Author: Sharon

Writer of Dark and Light Fiction. Fact, fiction, poetry, short stories, articles and novels. Cross-genre, slipstream, non-traditional romance, gothic, horror, fantasy and more... Visit this diverse writer's site.

Happy Halloween

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When discussing all things unnerving, it occurred to me there are many things ‘scary’ about writing. One of those is the fear there will come a day when someone devours all the plot bunnies. Often the writer struggles to kick the furry little blighters back because they’re rampaging and demanding attention as much as any zombie on the march for brains. I’m sure my bunnies have nasty sharp teeth and claws — they sure enjoy nipping at my ankles — but many ask: where do they come from? So let’s concentrate on the scary ‘how’ and ‘howl’ of plots. How does one make the magic happen?

I doubt there’s a writer in existence who won’t one day be asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” There is no spell book. No magic shop one can go to. Authors wish there were, but in some ways we conjure ideas up out of thin air. A writer is someone who can connect two or more seemingly dissociated events, can play the ‘what if’ game, and perhaps add an extra twist.

Here is a brief example. I wove my short story Bitter and Intoxicating for the anthology Red Velvet and Absinthe (editor Mitzi Szereto; foreword by Kelley Armstrong) in answer to a submission call for gothic erotic romance. Although the call provided a list of example work, I had nothing written that fitted, and worse, I had no ideas. I went online and began running searches for red, velvet, and for absinthe.

Although the stories didn’t need to have anything to do with these items, I needed a place from which to start. I certainly didn’t expect to write anything on those topics. I was just searching for a spark.
I came across a painting by Albert Maignan, La Muse Verte, which seemed a good portrayal of what the effects of absinthe supposedly had on the artistic mind. Inspiration! What if a distraught painter came across a seductive woman in a bar, one with flaming red hair clad in a diaphanous green gown, and she was to take him home to try absinthe, promising that it would be the answer to all his woes?

The resulting story is part BDSM, part gothic horror, part sensuous seduction ‘painted’ with words — something fitting to read on a dark October night in front of the fire with the wind blowing outside.

From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

Autumn

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Though famous as a time of harvest, turning, and falling leaves, a drop in temperature, and arguments over when it begins (equinox on 22nd or 23rd September, meteorological on the 1st, or traditionally known to occur on the 21st), the season no longer seems to offer the chill but crisp and sunny walks among crisp leaves it once did. I’m tired of hearing ‘it’s typical autumnal weather’ on the news reports when the weather forecasters speak of a recent deluge. Still, I cannot help but love the colours of autumn, in clothes and in nature, and the fun of Halloween. The weather doesn’t always obey the dictations of my heart, but still for me, autumn shall always remain the best time of the year. For me, ‘Tis the season’.

Sept 2022 Recommends

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Television/Film:

Despite reservations, we’ve started watching House of Dragons and are hooked, mostly because Matt Smith steals the show. We’re plodding through Season 9 of The Black List, though I’m happy to say it’s picked up towards the end of the season.

If you want to hear the swear word b**locks said in a Disney film, watch the live action Pinocchio. I actually paused it and said, “Did he (Luke Evans) just say…?” Bit of a letdown. Visually fine. I liked the clocks, especially the Jessica and Roger Rabbit kissing clock. Wish it was real.

Surprisingly, we’ve watched a couple of things on the BBC through iPlayer. Throughly recommend The Outlaws co-written by Steve Marchant. Anything with Christopher Walken is usually good, and it’s got a great cast and a wonderful storyline. Have also watched the first two episodes of Inside Man. Bit daft and unbelievable, but well done. And damn if Hubby didn’t work out what was up with the missing husband case within a minute or two. I thought of the same thing as a possibility, but he was not only convinced he roughly worked out how. Maybe I should pick his brains more often. It’s certainly different enough to be unexpected. Hope it doesn’t fizzle out.

Have started Moon Knight, which has to be my favourite just now, though I love most things in the Marvel universe.

READS:

Way down this month, though there’s a fourth book unlisted as I have yet to finish it.

