The other night, I was reading the final volume of the manga Alice in Borderland. If you haven’t read the original manga or seen the kickass live-action adaptation on Netflix, the story follows a teenager who finds himself among several people randomly placed in a Tokyo emptied of people. Even stranger, the people left in Tokyo have to take place in life-or-death games. If they win the games, they’ll get to live a bit longer. If they lose, they die. And if they don’t survive the games, a laser will come out of the sky and kill them.
Yeah, pretty dark stuff. Makes for a great sci-fi thriller.
Anyway, without spoiling the end of the manga or the TV series, the last chapter features a reporter asking random people on the street why they’re alive. Seems like a random way to end a rollercoaster of a manga, until you realize the death games the characters deal with takes a toll on them psychologically, to the point that some of them even wonder if it’s worth trying to live.
The answers the reporter gets are all over the place. A few aren’t interested in answering and make sure the reporter knows it. A few more don’t know and have never thought about it. Several give variations on “So I can die without regrets” or “I do it because there’s someone important in my life.” Some answers are shallow, like the weekend beer or for material things. Others are about how happy they are everyday or pursuing what they love.
One woman thinks it’s to find out why we’re here, while two others think it’s because of biology.
One little girl in Gothic Lolita dress says she’s living and putting herself in misery everyday for revenge against her parents.*
One man says it’s because this life is all there is.
A couple, for one reason or another, are just going through the motions until they die.
Reading the chapter, I realized something; none of us really know why we’re alive. Not what the meaning of life is; that related, but I feel like that’s a question revolving around the general population and not the individual.
But seriously, why are we alive? Was each one of us placed on this planet for a purpose? Is it just because of biological drives for survival? The need to reproduce and pass on our DNA to a new generation? Is it something we need to figure out for ourselves? Or is it just because we’re already alive, so might as well keep living?
Or perhaps it’s not something we should not think too much about. Perhaps instead we should live.
It’s a question that would probably puzzle this guy for quite a while.
It’s something I’ve been thinking about since I read that chapter. I know my purpose in life, the purpose I set for myself: live a good life, write some damn good horror stories, and try to leave this world a bit better than I found it. And I have an opinion on what the meaning of life is (no, it’s not 42). But are those the same answers to this question?
Maybe. Or maybe not. Like I said, I don’t get up every day thinking, “I’m getting up and I’m alive to write scary stories and have a good life and improve the world.”
Hmm…but I do get up every morning because I have dreams I want to pursue. A lot of what I do everyday is because I want to achieve those dreams. So maybe’s that’s why I’m alive.
But in the end, I don’t know if I need to think about it that hard. It never was something I needed to think that hard about before, after all. Why should that change going forward?
In any event, I’ll keep going forward. I’ll keep pursuing those dreams and hopefully improving my life and the lives of others while I’m at it. And maybe, if a reporter asks me, “Why are you alive?”, I’ll have a decent answer.
How would you answer that reporter’s question? What do you think of this topic? Was this too heavy a subject for a blog post?
*And I’m probably going to write a story around that little girl, because that answer was just too dark and intriguing for me to just pass over. I want to write a story around her and find out what made her like that!
Just a reminder, my Followers of Fear: this Saturday, April 6, I’ll be at the Wagnalls Library in Lithopolis, Ohio from 10 AM – 2 PM for their Local Author Fair. If you can, please stop by. I’ll be selling books, doing Tarot readings, and sitting on a panel. You can find out more on their website here. Hope to see you there!
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and check out Alice in Borderland. Manga or TV show, it’s an awesome series. Just my two cents on the subject!
So, I’ve mentioned it here and there, but I am aromantic. I cannot feel romantic attraction or desire, and I frankly have no desire to (though I love writing romantic subplots into my stories) I even wrote about being aromantic in a post on Valentine’s Day last year. And not too long ago, I wrote an article about writing romantic subplots while being aromantic.
That article just came out today!
Interstellar Flight Press is a small science fiction and fantasy press that publishes both books and a magazine. The latter publishes both flash fiction and essays, with the essays ranging in topic from geekery and pop culture to the publishing industry and, as you can see, personal essays on writing. They expressed an interest in my essay when I mentioned it on Twitter, back when I was still on Twitter, so I sent it to them. And today, it’s been published.
The article is on the magazine’s website, which is published through Medium. You may need to create an account to access it, but I tell you, it’s worth the read. Yes, I’m biased, but I get to discuss aromantic representation, writing horror, and even Sailor Moon, all in one article. If that’s not worthy of reading, then I don’t know what is!
Anyway, I’ll leave a link below. I hope you’ll check out the article and let me know what you think. I’m excited to read your comments on it. It’s my first article and my first new published piece of work for 2024, so I have high hopes for it. Not to mention, I hope it’s the first of many pieces released this year (or accepted, I’ll take that, too).
