catch up on what you missed.

Our goal is to present the most robust programming coupled with the widest access for all who wish to attend or participate. We felt these three options helped us achieve that goal to its fullest potential.

Stay safe and healthy.

We hope to see you in Denver in 2022. 

James Chambers and Brian Matthews

Co-Chairs, StokerCon® 2022′

Credit given to: https://www.stokercon.com/post/stokercon-2022-the-hybrid-convention

The main events at StokerCon are the Final Frame Short Horror Film Competition, the Bram Stoker Awards, the Ann Radcliffe Academic conference, author signings and readings, and the panel discussions. I intend to enjoy every moment of it with a few glasses of nice red wine. Oh yes indeed! I will post all about it here when it’s over. So stay tuned! 

My seedlings are doing well. It won’t be long when I can plant them outside. I have a few weeks yet. I have a feeling this may be my best garden year yet. 

Me, bored? Nah

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June 10, 2021 · 2:09 pm

The Feminine Macabre

Merry meet all,

I am very excited to announce I’ll be featured in the all-female paranormal journal The Feminine Macabre Volume 2. It will be released in August 2021.

Volume 2 of The Feminine Macabre is out in a couple of months and look at the amazing list of writers who have contributed to this volume and if you’ve not heard of this before, search online for Volume 1 or if you’re UK based click here: amazon.co.uk/Feminine-Macab

The Feminine Macabre is an all-female paranormal journal. Paranormal investigating is not the exclusive domain of men. Damn right. Woman are way more in touch with their intuition. Ghosts are not exactly tangible. It does require having a sharp sixth sense to detect ghosts anyway. That is not what most men do. I am not trying to be sexist here. Paranormal investigations are very scientific too. It is just fascinating. 

I am proud to be included in this journal. It is the first all-female paranormal journal I have heard of. Volume 1 contains a foreword written by Patti Neghri, of Ghost Adventures. I don’t know who is writing the foreword for Volume 2. I am sure both journals will contain fascinating stories. I can’t wait to read both journals. My article focuses on the unsettling true history of my beloved haunted hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

I will help promote the second issue of The Feminine Macabre. Amanda, the editor and genius of this project is hosting interviews on Facebook. I can’t wait to be a part of that! This all sounds so exciting. I don’t get paid for this but I do get a free copy. I am so happy to be involved that I don’t mind that I am not paid. The payoff is this opportunity. I am very grateful. 

I just happened upon the website Spookeats. It is how I got involved in this. Good thing too! Hm, now that the lockdown is over, I may dive back into my solo paranormal investigating. 

Till then, stay spooky

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

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May 25, 2021 · 1:54 pm

The 2021 StokerCon Horror Writing Convention

Merry meet all,

I’m writing this post to share my experience at StokerCon with my dear readers. It was the most inspiring, badass, and educational event of my life. It was so cool to sit there ( and I had to, as it was virtual and I seriously hurt my back) with other like minded people. The organizers, panelists and attendees were so nice! 

The event began on May 20th to May 23rd. The Horror Writers Association used Hopin for a virtual platform. Over four hundred and sixty people attended the convention. Hopin was a very interactive platform. There was a live chat which I just loved. Breakout sessions, live discussions, and the Ann Radcliffe conferences which was several live videos and discussions of themes related to horror were also offered. I watched almost every single Breakout session. There were so many to choose from.   Someone could pitch to an agent/ editor and participate in the Bram Stoker hangout bars or the Mary Shelley hangout bar, the Shirley Jackson hangout bar or the Edgar Allan Poe hangout bar. 

The Breakout sessions are discussions shared by panelists online. I was able to watch them in the discussion. Live chats made it easier to partake in the session. I watched the following sessions: The Current State of Publishing, A Genre by any other Name, Professional Etiquette: The Business Side of Publishing, The Appeal of a Good Scare, Tone and Setting, Thrilling Communities with Chilling Experiences, How Dialogue can Make or Break a story, the Guest of Honour Reading: Joe Lansdale, Totally Bloodless Horror Promotion, The Scary Truth about Horror reviews, Nightfire Fall Spotlight, How to Make a Career of Writing, Interview with Joe Lansdale, the Interview with Steve Tem, Mentorship in the HWA, What makes a book cover Good, History of the Gothic Horror Folklore, the Bram Stoker Awards Ceremony and the Sixth Annual Final Frame Short Horror Film Competition. But I loved the most the Breakout sessions!! I also viewed the American Female: Gothic, Classic Horror’s Timeless Appeal, the Panel on The Author-Editor relationship in The Horror Genre Author Newsletter as well as a few author readings. 

