25 Feb 2012, Posted by caburkes in DesktopEpics, Horror, Scratch, 1 Comments Tagged BRONTOPHOBIA, DEATH, HEIGHTS, WARNINGS
Next Writing Projects
A book a month is fairly obtainable. Scratch, while not a full novel, took care of February and I’m already into the editing process of March’s release. Again, as mentioned earlier, these are stories incomplete in the past and seeing the light of day now so it’s really and editing process, eBook-a-fy and then drop it like it was hot.
Speaking of which, I’m learning horror is a hard sell but reviewed the most … and thrillers sell consistently but get the least reviews. At least in my little world, that’s how it operates.
I’m also considering the cover … maybe to macabre. I’m also considering the category. Talking to people, the general comment I get is they ‘they don’t like to be scared and your story sounds very scary’. So if someone doesn’t like to be scared, there goes my sale. It’s kind of like a roller coaster ride: you got people who do it … and people who don’t. While the lines do back up at Six Flags for the newest coaster, the majority of people don’t ride them really. I use to love them. As I got older, with kids and concerns for falling out (which has been happening so much lately compared to when I was a kid or maybe I’m just noticing), I have all but stopped riding coasters.
I got some great reviews from readers and that sweat one from HorrorNews.net, but readers aren’t biting. 
This doesn’t mean I done with suspenseful horror. First of all, in light of the HorrorNews.net article, I’m wondering if Scratch even is horror. Suspense, by emotional content, true. But what defines horror? My old school perspective says its horror from the Alfred Hitchcock point of view. theFreeDictionary.com says horror is An intense, painful feeling of repugnance and fear.
I’ll go with that and leave it in that category. Tired of making changes on it as it is. I’ll just put the next horror related stories closer to Halloween where it belongs. I’ve come up with an idea of a thicker tome of stories using a title that I haven’t used in years. Back when I was in high school. In any case, it’s one big book of short suspense stories like Scratch because everyone says that story was too short and I’m telling you all ‘you want’ these stories short. Some stories were not made for long, drawn out suspense. If I made Scratch any longer, I would be setting myself up for failure.
To compensate, a thick book of small stories so the average reader can get his ‘scare’ on consistently without feeling they are being jilted. It will almost seem like an anthology, but this is just going to be me alone. Each story will be it’s own chapter and each chapter covers the top 20 or so things that scare people: clowns, rats, snakes … well hold on. Let me see what that list really is …
One posting online says this …
1. SPIDERS. (arachnophobia)
2. RATS. (musophobia)
3. DEATH. (necrophobia)
4. HEIGHTS. (acrophobia)
5. FLYING IN AN AEROPLANE. (aerophobia)
6. PUBLIC SPEAKING. (sociophobia)
7. BRONTOPHOBIA (fear of storms)
8. FEAR OF OPEN SPACES. (agoraphobia)
9. FEAR OF CONFINED SPACES. (claustrophobia)
10. FEAR OF VOMITING. (emetophobia)
another has …
1. The Dark
2. Bugs
3. Snakes
4. Other people
5. Death
6. Not going to heaven
7. Heights
8. Failing
9. Scary spaces
10. Being embarrassed in front of people (like giving a speech with no pants on)
So I’m thinking about it deeply and I’m seeing why Scratch isn’t selling as I would like. Perhaps it did it’s job too well and the reviews act as WARNINGS to those who have particular fears. Religious folks won’t touch a book dealing with demons, for one thing.
And I’m also thinking, why would somone who has a fear of heights, read horror story about heights?
Therein lies my dilemma about writing horror. Then again, Stephen King does well. Very well.
Maybe it’s not that I should write a horror story that ‘attacks’ the readers emotions … well, then I might as well not write a horror story because that’s all I know to do (see http://www.desktopepics.com/blogs/empathetic-transference-storytelling-ets/).
I don’t know. If I just write for my own interest and leave it alone, I’ll leave my place in history somewhere.
Odd how NONE of the lists I found said people were afraid of GHOSTS. But then, ghosts are kind of a secondary topping to the original fear of the dark. Kind of an enhancement. Your eyes play tricks on you and you think you see spirits. They weren’t afraid of the ghosts but the fact that it was dark and ghosts appeared?
Add lightning and thunder to mess their senses up and you have the classics. Sprinkle a few spiders and snakes and it’s on and poppin’!
Okay…so this book will be my very own ‘Creepshow’/'Tales From The Darkside’ and I’ll use an existing character (Mildred Common of CommonSense) to be the host (no audio!!!!!!) just have her lead the reader through each story as part of an intro and outro per story. They would be developed specifically … and without fail … to scare the reader or the listener. I’d design them for the campfire readers and the bedtime stories to wreck the little child forever from sleeping in his or her bed (lol).
Before all of that, Sleight of Death will be out in March and I’ll be looking to submit early copies of Butta‘:Worldwide out to bloggers for early review. Scratch reviewed quickly because it was a quick read. Sleight of Death is a full novel so that will take time to get feedback on. It was an idea rejected once by teams of book clubs a few years back when I suggested it as something for their clubs to read. This year I show them the error of that assumption.
Actually, it was my fault. I sent the idea of a ‘thriller’ to chick-lit book clubs that couldn’t see past their sex and baby drama story lines. So it’s really my fault. That was back when I thought being a Black author actually meant i would get support from Black book clubs.
Not.
A story is a story is a story. If I were White and wrote a chick-lit novel, I’d be supported lovely. It’s all about the story.
Meanwhile, it still turned me off to book clubs. Book signings, too. I’m done with all of that. An effort that wore me out between 2007 and 2009. Fruitless and brings about my own fears of being about large amounts of people. Oh, I give speeches well in front of people, when I’m not talking about myself. It’s the whole ‘talking about myself’ thing I have a massive and personal fear about.
I just have nothing important to say. (Word count: 1114)
Corey A. Burkes Author/CEO
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