Do I Need a Defense?

It feels good to finally be back on here again. I am appalled to see how long it's been since I last wrote a post. I blame a lot of things: a trip to Prague, a new job (full-time writing and editing!), and a baby that has decided to become a parasite in my body. Mostly, though, I think I have just been procrastinating, which isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes writing can benefit from a little break. I've finally been able to work out the sticky parts in my second novel. (My first novel is going well, by the way. I'm getting favorable responses from literary agents. Fingers crossed!)

But this is not my main point in this post.

I've noticed a trend in conversations lately. When I meet someone new, he or she always is curious to know a little about me (which is natural, I guess, in the "getting to know you" of new friendships). Talk will inevitably turn to my writing or what I like to do in my spare time, which then leads to my love of the horror genre.

Now, don't get me wrong. I like to talk horror with people. And I love to discuss the genre in a rather nerdy way (I blame too many years in grad school for that one). As a side note, for anyone looking for a good book on the subject, I highly recommend Jason Zinoman's Shock Value. I just finished it and can't say enough good things on the book. It deals with the rise of the horror movie in the 1970's. Great Stuff. I am also in the middle of reading (finally) Stephen King's Danse Macabre.

But this isn't the kind of thing most people want to talk about when they talk "horror" with me. No, they want to know why I like horror. I guess people don't expect a petite (and currently pregnant) blonde to like horror. What I should like...I don't know. Or what a "horror fan" should look like...that confuses me too. Whatever it is, I'm not it.

So, they want to know why I like it.

I used to give all sorts of reasons why I watched, ranging from the more academic ("horror tells us about our society" and "it allows us a safe place to experience our fears and anxieties") to the less so ("I enjoy movies with buckets of fake blood"). Now, though, I'm wondering if that is even needed.

After all, no one ever asks for a defense when someone professes a love for romantic comedies or comic-book movies ("Really? You watch romantic comedies? You don't look like that kind of person? Why? Have you liked them since you were a child?" It's a ridiculous thought). No one who likes comedic films ever has to defend his or her tastes (although I would point out that many comedies have more violence than a lot of horror movies I've watched--and horror movies generally have a good dose of funny to them too--but that's another post for another day).

Why, then, do I have to offer a reasoning behind my obsession?

I don't think I owe that to anyone. Next time someone asks me why I like horror, I'll just shrug and say, "Because I do."

And that's all the defense I need.

Good Reads!!!

Allow me to do some shameless plugging...

This is a friend of mine. He is a fantastic writer and a even more fantastic person. His first book Controlled Accident debuted not too long ago. I haven't finished it yet, but from the reviews I've heard, it is an enjoyable read, though maybe a bit slow to start.

Kane's second book, Psychic Steampunk Parade, just released.

I haven't gotten this one yet, but it is on my planned reading list (just as soon as I finish that monster of a book Under the Dome from Stephen King). From what the author has told me, this book is just purely for fun, which, if I know Gray Kane, means it is going to be bat shit crazy in the best of ways! And I love steampunk, so this is really the best of both worlds.

Both novels are available for download on Amazon Kindle, but for those of you out there who are money misers, Kane has made his second book a free download at Smashwords!

Free books...what's better than that?

New Year, New Obsessions

So far, 2011 is going great! I have a draft of my first novel finished. I am almost done with revisions, so I should be sending it out for the publication circus by the end of the month. I just started the second novel, along with a few short stories that I am excited about. Life is good!

Life is also busy.

Of course, does a busy life equal all hard work? NO! It means more time wasted on the internet!

A good friend of mine sent me a link to a website that I am currently obsessed with. If you've ever read this blog with any regularity, you know that I love horror movies of all kinds (the good ones, the really good ones, the bad ones, the so-bad-they're-good ones), and I spend a good posting some of my favorites on here.

Then, I saw this blog:


http://horror-movie-a-day.blogspot.com/

It's everything I wish my blog was! A new horror movie every day? Be still my heart...I'm in love. **Sigh**

Enjoy!

One Writer's Journey

I have had moderate success in my writing since I began pursuing it as a career just over a year ago. I've always liked writing, and books are a true obsession for me. I graduated with my Ph.D. in English Literature in 2009 and have been looking for work since then. When (like many of my colleagues) I could only get part-time adjunct work, I decided to use my free time at home to really work on my fiction. Since then, I've gotten numerous flash pieces published (thanks, MicroHorror! http://microhorror.com/microhorror); I've also had great encouragement from publishers. Like many writers know, the rejection letter is inevitable. What I didn't know is that it can also be cruel and kind in various degrees. At first, I was only receiving the typical "Thanks, but no thanks" letters. These were short, sweet, form letters that usually arrived quickly. Then, I began to notice the letters getting longer and more flattering. I continued to work on my prose, polishing my fiction, and sent those stories out again and again--making sure to wear my armor for all those rejections I knew were coming.


One day, the letter was a personal one. The editor personally complimented my work! It was another rejection, but I did get a request to send more stories. I have found that these kinds of rejections are becoming more and more common, and I'm taking that as good news. It's a sign that my work is being enjoyed; I just have to find the right market.


I think every writer needs a little encouragement now and then. This is not the easiest of professions, especially with all of the denials. I have found a few tips that have worked in building my confidence as a writer, and I hope these will help you as well:


1. Don't stop writing! Keep those fingers constantly on a pen or a keyboard. I hear too many people saying they want to be writers and they are doing little to no actual writing.
2. Don't stop reading. Read anything and everything (and not just writers like yourself--read lots of genres). How else will you learn what good writing is? How will you know what bad writing is?
3. Know your craft. I have found several books on writing helpful. Stephen King's On Writing has been immensely helpful; he gives clear and practical advice.

Also, every writer needs a good grammar handbook. I have several, including Strunk and White's handbook, which King recommends.















Once you do have writing you are ready to send out into the world, The Writer's Market will be invaluable in telling you where to send your material, as well as useful tips on how to write a cover letter.













If it sounds like a lot of work, it is! At times, it can be difficult to continue writing, especially when you have little or no paycheck for what amounts to a full time job, but we don't do it for the money, or the fame, or the bragging rights. If you're anything like me, you do it for the sheer love of it. I cannot imagine doing anything else, which brings me to my last point.

4. Have fun!

A friend of mine (another writer) recommended the "I Write Like" website (http://iwl.me/). It allows you to submit portions of your work and the "analyzer" tells you who you write like. This is mine:

http://iwl.me/s/b3a26720

Too much fun! Another internet addiction in the making...

Cheers to all of you, and happy writing!