It's a bit late, but here is the most popular story on the site from the last 30 days. 

​As a couple argues, an intruder finds a way into their home. Soon enough, money is that last thing on their minds.

The following piece of flash fiction is one I was never sure what to do with. It's more of a vignette than a traditional narrative. However, it is still one I keep around and enjoy for some strange reason. Perhaps, you will too. Revisit the original post here, or continue below to read "The Dent" in it's entirety. It also happens to be the most popular story on the site within the last 30 days. 

It's been awhile since I've started a series in the Forbidden Blog, but as I travel along a seemingly endless path of life, I can't help but notice all the little things that keep a writer from writing. It's as though I personally need to jot down a handful of them, if for nothing else, as reminders for future Chris.

From my teenage years to my early twenties, I always felt as though nothing in the entire world could stop me from scribbling down a tale. Oh, how I was wrong! Once college concluded and it was back to an often bleak real world, obstacles positioned themselves around every turn that led to completing a story.

What you'll find below is just my personal observations and opinions. While some triumphs and hardships are universal amongst all human beings, not everyone's life is the same. Some writers have different enemies distracting them from their work; some have the same but with a different flavor. Perhaps, you'll relate to the entries on this list on some level. Perhaps, you'll want to suggest another enemy of writing in the comments. Perhaps you'll think I'm full of shit. Either way, I hope you enjoy the following 10 Enemies of Writing, starting today with the first five.

Enjoy a trip back to the summer of 2012, when I tried to make it on my own in New York City. While I ultimately headed back home to Indiana, my time spent in the Big Apple wasn't all for naught. Nerves wrecked, I found myself lost in Harlem, and what ensued that particular night inspired a tale from No-Injury Policy called "Last Stop."  Continue reading below or check out the original. 

Check out the most popular story on the site from the last 30 days. 

"All Things Beautiful" is one of my personal favorites from my short story collection No-Injury Policy. It's a tale about a young boy who is locked in his bedroom while his family disappears. Keep reading below for an excerpt of the the story, or read the original here. 

"Under the Blade" is a story I wrote back during my time at Ball State University about a father who will do anything to save his daughter. As a flash fiction piece, the tale is short and to the point. Consider it more of a series of vignettes than the longer sort of narrative you would expect from a novel or conventional short story. 

The story has appeared in Down in the Dirt, as well as in the anthology Echo. It was also selected by the editors of Down in the Dirt to be feature in the anthology Ink in My Blood. 

Read the story as a regular web page or in the blog format. Either way, I hope you enjoy! And many thanks for reading. 

Back in August of 2018, I compiled a list of elements I felt made for a good horror story. Since then, it has become the most-read blog post on my website, a featured answer on query websites, and it has been linked in numerous discussions about horror around the web. 

Without further ado, I believe a good horror story is broken down into fear, surprise, suspense, mystery, and spoiler.

​This is how:

Originally Published By Negative Suck, 2011.

At the end of April last year, I released an experimental prose for the first time on this website called "Reassurance, or the Evolution of a Pessimist."

​The story was first published in the Nov. 2011 edition of Negative Suck, but since then I have regained the right to share it freely. So, be sure to check it out, if you haven't already, or take a peek at some of the other stories further below.

No-Injury Policy - Short Story Collection

"Small Grains" - Flash Fiction

Library - All Of My Works

If you keep tabs on my blog for some strange (and very likely unhealthy) reason, you might have noticed I skipped a beat between January and March. Life's been a bit busy lately as I've searched for additional writing opportunities. In this entry, I'll provide a quick update regard my writing, including the re-release of my debut horror novel Excluded, as well as shed some light on what I've been up to. ​

I don't know about you, but winter is a strange time of the year for me. While it's happening, everything seems rather bleak - the usual gloom & doom. It's dark when I wake up. It's dark when I get home. It's almost always cold. And under the stress of the holidays, human beings can sometimes show their worst sides. 