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I really can’t wait to discuss the article with you. Until next time, good night (or good morning, I guess? It is 10 AM my time when this is releasing) and pleasant nightmares!
Recently, on the blog Broadside run by journalist Caitlin Kelly (check her out, she’s a great journalist who has interviewed Queen Elizabeth II, done pieces for the New York Times and other publishers, has two books out, and does writing/journalism coaching), she did a post where she answered 25 questions about herself.
I enjoyed the post, asked if I could do it myself while changing some questions (I don’t wear scents, for one thing), and where she got it. Caitlin told me it came from the Financial Times’ HTSI (apparently it’s a weekend supplement standing for “How to _______ It,” with “S” standing for a variety of things) and she gave me permission. And, with apparently a lot of new followers on this blog (or so WordPress tells me), I decided to try this and let you get to know me better.
So, thanks to Caitlin for giving me the inspiration for this post, and thank you for reading it. Without further ado, 25 Facts About Me, inspired by the Financial Times’ HTSI Questionnaire.
Something you never find me without.
My glasses. Unless I’m sleeping or in the shower/bath, they’re on my face and helping me see. I also have prescription sunglasses for those days where that nasty sun is making its presence known. I also wear some rings and a necklace with personal meaning to me, and I often wear a watch (though typing with it hurts my wrist, so I take it off when I’m using a keyboard).
The last thing I bought and loved.
This is the poster I bought of the King in Yellow. It’s by Abbie Norton and available from the YouTube channel Tale Foundry. Isn’t it awesome?
A poster from one of my favorite YouTube channels depicting the King in Yellow. I got it specially framed and the poster now hangs over my bed. It’s such a cool piece of art, and I hope it gives me great ideas while I sleep.
Places that mean a lot to me.
Marietta, Ohio is lovely. I love going down there to explore the paranormal hot spots or enjoy the beautiful scenery. Just going down this past November helped me de-stress significantly. I also love New Orleans. It’s such a beautiful city and I want to go back again someday.
The best book I’ve read this year.
God, hard to choose. I go through so many. I really enjoyed Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix, and The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle was amazing. There was also The Store by Bentley Little, All Hallows by Christopher Golden, and Sister Maiden Monster by Lucy Snyder. All were excellent books.
The podcast or audio book I’m listening to.
I’ve about 19 hours left of IT, which I haven’t read since college. Afterwards, I plan to listen to The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.
What I need to write.
I sit in front of my computer in my office with something to drink (tea or non-caffeinated diet soda, though I’ll have alcohol on the weekends or water if it’s super hot). I often have some sort of music playing, with what depending on the story. And I like burning incense in the background, as it fills the air with a sweet scent.
The item of clothing I’d save from a fire.
Probably my Jason Voorhees hockey jersey. I love wearing that thing on Fridays, whether it’s a Friday the 13th or not. Though if it’s too warm, I’ll wear something else on a Friday.
I’ve wanted to be a writer since…
Since I was ten or so. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I never thought of it as a career until that point. After all, kids want to be everything: scientists, rock stars, police officers, superheroes, etc. But I’d always go back to writing, and eventually I was like, “I think I’ll do this as a career.” Two years later, I discovered Stephen King, and that showed me what stories I was going to write for the rest of my life.
The writing moment that changed everything for me.
I think it was when a friend introduced me to my first publisher, Castrum Press. That would eventually lead to Rose being published, and has changed lots of things for me since then.
Talents I don’t normally talk about.
Well, I can cook decently. Not many things, but enough that I eat well and on the rare occasion I have guests, I can whip up something awesome. I’m also good at making people feel old. I’ve made my coworkers cringe in horror by reminding them how much younger I am than them. This will probably come back to haunt me someday, but for now, I wield it with sadism pride.
The best gift I’ve given recently.
Impossible to say without getting too personal. Though I did give my dad and stepmom some delicious banana bread when I stayed with them recently, so can I say that?
And the best gift I’ve received recently?
I love this Cthulhu onesie. It’s awesome!
I’ve gotten wonderful gifts from lots of people, both material and immaterial. But for the purpose of this post, I’ll say it’s my Cthulhu onesie. It’s awesome!
The last music I downloaded.
Some of the greatest hits from the Backstreet Boys. Don’t judge me, sometimes I’m just in the mood for them while at work!
In my fridge you’ll always find…
Yogurt, bread, soda, and maybe something of an alcoholic nature.
Something I want to do the next time I have a few days off.
I think I’d like to binge-watch some of my anime. I’ve a few seasons of different shows on DVD and Blu-Ray I haven’t watched in a while, so I’d like to take the time to just chillax and watch those shows. Maybe this summer? It would certainly be fun.
