Labeling fictional works as 'True'.

Many times throughout history, certain authors(I won't be specific on names, they know who they are)have resorted to making claims that the works they have produced are actually based on true events. Considering that almost all of them are relatively unknown prior to the promotion of said works, the subject of motive then becomes a inquisitive notion. Is the writer at hand actually trying to altruistically spread awareness of a certain event, or is by making such fantastic claims, whether accurate or not, the only way for them to achieve any sort of significance? For the most part, I have to rest my opinions on the latter. The most despicable of these sort of would-be literary giants are the ones that knowingly seek out any kind of tragic event and then do their utmost to capitalize on it. That practice alone reveals that without the actions and sufferings of others, their merits are not worthy of mention. I've even seen some of them add ridiculous elements of the supernatural(A subject that, I feel, should be respected)to their claims, again in the hopes that such subject matter will add to the popularity of their dubious creations.
While I, myself, find many of the stories I create to be inspired by People throughout history that actually existed, I would never dream of making any sort of claim that any of my works were 'True Stories'. Sadly, I find that many in the public cannot seem to differentiate between what actually is just that:A fictional tale inspired by certain nonfiction people or places and a story based in total accuracy on a person or event that happened.
The only solace I find from such things is that such authors, if they even do accomplish any sort of fame, can rarely duplicate the magic from their first work and usually disappear as quickly as they came.

Messages of Dreams?

The subject of dreams holds with it subject matter both fascinating and relatively unexplained. In ancient times, they were looked to as a sort of guidance tool forwarding of omens and interpreted to bring forth fortune. In the modern age of science and reason, the meaning of dreams is often written off as nothing particularly meaningful. Only those who have what I like to consider an eccentric belief system would consider them anything else. But, to me, an inquiry persists. Are they just a myriad of images from deep within our subconscious, or is there actual importance of studying what it is that they may be trying to communicate.  If the answer is indeed yes, how are we certain of what message is conveyed, for it could all be complexly layered? When that is pondered, it truly makes me wonder how the shamans and soothsayers of the past learned to decipher them. Who could have taught them what no one could have any knowledge in? How could their interpretations be considered infallible? Perhaps, the only answer that matters is how important such interpretations are to the individual.
One dream that I remember from my youth is being attacked by a large wolf. While the attack occurred, I felt my vocal chords stiffen, so I couldn't scream. My legs deadened, so I couldn't run. And before I was able to awake, I felt every tear of my flesh as if it was actually happening in real life.
Though I've had other strange dreams, that one was the most vivid dream I ever had. If dreams hold within them some sort of subliminal message, I've yet to discover what the meaning was behind that one.

 

Lack of public interest?

I must say, I find it quite contrary when I turn my attention to the most popular films around today and notice that my favorite genre is almost nowhere to be found. Aside from a few direct to video releases, it seems that true horror is hardly produced at all. Such a grotesque fact makes me press even further for a resurgence, if you will. Perhaps one way to spearhead a direct change is to consider the mediums most of the more popular films use. Namely comics, or graphic novels. While walking through a book store a while back, I took immediate notice that the section displaying all of their graphic novels were almost completely absent of horror. This could simply be a sign of the modern times and of the lost interest that horror once commanded, though I pray it is not. And if indeed such a thing is true, maybe the public, weary of the mountain of regurgitated excuses for material, needs something new and darkly refreshing to rekindle such an interest. Something not so easily found in the domains of hack writers who simply aim to please everyone. 
One can only hope.

The Lure of Extremism

Having to sit through a recent film that had themes relating with sadomasochism, I noticed a few things. The theater was virtually packed, mainly with women. A fact that made me think. The subject of extremism in any form, regardless of what those who fancy themselves as experts on the 'Human Condition' believe, causes a great deal of curiosity to most people simply for the fact that they are not presented with such subject matter on a regular basis. In relation to myself, while I was definitely not impressed with the film at all, I completely understand from personal experience how we must go beyond the limits of what is considered socially acceptable for any sort of creation process to be both genuine and mesmerizing. What simply shocked us yesterday won't even make us blink tomorrow. To command the attention of a jaded audience, we must be jaded in the most sincere definition of the word. Without such a condition present in the lives of those who wish to create, it is painfully obvious that anything that is created by them will barely be considered an afterthought. Such realities, as sad as they seem to the rest of the world, are a basic necessity to any horror writer. I doubt I would have it any other way!

 

Frustration?

Anyone with any sort of dream, myself included, must find it terribly frustrating when anything they are struggling to bring to fruition seems to not be working. I don't know how many times I've discussed this subject with fellow writers, both obscure and those who fancy themselves as 'successful'. While I've heard countless explanations as how to counter this discouraging reality, I still don't have any exact measure of prevention. I once heard someone say that success doesn't have a timeline and while that is true, it ever increases the anxiety for those of us who are driven beyond belief. Those of us who know and completely understand that each and every life is allotted a very limited time frame and that one must use all of it productively. So, with that in mind the only adequate solution I can come up with is to persevere, simple as it sounds. With the rigorous demands of everyday life diluting one's focus, I imagine it can be extremely challenging to keep the quality of one's work as pristine as possible through such a niche. While there are no right or wrong ways of doing things for writers especially, I find that obstacle the most rigorous. For myself, Whenever I feel frustration creeping up on me, I just remember why I became a writer in the first place. That usually puts everything into proper perspective.

The Other Side

Randomly, people will ask me where I get my continuous inspiration to stay motivated for writing horror. What I tell them usually leaves them wanting, especially if they have the same level of belief as 99.99% of the rest of humanity. I believe that there is another side of existence. Call it what you want-The spirit world, parallel universes, Heaven or Hell, or simply the other side. Forces that dwell in this crevice, though I make no claims to fully understand them, guide my hand from pen to paper. Why they do is still quite beyond me. Looking back at several of the processes I went through while writing my stories, it truly boggles my mind. The programs on television that would come from seemingly out of nowhere, the morbid places I would go, the music. I couldn't have put together such dark perfection if I tried. With that in mind, gratitude for them is definitely an understatement. For, if they assist me in my creations, then most assuredly they'll assist me with me with my darkened dreams as well.

What is 'Real' success?

Success. The word itself brings to mind visions of tremendous of wealth and prestige. But, honestly, when pertaining to those involved in endeavors such as writing and poetry, what indicates success? After reading about both famed British poet John Keats and obscure American author John Kennedy Toole its plain to see that any sort of recognition they achieved happened post mortem. I hear about authors who ride the coat tails of my chosen genre when in all honesty they are anything but horror and have achieved a tremendous amount of wealth. In truth, I have mixed feelings with the subject, altogether. In my honest opinion, true success is prospering on your own terms and staying who you are genuinely. If you have to bend to the world's terms, I'm sure whatever material you come up with will lack integrity, especially if you write in the horror genre, like I, myself, do. That's a question I often ask myself: Is it worth it to achieve the materialism that so many of us value beyond all other things by being a basic slave to the cares and utterances of others? A reasonable person adjusts himself to the world. A unreasonable person adjusts the world to himself. Therefore, in writing as in everything else in between, the only room for any sort of progress rests solely on the unreasonable person.