Reflections of Suicide

In this post I must confront an issue that affects everyone sometime or another, the subject of Suicide. Whenever I see that such a thing has taken place, I do my best not to judge those involved. For you never know what extreme measures pushed them to commit such an act. In my journey in life, I've noticed that most human beings have a fragile breaking point. Too much stress or trauma usually puts them over the edge and stress and trauma is usually the stuff life is made of, for most people. I cannot deny that I, myself, have even contemplated it when enduring severe bouts of depression. But, I'm pretty sure I never would. I mean, what if you somehow  forget to do it correctly and all you do is maim yourself? Then you definitely have not improved your situation. Difficult as it is, one must consider such things. When life gets at it's lowest, I remember an age-old adage that always seems to get me through it: The Show Must Go On.

Starting yet another story!

Again, the Horror Gods have beckoned me and, as usual, I have heeded their unholy call. It was only two months ago when I finished my 28th short story 'Nemesis'. Usually when I have idle time, my restless mind can think of nothing else but to produce macabre tales fit only for the deranged. Again, my ease has been commanded to write the bidding of the dark. This next story, titled 'Innocence Corrupted', is going to be interesting. Rarely do I get such a clear idea of how the story is going to pan out. Hopefully, that adds to the flair and gives my public exactly what they crave!

When does it end?

The first post I wrote on this blog stated that I was in a life-or-death struggle with obscurity. While I have taken many steps in making my dream a reality, the fact remains that the struggle is just as real today as it was back then. The questions I keep asking myself are when does it all change? When does the obscurity become a less-than-pleasant memory? And what do you do when nothing seems to work out the way you want it to? To this day I still cannot answer them. But, maybe the the real answer lies more with action. Maybe if I continue with my dreams, whether right or wrong, maybe, just maybe, they will materialize. You never really know in life. And while it would be sad if I continued doing every effort I could only to never reach my full potential, it would be ten times worse if I quit and my goal was inches from becoming fulfilled.

New article

Recently I completed my 18th article and while it was not based on material that I usually write about, I am very pleased with it none the less. Lately, I have been writing about travel destinations for the sake of travel, not to see any paranormal sites. In a brighter light, its a way I can expand on my field. Traveling is one of my favorite past-times and I enjoy doing as much as I can. The fact that I can write articles about the places I visit is a privilege to say the least.

Grants?

Every up and coming author has probably had to deal with the subject of trying to get free funds to use to establish themselves. Getting such funds, also known as grants, can be somewhat of a challenge as I am figuring out for myself. All I can say is, just like everything else in my life, I will persevere. Sincerely, I truly want to promote literature with my material, wicked as it may be. And literacy as a whole. I believe it is truly sad how low the academic standards in my homeland of America have dropped since I was a child. I believe  if I can achieve what I want to, I can at least cease this trend and promote horror at the same time. Two birds with one stone, if you will!

Excerpt from 'Nemesis'

The following is an excerpt from my most recently completed short story 'Nemesis' I do hope you enjoy.

'A need was deep within him. A need that festered itself to those who have tasted the world's malice. From the time of his earliest youth, he felt himself mistreated, misjudged, and tormented by others. Although his outward appearances did not indicate his affliction, in his mind there was always the desire to have the world experience the cruelty it had bestowed upon him. Conventional means did little to assist him, for he had not the strength to fulfill his darkened wishes. But still, there was the belief. The belief that somewhere, out in the grand abyss, someone, or something, could.'

28th short story finally complete!

Finally, I have done it. I finished my 28th short story 'Nemesis' yesterday. Even though I went through all the positive motions after finishing it, I couldn't deny the fact that there were some strange coincidences. This story, along with the last five that I have done, took roughly about six months to complete. It was also very similar in length to the last five as well. Believe it or not, I do not plan for things to turn out the way that they do. I can't believe how many difficulties I had while completing this story, and just like the others, I wanted to quit several times. This story literally assumed a life of it's own while I was writing it. Before putting it together, I had no direction with it. So, to say that I'm amazed it was as good as it is, is definitely an understatement!