How I Spent December 2017

DorisDecemberWell, it was a quiet month as far as blogging was concerned. I ended up taking a bit of a break as the festive season thrust its tinsel into my face and sang Cliff Richard numbers.

As I type, I have a whole load of emotions in my head, all jammed against each other as they try and jostle their way to the top. I’m picturing them as those Plasticine worms from Trapdoor. I’m also having a had time disentangling them. There are some definite anxieties about the future in there, but they’re competing with personal optimism.

Next year I’ll be knuckling down on my personal projects. The big one will be my comic, Midnight Widows. The first issue’s worth of content has already been serialised in Belladonna magazine, and I plan to start a crowdfunding drive in 2018 that’ll cover both a proper print run for issue #1 and also the creation and publication of issues #2 and #3. Wish me luck!

On top of that, I’m also working on Monster Hunters, Dinosaur Lovers: Speculative Fiction in the Culture War, my non-fiction book about the stories caught up in the Hugos/Sad Puppies kerfuffle between 2013 and 2016.

Lately I’ve been letting these projects cut into my blogging time. I’d like to get a better balance, and spend a bit more time getting my writing out there on the Internet while my long-haul projects are going on in the background. Well, that’s my New Year’s resolution…

Articles posted elsewhere this month:

Article topics for January and beyond:

JanuaryArticles

December 2017 Belladonna Issue Now Available!

APdlvVCeDeck the halls with Horror Honeys…

Yes, the December edition of Belladonna is here, and its stocking is stuffed with seasonal goodness. Supernatural Honey Kim discusses the festive traditions weird enough to warrent their own horror films, Guest Honey Laurel offers a unique take on A Christmas Carol, Monster Honey Sarah expresses her love for The Nightmare Before Christmas, Slasher Honey Chassity revisits Jack Frost, Revenge Honey Addison exposess the scary side of Santa, Classics Honey Sam discusses the sinsiter festive traditions of Scotland, and I make my own contribution to the seasonal celebrations by looking back at the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas.

We also have a few articles for those who need a break from the festivities, including Sarah’s review of Borley Rectory, Kim’s take on The Last Witch, and my reviews of the recently-reprinted British horror classics Scream! and Misty. Plus! Interviews with actor Tristan Risk and comic crestor Shannon Devine!
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On top of that, the comic serial I’ve been working on with artist Marcela Hauptvogelova, Midnight Widows, concludes its first run this issue. The Widows will be back for all-new adventures next year, so watch this space.

Midnight Widows Belladonna Page 24

If this sounds like your idea of festive fun, then you can bag your copy at the official website or MagCloud.