Ghost and other horror stories (with gratuitous Halloween pics)
It’s finally October! ‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice, hoodies and cozy blankets1, chilly mornings2, horror stories, and scaring the crap out of neighborhood children before giving them free candy. This year we’re busy unpacking, but by the time next Halloween3 rolls around, kids in this neighborhood are going to wet their pants even thinking about coming to our door. Don’t believe me? This is what we did to our yard the last time we lived in a neighborhood that contained children:
At night we added an orange flickering light to the wood under the fake leg for that realistic roasting-human-flesh look. I’m pretty sure the 6-year-old across the street–who’s now in college–is probably still in therapy for what we exposed him to.
Anyway. As you might have guessed from the header image, this post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop. On the first Wednesday of every month, we IWSG-ers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre. Stop by and leave them some comment love.
Each month our fearless leader (Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh) gives us an optional question to answer. This month’s question: Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What’s your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.
My favorite classic ghost story
I love ghost stories, yet I haven’t read very many recently, so I’m looking forward to seeing which ones other IWSG-ers recommend. My all-time favorite is probably A Christmas Carol, which isn’t all that scary (except for the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come – that dude is creep-tacular), but I love it anyway. I’m a sucker for a good redemption arc. Also, I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley, where Christmas coincided with tule fog season, so creepy, foggy nights make me feel all nostalgic. Nothing gets you in the holiday mood quite like zero visibility.
I like the creepier side of Christmas (OK, I like the creepier side of, well, everything), which brings us to:
My horror stories
I don’t think I’ve done much shameless self-promotion lately, so let’s do some! If you’ve been hanging around my disturbing little corner of the interwebs for very long, you probably know I’ve written a couple of Christmas horror stories:
Woe is Me, Poor Child, for Thee
One foggy Christmas Eve, an ex-con mall Santa seeks camaraderie in a California Delta watering hole—and learns that the spirits of the season don’t always rest easy. Published in The Colour Out of Deathlehem: An Anthology of Holiday Horrors for Charity.
The Fine Print
In the year since his daughter died on Christmas morning, Josh Fogarty has barely held himself together. As Josh weeps at her grave on Christmas Eve, a stranger offers him a sympathetic ear–and a tantalizing deal. Published in ‘Twas the Fright Before Christmas in Deathlehem: An Anthology of Holiday Horrors for Charity.
I’ve been thinking about writing a version of A Christmas Carol set in the present–and much darker than the original. Someday…
If you like your horror without a side of Christmas cheer, check out:
Open House
When very pregnant Kim Idlewood attends an open house with her husband in an expensive Portland suburb, she hates the place. The décor is hideous, the kitchen hasn’t been remodeled since the Iran-Contra scandal, and the Idlewoods can’t afford the house anyway. But Kim’s husband loves it–a little too much. Produced as a full cast audio drama for the Storyteller Series podcast and also available free in print.
I’ve written some non-horror stories too. Check out all my writing here.
Life stuff
Speaking of horror, I attended my 40th high school reunion on Saturday. It wasn’t actually horrible–it was a blast–but a high school reunion would make an excellent setting for a horror story. I’ll add that to my very long to-write list.
Here’s me with my good friend Carolyn. We’ve been friends since middle school.
Not too bad for a couple of old farts.
How my writing is going
It’s… going. I haven’t gotten back into a consistent daily writing routine, but I’ve been editing Delta Dawn at least a couple of times a week. Slow progress is better than no progress.
The memery
First up – a meme in keeping with the topic of this post:
If I had a Roomba, I would totally do something like this, only I’d probably turn it into Jason or Michael Myers.
Yep. I’m also excited by the perfect sleep shirt (thin, extra soft, preferably with Def Leppard on it) and well-designed garden tools. I am the crypt-keeper.
I may be old, but I’ll never be “I eat cauliflower waffles” old.
That’s it for me this month. May your sheets be clean, your waffles cauliflower-free, and your horror purely fictional.
- Not valid in California or Arizona.
- Not valid in California or Arizona.
- Instead of “Halloween,” I accidentally typed “Halloweek,” and I now hereby declare Halloweek to be A Thing, because one night is Not Enough.
