Back to Basics

Many great writers in their time wrote longhand. For quite a while after that, typewriters were the main form of literary writing. Now most of use use laptops or desktops. I'm sure there are even a couple of writers out there who use a tablet. Sometimes it can be nice to get back to the old forms of writing. I usually write out the first draft of a short story in a composition book, and just the other day I wrote out the first chapter of a book on the Civil War on a manual typewriter. But is it really the best idea?

• Fantasy: As long as you have The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference, you should be okay without a computer. I recommend an electric typewriter to do the job, though, as it types just as fast as a computer for when inspiration strikes.
• Horror: If your horror is firmly rooted in history, then it might be good to have the internet at hand. Otherwise, go crazy! A manual typewriter or longhand would work best to give it an old-timey, slightly creepy feel.
• Science fiction: Write on a computer if it's hard SF, but if you don't care anymore use an electric typewriter.
• Historical fiction: If you feel confident that you know what you're talking about, feel free to use a manual typewriter. However, I recommend that you keep a few reference materials around in case you hit a dead zone.
• Mainstream fiction: You should do whatever you feel comfortable with. Sometimes not having the Internet around can be a blessing with a lack of distractions, but other times it may be the most natural to have a keyboard.
• Memoirs: Whatever you can write the fastest with. It's much easier to write a memoir when you just clear your mind and think of your life. I don't think pen and paper is the best choice, though, because it's much too easy to get writer's cramp.
• Nonfiction: Unless you have Internet sources, you should be fine with some kind of typewriter.

Close Enough

This is wonderful.

January 18 is National Polygraph Day. I decided to give you, as a writer, another kind of test. The Mary-Sue Litmus Test. This is a test designed to figure out whether your character is guilty of being a Mary-Sue, or "perfect" character. There are three main types: average, who is perfect in every way, shape, and form; clone, which is the author inserting themselves into a main character; and trauma, who has had an undeserved amount of abuse, has infinite mental disorders, and uses that as an excuse to either do horrible things or cry in a corner the whole time.

The most in-depth and my favorite is http://www.springhole.net/writing/marysue.htm, but a close second is http://www.katfeete.net/writing/marysue.html. Please note that those two strictly apply to humanoid creatures. For a wolf one, I found http://quizilla.teennick.com/quizzes/8164465/the-mary-sue-test-wolf-versionrequired-for-entrance-to-ethereal. While it is supposed to be for entrance to a roleplay, you can still get a pretty accurate score.

If you're looking to find out if a whole race in your fantasy story is too perfect, you may be looking for http://www.springhole.net/writing/marysuerace.htm.

I Have a Secret Pal

January 8 is Secret Pal Day, something which sounds mildly creepy to begin with. (In addition, it's Kim Jong-un's birthday today, but that's beside the point). Therefore, I have a horror prompt for you today. Just one, but I hope you have fun with it.

You have to go to your best friend's sister-in-law's baby shower for about the fourth or fifth time. You're less than excited and sit in the doorway of her house for most of the shower when her eldest, a little six-year-old boy, tugs on your sleeve. He says that he has a secret friend and that he wants you to meet the friend. Before you have a chance to answer, he's pulling you towards his room.

Have fun~

My Opinion on Vampires

This is nothing but a (hopefully) humorous opinion on fiction and vampires.

 

This is a vampire:

 

So is this:

 

I'm willing to call this a vampire:

This one is a little iffy:



 

This is my favorite vampire:

 

This is not a vampire:

The directly above is a human with sparkly skin and superpowers. He is not a vampire because he possesses little to no interest in the death and destruction of humanity and could not be a successful horror antagonist in the least. The others above, particularly Kurt Barlow (my favorite vampire, the bluish one), could/are terrifying antagonists. They don't sparkle. If Barlow sparkled, I would punch Stephen King in the face.



Horror Writing Prompts (First Installment)

My favorite: average person!

#1. Take your least favorite horror creature (vampire, werewolf, zombie, demon, etc.) and make it the main character in a piece. It can be either the protagonist or the antagonist, but it must be one of those two. Keep working at it until you actually like the creature and think of it as original.

#2. The zombie apocalypse has just arrived, and you are someone who has no skill with any kind of weaponry, any food stored up, or great knowledge. In fact, you're thoroughly average. It's a miracle you haven't been bitten yet. What are your short- and long-term goals to survival? How do you plan to save yourself now? Once you're relatively safe, how are you going to stay alive and decimate the infected?

#3. You receive a strange gift in the mail; a decapitated dog head. Before you're about to throw it out, it starts barking at you. You are startled and drop the box. The dog reveals that it has one paw that it can slowly move with. You attempt to kill it and it grows another paw. What happens next?