But in retrospect, there are always memories. Stories. The holidays bring people together. And perhaps the dreariness of winter inspires. Although winter can sometimes drag me into a black hole, it also tends to bring some interesting thoughts and stories out. Here are 5 examples from past December blog entries. I hope you enjoy at least one. 

Creative types have not only battled with stalemates such as writer's block, they have also often gone to war with the likes of depression and anxiety--Hunter S. Thompson and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to name a couple. 

While on paper this sounds like a terrible thing, often a good wallop or depression--or even boredom--can be all the creative mind needs. Read 8 ways to make the most of your blues & creativity.

Don't worry, this isn't a sappy article about depression; instead, it's 6  ideas I've put together to help get through the hellish months of winter.

Back in 2012, I wrote a horror story called "Charlatan" for Somewhere in the Shadows. In this post, I have the tremendous honor of sitting down with the mastermind behind the anthology.

​A story about a zombie craze that sweeps over the nation, and the one man who can't stand it anymore.

Ever since Christmas became synonymous with commercialism, people have caused nightmares in their attempts to increase sales with ill-conceived gimmicks. 

And I'm here to point them out. 

The Holiday Season is intended to be a time of pure joy and a perpetual act of kindness onto others, but there is the big business side misleading desperate businesspersons to the dark depths of December disasters. ​

In the previously entries, I discussed participating inNaNoWriMo for the first time in five years. I'm working on a fresh draft of Ashland's Asylum, beginning with the story "Lovefall," a tale about a man who believes he can foresee death moments before it happens. What's more interesting than his alleged gift is what he decides to do with it. 

Before, I focused more on the actual word count. This time, I am going to reflect on the actual mood & mindset of the writing.

It's been a couple or five years since the last time I participated in NaNoWriMo, but this year I'm giving it another shot. I don't see why not. In fact, in 2011 I managed to crank out nearly 72k words.

This time I am going to work on a fresh draft of Ashland's Asylum. My medium will once again be 750 words. ​

Here is my goal: Write a brand-new 70k-word draft of Ashland's Asylum by Dec. 01, 2016.  See how my first day went.

from Somewhere in the Shadows 

As you might have expected, this year I am again participating in NaNoWriMo.

​For those of you who might be new to NaNoWriMo, it's shorthand for National Novel Writing Month. In the month of November, writers all around the world drop all other lesser priorities to clack at the keyboard, hoping to knock out 50,000 words over the course of 30 days. You can follow my progress in this blog as well as on the NaNoWriMo website. 

The first day of NaNoWriMo is generally pretty tough for me. Despite having piles of drafts and outlines, I tend to prefer writing on the fly and from memory during NaNoWriMo.

​And that is why my numbers on the first day tend to be a little lower. However, there is still some more time tonight, so hopefully I can reach 1,667 words.

​In case you haven't read the previous posts, I aim to write 1,667 words per day with a 750-word minimum. 2,000 words a day, and my entire worldview changes.  Right now my word count is a little shy of 950 words. 

Just like last year, I will be using a program called 750words to calculate my word count, as well as some other insightful metrics. For instance, 750words can keep track of the general mood of your writing, commonly used words, the weather, etc. (Although the weather part was a little screwy today -- it was definitely nowhere near 90 degrees in Indiana today.) 

One thing I noticed was a steep change in overall rating this year from last. 

Either I've gone soft, or the rating thing is likely to change over a period of time. It took awhile to reach that NC-17 scene, and it's not for the reasons you'd think. 

These particular ratings are for "Strike" from Ashland's Asylum, which I'll dive into more next time. Until then, feel free to let me know about your NaNoWriMo journey in the comments. Or, check out where Ashland's Asylum begins in my short story collection No-Injury Policy. 

​Thanks for reading!

While young children masquerading as demons and Power Rangers clutter around your doorstep this Halloween and you fill their buckets with candy, you may presume you are going about a tradition - trick o' treating - that has been around for centuries. But you would presume wrong. 

