Author Guest Blog at Author Delilah Devlin's Blog

I did a guest blog at Author Delilah Devlin's blog, about how secondary characters can become much more.  https://bit.ly/2uFXKGT

Supernatural Friday: World Building in Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy

I have always been fascinated by world building. From science fiction to fantasy to horror, there must be reasons why a character or a whole slew of characters would

react as they do in their world. Their actions, their thoughts, the reason they fall in love with the person they do, it’s all about how their universe revolves.

It determines what kind of story you’re writing. Like Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series. She built a whole world, making it hard science fiction. She gave reasons for why the dragons were needed and how the alien world and its people were. Now, The Witch and the Familiar by Sapphire Phelan, is set otherwise in a city that Tina Epson lives in.  Other scenes are set in Hell. Readers find that Tina works for an independent bookstore in town, Cup of Tea and a Book. She lives in an apartment she moved in after leaving her parents’ house. Except for a few friends, she lives alone in town, as her parents had moved to Florida after retiring. She’s mortal in the first book and likes to live a normal life. But in this world building, this character never gets a chance for that, as unusual circumstances make her come to a decision for normalcy or not.

World building makes the author research the myths, legends, and fairytales. If you want to know about vampires, then nonfiction books and online websites about vampires are a good place to start. Some of it will find its way into the book; more snippets later will sneak in. A lot of the author’s research may never find their way into the storyline. But it’s good for the author to have all the information for their own use, to look at when writing. One more thing with world building is readers bring expectations to reading, like rules of beings and creatures of myth, legend, and fairytales. The reader will have these in their mind. You will have to take the vampire, werewolf, god, or ghost, and make the reader go past these rules and believe you made another way these beings to behave. Your explanations do not have to be the most fantastic, but you do have to have them.

World building should include something else: background. Think of a movie. You have the main actors. But you also have the extras, or background as they are called in the movie business. You’re thinking, “No, extras aren’t that important, not when your hero or heroine is the real focus of the story.” But let’s look at the newest movie out, Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen volunteers to be in the games as tribute to save her younger sister whose name had been drawn from the girls’ bowl for the Reaping. When Effie Trinker says, “Let’s give a big applause to our newest tribute,” no one says a word or claps. You know what they are truly saying. So those extras are important to the scene. The same goes for the book or short story you are working on. Later in The Witch and The Familiar, Tina and the demon bunny, Fluffy, are traveling through Tantalus, a part of Hell, encountering demons and lost spirits. These characters may not be in the story again, but at this point and time, they flesh out Hell, as much as descriptions of this version of the Pit looks like do.

When you build your world, another thing is that you must be consistent in your rules. That means keeping them as you began them. Editing will help in catching these kinds of mistakes. A good critique partner for just this would be another great thing to have. I have files on various important characters in my stories, their traits, what they do, etc… and use these to go back to if something comes up that I’ve forgotten about my character. After all, if what you’ve written goes against any of the rules you’ve created in your world, then there has to be a logical, rational reason it happens differently at the time, reasonable to you and the readers. Such as if iron is poisonous to the fey, but suddenly later in the story, the character can pass through a fence of iron, there must be a reason why they can do this time (maybe they had found a spell that enables them to). Don’t just have them unable to do something because it isn’t convenient to your story. Being consistent is what makes the suspension of disbelief your readers are willing to have held together.

Your world’s historical past should not overwhelm or dominate your current story. If it does, then you will bore your readers, most of all, you’re writing the wrong fiction. A paragraph of it will be all you need.

Is there an inventive language in your story? It’s okay, but don’t make it so difficult for your reader to understand that they can’t follow along or have to wade through it. If it makes your reader stop to figure out and ponder about it, well, it isn’t helping your pacing. The reader needs to be engrossed in the story so much they can’t put it down, and at no time, should it make them stop and close that cover. If the reader needs a degree to understand your book, then you lost the battle to keep most readers engrossed in your tale. Glossaries are a useful way to deal with this, but better if you don’t make your reader stop so much your reader to keep reading ahead. That’s not to say you can’t. But nothing that will stop the reader reading.

