By Arthur Macabe November 9, 2020 December 17, 2020 Writing
I recently found a short poem I wrote by hand. This was back in 2012, before I tried writing short stories and longer works – and before I had sufficient practice in the writing craft. I wrote this during a sleepless night as I listened to the walls in my new house creak. The Ghosts in the Walls One more glass. That's all I need to have before I hear them. It starts with a whisper. Sometimes. Other times it's louder than that – out of nowhere. It's frightening. However, it's terrifying when I listen for them and I hear nothing. That's when they are listening to me. The ghosts in the walls. They only talk at night. I've tried to listen in the day, but I never hear anything. Until I lay in bed and it's quiet for a while, then I hear the creaking. I try to fall asleep before it starts, but that's a rarity. The tapping from inside the wall, each tap is either louder or softer than the previous. That's the worst part. I never know how loud it's going to be. A wretched, teasing finger, rapping in the wall. I've never seen anything when I look for them. Maybe I'm just hearing things. If I am, I'm crazy. But if it's real, what does that make me? I don't want to go to sleep. Just one more glass. I hear it now. The tapping. It's getting louder. Softer. Waves of terror crash upon my[…] [Keep Reading]
Tagged 2020, COVID-19, ghosts, horror, night, sleep
By Arthur Macabe October 31, 2020 October 31, 2020 Writing
Happy Halloween, fellow lovers of horror. It's been a strange year indeed. Hopefully there are great stories being written and shared through our many experiences during this time. It's been two years since The Schlikt was originally published in Kyanite Press' Halloween Special, and I'm truly thankful for the opportunity to have shared this story through their medium. I've shared the original text below. It can still be purchased here at Kyanite Press. For those who prefer audio, I narrated the script and had it professionally produced by a close collaborator. The audio can be found here. As always, happy reading and writing – and keep cranking. THE SCHLIKT It was 1:03am. A hospital stood at the intersection of two well-known streets; its colorful exterior a vibrant display of positivity against the surrounding gray neighborhood and dark night. Inside, Sally Marcone – a pediatric nurse fresh out of a prominent Midwest school – sat at a computer on the 8th floor. Her computer screen the only nearby source of light in the darkness of the night shift. The pediatric oncology floor wasn't for everyone. Most people aren't ready to see a room with a child hooked up to tubes and machines with blinking lights, their bodies just a sick as the gray walls around them. Her only patient was six-year-old Tobias Kearny. The Stage Four Lymphoma was deep in his bone marrow. The tests came back earlier. Sally stood from her computer and walked to Toby's room, taking in the[…] [Keep Reading]
Tagged 2020, COVID-19, flash fiction, halloween, horror, HP Lovecraft
The Aesthetics of Editing
By Arthur Macabe June 1, 2020 May 25, 2020 Current Project, Editing, Writing
For those curious about what editing physically looks like, here's a page from my short story: Saturn: Journey to the Core. It's interesting to look back on this and see how much I crossed out. I didn't delete just words, but entire sentences. The first paragraph was deleted in the final version as it was not essential to the telling of the story. I read this short story again and can cut even more while improving the prose here and there, given my growth as a writer in the past four years. However, I'm not ready to make any changes yet. SATURN was my first published work, and to keep it in its original form seems like the appropriate action at the moment. Perhaps it will change in the future when I return to this story world. (Yes, that means we will hear more from the OKULOUS crew in due time…) [Keep Reading]
Tagged editing, fantasy, horror, science fiction, Writing
By Arthur Macabe April 13, 2020 March 30, 2020 Inspiration, Short Stories
Looking back on the my writing history, I think it's important to thank the group of people who read and published my first story, Saturn: Journey to the Core. Without that first publication, it is possible I would not have had the confidence to write more short stories. I started this blog in 2014 and posted on and off until 2016. During that time, I received a comment from someone starting a new quarterly publication, and they were seeking submissions. The publication was New Zenith Magazine, featuring art, poetry and short stories of all genres. My short story, Saturn: Journey to the Core, appeared in the inaugural Summer, 2016 issue. New Zenith is no longer around, but I felt I should share this story with my readers. Thank the first person who published your story. They believed in you. [Keep Reading]
Tagged horror, new Zenith Magazine, science fiction, Writing
Interviews from the Void: Episode #3 – Andrew Hope
By Arthur Macabe March 4, 2018 May 21, 2018 Interviews from the Void, Writing
