In Search Of Monsters #11: The headless horseman? Dullahan

Hello bookworms,

It’s been a while since my last In Search Of Monsters. Truth be told, this feature takes a lot of time.

If Dracula was my best friend Part 1

Hello Bookworms,

How have you been doing these days? I have been fine, working on my horror book. These days I have been thinking, what would it be like if Dracula was my best friend. I think you have already accustomed to my weird thoughts, therefore I don’t have to explain anything, and we shall begin our fun post for this week:

If Dracula was my best friend Part 1

A Story by AnilaH. From A Writer’s Dark Corner

Thirst No.2 by Christopher Pike Review

Hello Bookworms,

It’s been a while since I have done a review of a book purchased by me. These kinds of reviews are so laid back. It’s like talking with your best friend about the book you both love. When I am reviewing books for book tours, I have to be strict. But here, oh I can fangirl as much as I want. Please let me welcome you to:

The “Thirst Vol.2” Review Fangirling (Thank you again Roberta for making me buy almost all his books, LOL. You will have to repay me now, haha. Not kidding!)

For the first volume review click here.

Title: Thirst No.2

Author: Christopher Pike

Blurb: What Alisa has desired for five thousand years has finally come true—she is once again human. But now she is defenseless, vulnerable, and for the first time in centuries, emotional. As she attempts to reconcile her actions as a vampire with her new connection to humanity, she begins to understand the weight of life and death decisions. Can Alisa resolve her past and build a new identity,

Wolves of the Northern Rift Book Tour: Review

Title:  Wolves of the Northern Rift

Series:  Magic and Machinery #1

Author:  Jon Messenger

Published:   March 10th, 2015

Publisher:  Crimson Tree Publishing

Genre:  Steampunk

Content Warning:  Non-graphic gore/violence

Recommended Age:  16+

Synopsis:  In a world of science, magic is an abomination.

February's Guide To Reading: Find time to read

Hello bookworms,

Welcome to February’s Guide To Reading!

Today I am going to talk about time organization, more specifically reading time. Reading has always been a hobby to me, that’s why it is so difficult to include it in my daily planner, because then it will become just a chore. Trying to squeeze some time to read in your hectic day can be quite frustrating.

Creature Feature Ep.3: The True Story of A Witch Part 2

____

Hello Bookworms

For the first part, click here

Truth be told, these two episodes, which involve witches, are quite difficult to write. See, I am not a big fan of witches. I was scared of them since I was little. 

Confession Time: I am a huge fan of “Blade” movies, especially the second one, and even though the vampires there are really creepy,  I don’t mind. Blade has been the first horror movie I have ever
watched (age 5). Still, even though I can handle Blade’s vampires, and even though I am 18 years old, I am extremely scared of Snow White’s Evil Queen. Yeah, I admit it, it is weird. Movies with witches intrigue me, but I am extremely scared of them. In contrary with vampires though. I am super scared of vampires, but I adore them.

Anyways, now let’s continue with our topic today.

Now, as I was saying, I have interviewed an Albanian old lady, and she has told me lots of stories, which are supposed to be true.

This story happens in a village of Albania, where a man, who worked as a night guard, was coming back home after his shift. Something in all Albanian legends is that a crossroad isn’t a good sign, especially when three women are standing there mixing some ingredients in a mysterious pot, in the middle of the night. Now, this sounds a bit like Macbeth from Shaekspeare. I thought that too, but the man didn’t become a king. The man saw the three women, and he instantly knew who they were. As I have mentioned in the first post, these witches are people, whom you know, and they don’t like it when you recognize them.

He did, but he was kinda stupid, since he told them:

“I know who you are.” And he told them their names.

They responded:

“If you tell anyone, we are going to eat your liver!” (This reminds me of the Korean kumiho, or the Japanese Kitsune, a nine tailed fox, who eats human liver)

Was he scared? No! Now, I am starting to think that he was quite stupid. He told everyone about what he saw. The next day he was found dead, in his house, his liver torn apart.