I also watched the Bathing Beauty: Violence and Vulnerability in the Showers of Horror, Blood Milk and Teeth, It’s Still Alive, Alive!, Real Vampires: The Reflection of Otherness in the lBloody Mirror, “That so wicked mouth”: Rabies, Nymphomania, and the Monstrous New Woman in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Why is this Possession Different Than All Other Possessions: Jewish Exorcism Films. Those videos were fascinating. So many people let themselves believe that a dybbuk box is actually possessed by a demon or even that Annabelle doll. I don’t believe they are. The Possession video proved it. 

A few more highlights of the convention were the Film Competition and the Bram Stoker Awards. On Saturday night I watched the Final Frame 6th Annual Short Horror Film Competition. The videos were all scary and amazing! The sound and audio quality were amazing!! I voted for the best film I watched. 

The Horror Writers Association is proud to announce the winners of our Final Frame Film Festival that took place during our first virtual StokerCon.

The Final Frame Film Festival is chaired by Jonathan Lees, Final Frame Director and our Director of Film Programming, StokerCon.

This year our judges were ALEJANDRO BRUGUES, GRADY HENDRIX, BECK KITSIS, CARLEN MAY-MANN, LISA MORTON, and ED POLGARDY. 

The GRAND PRIZE goes to Tony Morales for Abracitos

1st Runner-Up to Brian Sacca for Joanne Is Dead

2nd Runner-Up is to Trish Harnetiaux for You Wouldn’t Understand

Best Writing in a Short Film is a tie!

Brian Sacca for Joanne Is Dead

and Trish Harnetiaux & Jacob A. Ware for You Wouldn’t Understand

Audience Award goes to Tony Morales for Abracitos

You can read more about Final Frame here:

http://stokercon2021.com/?p=141

Abracitos used almost no music. That made the fear of the actors in the movie far more real. In fact, the lack of sound was extremely effective at making the fear unbearable and real to viewers because all you could hear was their breathing. Wow. Amazing film. 

Here are the winners of the Bram Stoker Awards: 

Announcing the 2020 Bram Stoker Awards® Winners

Los Angeles, May 22, 2021

The Horror Writers Association (HWA), the premier organization of writers and publishers of horror and dark fantasy, announces this year’s Bram Stoker Awards® winners at a virtual ceremony during StokerCon™ 2021. “This year’s winners reflect a deep range of works from a competitive field,” said John Palisano, HWA President. “The winners and finalists truly represent a broad spectrum of titles in horror and dark fantasy. HWA members and awards juries have shown dedication and objectivity to the selection process for outstanding works of literature, cinema, non-fiction, and poetry.”

We proudly provide the list of talented winners along with the finalist nominees. 

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Winner: Stephen Graham Jones – The Only Good Indians (Gallery/Saga Press)

Also nominated:

Alma Katsu – The Deep (G.P. Putnum’s Sons)

Todd Keisling – Devil’s Creek (Silver Shamrock Publishing)

Josh Malerman – Malorie (Del Ray)

Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Mexican Gothic (Del Rey)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Winner: EV Knight – The Fourth Whore (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Also nominated:

Polly Hall – The Taxidermist’s Lover (CamCat Publishing, LLC)

Rachel Harrison – The Return (Berkley)

Ross Jeffery – Tome (The Writing Collective)

Kate Reed Petty – True Story (Viking)

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

Winner: Adam Cesare – Clown in a Cornfield (HarperTeen)

Also nominated:

Daniel Kraus – Bent Heavens (Henry Holt and Company/Macmillan)

Monique Snyman – The Bone Carver (Vesuvian Books)

Aiden Thomas – Cemetery Boys (Swoon Reads/Macmillan)

Erica Waters – Ghost Wood Song (HarperTeen)

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

Winner: Nancy Holder, Chiara Di Francia, and Amelia Woo – Mary Shelley Presents Tales of the Supernatural (Kymera Press)

Also nominated:

Steven Archer – The Masque of the Red Death (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Jennifer Brody and Jules Rivera – Spectre Deep 6 (Turner)

Rich Douek and Alex Cormack – Road of Bones (IDW Publishing)

Alessandro Manzetti and Stephano Cardoselli – Her Life Matters: (Or Brooklyn Frankenstein)Independent Legions Publishing)

Steve Niles, Salvatore Simeone, and Syzmon Kudranski – Lonesome Days, Savage Nights(TKO Studios)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Winner: Stephen Graham Jones – “Night of the Mannequins” (Tor.com)

Also nominated:

Gabino Iglasias – “Beyond the Reef”(Lullabies for Suffering: Tales of Addiction Horror)(Wicked Run Press)

Gwendolyn Kiste – “The Invention of Ghosts” (Nightscape Press)

Jess Landry – “I Will Find You, Even in the Dark” (Dim Shores Presents Vol. I)(Dim Shores)

Sarah Pinsker – “Two Truths and a Lie” (Tor.com)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

Winner: Josh Malerman – “One Last Transformation”(Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors)(Written Backwards)

Also nominated:

