Anyone who reads my blog knows I like opera. But unlike some stuffed shirts I don't believe opera has to be Wagnarian in concept to be opera. That's why I want to give you a link to one of the first rock bands to incorporate operatic themes and classical sounds in their music. When Electric …
In Search of Bold Story Ideas…and settling on the warm safety of cliche.
I guess one of the things that surprises me most is how easy it is to come up with ideas for stories. I wrote about this before. I used to be worried I would never have enough story ideas when I began to write. Now I have too many. I suppose that's growth of a …
Continue reading "In Search of Bold Story Ideas…and settling on the warm safety of cliche."
Wuthering: A vengeful take on Wuthering Heights in the violent world of Haxan
Mark here. The world of Haxan gives me a lot of room to retell stories and do variations. The short story "Wuthering" is such an example. I mean, how many settings lend themselves to a retelling of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights? Well, in my opinion, Haxan does. I had fun writing this story because it …
Continue reading "Wuthering: A vengeful take on Wuthering Heights in the violent world of Haxan"
In Which I Opine (whine) about Joining Professional Writer Organizations
I have learned I am now eligible for membership in Western Writers of America. I already belong to the Science Fiction Writers of America and Horror Writers of America. Therein lies the problem. Do I need to become a member of another professional writing organization? I am also eligible for the Mystery Writers of America. …
Continue reading "In Which I Opine (whine) about Joining Professional Writer Organizations"
Making Some Decisions as a Writer are not as Easy as it Seems
It's morning and I am sitting in the coffee shop with my writing buddy. I've been having some difficulty with the heel of my right foot. I somehow banged the heel or popped it or something and now it's sore and I am having a very hard time walking around on it. Wearing boots helps …
Continue reading "Making Some Decisions as a Writer are not as Easy as it Seems"
“This is Tosca’s Kiss!”
When Puccini's opera Tosca was first performed the critics savaged it. They called it a "tawdry, little shocker." Puccini had tremendous success with La Boheme the year before. What kind of success? Imagine Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and American Idol all wrapped into one...and you still wouldn't come close. So everyone was looking …
My Haxan Story “Redemption Bound” Will Appear in a “Best Of” Frontier Tales Anthology!
One of my Haxan stories published by Frontier Tales last year will be included in a Best Of" anthology TBA. This is great news for me and one I am happy to share. I'll let you know the date of publication and so forth when I get the word. I'm excited about this. 🙂
Gepetto’s Orphans: The Emergence of the Lost People Comes to Haxan
My new Haxan story "Gepetto's Orphans" has a long lineage. You might say it's as old as the story of Pinocchio himself. Now, truth be told, many stories have been written about a wooden boy who becomes real. But being a dark fantasy writer it's my job to look beyond the ordinary and seek the …
Continue reading "Gepetto’s Orphans: The Emergence of the Lost People Comes to Haxan"
Why I Write
I want to talk about why I write. Lots of writers have many different reasons why they write. The reason I write is very simple. You see, I grew up in a household where my only avenue of escape was to read. I lost myself in books and stories so I wouldn't have to face …
No One Understands a Writer Like Another Writer
One of the things you learn as you write is how to discern between what is a good story idea and what is not. At first blush it appears simple. Pretty much anything can be used as a story idea. And I would agree with you up to a point. But how the story is …
Continue reading "No One Understands a Writer Like Another Writer"
Un Ballo in Maschera: Beautiful Opera Music Marred by a Poor Storyline
Un Ballo in Maschera (The Masked Ball) is one of those operas in which the music is better than the story. It's about the assassination of Gustave III of Sweden during a masked ball. That much is historically accurate. The rest of the opera...not so much, even down to the last scene when the king …
Continue reading "Un Ballo in Maschera: Beautiful Opera Music Marred by a Poor Storyline"
Some Personal Thoughts about Writing on Valentine’s Day
One of the things I have learned in being a writer is measure. Everything must be done in a measured way when you are writing. Even when you are going great guns and your typewriter (or in this day and age your computer) is hot you have to be measured in the way you approach …
Continue reading "Some Personal Thoughts about Writing on Valentine’s Day"
The Saga of Ragnar Greenkirtle and the “graskinna” Loki
One of the things I like about being a writer is how I can do research about topics that interest me and use that information to generate story ideas. I have always been interested in Viking culture and when I read the Sagas I was taken with the voice used to tell their stories. Being …
Continue reading "The Saga of Ragnar Greenkirtle and the “graskinna” Loki"
I’ve Been Invited as a Guest Panelist at ArmadilloCon 34!
I will be attending ArmadilloCon on July 27-29 as a guest panelist. I like this writing con a lot. It's small and has a private, literary feel to it. I've attended lots of cons. Most of them are great and I would urge a writer of any genre to attend a writing con even if …
Continue reading "I’ve Been Invited as a Guest Panelist at ArmadilloCon 34!"
Does Going Indie Mean Less Time for Writing?
I have finally caught up a bit on indie publishing stuff (and other things in life) so I can turn back to the new Haxan novel in progress. I am glad. I was starting to feel I had lost touch with it. I think this can happen if you don't keep looking at a WIP …
Continue reading "Does Going Indie Mean Less Time for Writing?"
Violent Love and Quick Death with a Beautiful AI Construct in Star City, Russia
Mark here. My story "The Bonebreaker" has a strange germination. It grew out of my first novel Fevreblau in that I cherry-picked a few parts from the book and expanded them into a story. Writers do this a lot in case you didn't know. We write a story about a character and then we might …
Continue reading "Violent Love and Quick Death with a Beautiful AI Construct in Star City, Russia"
Love, Betrayal,and Recombinant DNA Gone Wrong in Cabo San Lucas
I remember when I first began to write the short story "Dead Reckoning" and the challenges I faced. The prompt came from a writing class I was taking at the time. They were talking about an exercise the teacher gave a year or so ago in which he wanted the students to write a scene …
Continue reading "Love, Betrayal,and Recombinant DNA Gone Wrong in Cabo San Lucas"
Island of Lost Souls (1933) – Censored Horror with Sex and Atmospheric Bestiality
The Island of Dr. Moreau is one of my favorite novels by H.G. Wells. Published in 1896 it has deep philosophical elements which Wells faces head on. It is arguably one of his least known, but best written, scientific romances. In 1933 the novel was adapted to film by Paramount Pictures. It starred Charles Laughton …
Continue reading "Island of Lost Souls (1933) – Censored Horror with Sex and Atmospheric Bestiality"
Hoover's Corner 