The Start

Photo by David Marcu on Unsplash

I figure it’ll be a long and challenging road to become a horror novelist. But like the Chinese philosopher said, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. -Laozi

Here are my beginning steps:

1. Set up a writing blog. (Check, duh.)
2. Figure out a working title for my upcoming NaNoWriMo book. If you don’t know what NaNoWriMo is, look it up because it’s great fun and involves a huge writing community. (Check! Hag’s Hollow.)
3. Read three books for research to learn about wilderness survival, animals in the wild, and witchcraft mythology. (In progress.)
4. Watch five horror movies to analyze tropes, plot points, and pacing. (In progress. I watched The Ritual last night. Scary.)
5. Read Word Painting by Patricia McClanahan, and work the exercises to become a better wordsmith.
6. Write a brief synopsis of Hag’s Hollow.
7. Develop a detailed outline during “Preptober,” the NaNoWriMo’s preparation month.
8. Write the first draft of Hag’s Hollow in the month of November for NaNoWriMo.
9. Become a supporting member of the Horror Writers Association on December 1, 2018.
10. Weeks one and two of December: Work on editing the first novel I wrote this year, a practice novel called The Witch of the Manor House. It’s horrible. Is it salvageable?
11. The rest of December: Take a break from writing and editing, and read three literary horror novels. I think they’re called “upmarket genre” nowadays.