The term "trick or treat" was first recorded a few years before the 1930s. In the 1930s, there were no real rules regarding what kind of treat you should provide your cloaked visitors. In fact, candy was sometimes they very least of expectations. Sometime around the 1950s, though, Big Candy saw Halloween as a its golden ticket and pummeled audiences with trick-or-treat-based advertising while flooding stores with Halloween-themed candies. 

Handing out candy had the appeal of simplicity. There was no more guesswork behind deciding which treats would be best for the holiday. You could just buy a bag of sugary treats and be done with it. 

Due to mass production of candy, though, some less than desirable ingredients sneak their way into Halloween candy. While past lists about the Worst Things Found in Halloween candy mostly focus on more obvious malicious behavior, this years list will mostly focus on sneaky little ingredients that are a bit more scary than you'd think. 

Recently, a member of Chamber of Horrors NY reached out after reading 5 Elements of a Good Horror Story and felt the following infographic might be something of interest to all of you. Whereas 5 Elements tried to focus on horror as a whole, their post What Makes a Movie Scary, as you'd imagine, explores what horror elements and tropes make you cringe when you see them on the silverscreen. 

When asked "what is Chamber of Horrors NY", they answered, "The Chamber is Long Island’s Premier Haunted Attraction. A dark collection of mazes and rooms, it combines lights and sound with a cast unequaled in imagination and talent, not to mention bloodlust. Owned, built and staffed by industry veterans, we can proudly say that we are 'Where fear lives…'" 

I absolutely enjoy haunted attractions, but at first I was a little unsure why this one wrote an article on the scariest elements of a good horror movie. However, after checking out the infographic below and reading the coinciding post - as well as a handful of others - I started to think about the presentation of any good haunted attraction. It wasn't all about dark pathways and ghouls popping out from the shadows, sometimes it was about the little details such as building suspense and drawing of your fears. 

If you liked what you saw in the infographic, be sure to read more on their site 

Check out my short story "No-injury Policy " from the collection of the same name in time in time for Friday the 13th.

Time runs out on 10.14.17. 

The small town town of Stull, Kansas doesn't see too many residents over the years, but there is one in particular they wish would just go away. A 1974 issue of  University Daily Kansan first "reported" Lucifer appears twice a year: Halloween and the spring equinox. This story leads to the investigation of a nearby cemetery, which supposedly holds one of the seven gateways to hell. 

​Story goes the Evangelical Emmanuel Church was possessed by Lucifer himself even when it became nothing more that rubble. Some said rain could never penetrate the church, even when its roof was torn off during a fierce thunderstorm. 
​
And just further out from the church  are said to be a set of steps you must never enter at risk of never returning. These steps lead you through the gateway of hell. 

Although the story behind the gateway to hell was debunked and determined to be nothing more than the creative brilliance of some college students, visitors still flock to Stull, especially around Halloween, in hopes of crossing paths with the paranormal.

The visits over the years have left behind footprints on the entire town, unfortunately, and many parts of the cemetery were often vandalized, or tombstones were stolen. There was once an old tree the town allegedly removed to deter tourist. Many other attractions were also removed to keep people from hurting themselves and the cemetery. While the some of the Stull locals may advise you to stay away from the town altogether -- it's a not a tourist stop -- just remember if you're going ghost hunting on someone else's turf, don't be a dick. 

In the spirit of Halloween and all things spooky during the month of October, I am  (probably) going to start a series about strange conspiracy theories and legends that exist 'til this day. By large, these tales will be centered around Halloween, but it's a bit too early in the month to jump right into those sorts of ghosts and goblins. Instead, let's start by taking a look into the tale of a phantom cat who is said to roam around the government buildings of Washington, DC. 

Every other fall or so, I like to write about the Worst Things Found in Halloween Candy. However, this year I want to do something a little different and address the myths surrounding Halloween candy. I might run this into a sequel. I might not. Who knows?

