Archive for the ‘Living and Life’ Category

One Year Since “101 Facts About Stephen King” Came Out

Posted: July 20, 2020 in Living and Life, Novel
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Some of you who have been following me since last year may remember that, with all the marketing I was doing to promote Rose being published, I sponsored a YouTube video. As of today, it’s been a full year since that video came out. And you know what? It’s still as cool now as it was then.

So for those of you who don’t know, 101 Facts is a YouTube channel that uploads new videos once a week, each video giving–you guessed it–one-hundred and one facts about a particular subject (countries, upcoming movies and video games, the occasional major historical event, etc). And, like many YouTube channels, their videos are occasionally sponsored.

I got into contact with the 101 Facts team a few months before Rose was set to release, and, after a lot of emailing back and forth, they agreed to let me sponsor an upcoming video. I can’t remember if they already had it on their schedule before I contacted them, or if they just took one of my suggestions and decided to role with it, but the video I ended up getting to sponsor was 101 Facts about Stephen King (after all, what better video to sponsor than one about the author who made me want to write horror in the first place?).

There were several more emails, they showed me the promo they would give Rose in their video, and then a few weeks later, on July 20th, 2019, the video was released. And guess what? You can check it out below.

Pretty cool, huh? And in the year since it’s released, it’s gathered over two-hundred and twenty thousand views, more views than across either my YouTube or blogging platforms. I still watch it on occasion, especially when I’m writing or working on a blog post. And it’s still a bit of a shock to hear the host, Sam, say my name and talk about Rose in the video.

Speaking of which, thanks again to Sam, Chris, Georgia, and the crew over at 101 Facts for letting me sponsor them. It was really awesome to work with you guys, and I wish you nothing but the best with your videos, which are my favorite things to watch with my Saturday morning breakfasts.

Speaking of which, if you haven’t yet, you should check out their channel, linked here. They have a lot of informative content presented in a fun way. You might learn something you never knew on a topic you’re interested in.

And if you’re interested in reading Rose after watching the video above, I’ll include the links down below. If you do end up reading Rose, please tell me what you think of it. Positive or negative, I love reader reviews, and they help me out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. It’s my first day back at work today, so I better get to it. I promise I’ll have more to post soon. Until next time, stay safe and pleasant nightmares!

Rose: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible

Being an Author in a Pandemic: The 5th Annual Indie Author Book Expo in Des Moines, Iowa

Posted: July 14, 2020 in Living and Life, Reflections, Tales across the US
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From left to right: Charles Naylor, Joleene Naylor and myself, masked up in front of our hotel and ready to rock.

Hey, Followers of Fear! I didn’t think I would have a moment to let you guys know how I’m doing, but I ended up having some spare time in the airport while waiting to head to South Carolina. With that in mind, I thought I’d take a moment to update you guys on what I’ve been up to. Now obviously, I can’t update you on the Villisca Axe Murder House, not until I’ve had some time to upload my videos to YouTube. However, I can tell you about my time in Des Moines, and the book expo I attended.

I arrived in Des Moines on Friday at about three in the afternoon, and took an Uber to the airport, where I met with my friend and colleague Joleene Naylor and her husband/my friend Charles Naylor. We went out to dinner at a themed burger joint called Zombie Burger (and yes, it looks just like you’d expect. See my Instagram for photos). We then spent some time driving around Des Moines and seeing the sights.

But it was the next day that was on our minds, as well as the reason why we were there: the 5th annual Indie Author Book Expo.

We arrived Saturday morning for the first day of the Expo at the Valley West Mall in Des Moines. We were located in a wide-open area on the first floor near a children’s area, with several tables spread around the area. I found my table, which was hidden in the shade of the second floor balcony and right bny two stores called Buckle and University Sports, and set my stuff down before introducing myself to Jenn Thompson, the woman who let me come to the Expo in the first place. After that, I got my booth set up and waited for 11, when the stores and the Expo would begin.

My table at the Indie Author Book Expo. Thanks to Joleene Naylor for the photo.

