Innsmouth Monster Byte

Innsmouth Free Press posted my piece "Karaoke Machine Malfunction Renders Local Pub Patrons Deaf". Crafting a news story was a nice change of pace . I perused A Walking Tour of Innsmouth and assumed intrepid-reporter duty for a spell. Disturbing things occur in this charming town, folks. Between you and me, I sensed strange forces at work even though I reported the facts and only the facts. ;-)

NaNo: Sesame Street Homage

Happy 40th B-Day, Sesame Street.* You're the best. I love this Kermit and Don Music bit. Tis fitting for NaNo, no?

*Thanks for bringing this to my attention, BT.

At That Precise Moment

I can't believe I've never posted on this topic.

So, Bec, when did you know you were a writer? Well, I can relive the moment any time I want, thank you very much.

Romancing the Stone (a freebie on Netflix) premiered in 1984. I watched the beginning and 4 mins and 11 secs into the movie came my Epiphany: YES, I'LL DO EXACTLY THAT WHEN I GROW UP!

Then I laughed my ass off. Still do.

NaNo: The Odd Couple

Yup, I got Oscar in the morn, Felix at night.*

So, my novel's working title is What A Little Moonlight Can Do.* It's a romantic comedy with fantasy thrown in, of course. I'll confess I'm having a real hard time writing slobly* or Oscar-like. I force myself not to edit as I go. It's the primary reason I'm participating-- to break my exhausting habit of self-editing.

I'll also confess that once I achieve my daily self-imposed word count of 1,700 each morn, I return to other WIPs at night and resume my Felix-like ways.

Some habits take time to break. I can't go cold turkey. Weaning, slowly weaning . . .

*For any spring chickens out there, Oscar and Felix are characters from the movie The Odd Couple, staring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. It's about two men that live together. Oscar is a slob, the other, Felix, a perfectionist. It's hysterical, especially Felix's allergy fits.

*It's the title a song I think is cute and whimsical.

*When you're a writing slob you get to make up words. Shakespeare was a huge slob.

Peter Straub Interview

This is perfect for Halloween, horror writer Peter Straub's thoughts on how to scare readers. Having never read the man's work, I can't recommend him. I very rarely read horror, but this article enticed me to give him a try.

What A Little Sport Can Do

Oh NaNoWriMo* is a comin'. Before this furious writing storm hits, I'm going to enjoy myself tonight at a Portland Pirates hockey game. Ahhh, invigorating fun. Check out nine-year-old Jr. Portland Pirate Oliver Wahlstom's amazing shot. The goalie's reaction is priceless. Have a great hat-trick-or-treat weekend.

*If you would like to buddy me . :-)

WIP Weds: *chirp, chirp*

Have you ever hootenannied at a masquerade ball and everyone died, victims of a horrible host who plagued all with disease*, and for some freaky reason you survived, clawed yourself out of the mass of cooling bodies --*deep breath*-- because there's this word you kept hearing that inexplicably drew you to it (you recalled some friends uttered it in the past, but you had no idea what they were referring to--*deep breath*--you smiled and nodded so not to look the uninformed idiot) so you crawled home to do a Wiki search, but it's a word that has consonant clusters that are odd, so it took awhile to uncover it until finally !success! That's the word: Cthulhu!

Anyone else experienced that? . . . *chirp, chirp* . . . no?. . . *chirp, chirp* . . . not even a little bit? . . . *titter* . . . just kidding.

Anyway, I read H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu". Eh, it was okay.* If I understand correctly, Cthulhu Mythos is derived from this story and others. Many horror writers have built upon or derived inspiration from its theme of this evil god that resides within the depths of the earth just waiting to be unleashed and force all of humanity to watch reality-tv 24/7.* If you hear the call of Cthulhu, better pack for the loony bin.

Willing to give H.P. a second chance after so much Cthulhu hype*, I read more of his work, stumbling upon "The White Ship" and "What the Moon Brings" and "The Outsider" which I loooooooved-- "The White Ship" so much so I wrote a sequel to it.* Pity me, my Cthulhu search made me cocky and deluded.

Look, I'm not a horror writer, okay? Yeah . . .well . . . I'm not . . . got that? . . . *chirp*

*Poe things.

*Ummm, bigot much, H.P?

*I made that up. That scenario would be truly horrific for me.

*Don't get me wrong. I find the whole thing fascinating but shrine, tattoo, or stuff my personal library with it-- ah, no. I do lurk at Innsmouth Free Press thrice weekly. Good stuff.

*Poor "Ubiguitous Ink" always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Someday I'll commit and submit it.

Editing is a Bit**

As a writer I so identify with this dog. I edit my drafts this way kinda. Wrestling with them--should I, shouldn't I omit this?--my own worst enemy. My current WIP, big woofs. A total id vs. superego smackdown. Silly, silly me. :-)

Set In My Ways

I've changed my background as you can see. My father-in-law took this photo of a bog not far from his home. New England in fall, especially Maine, is the best place to be in the entire universe. So that makes my state waaaay better than your state or country or galaxy or alternate universe.* :-P

I hope you'll prove me wrong at some point and in-our-face-you-crazy-Maine-iac me by posting pictures of your beloved areas. I don't get out much. ;-)

Gearing up for NaNo, thinking about my draft. Only thing that's set is the setting. The coast. I can't believe I've written this long but never about my stomping grounds. Move over, King . . heh, heh.

*Oh, please, please, please one of you be a space alien.

WIP Weds: Switching Gears

I received word last night that my story--well, more of a recipe--was accepted by the editor of A Moron's Survival Guide to the Inevitable Zombocalypse Anthology. I couldn't resist submitting something. Seduced again by the ludicrous. First bacon, now morons. I have a weak spot for both, you see, and zombies: don't get me started. I've now placed/published/will have published a trifecta of funny tales with the undead as subject.

Ahhhh, when I give my Noble Prize for Literature speech I'll reflect tenderly on the zombie- phase of my writing journey.

It's hard to switch "writer's tone" and "voice" gears without grinding them. Gonzo to gloomy ain't easy.

"Ubiquitous Ink", my somber tale, simmers. It will be completed by the end of this month come hell or high water . . . hear that muse!? . . . muse? . . . so if I disappear for awhile, mates, it's because I'll be covered in ink.