Someone tell me to stop writing poetry and edit my horror novel.
Edits
Tag Archives: Novel
DPS Volume 3 -Exes and Hexes and Juicy News
Check out DPS magazine volume 3, Exes and Hexes!
Three of my poems have been featured alongside other brilliant poets in this beautiful new edition. Click here to read the below for free!
In other news, my short story, The Ritual, has finally been published in Artifex! You’ve read it first, here. I’m just so proud of how far I’ve come, and I can’t thank you enough for your continued support. A single like or comment really pushes me to keep doing what I love and providing content.
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I have one more surprise, which will be exclusive to you guys here on WordPress. So keep it hush! I’ve been working with a brilliant artist, Onyx Art and Design, on a new cover for a second edition of my first poetry collection and first ever publication, Deipnon.
Here’s a sample of what the cover will look like!
Undressing Poetry
As a poet…
I struggle
To write a story
To tell you all the details
To give an ending
I like to leave you hanging
But not on a cliff
You’ll be blindfolded
Your senses erased
Yet overstimulated
As a poet…
The climax is subtle
And has an aftertaste
And maybe days later
Months
You’ll feel it again
Those words will tickle your insides
That hand could be gentle
Or piercing
As a poet…
I am the creator
I am the spectator
You are the story
We are the story
But our novels are different
Though for a moment…
You’re a poet too
These words belong to you
Garden of People
Guess what! I just dusted the rough draft of my first ever completed manuscript. Going to get a hard copy to edit 276 pages of my dark suspense / horror novel. Wish me luck. 😀
Designed a makeshift cover on Canva. Not at all what I envisioned, but I think minimalist covers are sharp. What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know.
Damien’s father passes before he starts his freshman year in high school and things haven’t been the same since. He meets his first girlfriend and finally has lots of friends. But Damien starts to hallucinate and has a hard time differentiating between his nightmares and reality. When his friends start seeing things as well and go missing, Damien starts to question whether or not it’s all in his head. Everyone around him has a secret, even if they don’t realize it yet.
Free Download
My poetry collection will be available for free downloads January 1st – 5th. (: Check the link and click “Look Inside” for a free preview!
Book of Invocations Cover Art
It’s completed! 😀 I’m so happy, I feel like crying. HUGE thank you to Onyx Art & Design for the beautiful work.
I look forward to releasing my book summer of 2020!
Garden of People – Preface
I decided to take a stab at re-writing the preface to my novel, Garden of People. Tell me which you prefer in the comments! The original is thick and meant to appear to the reader as psychosis. The second is a little more straight-forward.
(Original Version)
The hell flower belches its nectar into the marble bowl. The poison pollen is like black tar and spreads like the blood of a demon. The black juices thicken the toilet water as it starts to overflow and seep over the seat. Subsequently to the rose garden of the underworld, an ever-growing tide of ivy germinates the land. This green growth blossoms at the awakening of the dark half. The hell flower peers up at the entity before him. Its dark substance leaks off of its extremities and sizzles into fog on the ceramic tile below. Its eyes glow blood-red, like the flesh of a rose hip.
“I am Ereshkigal,” the voice hisses. “The Dark mother of all below. Why have you summoned me?”
“I offer my body as host to your power,” the flower pants, with clear signs of wither and decay.
“You are foolish to come to me with no true sacrifice. Your human body is not worth my power and your soul is not special to my collection. Your vessel cannot even control a fraction of my presence so it seems,” the dark goddess bellows.
“That is where you are wrong, Goddess,” the man snickers through the black substance dripping from his grin. His eyes have a brilliant ruby luster, matching the dark goddess’. “Your gift awaits in the cellar. Hopefully, this will convince you that my vision is for your best interest, Goddess.”
Ereshkigal bows her head and shuts her eyes, then dissipates into a complete mist and leaves the room. The hell flower rises from his curled position and opens his petals as he absorbs the energy around him. Decrepit walls shake and pictures fly off their nails and shatter. Cockroaches pour from the walls to escape the havoc. Fluorescent lights falter and a loud buzzing began to rise with the pressure in the house.
