SHADOWLAND: A Sequel in Progress (Book Update)
VOLUME 2 in The Shadowland Saga. The sequel to my acclaimed, award-winning debut novel: The Cat's Maw. Whispers from beyond the veil have been a long time coming...and you're just gonna have to wait a little longer. Is it out of fear? Procrastination? Laziness? Writer's block? Perfectionism? Typical 'life' distractions gumming up the gears? All of the above, I reckon. But there's an unexpected reason it's taken so long to muster the confidence to dive back into this epic story.
GAME WRITING: A Short Exercise In Suspense ('Homecoming')
A potential client recently offered an intriguing challenge — write a short story in five parts with the following limitations: three sections of prose under 200 words in 2nd person narrative style, and two sections of TEXT MESSAGE dialogue with 8 lines or less in each. Use a female protagonist, and craft the tale from one of the following genres: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Comedy, Horror, or Suspense.
BRANCHING NARRATIVE: Choose Your Adventure!
Whether crafting linear or branching narratives, the end goal remains the same — Emotional Engagement. I've been thinking about this a LOT lately. And that's only natural when app and game and media folks keep wanting to bend your ear and chat 'choose your own adventure stuff'. Something, my friends, is in the air...
HAVEN: A 'Choose Your Own Adventure' Mini-Mystery (TEXT ONLY)
I'm an oldschool text adventure fan. ZORK 4 LIFE. Thanks to a client's prompting, and the power (and ease) of TWINE, I whipped up this wee mystery/thriller 'prologue'. Zero frills. More of a proof-of-concept than anything else. But as a fan of Twin Peaks and The Prisoner, you KNOW that weirdness awaits...
FABLES: DEFINING A GENRE
The fine folks at WATTPAD — the Canadian-made 'social storytelling' network where fledgling writers and established authors can share story excerpts and complete works with a hungry (and massive) through a slick and simple interface — recently got in touch with an intriguing request...
TWIN PEAKS: The Return—Finale Rant + Series THEORY
I just woke up on the other side of the world. Didn't feed the cat or even have a cup of coffee. Instead, I watched the TWIN PEAKS: The Return finale. And now that it's over? I need to get some (admittedly surreal) shit off my chest—embedded audio AND updated *theory* attached!!
TWIN PEAKS: SEASON 3 SCOOPS!
It's time for a quick roundup of what went down at yesterday's big TWIN PEAKS announcement, with any and all wide-eyed speculation from yours truly to be taken with girthy licks of salt...even if it's based on very real set reports and caffeinated insider rumblings.
LESS IS MORE (A SHORT STORY STUDY)
I'm not big on resolutions — probably due to a crippling fear of commitment, let's be real — but I can't help but feel that 2017 is fertile ground for taking steps to improve my craft. And after reviewing a schwack (technical term) of past projects, I think I've zeroed in on an area that could use an upgrade...
A B.B. 'BLACK FRIDAY' BONANZA!
The whole 'Black Friday' thing creeps me out something fierce, and is right at the top of my list when it comes to proof of the imminent collapse of civilization. But I USED to be a certifiably crazy collector. A completist. So this post is for you, my fellow 'hunters' — for friends and fans who need to catch 'em all...
INTERVIEW w/ VOYA MAGAZINE
When VOYA Magazine — the Voice of Youth Arts publication that serves schools and libraries throughout North America — awarded my debut novel with a Top Shelf honour, I was over the proverbial moon. I've been pinging back and forth with the editors since, and we finally connected for this fun (and surprisingly revealing!) interview...