I know, I know. And just a few days ago, I was talking about how much I was looking forward to going. But today I got an email to call the airline, and when I called, they said they and their international partners were canceling all flights into Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future. This is the second airline to cancel on me. And while I could keep searching, it just feels like I’d just set myself up for more disappointment. So, I canceled.
Again, sucks. And I was really looking forward to going to my friend’s wedding and seeing the country for the first time in nearly fifteen years.
On the bright side, I’m planning on going as soon as things calm down. Don’t know when that’ll happen, but I’ll go. And not hell nor high water will keep me from going! Especially if, by then, I have a lot of vacation time and money saved up. I WILL visit my people’s homeland again someday!
Still, sucks.
On a brighter and more immediate note: a friend and colleague messaged me out of the blue yesterday about joining her and some friends at GalaxyCon Columbus. It’s a convention for fans of anime, gaming, comics, TV, and everything else you can think of, and it’s quite expensive to get a table at. My colleague and some of her friends went in together on a table. However, one of my colleague’s friends dropped out, meaning they needed an extra author at the table (apparently they’re all horror or speculative fiction writers).
And guess whom my colleague reached out to?
Happy Krampusnacht!
A convention, especially a popular one like GalaxyCon Columbus, might just be the thing I need. New readers, new sales, and possibly a run-in with some major celebrities? Yeah, I’m in. And while it’s short notice, if any of you are in the Columbus area and planning on being at the convention, please come find me. I would love to see you, do a Tarot reading for you, or give you a nice, new book. (So long as you pay for it, of course.)
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. It’s getting late and I have sugar-free brownies I want to indulge in. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of updates for you soon. Until then, good night, pleasant nightmares, and Happy Krampusnacht.
Yes, that’s tonight. And believe me when I say, I hope many, many people get whacked on the butt with a bundle of sticks, because many, many people deserve it.
Well, we’re officially in December. 2024 ends in just 29 days. I would say thank God, but I’m not convinced 2025 will be much better. Still, gotta be optimistic. Gotta keep plugging along. Gotta keep making plans, writing stories, and making things in my mind into realities.
And that’s what I’m doing now. Making plans, writing stories, and making them into reality.
First, my Israel trip. That’s fast approaching. And assuming the ceasefire with Hezbollah holds and nothing else happens, I should still be able to go. It’s been nearly a decade and a half since I was last there, so I’m really hoping things calm down a bit and move towards resolution.
In the meantime, I’ve started on the second draft of The Shape of Evil, AKA the 3D printer from Hell story. In fact, I’m already a fourth of the way through the draft! I’m averaging a chapter every time a night, starting from the night before Thanksgiving. Considering that it took me six months to get through the first draft, moving through the book this fast is a dream come true! I might be done well before I fly out later this month.
I hope so, anyway. When I started thinking up this story, and I realized that my three main characters would each have a disability, with the lead being non-binary, I felt this story would be important. And after the events of last month, I feel like this book could be timely. No, it is timely. And I’m determined to get it in the best shape so that when I pitch in June, I can find a home for it sooner rather than later.
Me every evening, working on the next big thing.
And after the second draft is done? Well, whether I go on my trip or not, I have a plan. I’ll find a beta reader/sensitivity reader for The Shape of Evil, and then work on three goals: writing a bunch of new short stories; editing three novellas; and putting out a new collection in the spring. The first two, I’ll be switching on-and-off working on. First a new short story or novelette, then one of the novellas I worked on earlier this year. Then another short story, then another novella, and then…well you get the idea.
With any luck, I’ll be able to start shopping these novellas I’ve written as a collection at some point, while also have a bunch of shorter stories to submit to every publication I can find.
As for the new collection, I’ll start in January or February by announcing the title, revealing the cover and release date, and getting the marketing machine rolling. I’m honestly very excited for you to learn more about this collection. I have a very good feeling about it.
Looking forward to doing this next year!
And if all goes well…who knows? Maybe I’ll somehow find more time for writing and even–finally!–get back to writing my mummy novel, Crawler. Yeah, I know, I know. I keep saying I will, and then something puts it further down the To Do list. But I will get it done. You’ll see. I’m making it a goal.
In the meantime, if you would like to support me while I work on all these projects, or if you’re in the mood for something scary to read, or if you’re looking for a good gift for the horror fan in your life, why not consider getting one of my books? Not only would it be a great gift for yourself or for someone you know, but you’d be giving me a gift as well.