Some observations about the Expo:

-First, I need to work on my display. My table was the most bare-bones of the authors. I had my copies of Rose, one of which was on a stand; a Tarot deck; and a homemade sign stating my prices. Meanwhile, look at Joleene’s below.

Joleene’s booth at the Expo.

Holy crap! She’s got intricate displays, a tiered-display with pet vampire rocks and bottles of vampire blood on it, candy dishes filled with freebies! Plus a banner and a few other odds and ends! And many of the other authors had other additions to their booths: big banners that went behind their booths for photos, cheap little bobs and bits for sale to go with the books you buy, etc. And Joleene mentioned that at other expos and conventions she’s been at, people have used prize wheels, raffles, and more to entice readers. In fact, she usually uses selfie banners so people can take photos of themselves with vampire fangs (not something to do in this day and age, but still).

Seeing all that made me realize that, in future expos and fairs and conventions, I will need to step up how I display and sell my work to draw in more people. I’m not sure how, seeing as Rose and my other works don’t necessarily lend themselves to little toys or raffle wheels or whatever. But I have a year before my next scheduled convention (assuming COVID-19 doesn’t cancel that as well). I have time to think of something.

And if you have any suggestions, my Followers of Fear, I would love to hear them.

-Second, COVID-19 had its effect on the expo. As you can see in the photos, Joleene and I are wearing masks, and obviously we took our time and effort to keep ourselves and others safe. But the pandemic took its toll on the expo, to be sure. Most of the people who would go out of their way to attend an expo with authors at a mall are also the type who would not want to risk getting the virus, so they stayed home. That meant the mall was filled with mostly employees and people who were there to pick up what they came for and leave. Which made our job of getting books and other products into their hands that much more difficult.

And it was under those circumstances the expo began. The first day did not go as well as I’d hoped. Not only had I left my cloak at the hotel room, but given what I said above, it was hard as hell to sell books. I only sold one copy of Rose near the end of the day, plus a couple of Tarot readings. I got a lot of people passing by or saying no, including one guy who said he and his wife were moving to Malaysia and were downsizing by fifty percent. I’m not sure if that was just a line or the truth, but man, that was a strong rejection!

The second day, Sunday, on the other hand, actually went much better. I don’t know if it was remembering my cloak this time or the stars were right, but I sold about three copies of Rose and did a few more Tarot readings. Overall, a successful day. My favorite part was giving a young woman a Tarot reading about something close to her heart. Apparently the reading was very accurate to her life, and she liked what she heard in terms of what might be in the future for her. It made my day to give her a reason to smile and hope for the future.

I’d say, despite all the barriers up against us, the Expo was, at least for me, was a success. Sure, I didn’t make back everything I put down for this, very few can,* but I still sell some books and met some new readers. For me, that’s a success. A bigger one than the Bexley Local Author Festival last year, even.

Plus, I got to buy some art from Jenn’s daughters and made some new connections with other writers, so that’s a plus.

Thanks to Jenn Thompson for allowing me to come out for the Expo, and thanks to Joleene and Charles for all the help they gave me. Hope we can do it again someday.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I don’t know when I’ll be back again, but I’m sure I’ll have plenty to talk about when I do log onto WordPress again. Until next time, stay safe, watch out for the giant flying sheep, and pleasant nightmares!

A Rebuke of JK Rowling’s Transphobia

Posted: July 7, 2020 in Living and Life, Reflections, Social Activism
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I’ve kept silent on this matter long enough. Maybe I’ve kept silent so long because, while it made me angry, I wasn’t yet angry enough to post about it on my social media. It was enough for me to let my views be known through the stories I write and the way I conduct myself. However, I think I’ve been silent long enough. I need to speak and to let the world know what I’m thinking.

If you weren’t aware, JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novels, has over the past two months voiced problematic views on the transgender community through her social media. I won’t go into a full breakdown of events, you can find that in plenty of articles online, but I will summarize a few major points. Since June, she has: criticized an article that used the phrase “people who menstruate,” meant to include trans men and non-binary individuals; said use of above phrase was “erasing the concept of sex” and “the reality of women globally;” spread misinformation about transgender individuals, including that allowing transgender women to use the bathroom of their choice was giving men license to step into women’s bathrooms and assault them; and on Sunday, equated hormone therapy to gay conversion therapy.