19 Comments
alexjcavanaugh
Brave soul. I skipped my forty year reunion.
A Christmas Carol is a popular choice today.
And I dig your decorations. Send all the kids into therapy!
Janet Alcorn
I like to consider my Halloween decorations as a jobs program for therapists 🙂
Jennifer Lane
Thanks for the extra clientele! 😀
joylenebutler
I loved A Christmas Carol. Many many years ago, (90s)I found several copies from an old school in Montreal dating back to the late 1800s. I bought them all and handed them out as gifts at Christmas and birthdays. Every single recipient was thrilled, which thrilled me. Great books are a treasure. Happy IWSG day, Janet!
Janet Alcorn
What a wonderful gift! Happy IWSG Day!
Jacqui Murray
You are one of those people I love visiting during the holiday. It’s the only way I get into the spookiness. A ghostly rhumba–that’s a keeper.
Janet Alcorn
I used to have more holiday spirit than I do now, probably because I used to have more energy than I do now. Now I need an audience as a motivator. I hope we’ll get a lot of trick or treaters here, because if we do, there’s my motivation.
Joanne
I am pretty sure your house is one that I would have skipped every year… I hated being scared which pretty much went hand in hand with hating Halloween. However I was a kid and loved free candy so I had to brave it or else go without…
Janet Alcorn
I was a wimp as a kid, but I have fond memories of standing on the sidewalk with friends as we worked up the nerve to approach the terrifying house. So much fun!
Barbara A Mealer
Always good to read your posts. Miss you. Halloween is a fun time in the city. Love the decorations and I’ve missed the memes. Have fun in your new place and GET BACK TO WRITING. I want to read those completed books.
Janet Alcorn
I miss you too! I saw that the critique group is restarting. I’m thinking about rejoining if meetings are online. I need some accountability to keep me making progress.
DAMYANTI BISWAS
Cauliflower waffles do sound like a strange concoction. And wow, you really go all out for your spooky decorations! I would probably run away screaming if I came across them on a Halloween night 🤣 The faux fire was a stroke of evil genius.
Janet Alcorn
LOL – my husband was the evil genius behind that. Our new place is laid out really well for spookiness, so we’ll have fun with it.
Thanks for stopping by!
Shannon Lawrence
What a relief to find an entry that isn’t just saying they hate scary stories! I’m glad you have fun with the holiday.
Janet Alcorn
Oh, dear, is that what I have to look forward to with the other posts?! I *love* a good scare. I read horror for kids when I was in late elementary/middle school, then discovered Stephen King in high school. That man is responsible for a lot of lost sleep my senior year 🙂
Esther O'Neill
Hi Janet,
Strange aberration, it’s not raining today.
Most of my DNA matches are in the states, including the legendary Californian cousins .Or Australia.
Anyone trying to serve me cauliflower with anything might soon become a ghost.
Halloween childhood, long before the re-export. Two Irish grans, one Irish grandad and one mostly Irish liked to see things done properly, but not from any shop ( see above,)
Warned that my last house was haunted, would I have bought it anyway ? Definitely. On my own, , no such things as ghosts, no need for vendors or agents to declare them, but the price should have been a warning.
Unforgettable. In the end, I had to write the book . Out sooon, not famous, so can’t afford to wait till December 19th. .
Esther
Janet Alcorn
I’m usually a skeptic, but I’m convinced my house in Portland was haunted. We saw and heard some weird things in that place.
Jennifer Lane
Wow, you go ALL IN for Halloween! Very disturbing, hehe. Did you just move? Very stressful. Good luck with the unpacking, and I hope you’re settled soon.
Beth Camp
Wow! Your IWSG post and photos made me laugh out loud . . . several times!!!! Thank you. We used to have a roomba, but it died. Now, I’ll never think of it without missing my chance to ‘decorate’ for Halloween. We’re retired and live now in an apartment complex, but no children visited last year. Maybe because one year I greeted them with a witch cackle that scared them . . . . well, there was candy. I’ve subscribed. Keep writing. Every day takes us closer to our writing goals! And happy Halloween!