Today is Halloween and it’s the time when people often watch scary movies or read scary stories. However, what is actually scary is different from person to person. In our culture, most scary stories are about monsters, ghosts, evil people, aliens or technology gone wrong. Still, what is most terrifying is the atmosphere that the…
Tag: horror
Wolves and Dark Fire
Wolves and Dark Fire I wake with my face in the furry back of a wolf. It does not have the musky smell of an animal—these wolves smell only of ash, and if the damp is up, mold. It is a smell I am used to. I sit up and put my back to the…
Phere
Phere Phere. It was the intersection of fashion and horror. Fifth Avenue meets Fear Factor. I gingerly put on my lacquered wasp earrings. The millipede bracelet came next. Then my masterpiece, a necklace made of a live de-legged scorpion I put on with bomb-disposal meticulousness. I had more than the normal blind-date nervousness. What if…
Muse on Monday – March 21, 2022
Don’t you just love the word “why”? It can be one of the most difficult questions to answer but the answers to it can also drive a story. Sure, we want to see who the murderer is, but also why they did it. If you see a person crying at a table in a restaurant,…
Muse on Monday – November 22, 2021
Happy Monday and happy birthday to Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian author of the graphic novel Persepolis. This is also the day that C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite writers, died in 1963, the same day as Aldous Huxley and John F. Kennedy. Quite the momentous day. Second, this is the week of Thanksgiving in the…
Forever Brave, Forever Seventeen
Forever Brave, Forever Seventeen Part I “Grandpa, I will be in the attic, listening to music there. Don’t lose me.” “Okay, Charlie. Be careful.” Charlie climbed to the attic of his grandfather’s house. The attic was his favorite place because there was a quiet and calm atmosphere. Moreover, the window was looking directly at the…
Muse on Monday – May 24, 2021, Featuring “Quick Cash”
I hope you’re having a good Monday. It is Victoria Day in Canada, so if you are Canadian, enjoy your holiday. What a great chance to write a story! The challenge of Muse on Monday is to write a short story and use the elements listed below. If you’re 18 years old or younger, you…
Muse on Monday – May 3, 2021, Featuring “The Monster of Eidolon Cave”
Happy May everyone and welcome to Muse on Monday! The challenge is to write a story of your own based on the prompt below. If you’re 18 years old or younger, you can submit it using this link for a chance to have it published next Monday when the new prompt comes out. You just…
Writing Corner: Genre
Genre The category or kind of story it is. Usually used for stories, books, TV shows, and movies The word “genre” just means “kind” or “type” but it is a special word usually used for types of stories, such as in books, TV shows, or movies. I am only going to talk about written story…
The Green-Walled Treehouse 