Meghan Arcuri – “Am I Missing the Sunshine?” (Borderlands 7) (Borderlands Press)

Kurt Fawver – “Introduction to the Horror Story: Day 1” (Nightmare Magazine Nov. 2020, Issue 98)

Cindy O’Quinn – “The Thing I Found Along a Dirt Patch Road” (Shotgun Honey Presents, Vol. 4: Recoil) (Down and Out Books)

Kyla Lee Ward – “Should Fire Remember the Fuel?”(Oz is Burning) (B Cubed Press)

  

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

Winner: Lee Murray – Grotesque: Monster Stories (Things in the Well)

Also nominated:

Kathe Koja – Velocities: Stories (Meerkat Press)

John Langan – Children of the Fang and Other Genealogies (Word Horde)

Patricia Lillie – The Cuckoo Girls (Trepidatio Publishing)

Anna Taborska – Bloody Britain (Shadow Publishing)

Superior Achievement in a Screenplay

Winner: Leigh Whannell – The Invisible Man (Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Goalpost Pictures, Nervous Tick Productions)

Also nominated:

Scarlett Amaris and Richard Stanley – Color Out of Space (SpectreVision)

Misha Green – Lovecraft Country, Season 1, Episode 1: “Sundown” (Affeme, Monkeypaw Productions, Bad Robot Productions, Warner Bros. Television Studios)

Misha Green and Ihuoma Ofordire – Lovecraft Country, Season 1, Episode 8: “Jig-a-Bobo” (Affeme, Monkeypaw Productions, Bad Robot Productions, Warner Bros. Television Studios)

Angela LaManna – The Haunting of Bly Manor, Season 1, Episode 5: “The Altar of the Dead” (Intrepid Pictures, Amblin Television, Paramount Television Studios)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

Winner: Lee Murray and Geneve Flynn – Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women(Omnium Gatherum Media)

Also nominated:

Michael Bailey and Doug Murano – Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors(Written Backwards)

Samantha Kolesnik – Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror (Grindhouse Press)

Sara Tantlinger – Not All Monsters: A Strangehouse Anthology by Women of Horror (Rooster Republic Press)

Mercedes M. Yardley – Arterial Bloom (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

Winner: Tim Waggoner – Writing in the Dark (Guide Dog Books/Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Also nominated:

Florence Kelly and Meg Hafdahl – The Science of Women in Horror: The Special Effects, Stunts, and True Stories Behind Your Favorite Fright Films (Skyhorse)

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas – 1000 Women in Horror (BearManor Media)

Brian Keene – End of the Road(Cemetery Dance Publications)

Alison Peirse – Women Make Horror: Filmmaking, Feminism, Genre (Rutgers University Press)

Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr. – The Streaming of Hill House: Essays on the Haunting Netflix Adaption(McFarland)

Superior Achievement in Short Non-FictionWinner: Tim Waggoner – “Speaking of Horror” (The Writer)

Also nominated:

Rhonda Jackson Joseph – “The Beloved Haunting of Hill House: An Examination of Monstrous Motherhood” (The Streaming of Hill House: Essays on the Haunting Netflix Adaptation)(McFarland)

Cynthia Pelayo – “I Need to Believe” (Southwest Review Vol. 105.3) 

Kelly Robinson – “Lost, Found, and Finally Unbound: The Strange History of the 1910 Edison Frankenstein” (Rue Morgue Magazine, June 2020)

Christina Sng – “Final Girl: A Life in Horror” (Interstellar Flight Magazine, October 2020)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

Winner: Christina Sng – A Collection of Dreamscapes (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Also nominated:

Alessandro Manzetti – Whitechapel Rhapsody: Dark Poems (Independent Legions Publishing)

Jessica McHugh – A Complex Accident of Life (Apokrupha)

Cynthia Pelayo – Into the Forest and All the Way Through (Burial Day Books)

Sara Tantlinger – Cradleland of Parasites (Rooster Republic Press)

Named in honor of the author of the seminal horror novel Dracula, the Bram Stoker Awards® are presented annually for superior writing in eleven categories including traditional fiction of various lengths, poetry, screenplays and non-fiction. Previous winners include Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, George R. R. Martin, Joyce Carol Oates and Neil Gaiman. 

So, as you can see from the above, StokerCon was a smashing success!!! Four hundred eighty five people attended the virtual convention with a ninety percent turn out!! Two thousand eight hundred people have subscribed to the Horror Writers Association Quick Bites newsletter. The Bram Stoker Awards Ceremony had a grand total of twelve hundred views with over four hundred people who watched!! There were 18,000 views and chats during the whole convention. There were a total of one hundred forty votes for the Film Competition. These shy high statistics reveal a growing enthusiasm for horror in all its ravenous blood thirsty forms. Horror has not died! The beast is alive and well and tugging at its’ Damascus steel chains!

I hope this continues into the future, however horrifying that may be!!

