I make a lot of rules or tricks for myself when doing different projects. Things I keep in the back of my mind to stay consistent, or just keep things straight in my mind. When I was writing “Alone” I had to keep the twin characters straight and not confuse myself about which one was which. My solution was to name the right side twin (they were conjoined at the head) was named Randolf and the Left side twin was Luis. I would love to hear what tricks or tips you use.
Author: Joe Hallett
Member of the Horror Writers association (horror.org) an internationally selling author of Horror, science fiction and urban fantasy.
Hindsight is 2020
Or is it 0202 (because you are looking backward?) I want to thank you all, I have been getting some great advice from you. Things I wish I would have known before I started this whole “being a writer” thing. For example.. starting a blog or a web page. One thing I am grateful about is that nothing is too late, and even if I am doing the self-promoting in an ass-backward way, eventually it will work itself out. after all a few billion people on the internet, and lots of time, I will eventually get noticed right?
I started with an idea that I had to get out of my head. I really didn’t have a clue what I was getting myself into. Like even “How” to write. Really the basics like dialog tags and paragraph structure to using word for windows. (I attended highschool a few times but I don’t remember it LOL) The project just keeps growing, from getting my idea on paper to finding an editor and getting it published for public consumption. Every day I am learning more and more, figuring out my tools and polishing my skills. Thanks to all of you, for helping me grow as a writer.
Here is a little poetry for your friday
Of Necromancy and love
With iniquity and open grimoire,
summoned from hell, to enslave aberration.
Barter my soul, a dark deed I call for!
Spit from my lips, this ill incantation
Sharpened by sin, my blade let go a flood
upon the alter, gift to the devil,
sacrificial offering of hot blood.
Cadaver imbibe life, I will revel!
Hardened of heart and core it will require
The wickedness of work or my intent
And grim occupation of desire
Unfettered of remorse or to lament
Razor edge of lust and red, sigil signed completes my art
Arise from the dead, lady of my heart
Sometimes uncharted waters are the best place to go.
I’ve heard that to be a good writer, write what you know. That is solid advice; you are an expert about “what you know” than writing about something you have no experience in. I may have broken that rule or bent it, or maybe just dated its cousin. Writing Emergence collective began organically enough; I was writing a science fiction novel primarily about a hole in the ground that never filled up. But as the story grew (started writing itself, really), things went in unexpected directions.
I discovered I was exploring some deep spiritual and metaphysical ideas. I, however, am, for one thing, a Skeptical scientist. I am a literal rocket scientist. I am very non-theistic as opposed to Atheism, which is very anti-religion. So when my story evolved into one that went in a spiritual direction, I just went along for the ride. I listened and questioned people about opinions and ideas in this subject and drank the proverbial cool-aid for the story’s sake. I am not trying to be vague on purpose, just trying not to spoil the story if anyone wants to read it. I keep finding myself trying not to tell people. Hey! Read my book, but I don’t believe any of it. In the end, I tried to do justice to those who are spiritual, while adding my own science fiction spin to it. I think I did a good job. Let me know how I did!
Excited for more!
I got about a thousand words down yesterday. Not a bad start. My daily goal is two thousand. Not that I stick to it or punish myself if I don’t. but I try. Right now I am organizing my thoughts, world-building and thinking about the characters and building those relationships. I usually just cram everything in my head and chew on it until I get a sense of how I want the story to go. I did get somewhat of an outline written, and I don’t usually use outlines but I thought Id give it a try. I’m Honing my craft, right? try new things and see if it sticks. I have several story ideas ready to go, I am always thinking about their storylines while I am working on other things. So expect a few stories to come, From Bigfoot to Willow-the-wisps to Aliens…
Good reads
I remembered I had a good reads profile. Check it out say hi!
Character snapshot: Mark and Trina
It’s a character snapshot, but these two characters are equally important together as they are apart, so I decided to lump the snapshot together. I really enjoyed writing the relationship between these two. I really wanted to express the kind of purity of love two people could share if they had the freedom of innocence….
Mark’s beat-up Honda fishtailed around the corner of the driveway and then skidded to a stop in a cloud of dust in front of the longhouse. Trina had a white-knuckle grip on the dashboard as if she was holding on for dear life. “Why do you have to drive like a crazy person?” she shouted, but the look on her face was one of excitement rather than terror. “Umm, because it’s fun?” he said with a chuckle. “Well, here we are. Let’s find the best cabin before anyone else calls dibs.”