The moral of this story? Do not talk with three creepy women standing at the crosswords doing God-knows-what with herbs in a pot, and do not talk about them, if they warned you they are going to eat your liver.

Have a great day!

Happy Scary Reading!

January's Guide To Reading

 Here’s to an amazing year! Now let’s get to our Guide To Reading:

January is all about starting fresh, starting new, new possibilities, new dreams, plans and goals. What kind of reading is suited for us?

Reading Challenge:

Usually during January we are very determined to accomplish our goals. That is why this month should be inspiring, this way we know there is going to be an awesome year ahead.

Il Diritto Di Vivere, and 18th Birthday

This day, 18 year ago, something really special happened, maybe not that special for the world, but for my family. I was born on 17^th November 1996.

Today is my birthday, and truth being told I do not feel 18 years old. Life has tried to destroy me so many times, therefore I  feel like 81 years old with everything I had to fight.

But I am still here, I am alive, I am still fighting. I may not be like everyone else, because cancer left a deep scar on me, but I am myself, the best version I could ever be.

During these years I have understood that life isn’t easy, but it is worth it. I have understood that it is okay to cry, because that’s what makes us strong. As long as we get up again, ready to fight, we are strong and powerful.

Thank You for supporting me! Today I have the pleasure to announce my newest book, “Il Diritto Di Vivere”. I feel proud of myself, because not only I defeated such a deadly disease, but I managed to create something good from it, my book.

Here I am, only 18 years old, but with so many scars from my past, though I am proud of them. I am happy I survived. I am happy I managed to celebrate my 18^th birthday. If it wasn’t for my doctor, I wouldn’t have that chance.

I am grateful, because I am living, and that’s what matters.

Have a great day!

Happy Scary Reading!

"Manitou Blood" Book Review

*This book was purchased by me, while I was in Italy. I read the Italian Version, therefore I can't talk much about the structure of sentences and stuff like that.*

*I hope you like my new, improved review template. This is supposed to be easier to read.

Book Title: Manitou Blood (Il sangue di Manitou- Italian Version)

Author: Graham Masterton

Description:

In one of the hottest summers for decades, New York City is being swept by a strange and terrible epidemic. Doctors are helpless as victims fall prey to a bizarre blood disorder. They can no longer eat solid food, they become hypersensitive to sunlight ? and they have an irresistible need to drink human blood. As panic grips the city, and mobs of bloodthirsty people roam the streets, self-taught psychic Harry Erskine has to enter the shadowy realms between the living and the dead, and call on America's native spirits to help him in a struggle for human survival in which death is only the beginning . . .

Links: Goodreads / Amazon

Review:

While reading the book:

Well, I managed to read this book for five days, while being on vacation (I was going out every morning and afternoon).  I would squeeze some reading hours in my agenda, while the others were taking a nap. I read this book in the hottest hours of the day, sweat forming in my forehead.

This book was the fourth of the series, but I can safely say that you don't need to read the other books. Actually it is much more mysterious, if you don't read the first books. Or maybe that's just me.

Legends and Creatures:

What I loved about this book was that there was a mix between cultures, more precisely  Native American culture and Romanian culture. All the stories and the legends were right, and well Mr. Masterton did his homework. There are some scenes that are frightening, and make your skin prickle from fear. I loved how the Romanian Vampire fits all the standards of Romanian Legends. Also this is so easy for people to know these vampires, since after Stoker's Dracula the Romanian Vampire has kind of become the International Vampire. While the legends from other Balkan countries are too bizarre for people to get used to.(unless you are like me)

Main Character:

Harry Erskine was my favorite character. He was funny, and sarcastic in the same time. He had pretty much the same reaction I would have if I was him.

Extra Element:

Also Dracula was mentioned in the book. I am not talking about the vampire, but the real Count Dracula. It was a bit weird reading a story where Dracula is human, even though I know the real story of the Count. And the most ironic thing is that he is killed by vampires. 