Horror was never meant to be compartmentalized, confined, or stamped, shipped and packeged into one solid predefined shape. I now know that like the fanged vampire, a convulsing werewolf or mummy in shreds it changes form, breaks out of its cage and along iwth the changing times, it changes. It pulses and breathes, drinks blood and yet invites us along as it keeps changing with the times.

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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October 12, 2020 · 12:43 pm

Writing Modern Horror

Merry meet all,

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Here is my blog post that I wrote for the Horror Writers Association annual Halloween Haunts blog post event. 

Enjoy.

Horror has a seductive hold on us. Horror is like a tentacle crawling from the crypts of our darkest dreams to suck us into horrific nightmares. If done properly, it casts a dark magic, sending chills down readers’ spines.

Now is the time, now is the hour. In my opinion, horror movies such as Insidious 1-2, The Possession of Hannah Grace, and Sinister aren’t scary to me. I am an avid writer of horror fiction and I am well read. In order to give readers or viewers the fright royale, readers should be too afraid to not leave the lights on all night and hide under the covers. And curse the writer because they can’t put the book down.

The writer must make extra effort to horrify jaded readers. There is a difference between horrifying and terrifying. One of the two you experience more deeply. Terror is more potent. I won’t watch The Exorcist which deals with similar themes as the movies mentioned above. The Exorcist doesn’t turn away from the revolting horror, it stares it in the eye. It makes you look too, when you don’t want to. -and doesn’t let go. The same is true for Silence of the Lambs. But it doesn’t need to gross readers necessarily just to be scary.

Novels such as Dracula and Frankenstein reflected the time or era in which they were written. In Victorian times, darkly romantic fanged noblemen were scary because the society had different fears and beliefs about death than now. Those fears wouldn’t faze us today. Anne Rice made vampires intimidating and sexy. That is why the novels were successful. Today, writers like Suzanne Collins draw from what they view in the world today. We are more sophisticated now yet desensitized at the same time.

If you are interested in penning a horror story, I suggest the following tips: Get out of your own comfort zone. Change the environment where you write. Bring your writing pad, coffee, and lurk in a cemetery, visit a haunted location or a morgue, or research the folklore of your hometown. You might create something original, which can be helpful. Go on a trip to a quiet seaside town that has a paranormal history. Be safe as you explore new eerie cemeteries or towns. Getting out of your comfort zone breathes new life into your writing. Buy a tarot deck to inspire you, read dark poetry of a poet you never heard of.

Trust in yourself. If you’re fearful while writing the story, there’s a good chance your reader will be too. Pay attention to your dreams. Often dreams reflect our daily lives and what is hidden in our subconscious. Heed your insights and flashes of inspiration. I penned a dark novel based on a flash of inspiration that I would never have dreamed up otherwise. Learn all you can and be open minded. Then when you have created your villainous monster, you can make him or her or it the main character. Be true to your creation, your own monster. Your readers will recognize the true effort you put in.

We have global communication today. We can see the world events on the Internet. The Internet opened a window into the savage truth that we could be in the grip of an almost impending apocalyptic doom. Now that is scary.

The following books are helpful such as On Writing by Stephen King, On Writing Horror- the collection of essays by the Horror Writers Association, The Horror Writer by HellBound Books, Writing Monsters by Phillip Athans, and writing the Paranormal Novel- Techniques and Exercises by Steven Harper. These books go into real detail about writing about the paranormal. Within this genre, there is more freedom to create what you want whether that be a sparkly vampire, toothy werewolf, or chain rattling ghost.

After you read these books, highlight the advice, and incorporate the advice into your writing. For a good story about a ghoul of choice to be believed, it must be believable and written well. All stories benefit from good writing. Be consistent about the traits, superpowers, or awesome abilities your monster has. We all know vampires hate garlic and sleep in coffins, but maybe a coffin-shaped bookcase could be their nesting spot during the daytime.

Clean your writing/ office space. Light some sage and clean the energy to allow for the creative energies to flow unimpeded. Light a candle or incense. Play music that inspires you as you create your ghoul or axe-wielding maniac. Create a special playlist and soundtrack. Buy a new set of highlighters, pens, white out, a binder, paper, and a fresh bag of coffee. Do what it takes to make you commit to the writing for the long haul.

Keep a routine when you sit down to work on your story. Reach into the deepest darkest part of your imagination. Free write a scene of confrontation between your protagonist and your monster. Or the monster is the protagonist? These days your demon or ghoul needs to be ORIGINAL. Everything in the paranormal novel realm has been done … or has it? That part is up to you. Know your monster! Make it consistent and believable. It must be original. If you are seeking more inspiration, clip and keep newspaper articles. Read widely in your chosen genre. That will let you know what has already been written by other authors.