Some goals I’m working towards.
Obviously, I want to be able to write full-time someday, and I’m working on making that happen, slowly but surely. But there are other goals. I’m hopefully going to start doing some renovations to my condo that I’ve wanted to do since I moved in. And this may scare some of my readers, but I would like to get more tattoos someday.
Yes, I have tattoos. They’re normally covered by clothes.
Animals I feel a special kinship with.
Tigers are my spirit animal. I love their fierce beauty and power. I even have one tattooed on my chest.
I also love owls, ocelots, snakes, foxes, wolves, and regular cats and dogs. Honestly, I would love to be able to interact with any of these in a safe manner. The cats and dogs are easy enough, but the rest would probably be a challenge. Still, a guy can dream, can’t he?
A skill I wish I had and a skill I would like to learn.
I would love it if languages came easily to me. Unfortunately, perhaps because I just haven’t found the right teacher, I’m terrible with anything other than English (though I still remember plenty of Hebrew and some French and German). Maybe there’s a skill or technique that’s not a total scam to teach me other languages? If so, sound off in the comments!
If I could hang out with any of my characters, who would I hang out with?
Kat from my Backrooms story (still looking for a publisher for that one). She and I are both aromantic, and we have similar nerdy interests, so we would get along fine. We’d probably make some snacks, sit on the couch, and binge whatever we’re in the mood for.
Things I like to collect?
Books, obviously. I have over 600 or 700 books across various media, including ebooks and audio books. I also collect dolls and figurines, which I keep in my room. I think some of them are haunted and watch me in my sleep. And I have plenty of wall art, too, so I guess that counts.
What am I reading now?
Currently, I’m in the middle of Spectrum, which is an upcoming anthology of horror stories written by neurodivergent writers. Many of the stories are about the authors’ own neurological states, so it’s really personal. As someone who’s also neurodivergent (or “neuro-spicy,” according to some definitions), I’m finding it all very fascinating. Thanks to the publisher for furnishing me with an advanced copy (it comes out on April 2nd if you’re interested).
I’m also listening to IT on audio book. Though I already mentioned that, didn’t I?
What am I writing now?
A novella about a 3D printer from Hell. Well, hopefully it stays a novella. There’s a chance it could bloat into a novel. Though one way or another, I have a feeling it’ll be a fun story. Very in line with the mass market horror stories of the 1970s and 1980s.
In another life I would have been…
When I went to Israel, my friends on the trip told me I’d make a great late-night show host, so maybe that. Or a radio or podcast host.
I’d also enjoy being a massage therapist, or even a professional dancer. Those are great jobs that bring people happiness and are fulfilling to the people doing them.
Though if I’m being honest, a sorcerer of dark magic is also quite appealing…
Something I try to do once a day.
I do one Tarot reading every day. I find Tarot helpful as a way to receive advice from the universe and get previews of the events in my life. And it can be scarily accurate sometimes.
Also, I’ve gotten skilled enough to do it at events where I sell books. People go crazy for it and it’s wonderful as an extra source of income. Though I can’t see me doing it everyday or as a career for a variety of reasons.
The best writing advice I can give.
You need to carve out the time to write. I give this to every writer, no matter their background or experience. A writing fairy will never appear before you and grant you certain hours in the day to write. You have to make that time. Sure, you might have to give some things up. But hey, look at this way: before becoming famous, Stephen King would find time every day to write in the laundry room of the trailer he, his wife and his three children lived in at the time.
If he can do that while also working as a teacher and an occasional gas station attendant, imagine what you can do if you cut a few non-essential things out here and there.
I hope you enjoyed that, my Followers of Fear. If any of the questions and answers really spoke to you, let’s discuss in the comments below. Be sure to also read Caitlin’s post, to see how I got inspired to write this one.
And if you are interested, do your own post like this! You can change the questions as you like, or come up with an entirely new list of questions. Just be sure to tag or link back to me so I can see your post.
That’s all for now. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
A ranch is raising horses with a taste for meat. A creepypasta tale takes on a peculiar life of its own online and in one teenager’s group of friends. Repressed memories brought to the surface during a university English class begin a domino effect leading to something terrifying entering our world. And in one abandoned school, some ghost hunters get way more than what they bargained for during their investigation.
All these stories and more were released into the world six months ago, on a Saturday very much like this, September 23, 2023, when Hannah and Other Stories was released.
Now, if you’re unaware, Hannah and Other Stories is my second collection of short stories and my fifth book overall. It contains seven original short stories, the plots of some of which are up above. But trust me, all the stories are great.
Honestly, it’s been incredible to think that Hannah has been out for six months now. So much has happened since then, it feels like a lot more. And it’s been incredible to see the reader response! Nearly every person who’s read it has responded positively. This makes the nearly two years it took working with the publisher, plus the several months prior writing and editing and double editing the stories, so worth it.
