When the Harmon family moved into their new home in Los Angeles that would then turn out to be called the Murder House back in 2011, American Horror Story achieved something truly unprecedented on the small screen – it created electrifying, daring and ambitious horror that spared no character. Yes, in pure Ryan Murphy fashion the show was messy, uneven and far exceeded its reach on occasion, but what it succeeded in doing was prove horror worked as an extended narrative beyond the feature film format, which had grown stale and predictable. It proved that if you gave your characters enough time and rope, they’d hang themselves and do so in profound and unsettling ways.
I had glorious plans about where I’d be in terms of rewrites for The Mythology of Us, but we all know what happens to the best laid plans of mice and men; they get buried under snow and enter hibernation. Combining my participation in a three-month mentorship program where I worked closely with a baby writer in her teens with the immediate, vicious drop in energy as soon as the temperature dropped, I dropped the ball. Hard.
It’s been quiet on the news front as I’m focused on surviving this winter and novel rewrites, but what I can share with you all is that Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling is going to hit shelves next week. This anthology contains my fairy tale take on damsels in distress and evil sorceresses being evil for the sake of being evil, “Her Curse, How Gently It Comes Undone.” Read More Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling Goes LIVE December 13
I relish reading short fiction and nothing gives me greater joy than reading a superior anthology or short story collection. It’s especially rewarding when said material tackles fairy tales – those timeless pieces of dark wisdom that are the core of storytelling. It’s essence.
Read More [Review] The Starlit Wood by Dominik Parisien & Navah Wolfe
This November, I’ll be heading out to Eurocon 2016, which is going to be held November 4th – November 6th in Barcelona, Spain. It’s going to be my fourth convention and the first ever where I’ll be part of the proceedings. Organizers have recently made a provisional program available in full HERE. Read More My Provisional Schedule for Eurocon 2016
It’s the end of the month, which means one thing – Innumerable Voices is back again to highlight gorgeous, exciting and transgressive short fiction in SFF. September is dedicated to Canadian rising star and specialist in dynamic, close combat scenes, Charlotte Ashley. Read More In September Innumerable Voices Highlights Charlotte Ashley
Among friends I’m known more for my propensity for list-making and owning several large planners that I always scribble in. If you know me, you know I love a good plan and there’s a good reason for that.
At the end of August 2015, I felt exhausted, overheated, and unmoored in my life. Somehow, I was both in extraordinary motion at the tails of a move in a still unfamiliar city, a complete first novel draft and consistent freelance gigs, and not moving in any direction. The novel had fully consumed me and I had barely a few stories on submission, and even though I worked at all hours, this didn’t significantly affect my income. I was expending a lot of energy and had little to show for it. As the cliché goes, something had to change.
Read More “Nothing’s Better Than a Good Plan,” Typed the Writer
Toiling away on the novel, I haven’t had much opportunity to submit short fiction, but it’s all looking great on the non-fiction front. The past few months I’ve seen pieces I’m excited about go live – a new installment on my column, a challenging review on an anthology and a piece on inspiration. Read More Innumerable Voices & Assorted Links
Hi, I’m growing a beard as part of my master plan to reach full potential as a writer. Beards are great – it’s an objective truth… Yes, it’s an objective truth! I’m not biased. Not biased one bit. *clears throat, scratches face* Anyway, come join me on this journey on metamorphosis as I try to hide the fact I look like I’m skipping senior year classes. Read More Growing a Beard: The Stubble from Hell
Beards and writers are inseparable. So much so, it’s a symbiotic relationship. The beard is the secret driving force behind literary excellence in men. The muse. The whisperer of greatness – a creature that uses its filaments to ensnare truths and revelations, digest them and feed them to its host. Naturally, I had to have one. Read More Growing a Beard (Take II: Who Knew You Could Make So Many Mistakes)