Besides, plant/human hybrids? Strange gods? Mafia hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses? I got something for every horror fan, including free stuff! So, why not check them out? I’ll leave a button for my Books page below. Look and see what calls to you.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to at least try to start on the next chapter of The Shape of Evil (as I recall, this next one is rather long). Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Every year, I do this post. Every year, you guys seem to like it. I imagine it’s because I make sure to get good graphics for it. Anyway, with only 36 days and a few hours left in 2024 (yeah, where did this year go?), it’s time for my annual assessment of the year and what I hope will happen in the coming year.
And let’s start by being honest: 2024 was a shitty year.
Yeah, I had hoped roaring at it like a tiger would make the year too scared to fuck with me, but I think it either got mad at me or my roar had no effect. Either way, this year sucked. The war in Ukraine continues on, with no sign of an end anytime soon; the war in the Middle East continues, and that’s not likely to end anytime soon soon, either; the 2024 presidential election ended in a way most people in the world feared it would; riots occurred in England in response to a stabbing in Southport; several countries experienced unrests, coups, and God only knows what else; hurricanes pounded the US and other nations mercilessly; prices have continued to rise on necessities like food, gas, and housing; and do I need to go on?
Overall, a rough year.
Granted, there were some nice things that happened this year. From July till earlier this month, I felt intense hope for the future of our nation thanks to a certain leader whom I hope we haven’t seen the last of. And the solar eclipse, as well as the northern lights being seen farther south than usual, was cool (I only saw one of those, but still cool). But all in all, it was a really shitty year.
On a personal level, yeah, 2024 was also quite shitty at times. The return to the office three days a week at my workplace had a ripple effect which caused my office’s workload to triple, leaving us stressed and struggling to stay on top of it. As a result, several times my performance suffered, which has had far-reaching consequences. I was unable to get Hannah and Other Stories into paperback, which was a major goal for me this year, and because of the economy and some other factors, I did not do as well at certain events as I expected. I was diagnosed with diabetes in August, which was a huge upset for me and has required me to make major adjustments to my lifestyle (don’t worry, I’m doing okay, but it still sucks); and it looks like my trip to Israel is in jeopardy because every airline is cancelling flights into the country due to the war (God forbid I get to visit my people’s homeland!).
Yeah, it’s been bad. I had to actually start attending therapy due to the huge amount of crap and stress I’ve been through this year. And I doubt I’m the only one.
Life was rough, but at least I got some good writing done this year.
Still, there were some highlights, and I try to focus on them:
I wrote some of the best stuff I’ve ever written this year, including a new novel, The Shape of Evil, which I plan to pitch at StokerCon next year; my first adaptation, a radio play of “Hannah” from Hannah and Other Stories, was released on Halloween (you can check that out here); my short story, “White Leaves” was released on the same day on the Tales to Terrify podcast (you can listen to that here); and despite underperforming at certain events, I did very well at others, and will probably make a profit this year instead of a loss.
Also, I started work on a new collection, and I plan to put it out in spring next year. More to come on that later.
Outside of writing, my health has improved thanks to all the changes I’ve made in my lifestyle; I’m still in a well-paying job that allows me to cover my expenses (and hopefully I’ll stay in the job or something similar until I’m able to write full time); I was able to do some traveling and even visited a few haunted locations; I had a couple of vacations over the year that were really restful and relaxing; my sister got married, and we got to do a little celebrating with her and the new in-laws; I got two new, really awesome tattoos; and I might still be able to travel to the Holy Land later this year.
So yeah, shit year, but I still have things to be thankful for (and right before Thanksgiving, too).
And what will happen in 2025? Well, like I said, I plan to release another collection and pitch The Shape of Evil to agents and editors at StokerCon (expect me to start editing later this week); hopefully I’ll get some more stories written and published, and maybe even (finally!) get back to writing my mummy novel Crawler; I’ll be seeing some amazing Broadway shows and a few ballets; hopefully I’ll get closer to writing full time; I plan to get another tattoo in the spring; and maybe I’ll do some more traveling. I do want to go back to Vegas or New Orleans again, if I can afford them, or even go abroad.
And I expect I’ll be resisting certain things from our incoming government, but sadly, life can’t be trouble free.
In any case, I hope 2025 comes with the resolution of certain world conflicts, and that any new troubles are mild compared to what they’ve been these past few years.
How was your 2024? And what are you hoping or expecting for 2025? Let’s discuss in the comments below.
One more thing, my Followers of Fear: as you know, the holiday season is upon us. And if you’re looking for some good horror to read, or you’re looking for a gift for that horror-loving friend in your life, why not try some of my books? From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan. I’ll leave a button below so you can check out my bibliography.
