So glad to see that, despite the chaos, art and the written word remain a strong priority on #bluesky. We're doing a good job, folks. Don't stop.

It's been a long time since I've managed to be productive in adding net new words to my novel. And it bothers me that that's the case, but I know I'm not alone. How do you deal with dry spells?

My favorite is anything involving bodies of water. Killer shark? Check. Haunted lake? Right on. Hikers boiled in a hot spring? I'm there. I think I rely too heavily on the "maybe it's ghosts, or maybe he's just insane" trope. Just make up your mind! 😜 #horrorwriterschat

Matt Mason - One Chaotic Author@chaoticauthor.online · last yr.

#HorrorWritersChat question 2: What's your favourite horror trope to write? The one you rely on the most? Quote post, and don't forget to include the hashtag!

Huge thanks to @taggartrehnnauthor.bsky.social . Please follow all these great folks (including me, why not? 😄) and Taggart while you're at it.

Taggart Rehnn 🇨🇦🍁@taggartrehnnauthor.bsky.social · last yr.

#WritingCommunity How about following these creatives? @matthewstott.bsky.social @angelwriter.bsky.social @barebonesbooks.bsky.social @dwarven-king-sh.bsky.social @frazerlee.bsky.social @themollymelancholy.bsky.social @author-dirkbannion.bsky.social @brandedgreg.bsky.social @jonbassoff.bsky.social

I'm consistently inconsistent, and I know I need to change. So help me out: What's your writing routine? Do you have one? Does it make a difference? #WriteLife #WriterLife

“She rose until he could see her slender neck and narrow shoulders. The same yellow sweater she’d been wearing that night more than a month ago. ‘Hello, dear,’ the man said, voice quavering and quiet. ‘I���ve missed you.’” buff.ly/4jWNwGy #HorrorFiction #HorrorNovel #WritingCommunity

Here's a new/old flash fiction piece. I actually wrote it two years ago and unearthed it while hunting through my eternal Google Drive. I was pleasantly surprised. Check it out. #Authors #Writing #WritingCommunity #WriteLife #WriterLife #Indie #SelfPub #TradPub #AmDrafting #AmEditing

“The light froze, and the meat spoke. ‘This is three-zero-nine. I need an ambulance to Rockford Beach—possible drowning.’ The creature had heard similar sounds before, just before feeding, but usually they were inarticulate screams.” buff.ly/4jWNwGy #HorrorWriters #HorrorNovel

As a civilization, we've somehow all agreed that Bonnie Tyler's performance in Total Eclipse of the Heart isn't the result of a serious break with reality, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

“Sal took a few steps toward the girl. He bent at the waist and asked the girl if she was okay. Then he cried out. His body crumpled and tumbled into the girl and over the side of the pier with her, and into the water.” Wanna beta? https://buff.ly/4jWNwGy #HorrorFiction #HorrorStory #BetaReaders

“Julio’s boot connected with one of the eyes, which sunk deep. The thing shuddered and froze, then doubled its efforts. Keeping half its legs beneath it, anchoring it to the sand, it whipped another tentacle around Julio’s throat.” Beta? https://buff.ly/4jWNwGy #HorrorStory #WritingCommunity

❓ Hey authors! A question: Step back from your current WIP (or don't, I'm not your mom) and show me the silliest, most comedic snippet you've written. Google Doc links might be best. I'll start:

“The man was no longer there. Instead, a pale, pulsing mass of flesh lurched toward him, with skin that seemed perpetually out of focus--a bulbous mound on a roiling pile of snakelike legs and two huge, alien eyes. In an instant, it was upon him.” Beta? https://buff.ly/4jWNwGy

“The man knelt in the surf, unmoving. ‘Sir? The beach is closed.’ Julio said. ‘I’m going to need you to vacate the premises, sir.’ The man didn’t say anything, or even turn to acknowledge he’d heard. And he didn’t move.” Beta? https://buff.ly/4jWNwGy #HorrorBooks

I just noticed how many times my short stories include "An elderly man in a porkpie hat". I'm running through a bunch of them and I've decided it should be a drinking game. What a weird thing to turn into an idiosyncrasy. I've never even seen an elderly man in a porkpie hat, far as I can remember.