Highlights Story mechanics and the importance of character-driven stories. Setting a goal each time we sit down to write will help us increase our productivity. What inspires us to write weird fiction. You can't just sit down and "write a screenplay." It's a very mechanical discipline; a science all by itself. Welcome to the third episode of Interviews from the Void, where I interview writers about their writing process, discussing the mechanics and physicality of the craft. In this episode, I had beers with local writer Andrew Hope, bonding over movies, screenwriting and H. P. Lovecraft. A. Macabe: So, you wrote Fantomex. I understand you had to do a significant re-write. Did you feel a lot of pressure when doing the re-write on your first big project? Especially of someone else's work? Andrew Hope: It was definitely a more conceptual rewrite than just changing some characters and elements. When Axel sent me the plot, it was a pet project of his and he wanted to get it off the ground – I suspect to maintain hold of the property, since Grant was the creator. My biggest two questions were, how closely do I need to stick to both the original plot, and Grant's 616 creation. The answers to both were do anything you want. Which was good, because I hadn't read X-Men since Vince left the art and if I didn't have to sink myself into continuity that was fine with me. The Fantomex you see in the series was not[…] [Keep Reading]
Tagged Andrew Hope, avengers, batman, christopher nolan, cthulhu, Del Toro, district 9, Fantomex, horror, HP Lovecraft, Marvel, momento, neill blomkamp, Star Wars, x-men
Interviews from the Void: Episode #2 – Avrin Kelly
By Arthur Macabe February 25, 2018 May 21, 2018 Inspiration, Interviews from the Void, Short Stories, Writing
Highlights The benefits to regularly writing short stories. Writing horror helps us understand fear, our strongest emotion as human beings. Various strategies for overcoming writers block. The possibilities are endless. Welcome to the second episode of Interviews from the Void, where I interview writers about their writing process, discussing the mechanics and physicality of the craft. I'm fascinated with writing as a physical effort and the perspectives of other writers on the process itself. In this episode, I've asked horror writer Avrin Kelly about her writing process and where she finds her inspiration. A. Macabe: Tell me more about your #52weeks52stories journey? What made you want to start? Is it helping you improve as a writer? Avrin Kelly: So far this year, I've written ten stories. #52weeks52stories is something I knew I wanted to take part in because short stories are life, for me at least. They're like literary Robot Chicken, or teleporting somewhere new for a short time. The possibilities are endless. With every story I write, I feel like I get a little bit better at the craft. A. Macabe: When did you start writing? Avrin Kelly: I'm 30. I didn't start writing in earnest until last year. I wrote my first short story in April of 2017. It was horrible (laughs). A. Macabe: Why was it horrible? Avrin Kelly: It was horrible because – at the time – I didn't know the first thing about story structure and the ending was confusing. So, I decided to try again – now with[…] [Keep Reading]
Tagged #52weeks#52stories, Andrew Hope, Avrin Kelly, Fantomex, Get Out, horror, Inspiration, Marvel, Short Story, Tooms, Writers Block, X-Files, youtube
Interviews from the Void: Episode #1 – S.P. Carter
By Arthur Macabe February 18, 2018 May 21, 2018 Inspiration, Interviews from the Void, Writing
Highlights Where do we find inspiration for our horror stories? It's never too late to start writing. As writers, we need to know when to listen, but also when to trust ourselves. Everyone loves a good scare. Welcome to the first episode of Interviews from the Void, where I interview writers about their writing process, discussing the mechanics and physicality of the craft. I'm fascinated with writing as a physical effort and the perspectives of other writers on the process itself. In this first episode, I've asked horror writer S. P. Carter – whose debut horror novel, "Unraveling" is set to release later this year – about his writing process and where he finds his inspiration in the horror genre. A. Macabe: Tell us more about "Unraveling" S. P. Carter: When people commit mass shootings and other atrocities, they don't snap; they spiral. "Unraveling" explores this transition in a man living an outwardly banal, middle-class family life who struggles against these demons. Hallucinations and paranoid delusions give you a front row seat into a mind fighting to hold itself together, and the destruction left in its wake. A. Macabe: Where did you get the idea for this story? S. P. Carter: As a survivor of childhood trauma, I've grappled with people's motivations to harm each other, and often wondered if one day, a switch would flip in my head. By exploring what I would do in a fictional world, free of legal repercussion, I had an outlet. This led to[…] [Keep Reading]
Tagged #52weeks#52stories, Goals, horror, S. P. Carter, Villain, Writing