And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know what you thought. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps other readers, as well.
And until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.
If you haven’t noticed, the year is ending soon. And there are some things I’ve been wanting to talk or share with you (especially if you’re not on my other social media) before the year ends. The problem is, I didn’t think any of them on their own were worth putting out a blog post for. However, then I had a thought: why not just combine all the random topics into one big post?
As you can see from the presence of this post, I went through on that dangerous idea, so let’s get to it and talk about random topics.
SWORDS
Every little boy dreams of having a sword at some point in their life. To slay the dragon, to fight the evil king, to reap the souls of the good and the damned as the Carnival of the Judges goes into full swing in the city center–oh wait, that last one is just me. But the point stands. And recently, I was able to make that dream come true.
Pretty cool, huh? A friend of mine is downsizing for a move, and he posted on Facebook to see if anyone wanted them. The price was too good, so I bought them. They arrived way earlier than expected, and so I got them hung up in my office on Christmas Eve. According to my friend, he bought them in Spain when he was there as a teenager many years ago. The top sword is an arming sword, and the bottom is a side sword.
Both are awesome, and either one would make an excellent deterrent for burglars and stalkers.
Anyway, my inner child is now very happy. And I promise my friend that I’d take good care of them, so that’s what I’ll do. I look forward to many years with them on my wall.
BANNER
Back in 2021, when I attended my first ParaPsyCon, my dad and stepmom stopped by to see how I was doing, and while there, they noticed another horror author who had a vertical banner behind his booth broadcasting what he wrote. My dad asked me, “Think you’ll get one of those?” I responded, “Someday.”
Someday is today. Thanks to the grant I got earlier this year, I was able to pay for some new author photos, which I then used to design a banner (this was after lots of concept testing that I did in one of my Facebook groups). I then bought the banner and the frame for it. I absolutely love it. And I have a feeling it’s going to help me find and connect with more readers at the events I’ll be attending in 2024. Including ParaPsyCon.
HOW TO BUILD A WRITING HABIT
I wanted to try something different with my YouTube channel, maybe see if doing so would help me to connect with more readers, writers, and horror fans. At the same time, I’ve been wanting to talk about the habits of building a writing habit for some time now. Like a TED talk or at a convention, if anyone would actually let me speak at one of those (given that it’s me, you understand the caution).
So, I thought I would combine the two and put out a video on YouTube talking about building a writing habit. It’s something I hadn’t tried before and I thought people might find it helpful. Who knows? Maybe it’ll help me connect with more writers, readers and horror fans. At the very least, it’s had more views than other videos I’ve posted, so I guess that’s a good sign. Maybe I’ll try a video like this again when I have the chance/inspiration.
But tell me, do you think this is a good video? Did what I discuss make sense or seem helpful? Any feedback you have would be helpful, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment.
OWLS ARE AWESOME
You probably didn’t see this one coming, did you?
For quite some time, I’ve been obsessed with owls. It started when I found this YouTube channel where a nature artist/filmmaker films the daily activities of the owls and other animals living around his British country home. Watching these owls sleep, raise their broods, and occasionally get into scrapes with each other made me fall in love with and then go down a rabbit hole of learning about owls.
And it’s not hard to see why. They fly with wings that don’t produce any noise, they pick up sounds and sights we’re wholly ignorant of (especially at night), and they can be the most loving partners and parents among birds you’ll ever see. No kidding, watch some of that YouTube channel’s videos. It’ll melt your heart and make you believe in love again. All this in these tiny, compact bodies with sharp beaks and talons that can take out both prey and predators. And which predate on each other if the circumstances are right (or wrong).
It’s kind of no wonder I’m obsessed now and want an owl to live near me. For now though, I’ll settle for writing about them. With any luck, I’ll have a great owl-themed story done some time next month. And who knows? If it gets published, you might become obsessed, too. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
TALKING WITH MY OLD HEADMASTER
Not too long ago, my dad sent me an article from the Jerusalem Post. Someone I used to go to school with had had an article published in the Post, detailing how he, a reservist in Israel fighting in the current war in Gaza, left the battlefield to be at the birth of his son in Jerusalem. It was incredibly beautiful to read, and all I wanted to do was to give his dad, who used to be the headmaster at the school we attended, my sincere congratulations.
Earlier this week, I actually managed to talk with my headmaster. It was a blast from the past, to say the least. I don’t think I’ve seen this guy since I was eighteen. I used to stop by his office to tell him dumb jokes and even phone pranked him a couple of times (don’t worry, he thought it was hysterical as long as he wasn’t in a meeting). And yet we laughed and talked like not even a day had passed since I graduated. I found out how his family is doing (they’re all in Israel right now for the new grandchild) and he found out what I’m doing and how my family is.