It’s this latest piece of news that has pushed me to speak. I have had the pleasure of being friends and occasionally even colleagues who are trans. None of the above stuff is true of them, or of the trans community at large. Furthermore, as a bisexual man, I am disgusted that Rowling would compare medication that allows trans people to feel more comfortable in their own bodies to a practice that makes members of the LGBT community hate, deny and repress their true selves in favor of someone else’s very narrow worldview on sex and gender.

But I’m not going to talk about all that. I’m going to instead join all the voices who have come out against Rowling’s views. This includes members of the writing community, some of whom I consider colleagues and friends, others I consider role models and teachers; most of the cast of the Harry Potter films; and an overwhelming section of the Harry Potter fandom. What we have to say is this: we are disappointed that Rowling, whose books have always espoused equality and understanding, would support these views, let alone use her platform to influence and possibly turn her fans against the trans community. And while we differ on how we’ll interact with the world of Harry Potter, which is so intertwined with its creator as to be almost inseparable–some are severing their relationship with the franchise, while others are saying they will continue to enjoy Harry Potter while avoiding giving money or other support to Rowling, etc.–we are united and committed to not letting hate go unpunished.*

To be honest, I’m saddened that it has come to this. It’s because of Harry Potter and JK Rowling that I started writing fiction in the first place. You may not have ever heard of me (at least not in the context of a writer) if it hadn’t been for the Wizarding World and what it did for me as a child. I owe Rowling a debt for that, and I’ll always be grateful for the effect she had on my life.

However, I am against all forms of prejudice, including but not limited to racism, antisemitism, sexism, Islamophobia, ableism, ageism, homophobia and, of course, transphobia. I’ve seen the effects of what these prejudices have on people and it disgusts me. My day job allows me to combat these problems within the workforce, something I’m quite proud of. And I won’t stand idly by as an author with a major platform uses theirs to hurt others because of their own prejudice.

And to Ms. Rowling, if you’re reading this, I’m afraid that this is, to quote Albus Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge, “the parting of the ways.” I will always be grateful to you and to your creation, as I said. But I can’t stand by your views or support your work. Losing me won’t hurt you in the slightest. But if it makes you think, or makes someone else think about how vulnerable the trans community is, or if it helps a trans person feel less alone in a scary world, then it’ll be worth it. With that, Ms. Rowling, I let you go.

Thank you for reading this, everyone. I know this isn’t my normal sort of post, but I had to write it. Thanks for reading. And while I was planning on doing a late-night writing session, I think I’m tuckered out and will hit the hay instead.

Goodnight, Followers of Fear. Until next time, stay safe and pleasant nightmares.

*I know this post may upset some of my Followers of Fear, and they may not want to follow me or read my works anymore. If that’s the case, I’m sad to see you go, but I wish you the best and hope we can someday meet on common ground. And if you decide to get rid of my books, please do so in a manner that doesn’t burn down your house or something crazy like that. I know burning them seems fun, but is it worth your home and life?

A Book Expo, A Haunted House, and Some Friends: My Summer 2020 Travel Plans

Posted: June 27, 2020 in Living and Life, Tales across the US
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It’s hard to imagine, in the midst of this pandemic, that I have travel plans. In fact, I was SURE around March that these plans would be canceled. But, by accident and chance or by the grace of the Overarching Entity who runs this dimension, I’m doing some traveling very soon. And, as I have in years past, I’m telling you about it. Especially since there might be a chance to run into me.

Let me explain: next month, I will be traveling to Iowa and South Carolina. In Iowa, I will be visiting my good friend and fellow author Joleene Naylor, whom you’ve probably seen around the blog, as well as her husband Charles Naylor, whom you probably haven’t seen around the blog. While we’re together, we’re going to be doing some pretty cool stuff.

