I want to put something here; a beginning of sorts. Something that signifies a starting point and aptly represents why I'm here in the first place and why you should want to be a repeat visitor in my virtual lair, my Voodoo Lounge.
I've been writing stories for as long as can recall, since at least grade two where memories of reading my stories of gingerbread men escaping their capter and dinsasours taking care of bullies to other classrooms will always remain vivid, yet I'm not sure where to start. I've been focusing on dark culture journalism for about the past eleven years, interviewing and reveiwiing some of the best talents in film and literature that this dark thing of our's has to offer, and yet I still don't know how to start.
All i know is this: I must start. It was a long hiatus of not writing and enjoying life's little obstacles and curve balls and essentially living in a non-writting world as I went off to get married and have a family and suffer many a hard lesson and rejoice at the many small miracles in between and now I want back in. I want the wrting, I want the joy I get from discovering a new favourate talent, or story, or indie film, or friend. I want the pleasre of creating stories and entertainment and getting the word out on the many new, often dangerous and scary worlds being created that deserve to be experienced and enjoyed by you.
Over the past several months I managed to squeeze out a handful of reviews, a couple of which were published in my favourate horror magazine, Canada's own Rue Morgue magazine. I polished off an old story that I'm happy with and still have a couple of reviews in my drawer that need a home. It was in this pursuit of a home for my writting that I discovered there really isn't a lot of choice publications, online or otherwise, that offer a decent paying (comped issues and/or 3 cents/word is NOT professional or fair pay for any decent writer), professional looking, reputable place to publish one's work. At least not for the writer who's Rolodex of inside contacts isn't bursting at the seams nor the writer who doesn't have an agent. I soon realized that many of my old haunts where I once published (Insidious Reflections, Dark Recesses Press, The Horror Library, etc.), just couldn't survive these tough economic times where you essentially have to pay to stand out and be read. And this doesn't include those that suggest they will publish my work and then fall off the face of the Earth and ignore all further communications. But I digress.
I want back in and I want to take as many of you with me as i can. I want to build on something that can be enjoyed, that can last and, probably most importantly, something that can make a difference for both readers and creators. I want to build my own house and create a home for my artcles, my reviews, my interviews. I want it to be bite sized so that anyone with just a bit of time off from their usual haunts can still squeeze in a bite and be on their way, satiated for a time. I want my dark house to host other writers and thier musings and veiws on this thing of our's. I would like them to be paid fair price for it, too. I want to bring in creators and help promote their work as it deserves to be promoted. I want to gradually post past interviews and articles and reviews of mine to give you all a taste of things to come while you gnaw on what I have currently readily available to you. I want you to tell me what you want to read, to explore, to poke with a stick.
I know it will take time, but I want in.
And this is where it starts.
I've been writing stories for as long as can recall, since at least grade two where memories of reading my stories of gingerbread men escaping their capter and dinsasours taking care of bullies to other classrooms will always remain vivid, yet I'm not sure where to start. I've been focusing on dark culture journalism for about the past eleven years, interviewing and reveiwiing some of the best talents in film and literature that this dark thing of our's has to offer, and yet I still don't know how to start.
All i know is this: I must start. It was a long hiatus of not writing and enjoying life's little obstacles and curve balls and essentially living in a non-writting world as I went off to get married and have a family and suffer many a hard lesson and rejoice at the many small miracles in between and now I want back in. I want the wrting, I want the joy I get from discovering a new favourate talent, or story, or indie film, or friend. I want the pleasre of creating stories and entertainment and getting the word out on the many new, often dangerous and scary worlds being created that deserve to be experienced and enjoyed by you.
Over the past several months I managed to squeeze out a handful of reviews, a couple of which were published in my favourate horror magazine, Canada's own Rue Morgue magazine. I polished off an old story that I'm happy with and still have a couple of reviews in my drawer that need a home. It was in this pursuit of a home for my writting that I discovered there really isn't a lot of choice publications, online or otherwise, that offer a decent paying (comped issues and/or 3 cents/word is NOT professional or fair pay for any decent writer), professional looking, reputable place to publish one's work. At least not for the writer who's Rolodex of inside contacts isn't bursting at the seams nor the writer who doesn't have an agent. I soon realized that many of my old haunts where I once published (Insidious Reflections, Dark Recesses Press, The Horror Library, etc.), just couldn't survive these tough economic times where you essentially have to pay to stand out and be read. And this doesn't include those that suggest they will publish my work and then fall off the face of the Earth and ignore all further communications. But I digress.
I want back in and I want to take as many of you with me as i can. I want to build on something that can be enjoyed, that can last and, probably most importantly, something that can make a difference for both readers and creators. I want to build my own house and create a home for my artcles, my reviews, my interviews. I want it to be bite sized so that anyone with just a bit of time off from their usual haunts can still squeeze in a bite and be on their way, satiated for a time. I want my dark house to host other writers and thier musings and veiws on this thing of our's. I would like them to be paid fair price for it, too. I want to bring in creators and help promote their work as it deserves to be promoted. I want to gradually post past interviews and articles and reviews of mine to give you all a taste of things to come while you gnaw on what I have currently readily available to you. I want you to tell me what you want to read, to explore, to poke with a stick.
I know it will take time, but I want in.
And this is where it starts.
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