The Secrets of Gaslight Lane, M.R.C.Kasasian

A still enjoyable series, but this story felt overly long, not helped by a few awkward sentences with questionable meanings. I’ve come across the odd sentence like that throughout the works, but always overlooked them because of enjoying the series so much, but this time the effort to make a clever mystery slowed down the book too much. Still, a good read, for all that, only not as much fun as the first three. Here there’s a surprising outcome. And despite my reservations, it’s a well thought out plot which I not only recommend reading but is an essential part of the series.

The Pallbearers Club, Paul Tremblay

I have to start by saying I like this author’s work and the fact that he comes up with something different each time, but this book was not for me. I hate reviewing books I dislike because of being a writer and because I know it’s all semantics: what doesn’t work for one person will work for another, but since I started reviewing books, I know I have to be honest. There was much here I wanted to like, but I felt I spent too long waiting for a story to begin. Also, the end left me wondering what on Earth I’d just read? It’s not horror, and I didn’t believe any of the supernatural elements, nor experience any suspense. Dark fiction… maybe, but of the angst-ridden and possibly mentally ill variety. There’s something about this that reeks of a coming of age story, but over time the characters are too old to be so categorised. I’m left feeling like I read an experimental book. The end, as written by Mercy, felt like her indulging a friend when there’s no other loving act left. In other words, not factual, but an addendum to what Art wants to believe.

Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie

This fast-paced, hysterical romance has to be one of Crusie’s best books. I’ve always loved her banter, but here almost every line is perfect and funny. A story about a commitment phobe, a woman who has viewed herself through her mother’s eyes for too many years, and a shabby cat that loves Elvis Presley’s music. This might be classed as a big beautiful woman book, though truly Min is a perfectly normal woman. After reading this, many women will want their own ‘donut pusher’. This doesn’t beat my favourite book of hers, but it’s close, winning on the laughs alone.

Out and About Sept 2022

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I’ve not blogged the last two weeks because of so much going on in the world and the Queen dominating the headlines. The majority mourned, so I respected their quiet time the same way many did. Few criticised or expressed their lack of caring. Yes, she lived an outstanding life to a wonderful age, so on that basis there’s little to mourn, but for those who aren’t royalists in every or any sense of the word, she has been a constant in many lives. Seeing a public display of grief reminds many of us of loved ones gone, so we can empathise with the feeling. That she should die when the world is in such a mess… well, it’s always in a mess, but for some, it’s another unsettling aspect. For me, the strangest thing missing will be ‘the Queen and her corgis’.

I was also away. Although now living in the south-west means we can visit most places for a day, we still have areas where we like to stay. We’ve never stayed in Port Isaac, although our holiday place gave us a wonderful view of Tintagel’s headland from an angle we’ve never viewed before.

Tintagel Headland

Port Isaac is perhaps most famous as the setting for Port Wenn in the Doc Martin series, and if anyone fancies living in there, they may like to know the house (Fern Cottage) used as Doc Martin’s surgery is up for a whopping £1,150,000 and it’s only two bedrooms. Yes, there’s the view, but if I had that kind of spare change, there are nicer and larger homes. And I’m not sure I’d want tourists stopping to click their cameras at my front door every few seconds. Still, the opportunity is there for anyone who wants it.

Port Isaac (Doc Martin’s House is the central small brown house).

This picturesque spot was once a busy port, though much of the goods moved by sea fell away with the arrival of the railways, and so Port Isaac has been a fishing village since the 14th century, evidenced by its small harbour and small twisting avenues. Tiny sometimes, such as Squeezy Belly Alley. Nowadays, its largest income may arguably be as a tourist attraction. There’s something quaint and captivating about the scenery, the buildings, and even the small harbour that pleases the visitor no matter how many times they’ve seen it before.

Squeezy Belly Alley

We were lucky enough to be staying at the top of the hill a little way past the visitor’s carpark, so we could leave our car and set out on foot any time we chose. Please respect the village and stop in the carpark, because no one who doesn’t live there should venture down except to drop off/pick up someone with mobility issues. There’s no room in the village for traffic and some of those roads really will have drivers getting into difficulty. Fresh fish is a major attraction, boat trips, coast path walks and the adventurous walker will find many beautiful bays in the area. From here we visited many of the spots we love so well, but next visit we’ll no doubt return to Tintagel.