Allow yourself to imagine, you may invent something that no one has done before. That is a huge advantage in the field of writing and publishing. Being original and true to your monster is extremely important. The world wants to read a story that has never been written before. They do not want thirty knockoffs of It or The Babaduk. For example, I published a short story about pumpkins that can eat people. The vines can extend themselves and the pumpkins were toothy and bloodthirsty. Talk about a real twist on our favorite squashes!

The Horror Writers Association has helped me as a writer. There are many others out in this crazy world who crave a good horror story as much as I do and I don’t feel so alone. They prove readers still want to be scared.

Audiences and readers today have seen everything. A novel can be successful still, but writers must be unabashedly original to truly terrify their readers. Look at what is happening in society. The monsters of yesterday are not the monsters of today. It worked for Stephen King and Thomas Harris and with luck, it can work for you too. I hope you have enjoyed reading this. It might spark an idea or two and you would then be on your way to writing a Gothic novel like Northanger Abbey or something like the Pit and the Pendulum by Poe.

My writing has appeared in Ghosts, Spirits and Specters Volume 2, Samhain Secrets, Wax and Wane: A Gathering of Witchy Tales, One Night in Salem, Untimely Frost; Poetry Unthawed, One Hellacious Halloween Volume 1 by Horror Novel Reviews, The Dark Ones: Tales and Poems of the Shadow Gods, The Queen of the Sky who Rules over All the Gods: A Devotional Anthology in honor of Bast, Crone Newsletter Ezine, Eternal Haunted Summer Ezine, Witches and Pagans Magazine, Essential Herbal magazine, Circle Magazine, Naming the Goddess and Paganism 101. 

My blog can be found at: https://theparanormalquill.wordpress.com.

My Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ghosts.spiritsandapparitions

BB Spiderwitch

Links of interest: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1482843348577084

https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/best-vampire-movies-all-time/

 

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April 29, 2020 · 9:57 pm

Changes

Merry meet all,

I have been busy recently. I worked in my garden! I am excited about that. I have started lots of seeds in the jiffy peat pots- 72 in total. I am hoping to soon grow herbs and veggies. I bought a peat pot tray that holds 72 peat pots in total. I watered the pots which expanded. That was so exciting to me. Then I filled each small damp peat pot with seeds. I then left the tray in the dark for a f ew days. But today I checked on them and I thought I saw mold. I left the tray on my counter and removed the lid. I now have two tiny seedlings!! I think it is two tiny elecampagne seedlings or of yellow mustard. I am so excited. 

I cleaned my garden and planted peas in a planter. I left the planter outside but I left leaves on the surface to shield the seeds from the cold and birds. Tomorrow I will check on the seeds. Peas like the cold temperatures but there was snow. The frost date is soon. I won’t set out any more plants until the frost passes on May 8. My perennials are growing! It is so good to see my garden again. I am cheered by my garden despite this insufferable lockdown. 

Another bit of news that has cheered me is that Teamworks has funded a copyediting course for me. This is awesome. There is no way it would have been possible for me to take the course if they hadn’t funded it. They are also buying me the book The Chicago Manual of Style. I am ordering the Associated Press Style book. I can’t expect them to pay for everything. I also ordered a dictionary that the instructor of the course will refer to. 

I can finally get a job doing copy editing for people after this. I am so happy to finally be out from under. I have also bought and downloaded Scrivener. I received the benefit from the government because of the pandemic (which to me is such a hoax). That is my opinion. I am excited to work on my novel using the renowned Scrivener. I bought a printer and an external hard drive. 

I guess I can’t call myself a luddite anymore. No more commutes to the library or to my evil mother’s place for printing jobs. No more watching disrespectful teens get arrested who never learned how to shut their mouths. I can print finally from my own home. I am in more control now. It feels very very good. 

It feels so good to have a printer, which I bought at Walmart. They sell printers at Staples but it is too expensive. So I am happier these days. I can print from home if I need to instead of riding the bus to the library. I can have a coffee here instead of paying $3 every time or nearly every time I go there. No more of the depending on others. A thing of the past. 

I am participating in a free live training to learn Scrivener tomorrow! I look forward to it. I hope you have all been healthy and well. I hope this weird as fuck lockdown is over soon. It denies us our basic human rights. 

I also have all the fabric pieces I need to finish making my cosplay pattern- the nightfell herbalist costume. I have everything I need but there are still big changes I have to make before I sew the sleeves and skirt on. I can handle it though. I have a new sewing machine. !!

Spring is good despite this infuriating lockdown.

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch 

 

 

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February 22, 2019 · 6:31 pm

Why Horror

Greetings:

Why I like Horror

It’s cool. It’s seductive. It has a hold over us, like a spell, a tentacle that reaches out from the closet of our darkest dreams and pulls us in. Horror has worked its dark magic on readers and viewers since we sat around campfires and told each other stories to send chills down spines.

