Goals bum me out. There are lots of things I’d like to do, and I do it, but not when I tell me I have to do it.
Demystify Your Characters with Myers-Briggs
I have looked for ways to understand free-thinking characters beyond lying awake until 2 a.m. I’ve written out backstories that will never make it near the story, had conversations with them, tried to step back into their headspace and usually failed -- until Myers-Briggs.
Dead End
Maybe that was all he wanted, at first—a laugh. One night of blood-soaked earth for one really great chuckle. One thing was, without a doubt, not a “maybe”: after that first day, that first great laugh, someone was going to have to stop him. It was just too good a joke to stop telling.
Killer Clowns: Why Am I Afraid?
The clown approaches with a balloon. Maybe we take it and share a smile, maybe the clown uses the string to strangle us, maybe we lose our senses and stab the clown.
Oubliette – The “Forgotten Room”
Have you ever looked down a sewer grate and shuddered at the thought of finding yourself beneath those iron bars?
Roman Soldiers: Are They Still Among Us?
The Romans abandoned their hold on the British empire in the 5th century A.D. Why, then, did maintenance man Harry Martindale see a contingent of them march past in February of 1953?
The 5 Cornerstones of Characterization
I've heard the concept of this before and apply it when I write but reading it again gave me an unexpected breakthrough for one of my characters! I'm grateful for a Creative Writing teacher in college who was wonderfully dialed in to elements like these. By actually putting down what makes great writing (and reading)... Continue Reading →
Case Study: “Betty” the Poltergeist (2007, Unresolved)
"Betty" is a 1900's woman who likes to wake you up at 2:36 a.m. by shouting your name. And heaven help you if you paint the walls the wrong color.
What Will 50,000 Years Do to the Earth?
I wouldn’t get your hopes up that human eyes will be around to see what an Earth 50,000 years older will look like.
Murders at Hinterkaifeck Farm: A Century of Mystery
A stalker watches a family for months. The stalker gains the confidence to move into the family’s home. For reasons undetermined, perhaps the exposition of their “haunting”, the stalker becomes a murderer. After the murders, the evil or insane murder lives in the home for a few days as though it is their own. Wears the clothes of the victims, eats their food, sleeps in their bed.
MalloryKelly 