Reads of August 2022

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Crazy for You, Jennifer Crusie
Loved this immediately. Quinn’s fury over the dog is priceless, and understandable to pet owners everywhere. The author well worked the overlapping relationships in this story. Women everywhere will get the issue the women have, and men reading this might become enlightened. Nick and Quinn are excellent characters for a romance. One word of warning: this book could contain triggering issues for abuse victims, though dealt with well toward the end. A few viewpoints may also seem outdated, but then all books are of their time.

Who Censored Roger Rabbit, Gary Wolf
When a book makes you laugh in the first few sentences, it’s a good sign, but I know not everyone feels this way. I suppose it depends how attached to the Disney film you are. The book’s different, written in a more serious tone. I have to say I liked both versions. I found the noir detective feel and ‘heard’ an occasional sentence as spoken by Bob Hoskins. This book isn’t the film. Anyone expecting that is bound to feel disappointed. Roger’s in no way as zany, but I liked the character’s development and grew extremely attached to him, though in a completely different way from the film. I can’t say more without giving away the ending, but it even plucked at the old heartstrings. I own the other three books and will read them.

The Sleeper and the Spindle, Neil Gaiman
A short story of a re-imagined fairy tale from one of my favourite writers brought to life with the meticulously illustrated works of Chris Riddell. I know it’s aimed at children but had to have it as part of my Gaiman collection, and it’s a beautiful book to look at and handle. I would have loved this as a child and still do as an adult.

A Princess of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs
I’m one of the minority who enjoyed the John Carter film (although I believe it was better received by the public than the critics), and that made me want to read the book. In some ways, a bit of a boy’s own adventure, but then such was a lot of literature of its day. Didn’t make me dislike Tarzan any less or dislike this. I love Woola, the creature which John Carter affectionately befriends, so want my own Calot. Still, I want to want to read the series, but having heard this is the best of the novels, and with so many other books to read, I know I probably won’t. Still, I’m glad to have spent time with this one, though this type of writing will find a lesser audience in a modern world which no longer takes so kindly to old styles of writing — not a problem for me as I grew up reading classics from childhood. Considering when works such as this were written, it shows the fantastic inspirational imagination of an author ahead of his time.

Cold Fire, Dean Koontz
Cold Fire feels like an unfortunately overlook book, rarely mentioned and possibly not as remembered as many of his other titles. Yet it’s definitely one of his most solidly plotted books. Sure, the novel insists we suspend disbelief, but this is a supernatural thriller, so one should have a problem with that. Koontz gives us a hero who has a power working through him. Our hero calls this power God, but it may not be a benevolent one. May not be good at all. Part of this book works mainly owing to a portion of human nature that knows some humans don’t deserve to be called animals, because animals behave better. Ultimately, it addresses many questions, the two most important being, How damaged can a person be by disaster and grief? And how strong is the healing power of love?

Nothing But Blackened Teeth, Cassandra Khaw
Beautifully written. Seriously, Khaw’s narrative captures the imagination, especially for anyone with a love of true literature. However, this isn’t a novel. It’s a novella at best, so though it’s available in a hardback book, don’t think you’re getting hours of reading material. Not that it isn’t worthwhile. The narrative richly played in my head as though I were watching a film, and I can well imagine this would make an entertaining hour and a half movie. I didn’t find it all that scary, though as a horror fan, I loved what I was reading. Part of the trouble I believe is anyone not versed in Japanese mythology will find the references washing over them unless they take the time to look them up, which breaks into their enjoyment of the story. EG: Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox and references foxes in Japanese folklore which possess paranormal abilities. I honestly think an addendum related to all the various folklore in the book would have helped for trying to translate these appearances to the mind’s eye is difficult, though it’s no fault of the author, and the work still carries an underlying sense of menace and there’s no denying the fabulous elegance of this story, the wonderful choice of each word. As sublime as it is cruel.