I like to write dark fiction. I began writing dark fiction unexpectedly. I found a market for it. I do like horror and have watched several horror movies. I study the horror movies as a way to learn how to write horror fiction.

I do not shrink from the dark side of life. I am drawn to it. I want to know what exists there, what lurks, what fears I have to conquer. I own a fake human skull, honor a dark goddess Hekate, visit cemeteries, sport black nail polish, wear skull earrings and rings, wear black and read writers like Poe and Shelley and Lovecraft. It is my life. I am a member of the Horror Writers Association.

Black draws energy in and invites spirits to interact with me. I am an aspiring paranormal investigator. But I have gotten a rap on the wrist a few times for my darker aspirations. I was criticized for wanting to write about the dark goddesses such as Hekate, wanting to include the dark gods in the tarot, or writing too darkly for some editor’s tastes. This is why I am a member of the Horror Writers Association. I feel like the association is a home, a retreat. I feel understood for why I do what I do. They understand me.

I just square my shoulders and keep typing. I just write for those who do appreciate my preferences. I keep a fake human skull on my desk or near my desk to inspire and remind me of my mortality. We as writers or artists have so much freedom within the genre to address issues or themes, especially within horror. We can demonize our fears in stories then turn away from it or stare it in the face, depending on how we feel. Stephen King faced his fears in his stories and pushed our fears in our faces, not allowing us to turn away unless we snapped the book shut or turned off the TV.

That is not why I write horror but it is a part of it. It draws me closer, it has an attraction, an animal magnetism. And now my boyfriend who is a true horror fan has refreshed the coal fire of my own love for horror. I have been writing more, sending my own writing out to editors more and watched more horror movies. The Shining was downright shocking and horrifying. I can live without ever seeing that movie again. I have read the novel twice.

Horror has enthralled people since we could sit around a fire and share stories. It continues to this day. I hope it shall bewitch and ensnare readers and viewers well into the future.

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

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June 8, 2018 · 9:10 am

How it’s done in the grave

 

Merry meet all,

A lot of people  have asked how I have managed a blog and have a blog page theme and so forth. I decided that I would write about how I have created my blog. I hope you all enjoy reading this post. I run the Pilcrow theme. There are a few theme options to design your WordPress available in the Appearance section on the left menu.

Basically, I never gave up on trying. If you want to have an excellent blog, never give up. You have to be willing to learn, to fail, to try and keep trying. You have to type when you are inspired and when you really really don’t want to. You have to be willing to be adaptable and learn new things. You have to be flexible and hard working. I have been blogging for years now. I have struggled through the whole steep learning curve and learned almost everything there is to know about blogging. I am sure I still have much more to learn.

WordPress is the best blogging site ever. I used to be on Blogger but one day my account was hacked. I transferred all my blog posts over to WordPress and the rest as they say is history. I have written under 1000 blog posts in total. I am dedicated to my blog. WordPress has tutorials and helpful help sites. The information for help on how to manage a blog on WordPress can also be googled online.

I try to think of a topic for my posts. I try my hardest to make it interesting. I like to include a photo with each post. I think a writer can cultivate their own style, their own voice. You will find your own voice after a while of writing. I sign each post and I use keywords to enable a viewer to find these posts easily. I write each post from my heart. WordPress has many helpful things to make writing posts easy for the writer such as adding photos, movie trailers, links to sites or writing your post all in bold (which I don’t recommend but anyway), or italics. You can schedule when a blog post will be published or have several posts published on a certain date. You can preview your posts before publishing them or save the drafts if you are too busy at the time of writing them.

If one day you are seated at your laptop, steaming java next to you, and you feel drops of blood dripping down on your face as you try to think of a topic. relax. By the way, never get your laptop wet. Instead, go on Google to see new ways of how to come up with blog posts topics. I’ve been faced with the same problem. Googling that has helped me greatly to get great blog topic suggestions. You could keep a list of blog post ideas on your desktop or update an old blog post. Ask your readers what they want to read. Give them no choice but to read your blog post. If a favorite movie of yours is coming soon to theaters, mention that. If a new occult store opened in your neighborhood, mention that. If a Sabbat is approaching, promote it to the world. Enter a major keyword of your proposed post topic on Twitter and see what results show from that to generate ideas. You might be surprised at how that can scare up good ideas.

It is good writing practice to write blog posts. Blogs are looked down on and don’t deserve that. Any writing practice you can get is still practice. I also found a theme for my blog. I thought of what I wanted to talk about what I was passionate about. That is how I came up with Paranormal & Witchy Fiction which reflects a huge passion in my life. The photo on my main blog page of the moon is one I took myself. I thought it was really cool and I put it on my blog. Since Paranormal and Witchy Fiction is a bit spooky, I added the photo to portray that. I love the spooky.