One of those things (and this is the part where you should pay attention), is to attend the 5th Annual Indie Author Book Expo in West Des Moines, Iowa. Specifically, we’re going to be selling books as authors. I’ll be hawking copies of Rose, of course, and Joleene will be likely selling copies of her Aramanthine vampire series. That, and there will be a whole bunch of other authors there selling wares, so you should totally come! It’s Saturday and Sunday, July 11th and 12th, from 10 AM – 6 PM on Saturday and 11 AM – 5 PM on Sunday at the Valley West Mall in West Des Moines (which is somehow both part of Des Moines and its own separate city). Come on by if you can, take some photos, get a signed copy of Rose, and maybe find some other reads to check out.

We will also be, along with two friends of Joleene and Charles, staying overnight at the Villisca Axe Murder House! That’s right, I’m staying overnight at another haunted location, and it’s another with a history of axe murder! And this time, I’m bringing friends and a GoPro along with my dowsing rods, and hopefully we’ll see some paranormal activity and catch it on video. Videos to be uploaded as soon as I can upload them.

After those adventures, I’ll be heading out to South Carolina to see my friend Ramsey Hardin, who you might remember from my New Year’s YouTube video (oh, such innocent days, when we thought 2019 couldn’t get any worse and 2020 would be full of happiness and joy! I miss those days). We’ll spend some time around his hometown, and then we’ll go to Charleston for a couple of days to explore some museums, enjoy the beach, and go on a ghost tour at night (because of course I would arrange for that! And yes, we will be taking video. Hopefully we’ll catch something cool). Should be a ton of fun.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to my trip and am gathering everything I’ll need. If you’re able to come to the expo, I hope you do. I would love to see you. And if you’re not able to be there but want to see me in Charleston or something…maybe. You may have to email well in advance and take precautions against COVID-19, though. Just saying.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. There’s a horror movie calling my name, so I’m going to put that on. Until next time, pleasant nightmares!

My Relationship with Going to the Movie Theaters

Posted: June 27, 2020 in Living and Life, Reflections
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Earlier today, someone in a movie-themed Facebook group I belong to asked when the last time other members were carded before going to see an R-rated movie (if you don’t know, in the US anyone under 17 can’t see an R-rated movie without an accompanying adult). I laughed and commented that I didn’t start seeing R-rated films in theaters until I was in college, and my student ID came with the assumption that I was already over 17. So unless you count my Student ID as being carded, I never got carded at a theater.

This made me realize something: when I told people offline about my history with going to the movies, they always react with amazement. Sometimes, given how many people still turned out to see movies in the theaters before the pandemic, it amazes me, such as the carded story. And then I realized I never told that story to my blogging audience, who would probably appreciate it the most.

So since this weekend is upon us, let me tell you about my odd history of going to the movies, and why I will likely start going again once it’s safer to do so.

First thing you should know is, until I was off at college, the most I got to go to the movies was a few times a year. It was a treat for me. There are probably several reasons for this. My parents were raising four kids and holding down full-time jobs that didn’t always hold to the normal nine-to-five. We had plenty of free movies from the libraries we patronized, as well as from video stores when those were popular and later streaming services like Netflix. Any theater I would want to go to would require a ride, which wasn’t always on hand). And perhaps I just didn’t beg enough to go see movies I was interested in, though I’m not sure how effective asking repeatedly would’ve been.

Still, we did go to see every Harry Potter movie in theaters when they came out. I did on occasion get to see the new superhero film or book adaptation or whatever when I wanted, especially for birthday parties or if I was invited out by friends, or once or twice my folks had something to do nearby and knew I would be bored senseless if I was dragged along (one time I was even dropped off to watch an action film while my sisters went to see something that was more their speed. I was really happy about that arrangement). And of course, having two sisters who were five and seven years younger than me, I got to see a lot more kids films than I care to admit.

That being said, I did miss out on seeing a lot of films I really wanted to see in theaters. And occasionally, I did feel like I was missing out. When Paranormal Activity came out, and everyone was raving about it, how it was a revolution in horror movies (and for a while, it was), I was sad because I knew I wouldn’t see it in theaters. There was no way in hell I could get my folks to agree to take me to see it, and I would need them. After all, I was only sixteen at the time.