What I didn't like:

The POV changes from Harry to doctor Fred, but that wasn't what bothered me. The book starts being written in third person, and then it changes to first. Actually for me, that was just an annoying element, and it didn't really bothered me, because I was so worked up on solving the mystery.

Rating:

5 cats! Good Job!

Have a great day!

Happy Scary Reading!

Vintage/Antique Book Haul (Italy)

Hello bookworms,

How have you been doing? I am back from Italy, currently staring at this photo, and longing for that cappuccino in Florence.

While I was staying in Rome, I found out there were a lot of old books markets out there. I became so excited that I decided to go treasure hunting. I found a little market in the middle of nowhere, and managed to buy three old books for 5 euros. I wanted to buy more, trust me, but I had no place in my luggage (and I have even sacrificed a beautiful white umbrella I bought in Florence) Plus my godfather (or "Padrino" as I call him) had given me two books with all Borges writings. I am a huge fan of Magic realism and Lost generation, not because that's what intellectuals read, but because I can relate so much to them. 

I apologize for these low quality photos.Usually I work really hard on my blog multimedia, such as digital art, paintings, and photography. I have been very busy today , working on something really exciting, something I have been dreaming all my life. Truth  to be told, I'm not feeling well today. My doctor said that I can't use my left arm (I'm left handed)for a while, and typing with only one hand is really annoying. But hey... Nothing can stop the horrific Anila from doing what she wants.

So here are the books :)

The British Theater

    "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

*Inside the book*

Borges

Sherlock Holmes

I didn't know where to put the books, but then I found out that this was a perfect opportunity to get rid of my mother's romance books in my library. Muhahhaha!

As you can see for these two really old books I used a transparent material to protect them. These are "Fiesta" by Ernest Hemingway published 1971, and "La Divina Comedia" in 1941 (it was a present)

To stay inside the "antique" theme, I even put an old leaf I took in Rome last September. These books smell so nice, like flowers and vanilla.... It is like heaven. I can stay smelling them all day.

Have a great day!

Happy Scary Reading!

Author Interview: Shawn Phillips

Hello Dr. Phillips. Welcome to my blog. It’s quite nice having you here. I hope you don’t mind answering these questions, and somehow managing to handle my curiosity.

It will be my pleasure, and thank you for inviting me.

What makes your book special, Dr. Phillips? What makes that story unique?

In my fiction writing, I like to base my stories on something called fantasci, meaning that I create a fantasy world based on science or science fiction. My goal is to take your reality and initially shift it by a few degrees, so that what transpires is almost believable. As the story progresses, the fantasy subtly overtakes the science until you have stepped through the liquid mirror and are now living in a new, fantastical reality. And when you reluctantly look up from the last page, you can’t help but wonder whether the things around you really exist or are from that new world.

Now, why it is unique? It’s not just one thing. It begins with the science-based shapeshifters who are only one step away from claiming the top of the evolutionary ladder. Ready to accept another failed attempt, they discover that legendary spirit walkers exist. These spirit walkers possess the one thing needed to overtake humanity, the ability to trap the souls of the dead. The uniqueness is strengthened by a disjointed timeline, where a father-son duo, separated by two decades, must try to thwart the shapeshifters while also preventing them from gaining their power. And finally, I had to create the shapeshifter culture from scratch, and craft it into the story. I hope the reader finds the combination intriguing.

We are going to talk a bit about these creatures. As my readers know, I am quite a creature junkee. Why did you put werewolves as the center of your book (well, beside other creatures)?

I love mythical creatures, but in this case I placed a different kind of creature at the center of my story. More of a modern-day shapeshifter. Rest assured, werewolves and vampires are not thrown completely off the pages of my novel. In fact, they slowly build up their importance through The Doppler Affect, with a werewolf becoming a key part of the sequel (Picture Perfect, to be released in 2015). This class of shapeshifters—werewolves—still holds true to my desire of the creatures maintaining a thread of science. More to come.