Here’s what people are saying on Amazon and Goodreads, where the book is rated 4.6 on both sites:
I just finished Hannah and Other Stories by Rami Ungar. This is a great little collection. Stories range from ghost hunting to the dangers of social media to diabolical new friends and Lovecraftian horrors and more. Had this on my TBR for a while and finally pulled the trigger to finish (the adhd is strong). Very fun collection and I would recommend it and am excited to see his future work. I give it a 4/5.
Dustin Allen, Amazon
Along with the titular story, “Hannah”, this collection from the Master of Fear comprises 5 other short stories and a novelette.
There is a certain level of intense imagination, dread-filled atmosphere, and relatable characters that I’ve come to expect from Ungar’s short stories. The last three stories in this collection certainly delivered all these qualities and more.
This is an enjoyable anthology, with solid stories. At times, the political message in some of the stories detracted from the characters and plot. It worked best in “The Red Bursts”, where it layered seamlessly with other thematic elements without distracting from the story.
“Hannah and Other Stories” is a worthy addition to the bookshelves of the Followers of Fear.
Iseult Murphy, author of “Gone But Not Forgotten” and “7 Days in Hell,” Goodreads
Horrifying stories from Ohio to the Paris Catacombs. This amazing book has 7 horrifying short stories from monsters and ghosts to crazed children. Amazing writing. If I had to pick a favorite story, it would be Queen Alice. But every story was outstanding and creepy. I absolutely loved this book.
Rhonda Bobbitt, Amazon
Budding serial killers, carnivorous horses, and cosmic monsters. This collection has a fun spooky variety all viewed through the weird lens of Rami Ungar’s imagination. I’ve read a few of his books before (The Pure World Comes is a notable one), and Rami has really found his voice here. A couple of my favorites are Autopsy Kid and Queen Alice. Autopsy Kid is visceral and gut-wrenching, a tale about a girl caught in the web of a psychopath. And Queen Alice is truly terrifying in a deep way, a story about the possessive/obsessive power of social media culture. Check it out!
Allen Huntsman, author and YouTuber, Goodreads
Aren’t my mother and I hilarious?
Some pretty good reviews. And there are more out there. I’ll include links below if you’re interested. Also, did I mention my mother texted me the other day and told me she can’t look or even think about horses without thinking about the story I wrote with the carnivorous horses? And if that’s not high praise, I don’t know what is!
I also can’t think of horses without thinking about those carnivorous horses, either. I saw a guy cosplaying as a horse at a convention not too long ago (yes, seriously), and could not think of anything else. Too bad he wasn’t into horror. I think otherwise he might have read the book.
And speaking of which, if you’re interested in reading Hannah and Other Stories, I’ll include links below. Right now, it’s only available in ebook, but if more people keep reading and reviewing the book, it could get a paperback and maybe even an audio book edition. So, even if you don’t read ebook, please consider supporting the book and grabbing a copy.
And if you do read ebooks, please be sure to read this one and to leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers along the way. Plus, there’s that whole getting a paperback edition thing.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll probably celebrate tonight with some delicious wine and maybe something sweet. Maybe I’ll also do some reading. Perhaps you’ll have a drink and read Hannah with me? I can hope. After all, it is the six month anniversary. Amazing things can happen.
Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Many writers dream of getting lucky. Of just one reader discovering their book or short story or whatever. Of that reader enthusiastically bragging about it and telling all their friends. Those friends then read the book, and like that, a snowball gets rolling, eventually leading to the writer’s big discovery and hopeful ever after.
It’s sad to say, but that sort of lucky break doesn’t happen that often, if it happens at all. In this industry, or any other industry (like being a professional YouTuber), becoming successful (which here we will define as being able to do what you’re doing full-time and make a decent living out of it) is often the result of a confluence of multiple factors. It could be that trends favor what you’re producing, or that enough people talk about your book on a particular social media platform, or your publisher orders enough copies printed that people pay attention, because nobody prints that many copies without expecting decent sales and reviews.
Hell, the one incident I can think of where someone did receive that sort of luck, fantasy author Chelsea Banning (read my interview with her here), was like winning the lottery. And last I checked, she still works part-time because, while her writing career has had a huge boost, it still doesn’t pay all the bills. Or at least not enough that she feels she doesn’t need another income source.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t aim to be a full-time writer. I’m aiming for that 24/7. But don’t expect that it’ll happen on pure talent and a smattering of luck. You need to work for it. You need to make your own luck.