I hope he and his family continue to do well and that his son stays safe. These are scary times, but talking with him reminded me that we can still find reasons to smile in the worst of times. At least, that’s how I see it.
GREETING 2024
I don’t know what your New Year’s plans are, but I know what mine are: order pizza, open a bottle of wine, and watch some movies. And when the stroke of midnight occurs, I’m not going to welcome 2024. I’m going to roar at it. Let it know that whatever it throws at me, I won’t let it bog me down or ruin me. Instead, I’ll fight on and give it something to reckon with. Maybe 2024 will be so intimidated, it’ll give me a great year out of fear.
Sounds silly, I know, but so are a lot of traditions and beliefs I could name. And with an election year just around the corner, we’ll need all the luck we could use.
So, if you like, roar with me at midnight on December 31st. We’ll show 2024 who’s boss.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. As I said, I wanted to get this all out before the end of the year. If you made it to the end of the post, thanks for reading. And if I don’t catch you before December 31st at 11:59 PM, I wish you all a Happy New Year and pleasant nightmares.
Photo by Minhazur Rahman and downloaded from Vecteezy.
I do this post every year, and you guys seem to like it, so I’m doing it again. Let’s talk about 2023 and what we hope will happen in 2024.
I think everyone will agree with me that 2023 was a mixed bag. Not the rollercoaster out of hell that 2022 was, but definitely a mixed bag. Among the good things that happened, the pandemic was declared mostly over and we are getting back to some degree of normal now; my home state of Ohio voted to enshrine reproductive rights in our state constitution and legalized marijuana, which was a big deal; the Hollywood writers and actors strike were successful, allowing both groups to earn more money for their work and putting protections in against AI; an AI Safety Summit was held to discuss how nations should approach AI as it develops; Doctor Who returned with a bang (check it out, it’s awesome); and more.
Unfortunately, a lot of bad stuff happened this year as well. There was a massive train derailment in Ohio earlier this year that released a lot of chemicals into the area, and who knows how long that will take to clear up; the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, and Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, leading to a war that’s still ongoing today; anti-Semitism has risen in record numbers around the world, leaving many of my people feeling scared and alone; multiple mass shootings occurred throughout the year, leaving many dead who shouldn’t have died; the prices of gas and food have risen like crazy, which has made affording necessities more difficult than it already was; and more.
Like I said, mixed bag.
And on a personal level, 2023 was a mixed bag as well. On the down side, work was hellish this year, with multiple problems cropping up throughout the year that required my coworkers and I to work long hours and try to find ways to deal with it. We’re still working through problems, some old and some newer. Some of us, myself included, even have to go into the office three days a week before the rest of the workforce just to keep up. Oh yeah, we’re going from one just one day a week in the office to three in the new year. Another downside.
Also, I got in an accident and had to replace my car (that was awful); I had to find a new insurance company after the accident (that was annoying); my friends and I had to close Cracked Skull Press, which sucked; I underperformed at a lot of events I usually do well at; my anxiety and a bit of depression went to work on me, thanks to the Israel-Hamas conflict and the resulting anti-Semitism; and quite a few other things happened that really brought down my enjoyment.
Getting this out earlier this year was definitely a highlight of 2023.
Still, there were some good things. On the writing front, I was able to release Hannah and Other Stories, and while the reviews have been coming slower than I would like, they’ve all been very positive, and even in major publications; I also released “The Wild Hunt” in the Happy Hellidays anthology, which people have been LOVING; I got to go to StokerCon, which was a dream come true and a ton of fun; despite not doing as well at certain events as usual, I’ve been doing really well financially on the writing front, thanks in part to a grant and certain events; and I wrote what I think is some really good work, and I’m still writing some of that work.
(Some other stuff happened on this front too, but I can’t get into them until certain things are made official.)
Outside of writing, I turned thirty, and celebrated it with a blast, as well as found being thirty wasn’t as awful as I’d worried; I got to see some amazing Broadway shows and got addicted to their soundtracks (if you ever have the chance, go see SIX and Beetlejuice live); I got my full-back tattoo, which I’ve been working on since last year, finished; I had some big firsts in my condo, including my first Passover seder and first overnight guest; I made it quite far through the Face of Horror contest, and got plenty of side benefits from it as well; and a bunch of other stuff happened.
So yeah, mixed bag. But at least I can end the year saying that there was more good than bad, at least on a personal level.