Death Descends on Saturn Villa, M.R.C.Kasasian
The longest and most involved book of the series told from both March Middleton’s perspective, and in one section from Sidney Grice. Pleased to say I worked out the culprit, though the plot certainly kept me guessing for a long while. The most engrossing, complex plot yet. Some readers don’t like Sherlockesque ‘personal’ detective, Sidney Grice, but I find his arrogance and unpleasantness hysterical. Contrary, I’ve experienced split emotions regarding March Middleton. For an intelligent woman ahead of her time, the plots tend to rely on her making some questionable choices, forgivable only because of the time in which the author set the books. But in a surprising conclusion, she shows a different side to her nature in this novel, which gives deeper meaning to her character.

Fast Women, Jennifer Crusie
More than one romance wrapped up in a mystery. This was an excellent book with offbeat characters who have married wrongly for the wrong reasons. In that, it’s as though they’ve taken years to grow up enough to recognise true love when it comes along. Nell is an excellent main character, although the relationships circle around three women. I like all the parts of this book, but I didn’t love it as much as I feel I should and find it hard to say why. Maybe because it contains darker themes than some of her other books, and it takes a long time to find an answer to the mystery involving a lot more characters than most of her books contain. Characters from wealthy backgrounds who are terribly conniving, though they’ve met their match when they attempt to manipulate Nell. Or because I sometimes got a little frustrated with Nell and Gabe, which made me wonder if their relationship could ever work, but I liked how Nell changed. It’s still a fabulous book despite my feelings. And Crusie’s dog stars are always good for a laugh.

Update August 2022

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With the new-look website, I thought I’d separate my updates from my recommended reads from now on to make things more accessible.

AT HOME:

August was a month in which we visited relatives, did a lot of work on the garden, avoided the worst of the heat as much as we could, and complained summer’s almost over when the temperature cooled and the rain at last came, although I much prefer cooler weather. The garden’s complete as much as these things ever are. We got rid of some older plants which had turned woody, planted a buddleia in the ground as it’s had its prescribed two years in a pot, and opened up the gazebo by removing one side panel to the end as we now have established plants. Not buying any more plants. What lives, lives, and what dies, dies. If we absolutely must replace something, it will be with a plant we’ve learned from experience will survive here.

FILM/TV:

At long last got to see The Sandman from Neil Gaiman brought to the screen courtesy of Netflix. I have loved the graphic novels for years, and Gaiman is one of my favourite authors. I’ve also loved the audio dramatisations of Sandman, and own the bookends, so no way was I going to be disappointed to see it at long last filmed. Though there have been comments on the series being too ‘woke’, sometimes from people who have no inkling of the source material, and granted there were a couple of characters I would have liked to see translated to screen exactly as seen in the books, but overall the series was so well adapted (and certainly better than any adaptation we’ve been threatened with in the past—adaptations which might have seen The Sandman on screen sunk forever), I loved every moment. Part of me can’t help wishing the series was as dark as the books (Cain and Abel anyone? LOL), but I can understand why they softened it to make it more accessible.

We’re also watch the last series of Locke & Key, and while I’ve enjoyed all three seasons of a work again adapted from graphic novels by author Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son for those who don’t know), the characters irritated me somewhat for making stupid decisions a little more often than I’d like. That’s fine for season one when they don’t know what they’re doing and have been launched into a magical world, but characters are supposed to go through a transformation in all forms of literature which means they should have learned by the final season and mistakes should be fewer, not as many or more. I’ve not read the source material, so can’t comment on what Hill foresaw for his characters, and I did like the conclusion.

WRITING:

I’m still deep into a lot of self-editing and just as well. I’ve not been able to wear my wedding rings for weeks owing to a heat rash that came up between two fingers. Despite my best efforts and several creams, if the current one doesn’t work I’ll have to speak to the pharmacist in the hope I won’t need to contact my doctor. In short, it refuses to heal, and I’m having to wear something to separate my fingers, which makes typing difficult, so like it or not for the time being more editing it is, as that requires far less use of my left hand.

LOST the Plot?

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I never watched LOST the first time around, so recently went through all six series, and I couldn’t help viewing some of the show through a writer’s perspective.

Warning: Spoilers.