I was reminded of this at a convention I attended not too long ago. I was in the author’s room, and let me tell you, things were dead. Not fun dead, but dead. There were a number of reasons for that, including a low attendance rate, but it certainly wasn’t helped by the fact that other rooms had big signs advertising what was happening in them, and we…had a single piece of paper next to the door that was covered half the time by people whose booths were on either side of the room. It was like nobody knew we were there.
At one point, I was so frustrated by this, I went into the hallways of the convention, dressed in full author gear, shouting “Come stop by Author’s Alley! You may find your next great read there!” Was it kind of embarrassing? Yes. But it did remind people that we were there. And a few said they were going to stop by, which probably increased some authors’ profits a bit. Maybe even mine.
And now, some of those readers who were alerted to our presence have our books. Maybe they’ll read them, enjoy them, leave us reviews, and lead others to read our works. Like I said at the top of the post, no luck but what we make.
(Yes, I know that’s mangling a famous Terminator quote, but can you blame me?)
So, how do we make luck? Well, we don’t wait for readers to come to us. That’s a mistake. We have to draw them to us. Not just through social media and blog posts, though that does help. We have to make ourselves seen at events, both to sell and to network. We have to talk to people, both readers and fellow writers, because if they like us, then they’re more likely to read our work or continue a relationship with us. And occasionally, we have to take a risk like going out into a hallway and shouting, “Hey, come visit Author’s Alley!”
These and other tactics can get readers interested and lead to your work being read and reviewed and discovered by other readers. And, perhaps, with lots of hard work and the right confluence of events…who knows? You could end up writing full-time. That’s my goal. And as long as it’s legal, ethical, and doesn’t have too much risk, I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen.
Just a reminder before the weekend, my Followers of Fear: I’ll be attempting to make my own luck happen by being at ShamROCK this Saturday, March 16, 2024. This pagan spring festival will be at the Courtyard by Marriott – West Side Columbus. I’ll be selling books, reading Tarot cards, and probably dancing my butt off to celebrate the end of winter (hopefully I don’t drink myself crazy and take off my clothes, lol). If you would like to stop by, check out the website here.
And, if you’re not able to come, consider supporting me by reading one of my books (see how I’m making more of my own luck?). From carnivorous horses and Mafia-hunting serial killers to plant/human hybrids and strange gods, I’ve got something for every horror fan, so why not give them a read? And if you do, please leave a review, so I and other readers know what you think.
Just click on the link below to my Book Links and Excerpts page. You’ll find all my work there, including some free stories. I look forward to hearing what you think.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
Obviously, horror often centers around the monsters. Saying that is like saying in economics, it’s often about the supply and demand. But still, it needs to be stated. Whether they be demons from Hell, ghosts haunting an old house, a serial killer stalking a young woman during a holiday, a collection of corpse parts stitched together and brought to life through high levels of electricity, or ancient entities from the stars whose forms are difficult to describe, horror is often about the monsters.
And as horror creators, it’s up to us to make each monster we create different from all who came before.
Let’s face it, the people who consume our work expect a little variety (unless you’re working on a series like Supernatural or the Sookie Stackhouse books, in which case your readers would hope there would be some internal consistency in the monster design from episode to episode and season to season). They don’t want the same story every time, and neither do we. So, we write new stories and try to make them distinct from previous works.
Same goes with the monsters we design. Unless we have a special reason for doing so, like a series, it’s important to make our monsters different from story to story. Sure, there may be common characteristics. HP Lovecraft’s monsters were always covered in tentacles and eyes and gloopy fluids (when he could describe them), but you could tell Cthulhu from Yog-Sothoth from Azathoth. And in James Wan’s more supernatural horror movies, the ghosts and demons do share some characteristics, but how they work in the Conjuring franchise is different from how they work in the Insidious franchise.
But the point is, you do have to try to ensure the monsters don’t closely resemble one another too much from story to story. Otherwise, you have people confusing what happened in one story with what happened in another story and being like, “Can you blame me? They’re so similar, they just kind of blend in after a while!”
I was reminded of that this weekend while working on the climax of a killer fairy story (yes, that’s what I’m writing, and it’s probably going to be a novella when it’s done). I was making great progress yesterday, heading towards the climax, and then I realized that the monster the protagonist encounters during this scene resembles one appearing in a different novella. Thus, I had to redesign the monster for the killer fairy story, which I only finalized today.
So, how do you ensure that your monsters are different every time? For the first time in forever on this blog, here are some tips:
Look to mythology for inspiration. Mythologies from around the world are rife with monsters. You have the Hekatonkeries and Typhon from Greek mythology; the Jorogumo and the Onryo from Japan; the Chupacabra from Latin America; and more (did you know some Amazon tribes believe in furry cyclops creatures that protect the forest?). If you look deeply enough, and keep it varied, you’ll find all sorts of interesting monsters you can use in your stories. Just be careful that you don’t do anything that might be considered exploitative or offensive by certain cultures. Nobody needs that kind of bad karma.