I added the About me page to show more information viewers might want to know about me. I included interviews with editors and testimonials from other people about my writing. One afternoon I saw another writer’s blog page of his writing bibliography and was seized with inspiration. I noticed that the pictures of the published books were thumbnail size. Next to the picture of the book was a small blurb. I immediately set out to create my own blog page of a bibliography of my published works. I posted a thumbnail size photo of my own published book of poetry or anthology and wrote a small and here was yet another thing to learn- small blurb of the book. Keep it brief and simple. I love how it looks now and I also learned how to add a hyperlink to the picture of each book. I also included a reviewer’s words about my writing at the top of the page. This draws the reader/s in and hopefully makes them want to read more.

There are so many things that WordPress lets you do to create an awesome award worthy blog site. You can control and enhance the appearance and the settings. After a while, if you have done a good job and worked hard, you may start to get comments on your blog. I keep the good comments and decide what I want to do with the rest of the comments. You can request feedback on your drafts before publishing them.  You can connect your blog site or posts to social media. When the post is published, it is immediately posted to Facebook, for example. Post your efforts on Google once or multiple times to get readers to create awareness of your blog posts. You have to promote your blog on your own. You have to be your own sleigh driver, so to speak. It is effort but over time, it is worth it. The blog site rewards come over time, this is not instant reward.

Media – I like to add photos to my posts as I mentioned above. I like to center the photo to attract the reader’s eye. I keep the photo size a reasonable size. I like that the photos are in color and I try to keep copyright in mind. I never want to be accused of stealing a picture but thankfully that has not happened yet. If I do add movie trailers that may be of popular interest, then I post that at the end of the blog post. That is also where I add links of interest for readers if they want more information on a topic or just for fun.

Be yourself when creating your blog. People like it when you demonstrate your passionate, whether it is soccer or drama. You could offer your readers a contest and offer fun prizes. Or book or movie reviews, or interviews with editors or even movie directors. The sky is the limit. Use your imagination and remember to have fun with it.

The reason why my blog posts are all in bold ( which I said don’t do earlier) is that I noticed that if the posts are in bold, they stand out more. I have the free WordPress account but you can pay for a WordPress blog. If you do, there are extra features offered such as getting to post in pdf. I use the standard format for my blog posts. I like to keep it simple. There are so many awesome features on WordPress. The only way to manage a blog is to slog through and learn all you can. Be fearless and creative. Let out that Lord Byron or Poe in you. Your blog may even inspire an idea for a novel or a book of poems. Many writers who write blogs often move on to successful writing careers.

One more thing: Learn how to proofread your own posts. You want to attract readers to your blog over and over again? Proofread. No one else will do it for you. Don’t write in cliches. Instead, cultivate your own voice. Use verbs and nouns. Learn where a prepositional phrase belongs. Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly. You could try using editing sites until you master editing and proofreading on your own. You can return to your blog post/s and edit them to  your satisfaction should you choose to.

I can’t emphasize enough how important proofreading is. It is what keeps viewers glued to your blog. That and great content and evidence of effort on your part.There are many other competing blogs out there. Over time, you will see how to keep them coming back to yours if you follow all these tips.  Good luck blogging!!!!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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December 13, 2017 · 4:22 pm

Magical Scribbles

Merry meet all,

Magical Scribbles

Writing about witchcraft is magical and hard work. Yes you can become a popular witchy writer. Establish a sacred writing space. Burn essential oils or incense as you write. Play soft music.

If you want to write about cauldrons, focus on its’ purpose, the significance of cauldrons, the lore of cauldrons. Write about how to clean a cast iron cauldron and how to burn incense, bark or resin in it. Or write about resin, incense and charcoal discs. Or the issue of safety and setting off smoke alarms.

Once you have polished the article, you need a market. I recommend reading the two books How to write for the New Age Market by Richard Webster and The Pagan Writers’ Guide by Melusine Draco. These books show you what to write and where to send your magical words. Some markets to write for are Eternal Haunted Summer Ezine, Sagewoman magazine and Witches and Pagans magazine.

The editors are swamped with writing related tasks. Write something basic to start with until you get a feel of how to write for them. My writing has appeared in anthologies and Ezines. Witchcraft is a mystery religion and the best way to know it is to live it. That is why many authors in this field get published in these types of markets.

The witchcraft and mind/body/spirit writing market mostly centers around non-fiction. The majority of the markets are in the United States and prefer non-fiction. An important question is what to write, why and for what audience. You are expected to know the difference between an athame and a besom, the Sabbats of Samhain and Beltane. In depth writing will grant you that coveted byline. They prefer that you share your research sources.

If you are aspiring to write a book on witchcraft, the best publishing companies are Llewellyn, Moon Books, Weiser Books and Avalonia Books. Avalonia publishes scholarly material like New Page books, Immanion Press and Inner Traditions. The best way to familiarize yourself is by reading what they publish. The pagan/ witchcraft publishing world is small. The editors are acquainted with each other. It is wise to cultivate a positive rapport with them.