So, what’s next for 2024? Well, I hope I can write, edit, and publish more stories, including finishing my mummy novel Crawler; I’d like to take a long, two-week vacation at some point and just spend it between totally lazy and writing my brains out; I look forward to traveling to some of my favorite haunted locations and maybe catching some weird shit on camera (more on that later); I hope to do more renovations to my condo as I build up my savings towards them; and perhaps, if God is kind, I can get that much closer to writing full time.
I also hope on the world stage things calm down and we can go through a year without losing any respect for humanity as a whole. But with two wars and an upcoming presidential election, I’ll call this hope a long shot.
Anyway, I hope that this post didn’t bum you out. Perhaps it gave you something to think about, or made you grateful for your 2023. Or even hopeful for 2024. I’m certainly trying to be hopeful, despite all the shit that goes on daily.
And with about 30 days left of 2023, I hope we all have a decent end to the year and enter the new year on a strong note.
How was your 2023, Followers of Fear? Anything good happen that you want to share? What about your hopes and plans for 2024? Let’s discuss.
Years ago, when I was interning in Germany, I tried writing an exorcism story. And over the years, most recently 2019, I would try again and again to write this particular exorcism story, which would go by titles like “Summer of the Devil,” “Stuck in the Horror House,” and “Oppression.” I never finished the story. I don’t think I ever got further than five thousand words through it.
The story would have been about four friends breaking into a haunted attraction during the off-season and one of them intentionally summoning a demon for kicks, only for every one of them to get possessed and chaos to ensue. Looking back on it now, I feel it’s pretty paint by the numbers as far as possession and exorcism stories go. More like one of those B-movie summer popcorn munchers that rely way too much on jumpscares and CGI to be scary to veteran horror fans.
However, earlier this month, I started a new exorcism story. This one, titled “The House on Lafayette Square,” featured a totally new scenario and characters, and I ended up finishing it late Wednesday night at about 9,400 words. And after I’d finished it, I came to realize what factors were limiting me from writing the previous exorcism story, or any others for that matter.
Those factors were conventionality and emotional investment.
You guys know me well by now. I don’t march to the beat of anyone else’s drum but my own, and that’s especially true when it comes to the stories I write. I mean, I’ve written about plant/human hybrids (Rose), Mafia-hunting serial killers (Snake), and carnivorous horses and strange gods (Hannah and Other Stories), among other things. Not what you would call run of the mill, even for horror.
And like I said, the story I was trying to write back in 2015-2019 was much more conventional. It confirmed for me something I’ve suspected for a while now: if I consider the story too run-of-the-mill, or if it gets away from what I consider a Rami Ungar-style story (like starting in one genre but becoming too close to another), I just won’t be able to write it. No matter how much I like the idea.
As for emotional investment, let me explain something: “Lafayette Square” is a Jewish exorcism story. That already brought in some emotional investment, as there’s still not a lot of Jewish horror out there and I liked the idea of adding to the catalog with something not usually explored in our stories. However, since the Israel-Hamas conflict began last month, it’s brought about a lot of stress and dark feelings, both for myself and the Jewish community. Thusly, “Lafayette Square” became a story for me to work through my emotions regarding the conflict.
Who knew it would take emotional investment as well as a new angle to finally get me to write an exorcism story? Photo by Luca Nardone on Pexels.com
In other words, writing it became a cathartic exercise. Or maybe a cathartic exorcism is a better way to put it.
So yeah, having a strong emotional reason to write this story, as well as it feeling like something new and exciting and definitely something I would write, really helped me get through this exorcism story. That’ll be good to know with future stories, whether they’re about exorcism or not.
As for whether or not we’ll see “The House on Lafayette Square” out in print anytime soon, we’ll have to wait and see. I already have someone taking a look at the story and giving me feedback, so hopefully after I get their notes and make some edits, I can find it a home. Still, I think it’s got a chance. And if it does come out, I can’t wait to see how people respond to it.
For now though, I have a new story to research and start working on. And I have a feeling I’m not going to have any trouble writing it.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.
One last thing, my Followers of Fear: did you know it used to be a tradition during the holiday season to tell scary stories? I think it’s a damn shame this tradition has faded so much. And with the holiday season now upon us, why not revive it? Go out and get yourself or a horror fan you know a new scary story for the holiday season!
And if you’re at all interested, maybe consider checking out some of my work. As I said above, I have plenty of work out there that’s both unique and scary. If that’s your thing, check out my Book Links and Excerpts page. And if you or a friend end up reading some of my work, be sure to leave a review so I and other readers know what you thought.
Rami Ungar The Writer 