(Version 2)
The man puts down his blade gently. A myriad of blood sloshes to the floor in many directions. It pours from the ceiling like rain. Limp bodies twist, turn and dangle from their nooses. The blood streaming from their limbs swirls around the man in a ritualistic circle. It forms ancient symbols and sigils as the flood creeps toward him.
The pleasure of power surges through his veins, stronger than any drug imaginable. Who he once was is no more; his name is dead and the memories from his past are eradicated. Psychosis consumes him completely. He looks at his hands and sees his skin melting from the bone. An unfamiliar sickness that had been nesting in his stomach struggles to surface. He darts to the bathroom and vomits black sludge into the toilet, heaving over the rim.
She’s here.
“I am Ereshkigal,” a voice hisses. “The dark mother of all below. Why have you summoned me?”
“I offer my body as host to your power,” the man pants, with clear signs of wither and decay.
“You must be foolish to come to me with no true sacrifice. Your human body is not worth my power and your soul is not special to my collection. Your vessel cannot even control a fraction of my presence so it seems,” the dark goddess bellows.
“That is where you are wrong, Goddess,” the man snickers through the black substance dripping from his grin. His eyes have a brilliant ruby luster, matching the dark goddess. “Your gift awaits in the cellar. Hopefully, this will convince you that my vision is for your best interest, Goddess.”
Ereshkigal bows her head and closes her eyes, then dissipates into a complete mist and leaves the room. The man rose from his curled position and spread his arms to absorbs the energy around him. The decrepit walls shake and pictures fly off their nails and shatter. Cockroaches pour from the walls to escape the havoc. The fluorescent lights falter and a loud buzzing began to rise with the pressure in the house.
Photo by it’s me neosiam on Pexels.com
Let’s Talk Books
Do You Honestly Even Read?
I can’t tell you how many times people tell me about their favorite authors and books, but can’t seem to remember any more than names and titles. People talk about a book and describe the movie. So how do we go about pushing reading culture back on the world? Sure, ebooks and the internet have helped tremendously, but do you remember the last time you experienced that new book smell?
Yes, it’s the scent you expect from the new car scented tree danglers. The anticipation of each page flip drives you wild. Each time you open the cover, you feel transcended into a new world. Is that rolled up in a blanket feeling with an old book the same as having a frappuccina at a Starbucks with your laptop open? Okay, maybe I shouldn’t judge. I love frappuccinas…
Underrated Author Spotlight
As expressed in my own writing, horror is also my favorite genre to read or any related sub-category. Give me those dark suspense, psychological thriller, supernatural, juicy stories with a plot twist as shocking as a twist of the knife.
🔪 Happy Belated Halloween
Poppy Z. Brite – Here is my author shout out. I feel Poppy is extremely underrated and that her writing should be compared with the top dogs. One of my theories that she isn’t, is because her writing evolved to a more romantic twist. But check out some of her earlier books like my all time favorite, Exquisite Corpse.
So you know most horror stories involve a victim and that’s how you usually see the story. What makes this title so interesting, is that you are thwarted into a murderer’s universe. Poppy writes so well, it feels like the thoughts of the killer are actually revolving around your brain. Another twist – Poppy expresses the thoughts from one killer to another and how an admiration forms. Poppy definitely did a fantastic job to staying true to her characters’ voices.
Other noteworthy titles by Poppy are Lost Souls, Drawing Blood, Antediluvian Tales & Wormwood. I just love that New Orleans vibe of horror. What are your favorite types of horror? Any authors or books that you think should get more publicity? Share them in a comment below for a chance of me sharing them in my next blog. (This can include your own pieces)
If you like psychological horrorcoasters, give a follow for more reading material. I share my own content such as short stories, poetry and excerpts from upcoming novels. I will also be making a habit of posting more spotlights on related content and books. If you haven’t heard about my newest novel, get a sneak peak here before it even goes into print!
Stay Spooky
Publishing A Novel – The Long Road to Seeing Your Book in Print
Garden of People
Voila!~ Finally! The day has arrived that I finally finished my first novel. I feel accomplished, though I know all too well that this isn’t the end. If you haven’t heard about Garden of People, get a sneak peak here: Garden of People.