For now, though, I'm going to address a handful of true and untrue Halloween candy myths, focusing on things that can poison you, get you high, and cut you. 

Following my post in 2012, I wanted to construct a new list of the Worst Things Found in Halloween Candy for 2015, starting off with a real bang! That turns out to be a pun. 

Recently Neil Gaiman, most famous for his book & animated film Coraline, explored the importance of reading. His focus was how we estimated the number of prison and jail cells we will need in the future. He concluded that the formula was quite simple: figure out how many 11-year-olds were illiterate. ​

The original check-your-candy list for Halloween. In honor of the month of horror, I want to dive into one of the most important rules of Halloween with a top ten list. That is, always remember to check your treats. Here are some of the most horrifying objects found in food

Horrific situations in real-life are certainly anything but enjoyable. However, an augmented version of a terrifying situation -- a horror movie, a haunted house, a skydive -- can be rather delightful.

But while some people enjoy a good scare, many don't and will go out of their way to avoid goosebumps. I can only imagine those who do not enjoy scaring themselves have a difficult time fathoming why on Earth anyone else would want to do such a thing. To tackle the subject, I covered the cons of loving a good scare in a previous blog post. This time, I'll focus on some of the pros. I'm not sure this will solve anything, but maybe it's worth taking a look at. 

Let's face it, some of us aren't as  geographically savvy as others. When we're totally lost, we're scared shitless for a moment. That's me in New York last summer. And the following is what both provided inspiration for a story and the fearful turn it needed. ​

YOU AND THAT ANNOYING QUESTION

Lately, I've been taking another crack at Excluded before it re-releases (hopefully) by the end of this year. By another crack I mean editing and redrafting a bit, by which I mean a chore I try to put off a little more often than I'd care to admit.

​Sometimes my excuses are quite wild; sometimes I blame another book. 

That's the case with this blog. Don't consider it so much as a form procrastination as much as a productive way to step aside from Excluded and look at some of the other horror elements I've come up with since the novel.

In this case, I reviewed some drafts of Ashland's Asylum as well as an older post called 6 Insane Cures for Insanity.

Although I'm reviewing some of the treatments from the previous post, to see what makes for an intense scene or two in the book, I can't help but continue diving into the other bizarre methods doctors once used to "rid" their patients of various psychological ailments. As always, feel free to let me know if one of these treatments deserves to be in the novel. 

Rare and fascinating to many, solar eclipses have a way to get people talking. Today, countless news articles encourage us to step outside and watch the eclipse (while wearing protective eye wear, of course). Back in ancient times, solar eclipses either brought discovery or fear.  Below you will find a mix of discoveries & myths birthed during solar eclipses. 

For me, I love the idea of being scared. But for others, being terrified voluntarily sounds just plain stupid. So, why is that? 

Like anything else you need to do, distractions can cause you to lose your time to write. The worst part is writers now favor a word processor on their computers over writing by hand, which poses a dreadful dilemma: Should I check my email and Facebook first?

I believe a good horror story is broken down into fear, surprise, suspense, mystery, and "spoiler."

THE LAST SHOT FOR CHANCE BLACK TO SAVE HIS FAMILY . . . 

Chance Black, while not the writer he hoped to be, was a pretty damn good photographer. With his skills, Chance turned a dollar or two--enough for him, his wife, and his son to get by. One day, a comparatively sizable paycheck came along. An opportunity arose to photograph an event for the Long Brooke Sync, a local tabloid publication, but Chance had no idea what would come along with the cash.

​By coincidence, one of his photographs captured suspicious behavior in the background, and unfortunately for Chance, the man committing the act figured it out first. In order to take the photograph back from Chance, the man in the photo decided he needed some major collateral. 

What's better: Writing every day or writing only when inspiration strikes?
Provide your answer below and then find out which response might be best for you.