Draw from the works of your favorite authors. I’m not saying copy your favorite authors, because that’s plagiarism and is generally frowned upon. But look at the monsters in your favorite novels. What about that monster scared for you? Draw on that and see if you can create something terrifying.
Take something ordinary and make it scary. This is something I see a lot more in horror fiction these days, where writers find a way to make something ordinary and make it terrifying. If you are familiar with the works of Junji Ito and Bentley Little, you know what I’m talking about. Uzumaki by Junji Ito makes spiral shapes terrifying, and I never thought a resort could be scary until I read Little’s Resort. And what about Siren Head, a giant humanoid with two giant megaphones full of teeth for a head? I wonder where that came from?
Look to your own fears and anxieties. Plenty of times, it’s easy to draw on those to create a monster. Have a phobia around rats, snakes, spiders, lightning, death, or your grandfather? Maybe something you remember from childhood struck you as creepy but no one else seemed to think so, like a character in a children’s movie or a toy you were given at Christmas? Use that to form something new and horrifying. You’d be surprised how often that works.
Keep track of your monsters. Nobody knows your stories better than you do, and that includes the monsters. If you’re having trouble coming up with a good monster, look what you’ve come up with before. Go through them like a catalog. Perhaps seeing what came before will help you come up with something new that you’ll enjoy writing.
Siren Head is a great example of taking something ordinary and turning it horrifying.
Coming up with new monsters each and every time isn’t easy, even if you work in multiple genres and subgenres. Still, as creators, it’s our job, and it can be a lot of fun. And when you hear people praising your monsters for how clever the idea is or how terrifying they are to think about, it makes the work worth it.
And hey, don’t get bummed if one monster is too similar to another and you only realize after the fact. The antagonist in The Library Policeman by Stephen King bears some similarities to It, but they’re both still great stories. So, it happens. Nothing to get worked up over.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Good night, pleasant nightmares, and RUN! THERE’S SOMETHING RESEMBLING A MURDER HORNET AND THE SIZE OF A SMALL DOG BEHIND YOU!!!
What are your tips for coming up with monsters for your stories? Let’s discuss in the comments below.
I’ve been hearing of this novella for years, but for some reason I haven’t gotten around to reading it until recently. However, recently I felt an itch to indulge in some cosmic horror and the audio book was on sale, so I downloaded it and listened to it.
Followers of Fear, why did I wait so long to check this out? It was awesome! I can see why it was nominated for a Stoker award.
Set in 1924 New York and based on “The Horror at Red Hook” by HP Lovecraft, the novella follows Tommy Tester, a black man living in Harlem with his father, trying to get by as best he can. When he’s asked to play guitar at a dinner party for an eccentric gentleman named Robert Suydam, Tommy finds himself plunging headfirst into a world of magic, insanity, and cosmic forces. Such exposure will not only change his life, but the lives of all humanity.
If you’re not familiar with “The Horror at Red Hook,” this story was written when Lovecraft was living in New York, and, because he’s Lovecraft, he characterizes the non-white characters, many of whom live in Red Hook, as criminals and gangsters. This story is sort of a rebuttal of that, showing things mainly through the eyes of one of the people whom Lovecraft would have disdained. This allows for a great examination of cosmic horror versus the horrors of racism as seen through the eyes of Tommy Tester, later known as Black Tom. As he notes, the indifference of cosmic horror cannot compare to the malice and cruelty of racism, though both are equally horrifying in their own rights.
Beside that, it’s just a well-written and compelling story. You really grow to understand Tommy and sympathize with him, and can’t blame him when he makes certain choices later in the book. Not only that, but the emotional power of this story cannot be underestimated. One scene involving Tommy’s father was so heartbreaking, I wanted to pick up the phone and call my own dad just to check on him. That’s strong storytelling right there.
I also liked how part of the novel was shown through the eyes of Malone, the main character in “Horror at Red Hook.” Here’s, he’s written more as a character than just some vehicle for Lovecraft to transmit his purplish prose through, and he’s not unlikeable, though he’s still subject to the same prejudices that a lot of people back then unfortunately had. His role in the story is also more consequential, which is a nice change, and his final fate is a terrifying but welcome change from the original story.
On the whole, I give The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle a straight 5 out of 5. I cannot find anything wrong with this story and I’m so glad I finally experienced it. If you’re at all interested, grab a copy, put on some jazz or blues, and give it a read. Trust me, you won’t regret checking it out.
Also, the audio book has my recommendation. The narrator, Kevin R. Free, does a great job with the various voices and the sharp prose. It’s enough that you’ll want him to narrate something you’ve written. That, ladies and gentlemen, is talent.