World building is fun, as long as you think about presenting your world right. It’s all about drawing in your readers and keeping them coming back for more. It’s about giving them a vacation from reality they can suspend disbelief and enjoy.

Supernatural Friday: "A Genre Writer's Christmas" (My Christmas Gift to All)

"A Genre Writer's Christmas"

By

Pamela K. Kinney

It was the night before Christmas,

And this writer was busy plotting

When all of a sudden--

Her characters came to life!

There was the monster from her novel,

It was chomping on a tasty victim.

The hero appeared, stunning in purple;

Well, that's the writer's favorite color, of course!

What did you expect: white?

He grabbed a sharpened pencil to duel with the fiend

When the heroine popped in midair and dropped down,

Into a container overflowing with paper clips.

Drowning, a clip in her mouth, she cried out for help,

And who do you think rescued her?

Not the hero, oh no!

He was trying to make time with a statue of a gargoyle,

That stood guard over the writer's laptop

For he had a thing for beings made of stone

The monster rushed right over in a flash,

Not to kill her or eat her,

No, with a gentle paw, he helped her up.

And arm in arm, both vanished to the monster's lair

Where in chapter eleven, they got it on hot and heavy—

Wait a moment…did you expect to read the scene?

No, this Christmas poem is rated PG.

The writer just shook her head,

With a click of the mouse, saved the story.

The hero dissipated, no more to be seen,

Well, not until chapter twelve, anyway.

With a sigh, the writer stood, snatching up her coffee cup,

Time to join the family and reality,

The story could wait for another time.

Because it's Christmas after all:

Merry Christmas to all and to all, a magical night!

My Bringing Horror out of Darkness Talk at North Chesterfield Road Library Tonight

I will be talking tonight about writing horror at Chesterfield County Public Library's North Chesterfield Road branch, in their meeting room. That will be from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The address is 325 Courthouse Road, North Chesterfield, Virginia 23236.  It's free, but you need to preregister at http://chesterfield.evanced.info/signup/eventdetails?eventid=7675&lib=1008&return=  or call the librry branch about it at (804) 318-8499. I won't be selling my books, but you can bring any copies you have and I will sign, plus I am giving away two horror fiction books of mine to be signed.


Pamela K. Kinney, author of horror novels and true-life ghost books, will discuss the pleasures of writing horror; the legacy of classic writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley; and how modern writers like Stephen King and Virginia author Elizabeth Massie show there's more to monsters than just scaring people. 

Supernatural Friday Interview of a Horror Writers Association Chapter President

Today for Supernatural Friday, I interviewed the president of my Horror Writers Association chapter. Enjoy learning about Dee South. 

    

    What was the first time you decided you wanted to be a horror writer? 

In middle school.  I was the kid who loved Hammer movies, Twilight Zone and Night Gallery.   I loved reading stories and had already had a letter to the President published in a local book for students.  I think it was called, Young Writers of Detroit.

         What scares you?

 

Flying in an airplane.  Yuck.  Other than that, the thought of being eaten alive by an animal freaks me out.  The animal doesn’t matter:  ants, piranhas, sharks.

3     Are you working on anything now and can you tell us what?

 

Yes.  I’m working on my debut novel about a rogue priest who’s a member of a special Vatican sponsored exorcism team.  They travel the country investigating evil.

        What was the first horror novel or short story you read that turned you to the genre?

 My first horror novel that I remember is Phantoms by Dean Koontz.  But there  were short stories that stood out in my childhood like Rawhead Rex (if I  remember correctly) by Clive Barker.

        Name 5 good horror/thriller books that you feel others should read.  

Most are from my childhood.  Jaws by Benchley, Battlefield Earth by Hubbard (more scifi than horror), It by King, Any 47^th Precinct book by McBain and Infernal Angel by Lee (extreme horror).  My current favorite is the Dresden Files by Butcher, but that falls into contemporary fantasy. 

