Florida huntsman spiders hide behind curtains and boxes pushed against the wall. They're velvety brown and large, nearly the size of your hand. Their legs tickle if you let them crawl over your fingers. You'll see them when you pull back the shower curtain or move something from under your bed. But they'll skitter away, shy … Continue reading #Arachtober – 5 Days Until Halloween
The Little Man by Victoria Nations There's a little man crouching by the fence past the stop sign. He's bald and wearing a shapeless coat, and he reminds me of Uncle Fester, but he's grinning a little too wide. His teeth are very long. And he looks much too menacing to be an Addams. He’s … Continue reading The Little Man – 6 Days Until Halloween
May you find only the best bio-exorcists along your trail today. You can visit Betel...oops, better stop...and other legendary ghosts along the Seminole Wekiva Trail, painted by John Demshock. To quote Delia Deetz, "This is my art, and it is dangerous. You think I want to die like this?"
Dr. Paul Bearer was the host of Creature Feature, a self-declared "horrible old movie" double-feature that aired in the 1970's and 80's in the Tampa area. In my memory, I'm laying on a floor pillow on orange carpet, in the living room of our family cabin, and watching Attack of the Mushroom People with him … Continue reading Throwback Thursday – 9 Days Until Halloween
Doll Of Found Objects by Victoria Nations Doll of found objects Fabric from her dress, a tooth The last stitch pulled tight (visit Wolf's Museum of Mystery to see this lovely doll in person)
NaNoWriMo begins at midnight on November 1. I’m often up then, closing down the house after the last trick-or-treaters and eating Halloween snacks in front of a late night horror movie. I’ve usually gotten most of the makeup wiped off, and I’ve transitioned to ghost socks. I’ll be dreaming of starting my NaNoWriMo story. I’ve … Continue reading Hallow-WriMo – 11 Days Until Halloween
I grew up reading Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, and I still adore them. Some day their language is overblown, but I love how their lavish descriptions overwhelm me. Their stories are more horrifying for how they make me feel crushed beneath moldering walls and surrounded by alien angles. Something monstrous is usually threatening to overtake … Continue reading Quiet Horror – 12 Days Until Halloween
Two of my favorite sessions at the Florida Writers Conference were today. I spent the morning delving in to how characters respond to supernatural elements and geeking out over writing horror so it fills a reader with dread. But there was time this afternoon to check off a Halloween task: pumpkins! They were so bright, so huge, … Continue reading Sunday Chores, Again – 13 Days Until Halloween
The Florida Writers Conference will be wrapping up tomorrow, and I'll be doing a blog post soon on the wonderful insights into writing about monsters from one of the talks. For now, I'll pretend I've got some Halloween cereal in my room for a late night snack.
It is an amazing feeling to write a scene, even a sentence, that gives you a little thrill. I enjoy writing spooky stuff, and those thrills come when I feel like I've written a scene that is particularly gruesome or I've managed to capture a character's reaction to the horrific thing that is happening. It makes me pull away from the … Continue reading October Is For Writing Conferences – 15 Days Until Halloween
Victoria Nations 