Doppelgangers, the creatures you have written about, actually have appeared on German folklore, Egyptian mythology, even Greek mythology, but they aren’t that famous in the literature (compared to vampires, for example). As far as I know, they are supposed to be a double of a person. Are these the Doppelgangers you mention in your book?

Indeed, you are correct. These are the doppelgangers in my book, but with a subtle twist. From mythical accounts we have learned that from a single touch the doppelganger, or doppler, has the ability to mimic a person’s identity and possess their knowledge and personality.  Before I wrote my novel, I had asked myself what would a science-based doppler be like. Would touch be enough to shapeshift into a human? If not, then what would it take?  Also, could a doppler absorb memories and the personality of a human with one touch?  I decided that a science-based doppler would be able to shift into a human by ‘acquiring DNA,’ but not have any memories or traits, as these were not stored in one’s DNA.  How does a doppler obtain fresh DNA?  Let’s just say it’s a matriarchal society, and adds a provocative edge to the story.

What made you write about these less-known creatures?

Well, when I decided that I wanted to write a paranormal fantasy novel, I researched what was out there and most popular for readers. This helped me understand what was left to be explored. As we all know, vampire and werewolf stories abound, and I felt that I didn’t have anything new to add. Please, don’t get me wrong, there are some very talented authors who masterfully create new stories with these creatures.  I am amazed by their artistry. Anyway, I wondered who would be their master? Who or what could have control over such powerful creatures? From there, I explored traits of these creatures—and wood nymphs, fairies, etc—coming to the conclusion that the ability to change or alter one’s shape was key. Dopplers seemed to be a natural choice, which started me on my way. Science-based dopplers evolving alongside humankind, but having dominion over the mythical creatures that lurk in the shadows.

Since it seems that you are interested in mythology, then can you talk about your favorite creature (I think it’s normal to have a favorite creature, but then again I am Dracula’s fan, so…)

If one reads the acknowledgement page in my book, I confess that I was an avid Dungeons and Dragons gamer.  So, right now I have a mental image of my old Monster Manual and am rapidly flipping through it (sorry, but my psychiatrist says public admission is the only pathway to full recovery).  Chimera…no, Dwarf…fun, but no, Elf…close, but no…Imp, definitely not…Zombie…much cooler these days, but no. Time to flip the pages backward…yep, it’s the doppelganger. The thought of something being able to perfectly mimic me sends prickling shivers up my spine.

Giveaway Time!

Mr. Phillips plans to release 100 copies through the end of summer, on both Goodreads (link here) 

and his website (link here). For Goodreads he’s doing biweekly giveaways of 5-20 books, and on his website he’s giving away 2 books a week.

The Author:

Shawn Phillips wrote his first book, a young-adult fantasy novel titled Dillon’s Dream: Water in Earth, in 2009 before following it up with his adult paranormal fiction novel, The Doppler Affect. In addition to the sequel to The Doppler Affect, he currently has two other projects in progress, which he plans to complete in 2015. For Shawn, writing a novel begins when he is able to merge two disparate book ideas into one story, crediting this process to how he performed research in a chemistry laboratory.

After his mom shunned societal expecations and separated from his abusive father, Shawn spent his younger years living in southern Michigan farming communities. He moved to Holland, Michigan to pursue a chemistry degree at Hope College, which he completed in 1992. Relocating to California, he continued his chemistry studies and obtained his doctorate degree in 1997. After a brief yet enjoyable stint at DuPont, he signed on as a civil servant for the United States Air Force. He has spent more than fifteen years conducting and directing propulsion research at the historic Rocket Lab, located on Edwards Air Force Base.

Links:

Website / Blog /  Newsletter

Twitter:  @drshawnphillips

The Book:

The Doppler Affect

Shapeshifters Control Our Lives!