        Is there anything else you like to write? 

Mysteries, Science Fiction and Fantasy.  I really love cross-genre books and movies.  Give me a good mystery inside of a science fiction story and I’m in love.  Give me a horror story in a fantasy, same result.

       Tell us why you joined Horror Writers Association? And why did you take on leading the Virginia chapter of the organization?

 I joined horror writers because I needed to find folks with my twisted mindset.  I got tired of attending critique groups where people flinch and grimace when it was time to critique my story.  Most critiques started with the phrase, “I don’t generally read this type of story…” I took the lead on the Virginia Chapter in order to meet other horror writers in my state.  Once I found out about the chapter program and realized that we didn’t have a chapter, my goal became to find ‘my people’ and bring us together.

      What benefits do you feel the organization gives to writers? 

 So, so much.  I’ve only been a member of the HWA for 2 years and already I’ve  met so many horror writers.  In addition, I’ve met writers on the national level  such as John Palisano, Brian Keene and Edward Lee.  The HWA has a wonderful  mentorship program led by Michael Knost.   I’ve had the benefit of having John  Palisano, the author or Ghost Heart and Dust of the Dead, mentor me for an  entire year.  Our chapter have vended local conventions like RavenCon,  MarsCon, and Scares That Care.  Events like Monster Fest. Also, members can  avail themselves of the HWA website and find various markets, editors and  publishers.

       Tell us your hobbies.

 My hobbies:  Reading, writing, and I’ve just picked up knitting.  I love to play  volleyball and softball, but my body is starting to rebel at those activities.

10.               Are you a big Halloween fan? What is a favorite Halloween memory?

           I’m a huge Halloween fan.  My biggest memory is that when I was younger, we had a family challenge to make our own Halloween costume with items in the house.  I chose to be a tree.  I cut up some paper and drew green veins and safety pinned the leaves to my clothes.  I was raised in Detroit, so Halloween could get pretty frigid for us some years.

     What are five of the scariest horror movies you seen?

          My five scariest horror movies:  Exorcist, Amityville Horror, Aliens 1 & 2, Jaws and The Exorcism of Emily Rose.  In fact, I won’t watch any of the demonic movies by myself.  I even hate hearing the creepy theme song of the Exorcist and Amityville.

1    Tell us the links for your website and any social media you do?

           Social media. FaceBook.  My own blog is called “Journey of An Aspiring Writer”.    I also  run the Virginia Chapter Blog “HWA Virginia Chapter”.  I guess I should update  those soon.  J

1    Give the writers and horror writers out there the one piece of advice you can. It can be in two parts, one for writers/writers to be, and the second one for readers of the genre.

 One piece of advice I’d give horror writers out there is to join the   Horror          Writers Association.  The wealth of knowledge is astonishing.  For readers, I’d  highly recommend providing feedback to your favorite author by submitting  your review via Goodreads or Amazon. 

1    Where can anyone find you next—what book festival or convention?

 The HWA Virginia Chapter will vend the Scares That Care Horror Convention  in Williamsburg, Virginia, from July 22-24, 2016. 

 One of my favorite pictures:  Me and the legend of extreme horror, Edward Lee.

My New Release-Release June 7, 2016-For Charity

‪#‎AmWriting‬ Tomorrow. this new book that I wrote a letter for will be released. Proceeds go to the Wayne Foundation (The Wayne Foundation’s vision is for a world without child slavery. We are dedicated to providing direct assistance to those victimized by exploitation.) Pure Textuality PR is behind this publication: http://puretextualitypr.com So, if you are a writer, get this and not only are there inspiration for you the beginning writer (even the pro writer) from sixty authors, but you are helping a great charity! Right niw, just an eBook version, bu a print copy is coming.

BOOK SYNOPSIS
Knowing what you know now of writing, publishing, and putting your art out into the world, if you could go back to the day you sat down to start typing in your very first manuscript, what words would you offer to yourself? Words of encouragement? Words of advice? Caution against certain pitfalls? Would you change anything about how you got to where you are today?