Then college came around, and the nearest theater was only a twenty minute walk from the dorms and later the apartment where I lived. I started going regularly, paying attention to releases. And at some point, I realized that not only was going opening weekend a rush, but it was something I’d been waiting to do my whole life. I was addicted.

Wish I could hop on the TARDIS right now. Then I could see all the movies on opening weekend I want to. Even the ones that have been delayed due to COVID-19.

Even after I moved away from campus, I would go out of my way to see new movies. And then when I moved into my current apartment and learned there was another theater even closer than the ones I went to previously, I went there, taking two buses and nearly two hours to get one way and the other, no matter the weather. And when I got my car? Hoo-boy, did life get good! Now, every movie was only a twenty-minute drive away, no matter the theater I had to go to. It was a blast.

It’s been four months since I’ve been able to sit in a theater, when I saw The Invisible Man (and found it to be average). I miss it. Yeah, occasionally you have to deal with high ticket and food prices, other patrons checking their phones or bringing their babies or otherwise being noisy. And occasionally, when you ask those people to not be so distracting, they threaten you with violence (happened to me once, I did not appreciate it).

But I also enjoy sitting with like-minded viewers right before a big horror or superhero film, that rush of emotions when something amazing or terrifying or heartwarming happens, and the thoughts going through my head as I write my review in my head. I miss the experience that goes with seeing a film opening weekend.

So when it’s safe to do so, I hope to go again, and experience all that again. In fact, I probably will. It’s hard to keep me from a good horror film or superhero film anyway (and I have the eyewitness accounts and court trials to prove it).

Do you miss going to the movies, Followers of Fear? Will you go when the theaters reopen again? 

There’s Never Enough Time

Posted: June 22, 2020 in ideas, Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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I’ve mentioned on this blog more than a few times that I make sure to write down my ideas on Word documents. This way I don’t forget them. I have a few separate lists to store these ideas, depending on the kind of idea it is. One list is just for ideas that will likely be short stories or novelettes (assuming they don’t end up evolving into something longer). And today, I had three new ideas for stories, which I made sure to put on that list. This brings that list up to a thousand ideas.

You read that right. A thousand ideas. Some good, some bad. Some are very short, and others will end up longer than most novelettes. Some are horror or dark fantasy, others are science fiction or regular fantasy, or some other form of speculative fiction. A few are erotica, because as I said in that video yesterday, I think there’s an art to writing a story where the story is told through sex. It’s something I might want to try someday.

I’m not stating this to brag. I’m just stating a fact. And you know what? I’ll never write most of them. There’s just never enough time.

It’s the sad truth of writing. We creatives have many ideas over the course of our lives. But rarely, especially in the world of writing fiction, do we get to tell all of them. Hell, I doubt even big names authors like King get to work on all the ideas he has. But it’s especially hard for those of us smaller names. We work day jobs, pay bills, run errands, eat, socialize, try to stay healthy, and try to sleep enough to function the next day. And in-between all that, we carve out time to write.

I said a lot of this when I had my five-hundredth idea, almost exactly five years ago today (what a coincidence). In fact, I’ll say again what I said in that post (which you can click here to read): Time’s a quick bastard. And it’s all we can do to keep it with us so we can get the best of your work down on paper. And maybe then edited and perhaps even published.

There’s enough time in the day for this.

And how can you tell from the trove of your ideas which ones are worth spending time on? Hard to say. Usually I can tell from the idea phase, but occasionally I write a first draft and I realize this story is crap, why did I ever try to write it? I guess the best thing to do is just to go with your gut. If you’re really passionate about a story, it’ll show in the writing and in the story, and you’ll be able to work on it over and over again, until you’re able to share it with others (hopefully, anyway).

Well, I’m going to get back to an idea I think might be worth working on. I just wanted to talk about some of the things that went through my mind as I started nearing a thousand ideas. And I wanted to talk about something other than Rose for once.

