FORENSICS 150: A ROAD TOO OFTEN TRAVELED

This essay might be of special interest to writers of detective and mystery stories who would like to enrich their stories by presenting their readers with a gift of extra detail. It might also be of general interest to many other readers.

Although the following describes a sufficient number of gruesome activities to give readers a [...]

Prepare to be boarded

I’m not sure I’ve ever been this busy before. At least as far as writing is concerned. I have a major deadline coming up in about 6 weeks and I’ve got the nose to the grindstone, working every waking hour, to get this book done on schedule. It’s fun, but it’s hard. There are distractions. [...]

Thomas Sullivan: OF SILVER SOULS AND CAROUSELS

Like some infamous interrogation room, the designation “Q&A” is starting to take on the ring of doom for me.  I know I’ve been weaseling away from my prior commitment to use that format, but please do not doubt that I am exceedingly grateful for your questions and your interest.  No one could have more sensitive [...]

Fame Corrupts

Up front, I wish to make it clear that this post is not about any specific person.  The sad fact that it could so easily be interpreted as such says much about the state of horror writing today.

I’m also making this fast, because I missed my upload date yesterday by being on the road in [...]

How Better Happens

This is for the ones who despair. This is for the ones gripped by the feeling that it will never get better. That they will never get better.

I promise you this much: It can. And you might. That’s the best guarantee you’re going to get. Can and might. There’s only one certain guarantee, and that’s [...]

Patchwork Dreaming

Or…”interrupted by a person on business from Porlock” — sustaining the vision of the story you want to tell as life’s storms rage around you.

Trust me, it’ll make sense.

Quite some time ago in a LOCUS interview, Jay Lake talked about the challenges of containing the story he’s working on in his mind, or living in [...]