“It didn’t fully grasp the concept of tides, but the creature instinctively tended toward shore when the tide was ebbing and the surf was calmest. It didn’t relish dry land… but that's where warm meat was most plentiful.” Beta? https://buff.ly/4jWNwGy #HorrorCommunity #BetaReaders #AmWriting

“He saw Alice standing in the tide with her back to him, her pink swimsuit bright against the deep blue-green of the waves. She was pointing out over the water and shaking her head. ‘Where’s Dani?’ Cheri called. Beta? https://buff.ly/4jWNwGy #HorrorStory #HorrorBooks #BetaReading

He reached out and touched her shoulder, and the woman’s pale flesh clouded with the color of a deep bruise. The shoulder lost its shape and squirmed out of his grip... He cried out before it yanked him into the water.” https://buff.ly/4jWNwGy #HorrorBooks #HorrorCommunity #BetaReadersWanted

The sheer volume of AI bots and insanely pushy "pay me to hype your book" folks blowing up my DMs is just really annoying, and kind of sad. I like being here, but not for that.

“He knew a body could be in a horrible condition after just a few hours in the water, but her flesh hadn’t paled or bloated; she didn’t look like she’d drowned. Still, something about the body looked wrong to him. The limbs were too... soft.” https://buff.ly/3CKI8pv #HorrorNovel #AmWriting

A story of royal revenge. This is a #flashfiction story you can digest in four minutes. Enjoy! Wolf’s Paw and Pond Thistle dirkbannionbooks.com/wolfs-paw-an...

Wolf's Paw and Pond Thistle - Dirk Bannion

I HANDED QUEEN CYNDRA her goblet and stepped back, my eyes demurely downcast. She didn’t spare me a glance and never had.     As assistant to the apprentice cupbearer, I was invisible in a royal court...

dirkbannionbooks.com

Something a little different for the Christmas season. Pass it along #blueskyauthors. #authors #readers #comedy #historicalfiction #biblical #Jewish Oily Josh and the Greasy Bois Find Religion dirkbannionbooks.com/oily-josh-an...

Oily Josh and the Greasy Bois Find Religion - Dirk Bannion

“YO, OILY JOSH!”   “Sup?”   “This dude says he needs his hand fixed. He’s, like, a carpenter or sumthin.”   “Yeah? I did some carpenterin’ in my day. Send him in.”   A young man in a dirty robe hobble...

dirkbannionbooks.com

So, how much of YOU ends up in your MCs? #authors #writers #novelists

This #flashfiction piece gives me Twilight Zone vibes. Me, My Wax Figure, and the End of the World dirkbannionbooks.com/me-my-wax-fi...

Me, My Wax Figure, and the End of the World - Dirk Bannion

(knock knock)    It was maddening. And, at the same time, oddly comforting.     (knock knock)    Every 25 seconds like clockwork, she rapped softly on the trap door above me. Never louder or quieter, ...

dirkbannionbooks.com

Here's Chapter 2 of my WIP. I'd love your opinions #booksky 😱 New Excerpt from Mimic (working title only) dirkbannionbooks.com/new-excerpt-...

New Excerpt from Mimic (working title only) - Dirk Bannion

If you enjoyed the opening chapter of my upcoming horror novel, maybe you’d like to continue the adventure. Here’s the next chapter: Chapter 2 Sully Rockwell heaved his considerable bulk out of his si...

dirkbannionbooks.com

#flashfiction “Do it again, Otis!” Otis adjusted the helmet on his head and squared off with the barn. With another flying leap, he rammed his head into the clapboard wall and collapsed to his knees. dirkbannionbooks.com/do-it-again-...

Do It Again, Otis - Dirk Bannion

dirkbannionbooks.com

Hot and fresh #flashfiction in the bag. This one's creepy. I'd love your thoughts on it. Fire Sale dirkbannionbooks.com/fire-sale/ #horror #horrorstories #horrorwriters

Fire Sale - Dirk Bannion

“Everything’s half off,” an old woman growls from the porch.   Krystal offers a quick smile that turns to a grimace as she turns back to her son. The woman gives her the creeps–an unfiltered cigarette...

dirkbannionbooks.com

Is it just me or are there a hell of a lot of people that jump into your DMs instantly upon following? Maybe I'm not up to date on social media etiquette, but that turns me off in an instant.

Hey Bluesky #WritingCommunity, I've already shared Chapter 1 of my soon to be finished horror novel, and now, here's Chapter 2.📚😱 New Excerpt from Mimic (working title only) dirkbannionbooks.com/new-excerpt-... #horrorlit, #horrorbook, #horrorwriter, #hwa, #horrorwriting, #horrorwrite,

New Excerpt from Mimic (working title only) - Dirk Bannion

If you enjoyed the opening chapter of my upcoming horror novel, maybe you’d like to continue the adventure. Here’s the next chapter: Chapter 2 Sully Rockwell heaved his considerable bulk out of his si...

dirkbannionbooks.com

Hi folks. There is a fake account on here pretending to be me - cjttudor@bsky.social. Looks just like my account but there's an extra 't' in the name. I've reported it. Just double check who you're following! Thanks. xx