The publishing community is so much bigger than it was before the self-publishing boom and it continues to grow exponentially every day. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a handbook or support group. The book is to provide words of encouragement or advice to those just starting out or those who have become discouraged in their art. At Pure Textuality PR, we believe in supporting each other as a community, and we felt this project would be a good way to bring writers together and maybe give some new artists just the right nudge to keep going.

100% of the net proceeds of #AmWriting will be donated to The Wayne Foundation, a charity dedicated to offering aid and services to young women victimized by illegal sexual exploitation and the sexual trafficking of minors.

BOOK INFO
#AmWriting A Collection of Letters to Benefit The Wayne Foundation
Publisher Pure Textuality PR
Cover Art Pure Textuality PR
Publication Date June 7, 2016
Goodreads --> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29945147-amwriting
Amazon --> http://amzn.to/1su5WUr
Kobo --> https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/amwriting
Nook --> *Coming Soon*
iBooks --> *Coming Soon*
Website https://puretextualitypr.com/anthologies/amwriting/

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
A.D. Ellis
Amy Joy Lutchen
Andrew Jericho
Ashlynne Laynne
Becky Flade
Beth Dolgner
Brandy Dorsch
Brenda J. Pierson
C.L. Foster
Cassia Brightmore
Cecilia London
Cherron Riser
Cithara Patra
Courtney Houston
Crystal Dawn
E.J. Stevens
Elizabeth Sharp
Ella Col
Emily Cyr
Emma Nichols
Erin Hayes
Erynn Crittenden
Felicia Starr
Gabbie S. Duran
Geri Glenn
Harlie Williams
J. Nichole Parkins
J.B. McGee
J.M. Gregoire
Jamie Summer
Jeaniene Frost
Jess Haines
Jessica Cage
Jody Pardo
K.c. Stewart
Karina Espinosa
Kasey Belle
Katie Kenyhercz
Kendall Grey
Kory M. Shrum
L A Cotton
Leyla Kader Dahm
Louisa Lo
M. Never
M.L. Steinbrunn
Mary Crawford
Michelle Mcloughney
Mike Gonzales
Misha Carver
Misha Elliott
Muriel Garcia
Nicole Zoltack
Pamela K. Kinney
R.A Mizer
Rachel Walter
Rebecca Sherwin
Renee Dyer
Sara Dobie Bauer
Serena Kearney
Shakuita Johnson
Shannon Bell
T.J. Michaels
T.L. Manning
Tracie Podger
Xandra James

THE WAYNE FOUNDATION
Board of Directors | Financials | Podcasts
Links
Board of Directors http://waynefdn.org/about-twf/board-of-directors
Financials http://waynefdn.org/about-twf/financials
Podcasts http://waynefdn.org/podcasts 
Mission Statement
The Wayne Foundation is committed to spreading awareness of CSEC (Commercial Sex Exploitation of Children) DMST (Domestic Minor Sexual Trafficking) occurring within the United States.
Vision Statement
The Wayne Foundation’s vision is for a world without child slavery. We are dedicated to providing direct assistance to those victimized by exploitation.
Drop in Center
The Wayne Foundation operates the third drop in center in Florida recognized by the Department of Children and Family Services. It is located in Charlotte County Florida, and serves clients throughout Southwest Florida. Our target clientele are young women aged 13-25. Our DIC is equipped to provide daily services that include, but are not limited to: Food, New Clothing, Access to Shower, Media Center, Mental Health Assistance, SNAP/ Medicare Benefit sign-up/renewal, Family Counseling, Education Assistance, and Transportation To and From the Center.
Shelter Services
The Wayne Foundation continues to have the goal of providing shelter services to young women victimized by exploitation or trafficking. This is our primary long term objective.

Supernatural Friday: Women Writers of Horror

Why would women write about monsters or ghosts? I am sure there are readers who say stick to writing romance or fantasy. But women have just as much right to write the scary stuff and about monsters as does their male counterparts. After all, in the long run, it is all about the story. 