The frightening power of vampires, werewolves, and lycanthropes has lived within our nightmares for centuries, failing to be reasoned out by the rapid advances in science and technology. The truth is that they are very much a part of our reality. However, they are merely the genetically inferior offspring of a more powerful race, known as doppelgangers, who evolved alongside humankind. These shapeshifters adopted a secretive yet manipulative approach when dealing with us, feeding off the sexual desires of men to sustain their society…until desperate times forced a new order.

Christopher Sands, a rising investment banker, was just another victim in a long list of doppelganger schemes. Framed for a crime he wouldn’t commit and watching his family fade farther and farther from his prison bars, Chris makes an unbelievable discovery; shapeshifters aren’t the only race with supernatural abilities. Can he find the strength to accept an even worse fate than prison to not only save his son, but all humankind? Will Michael Sands be able to control the spirits that haunt him to finish what his father cannot?Links:

Amazon / B&N paperback & Nook  / Signed paperback copy

Have a great day!

Happy Scary Reading!

Author Interview: Scott M Sullivan

Please welcome Mr. Scott Sullivan to our blog. He just published his newest book “Impetus”. Let’s ask him some questions.

1- Can you please tell us something about your new book?

Impetus is a novel for anyone looking for a dystopian/post-apocalyptic story. I tried to make Impetus a tale about how we, as humans, persevere to overcome obstacles when we are left with little choice. I also set out with the aim to keep the story as free from gore and violence as possible -- though it would be unrealistic, in my opinion, to have no violence in the world after-Impact. I wanted it to be gritty and real, but also fairly clean compared to some other tales in the genre.

2- What inspired you to write this post-apocalyptic story?
A friend of mine was doing NanoWriMo (Link Here). For those unfamiliar, as I was, NanoWriMo challenges you to write a novel in a month. I made it about 25K words into Impetus in November 2013 and then hit writer’s block. I didn’t pick it back up until April 2014. After I figured out where I wanted to go with the story, it took me about 3 weeks to finish it.

3- Who is your favorite character in the book?
Solomon is my favoirte character. He’s the one that has been through the most, yet still finds a way to be a better humanbeing than most of those around him.

4- I read you have written these exact words on the book blurb “Mick will rediscover what it truly means to be human.” What do you think it really means to be human?
That’s a great question. I think the answer will depend on who you ask. But since you asked me, I’ll give you my opinion. Unfortunately, to be human means to live in the full spectrum of emotion. We are all inherinetly good, bad, selfish, selfless, and any other instrinsic characteristic you can think of. But for Mick, being human is looking out for the guy or gal next to you because it’s the right thing to do. Being human is standing together as a species rather fighting amongst ourselves and causing further division.

5- What sets your book apart from the others?
I tried to set my story with enough time past the catastrophe so it would not center on the destruction of the Earth, but rather the tale of those that were left after it. I wanted it to be about people and not the event that thrust them into the situation.

6- Any advice for my aspiring writers?
Keep at it. Constantly improve your craft. Don’t feel like you need to write novels everytime you write. Write short stories. Write the thoughts in your head. Just write. You don’t need to write War and Peace at each sitting. Most of all, don’t let the negativity get you down. There will always be people who don’t like your story, or your characters, or anything you did. And some of those people will be quite vocal about it. Some can even get personal. Don’t let that deter you from doing what you love. Focus on the positive and thicken your skin from the negative. Stay true to yourself.

 Thank you for being here Mr. Sullivan and good luck with your book!

The Author:

Scott currently works in the IT industry. He writes because he has a passion for it. He has been married for 11 years and has two amazing children.

Twitter / Facebook 

The Book: Impetus

When the world first heard about the meteorites, it was already too late.

