October Newsletter

An early Happy Halloween to all!

The novella is about 4k words now, or roughly a chapter and a half. It’s really weird writing in long form after years of short stories. It’s like sleeping in a queen sized bed when you’re used to a twin. Still, it’s going fairly well considering it’s my first multi-chapter project for several years. Since it will likely take me a while to finish the first draft, I’ll also try to put out some shorter pieces here and there in the meantime.

Speaking of which, I also finished the first draft of a Halloween-themed flash fiction piece. It only took me a week, so I’m actually pretty happy with my progress. I was going to post it on Halloween, but I’m entering it in a contest and need to get it posted by the 21st. So, look for it in the next few weeks!

What I’m reading:

• The Silent Companions, by Laura Purcell

  • It probably helps that I read this during a sleepless overnight stay at the airport, but of all the books I’ve read this year, this one scared me the most. Silent companions, also known as dummy boards (basically the baroque version of cardboard cutouts) are creepy on their own, but the author uses an already unsettling concept to great effect. I’m definitely going to buy a copy in print.

• Blackwater, by Jacqueline Ross

  • I really enjoyed this Australian gothic novel, which is set in a rural part of Tasmania. The plotting, characters and descriptions are all well done. I might buy this one as well. 

• Sons of Cain: A History of Serial Killers from the Stone Age to the Present, by Peter Vronsky

  • A fairly in-depth book about the evolutionary origins and history of how serial killers interacted with and were viewed by western society. I’m only about a quarter of the way through, but I’ve already learned a fair amount.