At BBC.com, an article mentioned how women writers “often found the supernatural a way to challenge and condemn their role in society.” It seems male writers have dominated supernatural fiction, those like M R James, Edgar Allan Poe, HP Lovecraft, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Oliver Onions and others.  But female writers have been on the horror scene in the past, too. Shirley Jackson, for instance. She wrote, The Haunting of Hill House, the only story to this day that scared me in the daytime, in a room full of people. Others had to do it at night, with me in a room alone. Susan Hill who wrote Woman in Black, is another. A classic ghost story from 1892, is Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper. Her nameless narrator, suffering from post-natal depression, is confined to bed rest under the care of her doctor husband and begins to lose her mind.  Confined to an old nursery with ghastly wallpaper, she sees strangled heads and unblinking “bulbous eyes” in its pattern. Eventually, a skulking female figure appears, seemingly trapped behind the bars of its design. Is it the narrator’s own hidden self? When her husband enters to find her tearing down the wallpaper, she tells him “I’ve got out at last. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper so you can’t put me back!”

Do women authors use ghost stories to exorcise their resentments over societal restrictions? After all, it can be said that the ghost is the ultimate outsider – an absent presence, all-seeing and yet unable to partake of life in any meaningful way. Do we have insight differently from male writers? Can what a woman writes be more downright frightening than what a man writes? Is the way we pen the words on paper or type onscreen haunt the person as they read? Maybe we even make the monster sympathetic. Still horrifying, but a monster the reader just care about. Or not.

With February coming around and Women in Horror a theme for the month, this may be the time for readers to discover female horror authors. There are those I am sure readers already know about; Anne Rice, Sarah Pinborough, Laurell K. Hamilton and Caitlin R. Kiernan.  Others are Tanith Lee, Elizabeth Massie, Lisa Morton, Yvonne Navarro, Carrie Ryan, Cherie Priest, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and much, much more. A good place to check for women horror writers is at Horror Writers Association. Try someone new today. 

So instead of picking up that Stephen King or other male horror authors, try several feminine writers instead. We just might bring "SCARE" to a whole new level.

Author Interview for Women in Horror Plus I Have a Giveaway

I have been interviewed by horror author MF Wahl at her blog, and I also did a video to watch. Leave a comment to be entered to win a signed trade paperback copy of my horror/dark fantasy collection of short stories, Spectre Nightmares and Visitations. You have until May 20, 2015 to leave a comment to be entered for the giveaway. http://mfwahl.com/pamela-kinney/

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM PAMELA K. KINNEY

Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate, enjoy this poem I wrote, done to the tune of "A  Night Before Christmas."

"A Genre Writer's Christmas"

By

Pamela K. Kinney

It was the night before Christmas,

And this writer was busy plotting

When all of a sudden--

Her characters came to life!

There was the monster from her novel,

It was chomping on a tasty victim.

The hero appeared, stunning in purple;

Well, that's the writer's favorite color, of course!

What did you expect: white?

He grabbed a sharpened pencil to duel with the fiend

When the heroine popped in midair and dropped down,

Into a container overflowing with paper clips.

Drowning, a clip in her mouth, she cried out for help,

And who do you think rescued her?

Not the hero, oh no!

He was trying to make time with a statue of a gargoyle,

That stood guard over the writer's laptop

For he had a thing for beings made of stone

The monster rushed right over in a flash,

Not to kill her or eat her,

No, with a gentle paw, he helped her up.

And arm in arm, both vanished to the monster's lair

Where in chapter eleven, they got it on hot and heavy—

Wait a moment…did you expect to read the scene?

No, this Christmas poem is rated PG.

The writer just shook her head,

With a click of the mouse, saved the story.

The hero dissipated, no more to be seen,

Well, not until chapter twelve, anyway.

With a sigh, the writer stood, snatching up her coffee cup,

Time to join the family and reality,

The story could wait for another time.

Because it's Christmas after all:

Merry Christmas to all and to all, a magical night!