Zak Cowell

@reprobvte.bsky.social

WNC➡️Bangor, Maine Horror Author & Published Poet Horror Writers Association Member Author of “Tales From Devil’s Peak” Listen to The “Tragedy of the Laughing Clown” on The No Sleep Podcast S21E12 Multiple stories in Dark Harbor Mag.

What’s the chances that @stephenking.bsky.social would let me use a line for an epigraph for my novel? I know he loves a good epigraph. If he did, I’d use “We lie best when we lie to ourselves” said by Mike Hamlin in “IT”. “IT” is one of my favorite books, and also why I love living in Bangor. 🎈

Basically finished with my novel but I am finding that a lot of publishers will not accept any submissions containing SA. On one hand I am wondering if I need to rewrite and remove that part. On another hand, in a few different ways it’s an integral part of the story. So not really sure what to do..

Looking for some kind folk to read a draft of my novel “Behind the Veil”. Thematically I’d call it a story inspired by House of Usher, Hill House, Rebecca, Ligotti, Barron, and local WNC historical research. Looking for kind words and constructive criticism. Let me know if you’d be interested!

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I always fail to write a seasonal story in time for the actual season. Tried to write a springtime story by May 1st and epically failed at that 😂 Oh well, at least I found this book at the library.

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Between Neil Gaiman and now Neil Degrasse Tyson, I’m pretty upset at the two Neil’s I used to look up to. I own multiple books by these Neil’s. Next time I have a bonfire I have some kindling I guess. “Death by Black Hole”, “Sandman”, “Stardust”, “Smoke & Mirrors”, “American Gods”, all in the fire!

I identify with HP Lovecraft in the fact that, most of the time, I’m more interested in the lore, history and the aesthetics of the setting of the story than I am the characters. Characters feel like the vocals of a song—- they’re important, but they aren’t always what make a song great.

I think I first gravitated to horror when I lost my belief in god. I realized the fairytale I’d been fed about a god who loved everyone was a lie, and once that happened the horrors of the world were revealed. Horror, in all of its forms, taps the vein of reality more than anything else.

Going to this on Wednesday. Found Feito’s “Victorian Psycho” a fun disgusting day read. There are certain turns of phrase that they use that really turn the stomach. And the colorful Victorian vocabulary is the cherry on top.

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Going to the grocery store at night, you encounter people that look kind of cool like I would wanna go get a drink with them. Then others look like strange night beings out Renfielding for some Dracula. Both of them could be Stephen King characters. Which makes sense considering I’m in Bangor.