Since I do not have a progress report for you this week (spending the majority of my time crying in front of the first half of my manuscript as I reconstruct the entire thing while severely under-caffeinated), I figured I would do something appropriately festive for you guys, because the spooky season fills me with glee.
I got this tag from Caroline Huball’s Blog, so be sure to check it out if you would like to do it on your own.
1. Are you a scaredy cat or a horror aficionado?
Eh, that’s a complicated question. In terms of narrative fiction, I would enjoy it quite a lot (see further for caveat). But in movies and other media, I am not a fan of slasher and excessive gore, unless it’s done to a point where it is comical (i.e. The Thing, omfg I pulled a hernia laughing so hard at the abdomen teeth). Which is ironic, if you consider how violent my writing is. I’m not a fan of jumpscares either, I consider it a cheap tactic and I get real punchy when startled.
I’m also highly suspect of a lot of horror tropes, much of the mainstream horror media tends to write nonwhite nonmale characters like props rather than participants, and it just isn’t appealing to me.
So I guess TL;DR: nah.
2. Would you ever consider writing a horror novel?
I’m kind of in the process of doing that. I have a medieval supernatural thingy in the works, tucked back in the dusty archives of my cloud servers. I’m not certain it could be considered horror, but there are some horrific themes and monsters involved.
3. What is the favorite bookish Halloween costume you’ve ever worn?
I enjoyed putting together this Red Queen costume from various pieces of garments I could find in the myriad of discount stores in my area xD
4. What is the best bookish costume you’ve seen someone else wear?
I….don’t get out much. I am sure I have seen something nifty in the world of the internet (I am a big fan of EPBOT and her fantastic costumery) but it is very difficult for me to recall faces from the few times I leave my hermit hole.
5. What literary villain is your favorite?
Without getting too spoilery, Sky Haussman from Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds is pretty damned terrifying. The character is just so horrifically intelligent and ruthless, blended with that level of smugness that forces you to decide whether you’d rather punch him in the face or flee to the next solar system.
6. Will you be visiting a haunted house this year?
Read answer No. 1 about my punchy tendencies. Out of respect for the employees, No. No I will not.
7. Would you rather go to a Halloween party or go Trick-or-Treating?
I dunno man, trick-or-treating is a lot of work for that sweet, sweet candy haul. It sounds more like a job than anything else. Probably a party, provided it was just a small gathering and I knew everyone that was coming. But I like going out for Halloween, it’s just I never know what to do besides go out to dinner covered in SFX makeup.
8. What’s the best Halloween song?
THAT’S MY JAM RIGHT THERE.
9. What scares you the most about the writing process?
The crippling anxiety connected to my self-doubt and the knowledge that I am going to hate every word I have written previously.
10. Monster mash – if you had to say your antagonist was a mix of two traditional monsters what would those be?
Not sure who to pick for an antagonist since there are multiple. I guess Cordelia, who would probably be a siren and a scifi body snatcher.
11. Would your MC be more scared of being left alone in a dark forest or an abandoned castle?
Nara would enjoy both immensely, though immediately question when people would come over to bother her.
Garrett would probably hate the forest, for he is very aware of how squishy he is. He would have the time of his life in the castle, scrubbing over every detail looking for artistic value.
12. Does anyone in your WIP believe in ghosts?
Matteus has a bit of a supernatural streak in him, and he has the capability to communicate with transdimensional entities. Whether or not they are ghosts, is a matter of interpretation.
13. Which character would last the longest in a scary movie?
That depends on the theme of the movie. Nara is capable of keeping her cool the longest, but when she can’t depend on her fists, she has a tendency to freeze up.
Of ALL characters in my story, Sentinel would last the longest, but for reasons I cannot reveal just yet.
14. Good witch or a bad witch – do you enjoy torturing the characters in your WIP or do you feel bad about it?
I feel personally attacked by this question.
15. Pick a love interest from your WIP; would they be most likely to scream like a little kid or punch someone in the face if they were scared abruptly?
Nah. No love interests here. Meh.
AAAAAND That’s all the questions. Enjoy your spooky season. Fill you faces with sugary delights, and vomit a rainbow of artificial colors and flavors.
If you are like me and have no plans because adulting sucks, I will be on Twitch Tuesday October 31st at 6PM EST playing Costume Quest and eating takeout. So come hang with me if you like, and we will be spooky hermits together.
https://www.twitch.tv/themetalwarlord
