'Beyond Obsession' Finally complete!!

After two months, three weeks and one day I have successfully completed my 32nd short story, even though its more like a novella in length, 'Beyond Obsession.' The themes of this particular story, plus the last two novels I completed, are so different from each other by comparison.When I look back on it, This particular one flowed like the Nile in terms of the easing of putting pen to paper, I cannot tell you how undeniably grateful that makes me; For anyone who has ever attempted to write a story can attest to how frustrating it can be to deal with writers block. All in all, a very pleasant experience and still the heart of a certain matter remains: What direction do I take now? Through the entire time I was working on this story that very question beguiled me and in truth I really don't know. I have now been writing for the better part of fourteen years and even though life can indeed be unpredictable, the passion for my craft is far from jaded. As I begin to type the story out(I always do my rough drafts the old fashioned way:Pen to paper), I have to look at those who's lust for the craft has escaped them, and, if you're a writer such as I, such a condition is almost equal to doom. If I can have my way, I'll be writing horror stories forever. I can only hope that life itself abides my decision!

 

Bad Seed of the Day: Delphine Lalaurie

I'm going to start depicting certain historical figures here and there who are obviously interesting enough to write about here but a bit too obscure to follow through with in terms of, let's say, a novel. Today, I'm choosing a woman who was essentially a socialite and because of her malice and cruelty became a notorious historical figure.

Delphine Lalaurie was came from a prominent New Orleans family. She had been married three times and had three daughters. Having a fondness for social gatherings, it was at a party she threw in April 10, 1834 that a fire broke out and brought to light everything that she had well hidden under the guise of societal pretense. Delphine, it seemed was a closet sadist. Many of her slaves had been found mutilated in the worst sort of ways. As legend proposes, some had their arms and legs broken to resemble the appendages of crabs. Some were chained in sort of upstairs 'Dungeon' where, once you went to, you didn't return from. There, women supposedly had their genitals mutilated and were repeatedly beat and flogged and men had their eyes gouged out, all while being chained to a wall.

According to eye witness accounts, it was the firefighters who witnessed the thick of the horror and horrific it was: Some slaves intestines were cut from their bodies and nailed to the floor, some were required to wear a very large spiked iron collars, one even had the feces of animals stuffed into their mouth while having their lips sewn shut.

The fire itself was set deliberately by a old woman who acted as a cook as a suicide attempt because she was too afraid to go 'up there'. 

As news of her secret became apparent, Delphine and her third Husband and children all fled in disgrace, and to avoid mob violence, to Paris, France and it is highly believed that she died there of natural causes. 

Ah...The Coming of Autumn!

Alas, my favorite season has once again graced us. I really don't have enough good things to say about the Autumn season. The change in the weather, the Holiday of Halloween, The vibrant colors of spring slowly beginning to fade. It's magical. Yet, for the longest time, I really can't remember a year where my Halloween celebration wasn't anything more than just working on a short story or novel and passing out candy to a handful of teenagers. To me, Halloween is a pagan tradition that goes far beyond the simple act of handing out treats. It reverts back to a time where the general belief in magic was far beyond the nihilistic societal norms we have today. It also signifies a time where people had the ability to have a lot more amusement then we do today, as well.
I can't really help the morbid thoughts I've had for so long of attending a macabre masquerade ball or some sort of graveyard seance where I actually dance with ghosts and ghouls.
During Halloween nowadays, the best one can do is go to a club where the music they parlay too is so terrible it makes you want to go back home. It also gives notion to hooligans who use this sacred holiday as an excuse to become severely inebriated and obnoxious, like they cannot achieve such a thing on any other day?
Halloween most assuredly reinforces my own philosophy that if one wants to have a truly pleasurable experience, one has to provide it for themselves. Their own way and on their own terms.
Even still, I can't wait for it!

Necessity of Routine?

When you really think about it, anyone involved in the creation process professionally probably doesn't have a whole lot of time on their hands. The rewards that succeeding in such a lifestyle can definitely be enticing yet most of those who do just that rarely indulge and the reason, at least to me, is quite obvious. Believe it or not, most of the people who are paid to write, act, etc...live a most routine lifestyle. It usually involves long hours of dedicated development to their craft, research, and the striving for the perfected

finished product whatever it may be. To the hordes of masses looking in on them from the outside it must resemble nothing but fun and play, yet nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the aforementioned professionals regard their passions with the utmost seriousness and all of them come to the realization rather quickly that there truly is no off season with the creative world. So, no matter how mundane a routine lifestyle may seem to most people, to those involved with the creation process, it is most necessary indeed!