Steps to Success: Edits & Queries
Right now I am going through a second edit and seeking out quotes from the best. It. Can get. Expensive. If you’re feeling generous, check out my Patreon here. All funds will go directly into bringing you published content. As a Patreon, you are entitled to signed books, swag, pre-releases and more. Are you a freelance editor? Comment below!
Then alas, we are stuck in the query trenches. Even renowned authors have received rejection letters. Even if your manuscript is the BOMB – doesn’t mean you’ll get the big break. You can try the unsolicited route and contact a publisher directly but through my research, the best approach is to obtain a literary agent. So how do you prevent going into the slush pile? Learn to pitch.
The idea is to convince the agent that your book is going to sell and make them a profit. They don’t care how great the manuscript is. (Okay, maybe they do) A REAL literary agent does not charge you money up front. They share royalties once the publication process has been completed and copies of your book start to sell. They are risk takers and make no money in the start-up, but you need them. In order to get in contact with the right publishers and get the best royalties, advances and deals, a literary agent is your ticket in.
After weeks of internet research, I voyaged to the book store to find a book about publishing books. Everyone has a different opinion, and the internet is a large place. Who knows which is the right one? Out of three books I’ve read on the topic, this one is by far my favorite. It covers every question I could think of and also provides lists of agencies that are not scam artists. (This is seriously a big deal.) The dry humor is also entertaining and will keep you from falling asleep at your desk.
Traditional Vs Self-Publishing
As I’m sure you’ve gathered, this is about traditional publishing. Many new writers choose to bypass rejection, waiting time and sharing their profits by going with self-publishing. If you want your writing out there just to be there, that’s perfect. If you want to see your book at a Barnes & Noble one day, traditional is your route. The odds of straying from Amazon ebooks and print on demand with self-publishing is very slim. It’s do-able I’m sure, but don’t underestimate marketing.
Sure, with traditional publishing you still need to do some marketing. Take this blog for example. This is marketing. (Let’s be honest) But most everything is hands free. It helps writers be writers and leaves the rest of the stuff to the rest of the stuff people. In the long run, traditional publishing has a better chance of more reward even considering the pay-cut.
Shameless Self Promotion
This is the part where I remind you to drop a like if you like what you see. (: If you want more instructional blogging, let me know in a comment. Follow by pressing the button below if you want updates on Garden of People and when you can get it.
Exclusive Project – Secret Content UPDATE
Good Morning Lovlies!
As promised, I have some exciting announcements to make. I have several pieces getting ready for publication including my horror Garden of People, my poetry collective and a secret witchy project called Book of Invocations. With those being finished up, I hope you enjoyed a new excerpt of another project called The Mirror.
I have never anticipated a career out of writing, it’s more of a lifestyle I want to share with people, and inspire them to read and write similarly. With that being said, I want to preface this by saying I am not publishing to make money off of my books. I believe every child, adult and elder should have access to books.
With that being said, it’s still not cheap to publish. Self Publishing is a 100% guarantee of publication if you sit on piles of money. Traditional is where I want to go, and good news, it’s free. However; editing is not. They help with marketing, but we need a good following to even be considered.
I recently learned that editing on average is $0.08 a word. So I’m looking at about $9000 to have a legit developmental edit of Garden of People. Yes, as an author my writing is my baby. I feel confident AF about my ability. But Stephen King, Anne Rice and all of your favorites still have their manuscripts edited.
So, I decided to make a Patreon to help cover my butt for these incurred costs.
https://www.patreon.com/thewriterzcorner
Patreon is a fan fund platform for artists to make a living. I don’t expect to raise $9k from my fans. I want this to be a mutual benefit. Like I said, I don’t write to make money. So as a Patreon of mine, there are perks and benefits depending on your donations offering you free published works, signed copies, swag and more! Check the link for more info.
https://www.patreon.com/thewriterzcorner
Help doesn’t have to equate to a $$$ sign either. Sharing my blog on your social media and helping get word out there, is just as valuable. Thank you everyone for your continued support.
The Writer's Corner 