Decide on the angle with your book or article. The market is replete with Wicca 101 books, witchcraft. Many authors are accomplished and have covered many subjects such as Christopher Penczak, Raven Grimassi, Laurie Cabot and Deborah Blake. Make your book unique and inspiring. They live what they write and lead magical lives. They have proven themselves to be authorities on what they write. If you do the same, you can achieve your dreams.

Keep track of where you send your writing and never give up. The most successful people are the ones who kept trying. When an editor expresses an interest in your writing, be ready.

The last stop on our broomstick ride is your perspective of witchcraft. To succeed in this market, have a reverence for witchcraft. To write for this market, you need to have an awareness for it and live it. Most of the editors and writers have a lot of experience and practice it regularly. They not only write it but live it fully and deeply.

Good luck with your efforts. Below is an example of an article for an Ezine. It demonstrates what type of article is accepted for publication. This article appeared in Crone Ezine in October 2012.

Grab your quills and magickal ink!! Get writing!!

Samhain is here. The last of the harvest is gleaned from the fields and frost glistens on ripe pumpkins. It is the time of year when the veil between the worlds is thinnest. Samhain is the Witches’ New Year and the time of the Crone.

Hekate is a crone goddess, one of the Triple Goddesses (Maiden, Mother and Crone.) She is the elder wise one who is relied on for her knowledge, wisdom and healing. Hekate is a guardian of the three-way crossroads and is portrayed as bearing the keys to the underworld, joined by a three-headed dog and surrounded by lit torches. She is associated with ghosts, the dark moon and magic. Animals that are sacred to her are black cats, ravens, owls, and wolves. This ritual is best done on any of the three nights of Samhain: October 30-November 1. (If you celebrate a “traditional” Halloween with trick-or-treaters or a party, November 1 is probably the best day for this solitary ritual.)

Prepare yourself by physically cleaning and purifying your home. Wash the dishes and sweep the floors, put the laundry away, and remove clutter and negative stale chi from your living space by smudging it with sage. Have a meditation bath to purify and prepare you, adding soothing essential oils such as lavender or frankincense to your bath.

Assemble your altar (if you don’t have a standing altar, you can prepare one on any flat space such as a chest of drawers or a table that you clear, clean and can decorate as you like. If you are expecting guests on Halloween you might want your altar to be in a private location such as a bedroom.) Decorate your altar area with items that correspond to Samhain such as chrysanthemums, mugwort, pomegranates, and pumpkins. Your altar cloth can be black and orange. Place pictures of departed loved ones on your altar. You will need four candles (black or orange), one placed at each cardinal direction (east, south, west, and north) of your altar.

You will also need a central candle to represent the Crone, a cup of liquid (ale is traditional, but apple cider will do) a cake, cookie, or other suitable food offering, and a bowl to put your offering in. If you like, carve a pumpkin and set it at a window to ward off the dark spirits, and to guide the spirits of the departed to your door. You may also want to burn spicy cinnamon, clove, rosemary, and/ or allspice incense.

Prepare a meal which you will eat (and share with your ancestors) during the ritual. If you will be honoring specific family members or friends that have passed over, it is appropriate to include a dish that that person particularly enjoyed in life in your meal). Foods that are seasonal in October (root vegetables, apples, nuts) are also appropriate, as is meat (if you are an omnivore) because Samhain marks the time when Celtic people traditionally slaughtered their excess livestock for food that could be preserved for the winter when plant life is dormant. Put a plate of food near (or on) your altar.

Now, be sure you will not be disturbed (put away your phone, lock your door) during the ritual and focus on centering yourself and maintaining a meditative attitude. Light the four black and orange candles (starting with the candle on the east corner and moving clockwise). Say aloud: “Hekate, goddess of death and renewal, on this Samhain eve, I do honor you, goddess of cronehood, the moon and the underworld. I implore you to hear my call. I need your guidance as I reach for spiritual growth.” State what you request whether that be a positive change in your life, a transition from a bad situation to a positive one or protection.

Light the central candle and put it near the offering bowl. Say: “I offer this flame to light our ancestors’ paths.” Dip the cake into the ale and put it in the offering bowl. Say: “I offer this food and drink to our ancestors tonight. May this food sustain you. Blessed be.”

Now sit down and eat your meal, putting some of it into the offering bowl for your ancestors. It is traditional to remain silent during this meal, listening in a meditative way so that the Crone goddess or ancestors can speak to you. (Meditating on the ancestor candle can help.) Be open to the messages that you may receive.

Once you have finished, thank your ancestors and the Goddess for their presence and blow out each of the candles one at a time, starting with the central candle and proceding counter-clockwise (the last quarter candle lit should be the first one extinguished.) Leave the offering bowl outdoors for the spirits and wildlife.

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

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