Imperfect? Perhaps. I certainly had issues with the way certain characters died. I couldn’t quite believe Charlie’s death. What? He couldn’t make it out of the room, close the door, and fastened it somehow from outside? If the door had an outside wheel lock, he had the time. Failing that, he looked small enough to swim out of the porthole once the glass exploded and the room filled up with seawater. Escaping was definitely worth a try. Likewise, Jack’s attack of John Locke/not Locke was reckless where he appeared to give the extremely obvious, present and enormous bladed weapon no consideration at all. No human half gutted with that thing would have carried on to save the island. I have an issue with shows where they have characters slice their hands open for a splash and dash of blood, wrap any old rag around the cut (infection anyone?) and carry on with a perfectly useable hand apparently in no pain at all, so knife in the gut and twisted… I never understand why the public is supposed to swallow such rot.

And though we’re shown Caleb’s origins towards the end, that never explains the mystical elements of the island. At one point, we’re shown a hidden crypt with Mayan or Egyptian type symbols, which appeared to the home of the smoke monster — so I was prepared to believe in an ancient god, but then we’re shown the pool of golden light with no clear connection between the light and the symbols. Is this an ancient worshiping ground? Worshipped by who and why? Is this the source of good and evil? If so, why did in manifest in two boys? If the island needs protection, why doesn’t God make it untraceable? One minute it’s difficult to find or get to and yet seems to be more easily reached by sub than aircraft. Alas, LOST leaves us with far more questions than answers.

The major problem for most viewers seems to be the ending, with the question of were they dead all along. I never thought so, and I have no major issue with the show’s end. Not one large enough to have spoiled the experience for me; however, I feel that an alternative timeline where something Desmond did in the pool to alter the outcome yet left them all with the memories of what happened would have felt far more satisfying.

And on that note, the writers negated the specialness of Desmond. Sure he ‘pulled the plug’ and that made not-Locke mortal, so he could die, but he was trapped on the island, anyway. And what was he? The devil? One of the devil’s minions? Pure evil? Or simply a hurt little boy inside? Desmond might have destroyed the island and says he made a mistake. After all he’d been through, that seems poor recompense.

The afterlife idea leaves too many questions. Why would Sayid end up with Shannon and not Nadia? Which woman was the love of his life? Things like this and more pop into my mind, when presented by the ‘we created this space as a way to meet up once we all died’. When did they all make this decision? Does heaven automatically bring you all together with the people you spent the most important time in your life with? What was the overall purpose of the island? For it certainly wasn’t where good and evil battled it out for all eternity to keep the world turning — not if the end is the end and the island was at last safe. What was the light? And when the water returned, why didn’t Jack turn into a smoke monster? Viewers certainly saw someone else get thrown in and changed, so why not Jack? Because he had a virtuous heart? Questions, questions, questions.

This is a great illustration of a problem all writers face. It’s often too easy to come up with a fabulous idea and then write yourself into a corner. At the end of all drafts, the writer must look to see what questions the narrative raises and whether they can answer them all…. Although sometimes the writer may not wish to answer and may leave it to the audience to speculate, but it’s a tricky thing to pull off. I like some open-ended stories, but LOST isn’t one of those, and so I would have preferred a few more answers.

But, having said all that, the storyline spaced out all my niggles, and at least the show had an end, unlike so many. It remained consistent and I love well-plotted, non-chronological story-telling. I imagine some viewers might find that kind of narrative difficult to follow, but I had no trouble following the storyline at all. It’s an action series, a mystery, and, like all the best stories, heavily character driven. I enjoyed the show despite every glitch because I invested in those characters.

In all good character stories, the people populating the work MUST go through a transformation. They must change, to emerge a different and (in most cases but not all) better person. In that I found LOST to be a captivating show, especially when one realises that it’s not a story about people being lost on an island, but a group of lost individuals who discover who they are and what they’re capable of together and when facing adversity. But that is why a different ending would have been far more satisfying. An end where they got to live new lives, yet remember what they went through and thereby complete their transformations in a way more satisfactory than meeting again after death.

When writing, try not to get lost of where you are in your work and when typing THE END weigh up whether you’ve not only answered all the questions you wish to against reader/viewer satisfaction. It’s still fine to go against the grain if you feel that strongly, but make it an active decision, not a mistake.