Ten arduous years later, Mick and his small group of eight had adapted to the new way of things. With no clean running water, power, or forms of communication, the Earth went backward, taking with it almost everything they held dear. Survivors like Mick were forced to do the best they could with what they had. Because in the post-Impact world, alternatives were a luxury that no one could afford.
Now a deadly virus promises to finish the job the space rocks failed to.
With the clock ticking down on their lives, Mick will navigate the deceitful webs spun by those that oppose his drive for salvation. And along his quest to prevent another catastrophe, Mick will rediscover what it truly means to be human.

Goodreads / Amazon

Have a great day!

Happy Scary Reading!

Summer Reads: Flober, Shekspeare, Woolf, Poe, King

Hello bookworms J

What have you been reading these hot days?

Currently I am busy with “Creature Feature”, and I am getting even more excited with this project. Now that I finished school, I have a lot of free time. I think “Creature Feature” is going to be terrific, but visiting old ruins and talking to strangers about old scary creatures, surely is something weird. Anyways it’s me, who we are talking about, so I don’t mind. Actually when I asked someone “What do you think ‘gogol’ (a certain creature) looks like?”, the response was “Like you!”. I was absolutely mad. I nearly killed that person. “How dare you compare me to that creature? I thought I made it obvious I prefer vampires.”

Anyways, I want to share with you my summer TBR list.  I have divided the books in groups.

Summer Reads Gr.1 “Books I want to read or re-read.”

These are books I bought recently, or I want to re-read them.

“12 Years A Slave” by Solomon Northup

 I haven’t watched the movie yet, and I don’t plan on watching it, because first I want to read the book. I bought this in the airport, so it was quite expensive. {Language: English}

“The Shining” by Stephen King

 This was one of my favorite books I had to read during “Spring into Horror Challenge” Since I read it too fast, I want to enjoy it again. Actually there’s no excuse, I just want to read it again. Got any problem with that, huh? {Language: English}

“Mjegulla e Tiranes” by Ismail Kadare

Dun, dun, dun… this is Romance. Yes, I started reading romance. Actually, this is the first book one of my favorite writers ever wrote (he usually writes about Albanian history and politics) This book talks about his romance story when he was young. Though I am reading this because first, there’s an interview of him in the book, second I want to know how his writing style was back then, and third I have almost all of his books, so I don’t want to miss anything {Language: Albanian (my native language)}

“L’ultimi Vampiri”  and “Il sangue di Manitou” are two horror books I bought in Italy for only 1 euro each. 

{Language: Italian}

Summer Reads Gr.2 “Books I have to read for school” Albanian Edition

Our literature teacher gave us a list of books we have to read during summer. I read most of these (though I may re-read them), for example “Macbeth” by Shakespeare (I mean hello, this is a book about a person who kills everyone)

“Madame Bovari” Flober

“Vargjet e lira” “Ne velat e qytetit te veriut” Migjeni (Famous Albanian poet and writer)

“The castle” “General of the dead army” Ismail Kadare

“Eugene Onegin” Alexander Pushkin

“Lulet e veres” Naim Frasheri (another Albanian writer)

“Hamlet”; “Macbeth”;  “King Lear” Shakespeare

{Language: Albanian}

Summer Reads Gr.3 “Books I have to read for school” English Edition

My English teacher HATES horror, that’s why I was a bit surprised she mentioned Poe’s Black Cat and Woolf’s Haunted House, but I know who made her put these books (evil laugh)

“The Chapel” Josef Essberger

“A Haunted House” Virginia Woolf

“The Black Cat” Edgar Allan Poe

“The Winepress” Jossef Essberger

“The Metro” Jossef Essberger

“Araby” James Joyce

{Language: English}

Summer Reads Gr.4 “Books for Review”

Summer Reads Gr.5 “Any Pike book I want to read”

So, this is it. I organized some “Reading Days” where I will be  reading all day.  I think all these books are great, and surely I will practice my foreign languages.

What about you?

What is your summer list?

Have a great day!

Happy Scary Reading!