Speaking of which, tomorrow is the last day to buy the ebook version of Rose at a discount price (I couldn’t help myself). So if you want to check out the Kafkaesque fantasy-horror story of a young woman turning into a plant creature (and that’s just the start of her problems), now’s a good time to do so. I’ll include the links below, including for the paperback and audio book. And if you end up checking out the book, leave a review and let me know what you thought of it. Helps me out in the long run, and it’s nice to hear what you think.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, pleasant nightmares!

Rose: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible

“Rose:” One Year Since Publication!!!

Posted: June 21, 2020 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Today is a very special occasion. Yes, it’s Father’s Day, and I’ve already put something out on Facebook about that. But on a personal level, it’s important to me because one year ago today, on June 21st, 2019, my novel Rose was released. It was my first novel with a publisher, and a story I spent more time on than I had any other story, so it was a huge deal seeing it come out.

And since then, quite a lot has happened. Reviews, the audio version, readings and book events, COVID-19, and so much more. And today, June 21st, 2020, I’m celebrating the first anniversary of the book.

For those of you who don’t know, Rose follows Rose Taggert, a young woman who undergoes a stunning transformation into a human/plant hybrid. As those around her react to her transformation, some aren’t all they seem to be, leading to a desperate fight for survival. It’s a dark, Kafkaesque fantasy-horror story, and it’s been well-received by readers, averaging a 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon (and that’s just the US site).

Obviously, I’m doing quite a bit to celebrate the one-year anniversary (besides breaking out the beer, I mean). First off, there’s a sale for Rose going on right now, and I’ll get into that more in a bit. But also, as many of you know, I invited readers to submit questions for a Q&A I would be filming and posting to YouTube. I filmed that video a few days ago, and it premiered this morning (which I slept through despite my best efforts. God, I was tired). If you would like to check out the video, I’ve embedded it down below.

 

What did you think? I did a few new things with this video, including adding background music at certain parts and filming the video in small sections so as to make filming and editing a bit easier.

Anyway, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the one-year publishing anniversary of Rose. As I said, and as this nifty little banner from Castrum Press, Rose‘s publisher, makes clear, the book is on sale. Specifically, the e-book is on sale through Tuesday. So if you would like to download the e-book, now’s a really good time to do it. Of course you can always check out the paperback and audio formats, those are still available as well.

And if you do end up reading Rose, please leave a review and let me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and reviews help me out in the long run by encouraging new readers to maybe check out the book.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll leave links down below for those who want to check out Rose. In the meantime, I’ll hopefully have a few posts out later this week not related to Rose but still just as interesting. Until then, happy reading, stay safe, and pleasant nightmares!

Rose: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible

Rose: Ebook on Sale Now!!!

Posted: June 19, 2020 in Living and Life, Novel
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Yes, it’s another Rose post. And guess what? You haven’t seen the last one of these this month!

Anyway, as you can tell by the lovely banner up above that Castrum Press has provided, the ebook version of Rose is on sale right now. Specifically, it’s on sale between today, June 19th, and Tuesday, June 23rd. Only 99 cents here in the US, and 99 pence over in the United Kingdom. And yes, this is in honor of Rose‘s one-year publishing anniversary on Sunday. How did you guess?

Anyway, this is a great opportunity to check out Rose if you haven’t already, and you enjoy reading ebooks. And even if you don’t, I’ll include links below so you can check out other formats and maybe read some reviews. And if you do end up reading Rose, please leave a review and let me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. Not to mention, your reviews tell other people whether or not they should read the book. Now that’s power!

As for the YouTube Q&A, that’s all set to go this Sunday morning at 11 AM Eastern Standard Time (unless I screwed up setting the premiere time, which is always a possibility). I’ll be sure to post it here so you all can see it when it comes out. In the meantime though, there’s a good chance of a blog post between now and then from me, so keep an eye out for it.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Hope you enjoy reading Rose. And until next time, stay safe and pleasant nightmares!

Rose: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible

Rose 1-Year Publishing Anniversary Q&A: Deadline is Tomorrow!!!