I try to write short stories, but they rarely end up that short. They end up being novelettes and novellas.
Now, I know a lot of you are writers and are familiar with the terms. But for those of you who are not, novelettes and novellas are stories that are longer than short stories but shorter than novels. Depending on who you ask, the length can vary, but the HWA defines novelettes as 7,500 words to 17,499 words and novellas to 17,500 words to 40,000 words. Obviously, shorter than 7,500 is a short story and over 40,000 is a novel.
And like I say, I try to write short stories. I do. Most publishing magazines and anthologies prefer short stories, and many like them under five-thousand words. Can’t really blame them. Not only do short stories that short have a special punch, but it’s just more cost effective. If you’re paying by the word, then the cost per story goes up with the word count. And if you’re paying a flat rate per story, then the higher the word count, the more the author might expect to be paid. Hence why they tend to publish short stories.
However, I have trouble keeping my word count under seven-thousand. I’m an expansive writer, as one of my college writing professors once told me. Hell, even most of the stories in Hannah and Other Stories is more novelette-length than short story, and that’s marketed as a short story collection. I just like having those longer stories that still have that punch of a short story but don’t require the same commitment as a novel does.
And I wish there were more publishers that were willing to pay for novelettes and novellas. Especially novelettes, because a lot of the presses and magazines and anthologies that accept those don’t tend to go above ten thousand words.
Thankfully, my wish appears to be coming true. Perhaps in part due to popular collections of novellas by popular authors like Stephen King and Josh Malerman, and perhaps in part due to readers hungry for them, more publishers are buying and releasing novellas, both as standalone releases and as collections. And it’s a slow trickle, but we’re seeing a rise in publications accepting novelettes, including ones above ten-thousand.
Who knows? Maybe there are even publishers who would willingly put out a collection consisting entirely of novelettes. If the response to some of my social media posts are anything to go by, there’s an audience who would read that.
And I have been considering putting together a collection just like that, as well as a collection of novellas. After all, a lot of what I’m writing these days ends up either a novelette or a novella. Who knows? Maybe if I can put together enough stories of the right length and that gel together and if the stars are right…
Well, we’ll see what happens. In the meantime, if you have social media, make sure to post how you would love to see more publishers and magazines releasing novelettes and novellas. Trust me, if they see the demand, they will respond. The responses to my own social media posts have me convinced of that.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. This post wasn’t the most important thing I could write about, but I wanted to write about it. Besides, who knows? I could find a few more people who wish for more venues for novelettes and novellas. We could start a trend.
Anyway, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and aren’t you glad this post didn’t become a full-length novelette? Or even a novella?
I’ve always felt “the struggle is real” is a weird phrase. I mean, we all have jobs, bills, relationships, school, and a million things that are out to kill you. The struggle is always real.
Lately, I get why people say that. Because at my day job, the struggle is very real right now.
Now, I try not to talk about my day job on my blog. After all, this blog is about my writing. But I need to vent, and I feel like talking about it here. Helps that it’s been a week since I last posted, and that makes me itchy.
Still, I don’t want to go into details, so I’ll just say that it’s been crazy busy. Like, I’ve had to work a couple of late nights, and I probably will be working more of them in the near future. Maybe even a couple of hours on the weekend. I don’t know, it’s still being discussed.
But that’s just the kind of workload we’re dealing with, and it’s a small team doing what I’m doing. Plus, we’re facing pressure from all sides, as well as malarkey that’s only giving us more headaches. It’s enough that, sad to say, I finally get why people say “the struggle is real.”
Now, before you get yourself all worried, just know I am taking care of myself. Maybe I have indulged in a beer or sweets a bit more, guilty as charged, but I am monitoring my mental health, talking to people who are trained to listen to problems, and I am doing self-care. Earlier today, I watched a horror movie with dinner. It was a terrible horror movie, but it did help with the stress (and with not being able to write for two days due to the effects of stress).
And I have scheduled some vacation time in the near future. Not saying when in case stalkers or burglars read this blog, but it’s soon. I’ll take that time to simulate living like a full-time writer, with most of my day spent writing.
And possibly visiting my dad and stepmom. Hey, they live in another city and I don’t get to see them as often as I see my other close family. Also, I may have an appointment at a spa scheduled for that period. And you know I like to watch anime as soon as it’s available to stream.
According to my Tarot, things might be improving next week. I hope that’s true.
But other than that, I am spending the time working on stories and doing other things a full-time writer might do. Hopefully it’ll be good for me, it’ll help me get some good stories out, and help me in my quest to become a full-time writer. I’m really looking forward to that.
