Apr 18, 2015 | Scary True Stories, Tales of the Supernatural
Note: I’ve since discovered that the story of Erik is more urban legend than fact, but as it’s still an intriguing tale, I’ve decided not to delete the post. Most people know Phantom of the Opera is a popular musical, and a few people realize the...
Apr 17, 2015 | Scary True Stories, Tales of the Supernatural
Ouija boards, or ‘talking boards,’ are primarily used to communicate with spirits of the dead. Although Parker Brothers sells them as a parlour game and toy. That just seems odd to me: Talk to the dead! It’s fun for the whole family. To use a ouija,...
Apr 16, 2015 | Mysterious Places, Tales of the Supernatural
I have a special affinity for Nessie, the most famous “monster” in the world. She inspired my earliest horror stories. There’s just something about Scotland, with its mists, moors, and gloomy lakes, that makes one want to write a scary story. One of...
Apr 15, 2015 | Tales of the Supernatural
No one wants to run into the Mothman. This giant winged thing–described as looking like a half-man/half-bat, half-man/half-bird/or (yep, you guessed it) half-man/half-moth–seems to predict terrible doom. A natural disaster occurs soon after he shows up....
Apr 8, 2015 | Unsolved Mysteries
Picture a quaint little English village in the Middle Ages. It’s the 12th century, and you’re in the charmingly named Woolpit. Woolpit is located in Suffolk, and it still exists. Just over 2,000 people live there today. In the 12th century, a group of...
Apr 6, 2015 | Tales of the Supernatural
Exorcism (from Greek ἐξορκισμός, exorkismos – binding by oath) is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or an area they are believed to have possessed. I’m not sure what to think about exorcism....
Apr 1, 2015 | Scary True Stories, Tales of the Supernatural, The Writing Life
Welcome Dear Readers, My apologies for such an epic post, but it’s the first day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge and Insecure Writers’ Support Group day. For the Insecure Writers’ Support Group, I’ll discuss something I’ve dealt with...
Mar 31, 2015 | The Writing Life
Against my better judgment, I signed up for the A to Z Challenge again this year. I also signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo. Which means that I’m going to be writing 24/7 in April–blog posts everyday except Sunday, and 1,668 words on a novel each day, including...
Mar 3, 2015 | Unsolved Mysteries
Out of all the true crime stories I’ve read, one sticks with me and won’t let go. It’s the strange case of Julie Weflen, who went missing near Riverside State Park in Washington state in 1987. Gentle, good-hearted, and strong-willed, Julie was one of...
Feb 24, 2015 | Mysterious Places, The Life Less Ordinary, The Writing Life
It may just be the most amazing writers’ retreat ever. I’m going to go out on a limb and say it is. This summer, I’ll be in Transylvania for the Horror Writers’ Workshop. What better place to craft a scary story than in the shadow of Bran...