A Writers Dark Corner Hiatus

I am very sorry to inform you, that I won't be rambling here for two months. There will be some interviews (I already wrote them), and also some features, if I have time. I really want to post the next "Weird Legends", which talks about an unique Albanian vampire, who wears high heels, but I will see. The reason I won't be posting is because I have school exams, and I really want to focus on getting good grades. I bought some wonderful books, but I can't read them yet. Wish me good luck for the exams (It's funny I don't even worry about my English Exam)!
I promise I will come back with my Creature Feature ( credit to Roberta@ Offbeat YA for the name). I will be traveling a lot this summer and I will be visiting haunted places, discovering old legends and helping horror writers. Creature Feature will bring  the most unique &terrifying creatures, you (probably) never heard off.

Now, hope you have a great day!

Happy Scary Reading

How to explore and create your own writing style

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Hello Bookworms

As the time goes by, I’ve noticed I have changed, and my writing style has changed. To be more precise, I have started developing a certain writing style, and I have started exploring and creating it. I am using these three verbs: “create” “explore” “develop”, in order to make you understand what it means to have a writing style.

Explore

With a few words “explore your writing style” means start reading your writings. Better yet, find something you have written a long time ago, and read it. You will be amazed how much you can understand about your writings, just by reading your old works. It is true that you create your writing style, but remember that there is a tiny bit of that style in your previous works. One day I took the first writing I ever made (8 years old. I remember I created it, mum wrote it for me). The writing was a reproduction of those fairytales I am grown up to. The story talked about a witch, who cursed a princess (kinda Sleeping Beauty). Basically if this princess steppes on a rock, she will remain there forever. I know this is the lamest and weirdest story an eight-years old can create, but also it is kinda strange how this fairytale didn’t end happily ever after. When I was reading it after such a long time, I realized a couple of things:

1- There was no prince to save her. You can see how much I disliked romance and how much of a “We don’t need men” girl I was since that age.

2- There isn’t a certain reason for the witch to curse the princess, but she still did. Even though I was little, I understood that sometimes people do things because of pure evilness. Not always there is a reason behind it.

3- I guess I was made to write horror. The witch wins at the end, because the princess dies. And also the end was quite confusing. Basically the princess’ feet remain frozen and she can’t move. She remains there, until she dies.

The moral of my story is “Curiosity killed the cat!” The princess knew about the curse, but still she climbed on the rocks, because she was curious what will happen. As a child, I had a strange way of thinking. I thought (actually I still think) that it is better not to know everything, or you might just go insane.

After reading some of my other writings, I realized I had this dark, horror-like, writing style since I was little. Also there was a lot of sarcasm in it. But what confused me most is that I had (and still have) a tendency for weird characters and creatures.

Create: 

Next is “create”. Now everybody knows that “write freely for 30 minutes, then see what you have written” move, but I think it doesn’t work. Seriously, if I did that, my writing would be something like this:

“Wow! What a beautiful day! Actually no, why am I saying that? It rained. I am hungry. I want to eat. This is so tiring! I am tired! Cupcakes! I love Bram Stoker! Vampires… what a great day!”

(I really tried it before writing this post. If I can’t sort my thoughts, I cannot write. Period!)

Personally, I think you should start writing slowly. Find what inspires you. Your writing style has a lot to do with inspiration. The best way to create your writing style, is start putting on paper your inner thoughts. Tell your feelings. Write for yourself! And believe me, you will create the writing style that fits you best.

Develop:

 Nothing remains the same. Life changes, we change, our ideas change, but our writing style never changes, it only develops in something better. So don’t be afraid to develop yours. Did you read something new and you got inspired? Are you feeling horror-like or inspirational?

At the end your writing style symbolizes you as a person, as a writer and as an identity (that escalated quickly)

Take your time, and discover yourself, create yourself, develop yourself. Creating your writing style means creating yourself, your thoughts, your mark on this world. Good Luck!

Have a great day!
Happy Scary Reading!