And wow, just writing this all out has made me feel better. The struggle is still very real, but it feels a bit less soul-grinding than it did when I got home earlier today. Maybe getting it out will be the start of changing how things are going. It would match up with my Tarot reading for next week. That would be nice.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If you would like to help me get through this period, just keep doing what you’re doing: supporting me. This could be as simple as reading this blog and leaving a comment, or even reading and reviewing my books (links to which can be found on my Book Links and Excerpts page).
Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Happy New Year, my Followers of Fear. I wasn’t going to do this sort of post, let alone on New Year’s Day. After all, I went over a lot of this stuff in my “Looking Back at 2023, Looking Forward to 2024” post. But plenty of my writer friends were posting their 2023 accomplishments and their 2024 goals on social media, so I thought, “Why shouldn’t I? And why should I limit myself to however many characters?”
Thus, I’m writing a full blog post.
So, with all that said, let’s get into my writing goals and how I plan to keep busy on the writing front.
FINISH THE SHORT WORKS I STARTED
After the Great Editing ended last year, I went through my list of ideas and chose seven story ideas I thought would be fun to work on (and hopefully had a chance of getting published). I’ve already finished two stories: a surprisingly short weird horror story called “White Leaves,” and a Jewish exorcism story called “The House on Lafayette Square.” And at the moment, I’m working on a story about owls under the temporary title “Strigiformes.”
With this particular goal, I aim to finish “Strigiformes” by Martin Luther King Day, and then get the other four stories done by around May. Don’t know if I will, but God knows I’m going to try. I’m already at the halfway point of “Strigiformes,” so assuming nothing messes with my life between now and the 15th, I should be off to a good start.
FINISH CRAWLER
My big project for 2024, assuming nothing else pops up, is to finally return to my mummy novel Crawler and finish it. Hopefully after I finish these last four and a half short works, and around May-ish. I want to go over what’s already been written, then get around to finishing the first draft.
Don’t know if it’ll get published at some point, but I definitely want it to be at least finished. I hate the feeling of it being left undone when I feel it has great potential.
GROW MY AUDIENCE
This one should be pretty self-explanatory. I love my Followers of Fear and how ardent you all can be, but I am a writer. We love having people enjoying our work. So, I’m trying to build my audience and the number of people who I can claim to be Followers of Fear.
Part of this will be done by selling books at events, which are great places to meet new readers, and another part will be some slight changes to how I do things on social media.* With a bit of luck, the right interactions, and sympathetic algorithms, maybe more people will come to love and look forward to my stories when they release.
*BTW, I’ve left Twitter due to Elon Musk going full anti-Semite and have moved to Threads and BlueSky. So, if you want to follow me there, click on the links.
GET SOME ACCEPTANCES
Again, this is also self-explanatory. While I do self-publish some of my work, I still like to get publishers to release some of my stories. There are benefits to going indie and going through a publisher. And all that being said, I hope to have some presses accept my stories and help me polish them up to their most beautiful before letting them out into the world.
And I may self-publish some stuff, as well. If the circumstances are right.
HAVE A GOOD 2024 FISCALLY
Writing is a passion and a calling, but it is also a job and a business. That’s especially true during tax time. And while this past year, I had the most income from writing ever, I also had a lot of expenses. Not enough to overtake my income, but still, a lot. For 2024, I hope to have fewer expenses. Or that my income far outpaces my expenses. It’s something I’ll be working on throughout the year, so hopefully it goes well.
MAYBE ANOTHER COLLECTION?
Yeah, putting together and editing Hannah was difficult at times, but it was gratifying, too. And I’m thinking of maybe putting together another collection. If I do, what stories will be in it, what it’ll be called, if there will be a theme, and if I self-publish it or not, we’ll see. This part of the future, at least, is still up in the air.
MAYBE AN ADAPTATION?
I know, I know. Getting any of my stories adapted into any medium is a long shot. Still, some things happened in 2023 that give me hope that it could happen. (And if you’re lucky, you’ll hear about what later this year.) So, I’m putting it on this list as a goal.
GET THAT MUCH CLOSER TO WRITING FULL-TIME
This is my overall goal for 2024. Granted, this is my overall goal every year. But I feel like I made significant progress this year towards this goal in 2023, and I feel like 2024 will take me even further. I want to get to the point where I can actually see a path to eventually being able to write full-time. Where it stops being just a dream and starts to morph into a reality.
If the majority of these go these goals go well, then maybe, just maybe, I’ll end 2024 with goals towards making dreams reality in 2025. And wouldn’t that be glorious?
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope 2024 treats us all very well (though honestly, I feel like roaring at the year to intimidate it instead of hoping it’s nice to us is a better move). Thank you for all the support you guys showed me in 2023. I hope you continue to do so in 2024. And one way to do that is to read my books and leave reviews, and/or follow my social media. I’ll leave buttons that’ll take you to where you can find both.
Rami Ungar The Writer 