Posted: June 16, 2020 in Living and Life, Novel, Writing
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I promise, this is the last reminder post. Please get your finger away from the unsubscribe button and tell your partners to please put away the torches and pitchforks. It’ll take a lot more than that to get rid of me, anyway.

As I’ve been telling people for about a month now, the one-year publishing anniversary of my novel Rose is only five days away, on June 21st. The novel, for those of you who haven’t read it, is a Kafkaesque fantasy-horror about a young woman who finds herself transformed into a plant/human hybrid. As people in her life react to the changes, she finds out one or two of them aren’t who they seem to be, leading to a desperate fight for survival.

And you thought your life was tough!

Anyway, since the anniversary is just a few days away, I thought it would be fun to do a Q&A on my YouTube channel. And guess what? You, the Followers of Fear, get to submit the questions!

Just send an email to my email address, ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com, with your name, where you’re from, and up to two questions, and your questions may end up in the video. HOWEVER, you have to send them in by noon tomorrow, June 17th. Otherwise, your questions won’t make it into the video. Sorry, just the way it is.

But guess what else? If you submit questions and you’re from the US or UK, you may be eligible for a download code for the Rose audio book! I’d submit just for that, if I wasn’t running the damn thing.

I look forward to receiving those emails. And I look forward to hearing what you have to say when the actual video comes out. Look forward to it!

And in the meantime, if you haven’t read Rose yet and that summary and cover up above got you interested, I’ll include links down below. Or you can buy a signed copy from me by sending me an email. And if you do read the book, leave me a review and let me know. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback and it helps me out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time (whenever that is), pleasant nightmares!

Rose: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible

Can You Write a Post-COVID-19 Story During The COVID-19 Pandemic?

Posted: June 6, 2020 in ideas, Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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Recently, I saw a couple of people on my social media mention that they’re writing stories taking place at the tail end of or during the COVID-19 pandemic. You know, the pandemic we’re dealing with now and which we’re still far from out of the woods of? This intrigued me, especially when I realized I could incorporate the pandemic into one of the stories I wanted to work on this year, if I set it after the pandemic was over!

Out of curiosity, I consulted my writer friends on if you can write such a story. And if so, how you go about doing it. Nearly everyone said that yes, you can write a story set after our current crisis. A few even had advice to give me, while at the same time warning me that there’s going to be “a glut of COVID-19 stories” and I should be careful what I put out. One person mentioned that I should market the story as science fiction, seeing as it will take place in the future. Another suggested that I keep the story for a while, at least until the pandemic is actually over. That way, I can edit it if I get my predictions on what will happen wrong.

The best advice, I think, was that a good author will take notes. Remember when certain things happen, look up those things if you can’t, and try to note details that might come in handy in building the world.

As to other practical advice, I guess you should just write a story that you would write.

Yeah, I got nothing else. Sorry, but I’ve only written one story that takes place during the early days of the pandemic, and I’ve never written a story that takes place after the pandemic. I’m going to try with my next story, which obviously means I’m not going to post advice before I do.

So, I’ll be doing what every writer should do: writing the stories only they can write. I think I have a unique view on a certain aspect of our current pandemic and how it can translate into a short horror story. I’m working on an outline, and afterwards, I’ll work on that story. I’m not sure if it’ll be any good, but at least I’ll have tried. And given how stressful our current day and age is, it might prove therapeutic.

Write the story you’re going to write. Even if it takes place after the pandemic.

In summary, if you have an idea of a story that takes place after the COVID-19 pandemic, feel free to write and explore it. It’ll take some work, and you may have to change some things depending on how events play out, but only you can write this story. Might as well try it for that reason alone.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Remember, the one-year publishing anniversary of Rose is coming up, and you have the opportunity to submit questions for a YouTube Q&A. Just send an email to ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com with your name, where you’re from, and up to two questions before noon on June 17th, and they may appear in the video. Not only that, but anyone who submits from the US and UK may be eligible for a download code for the Rose audio book.

In the meantime, I’ve got dinner to make and evening plans to get to. Until next time, stay safe and pleasant nightmares!

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