Saturday, June 23, 2018:

Greetings, readers!

Today marked the 63rd birthday of heavy metal crooner Danzig.

The former Misfits frontman’s spooky songs have provided the soundtrack to several of my stories, so it seemed only natural to spend this rainy Saturday listening to the first three Danzig records and writing some occult-themed horror.

Today’s writing soundtrack: Danzig I-III

My main project today was making edits to a pair of witchcraft-themed stories: a tale of futuristic magic called “End of an Era, All Downhill from Here” and a 10,000 word folk horror piece set in the Ottawa Valley.

I wrote “End of an Era” in a mad scramble a few years ago, as part of a 48-Hour Novella Contest put on by my university’s English department. As can be expected, it was definitely in need of some edits. As for the second piece, it’s desperately in need of a decent title. I’m currently calling it “The Hunters and the Harvest,” but it just doesn’t feel right (although it’s a lot better than the previous working title, “Untitled Bigfoot Story”). I welcome any suggestions.

As somewhat of a diversion, I also wrote most of an “Inspired By Real Events” ghost story (based upon a creepy nighttime drive up Mount Royal) and a short rant about the bogus horror/art film dichotomy.

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Exciting News!

I recently got word that my short story “The Beast and the Hummingbirds” has been accepted for the first issue of Rhythm & Bones. It’s a dark fairy tale about a young girl who finds herself made judge, jury, and executioner in an otherworldly trial. I’ll post an update when it’s available.

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Song of the Day

Fittingly, today’s song is “Mother” by Danzig, a tune that gives me chills every time I hear it. (And I suspect those haunting opening lyrics take on a special resonance for anyone who creates macabre art).

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Well, that’s it for my first blog post. I’m still playing around with format and tone, and hopefully after a few entries I’ll discern what works and what doesn’t.

Party on, friends!

-Madison