“Yeah, good call,” she said as she got out of the car and stretched her back. “This is a cool place,” she said as she looked around, taking in the layout of the place. “But geez, namaste much?” Mark chuckled at that last remark. “Yeah, he was the poster child for hippies, I guess. That’s probably why my dad and Grandad pretended he didn’t exist.” “I think you might be cut from the same cloth, honey, ya know? A long-hair dropout in a family of lawyers and doctors. You’re not gonna get rich, but I love ya,” she said softly.
He walked over and put his hands on her tiny waist, and pulled her close to him. “That’s how I know you love me. You’re not a gold digger. He whispered in her ear, “That makes me richer than any of ’em.”
“I think this place is making you mushy,” she whispered back. He moved closer to her ear. “It’s also making me horny.” Then he playfully swatted her butt. She pretended to be mad and started to push him away but grabbed his hand and started pulling him to the cabins. “Let’s go find us a cabin, my ‘mushy’ man,” she said and winked at him. He dared not resist as she led him down a random path. “These cabins are all in good condition. I was imagining something like sleeping in a dirty barn,” Trina said as she peered into the window of a pleasant-looking cabin. “I like this one, but I want something, ya know, a little more private.” “Anything for you, love,” he said, smiling. “Yeah, I think Uncle Frank had a lot of time on his hands and kept the place up nicely.”
They reached the end of the path at a cabin that seemed to be the farthest from all the others. Mark walked up the few steps to the porch and opened the door. “Should I carry you over the threshold?” Trina pushed past him with a smirk. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, bucko,” she said sarcastically.
“Well then,” he said with an exaggerated bow, “after you, m’lady,” then followed her in.
I dabble in Poetry to
Character snapshot: Willy Winston
Writing Willy’s character was fun. I like characters that can be equally tough and tender…
Willy turned around to face his friends and make sure everyone was out and ok. Sandy started to sob and fell to her knees as Jonny put his arm around her. Frank, still huffing from his sprint, bent over to catch his breath. Gregory and Daniel looked around, frantic.
“Where’s David?” Gregory asked in an awkward girlish-sounding voice. Frank stood up straight and looked toward the tent.
Sandy gasped. “Oh, oh my God!” she cried, seeing the tent collapsed.
Gregory and Daniel rushed over to the tent, calling his name. Willy and Frank followed, quick to help, struggling to find the tent opening in the darkening light of the sky. Frank froze cold. He looked down, and his voice turned a chilling tone of horror. “Blood,” he whispered, forcing the word out of his mouth.
Willy looked down at where Frank was staring. Fresh splats of blood dripped at Willy’s feet.
Frank looked up at Willy. “You’re bleeding, old man,” he said with a relieved tone.
A trickle of blood ran down from Willy’s forehead and nose into his beard. He reached up and touched his forehead, searching for injury. “Oh,” he said with a nonchalant tone as he pulled a toothpick-sized piece of cable from his head. “Would ya look at that.”
Why did you name it that?
My wife asked me why I named this blog “Hand-prints of Darkness”. Because “Prints of Darkness” was taken… Of course. I took the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. first, I was told I should start a blog to help promote my writings, and second, a character for the next book writes a blog. Spoiler alert, I thought it would be a fun little easter egg to actually have a blog that was referenced in the book. So here we are… This is pretty fun too, I hope you like it!
Part of the Draft from the Next book in the series…..
Serenity Gates, Yes, that’s her real name. It encompasses everything she hates about living in this new, new age. Her Parents of course enjoyed the revolution of the spiritual awakening in the world. It could explain a lot about her though. The typical rebellion against everything your parents are or care about to be your own person. At least I didn’t become a Satanist She thought. Slasher movies and death metal, goth style. They could have got worse. Serenity pounded out a few more lines on her keyboard adding the last finishing touches to her blog “Hand-prints of Darkness”. A pretty successful blog about nineteen eighty’s and ninety’s horror movies… only the classics. Well not only, there are few current movies that are worthy of special attention to her blog, she’s not a purist.
Hand-prints of Darkness 