Why Do I Write Horror?

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen that I promised a “deep” post for today. Well, you’re going to get one…it’s just a bit late. Technically, I have a little over an hour until it’s officially tomorrow. It’s been a crazy week! Anyway, here you go. Please feel free to sound off in the comments. I’d like to generate some sort of discussion with this, and I can’t do that without you guys.

You’ve probably got a pretty good glimpse of my personality through this blog. We all have our days, but I would say, typically, I’m a pretty happy person. I love to laugh and to make others laugh. I’m a geek. I have crazy ideas and plans. I like to have fun. I’m down to earth. I like talking and I like listening. I usually have trouble not smiling.

So, it’s not a big surprise that when I tell people that I write horror they’re pretty shocked.

My mom is one of them. Well, she isn’t shocked so much as she just doesn’t understand it. She told me the other day that if she were to sit down and write something, she would want it to be inspirational. She isn’t interested in some of the things that I write because she just doesn’t understand why I would want to add to the collective “crap” that’s out there in the world. If I’m going to put my mark on it, why not make it a positive one?

(Disclaimer: My mom is wonderful and amazing and I don’t mind that she has a differing opinion. Actually, I’m glad that she does because it’s made me reflect on why I write some of the things I do.)

She’s got a point. A pretty good one, actually. There’s a lot of horrible, terrible, tragic things that happen in this world. Why would I want to put those things down on paper for other people to read?

I don’t know if there’s a good answer to this. There certainly isn’t a “right” one. I’m not sure what other people have to say – why they choose to write in this genre. But here are my thoughts.

First of all, I’m a pantser (for those of you not in the know, it’s much less scandalous than it sounds – it just means I don’t like to plot my stories and that I’d rather fly by the seat of my pants). I get an image or a piece of dialogue stuck in my head and all of a sudden a story blossoms from this little seed. I start to write it down and, before I can help myself, the entire thing is unfolding in front of me. I’ve always been this way and even though it makes writing novels a little difficult, I really do enjoy my general process. So, the reason why I may write horror stories is pretty easy: it pops into my head and I write it down. Simple.

So, why do these things pop into my head? Probably because I like to watch crime shows. Law & Order, CSI, Criminal Minds, NCIS – the list literally goes on and on. They’ve sparked ideas before and often that spark is all I need to put my fingers to the keyboard. The other part of this is that I am absolutely fascinated by psychology – especially the psychology of the criminal mind. Why do people do the things they do? To me, it’s something so terrible and abhorrent that I just have to get a closer look to figure it out. It might sound strange to some, but without people who have a fascination for this sort of thing, we wouldn’t be able to understand and stop these kinds of criminals.

(P.S. I have to plug Stacy Green here because I live for her Thriller Thursday posts. Here’s one of my favorites.)

And I guess that is sort of where I’m going with this whole discussion. I write horror because it’s horrible. I want to bring light to what has happened in the real world. I can’t do that by becoming a politician or a civil rights activist, because that’s not who I am. I am a writer. I write.

I also write these sorts of things because, believe it or not, there is an underlying message there – a positive spin to these often ghastly stories that I write. There’s a lesson. Sometimes you have to dig for it, but it’s always there. I write to make you think. And if I can make you think, then maybe I can make you talk. And if I can make you talk, well…maybe then I can make a difference.

So, here’s the big question: why do YOU write. And, yes, I want the philosophical answer. Whether you write romance or sci-fi or fantasy or horror or any other genre or combination of those types, I want to know why you write. What are you trying to accomplish? What are you trying to say?

New Year’s Resolutions – 2012

Let’s just get this out of the way right now: I am not good at resolutions. I pretty much never make any, because I know I’m not going to stick with them. That’s pretty sad, if you ask me.

But I have a really good feeling about 2012.

This year, I’m going to make it happen. And the way I’m going to stick with it, is to put my goals out here for everyone to see. I’d appreciate any support, and welcome you to post your own resolutions or link to your blog if you’ve written a post about them. They say that that the best way to make your goals come true is to write them down.

I also find the best way to get something done is to make a promise to someone – breaking a promise to someone else is a million times worse than breaking a promise to yourself. So, here are five promises to you:

I feel like I can always fix a manuscript, no matter how many times I've already been through it, but sometimes you just have to force yourself to stop.

1. I will finish editing my completed novel.

a. I’m taking the month of January to do a last edit on my completed novel and get it exactly where I want it. I’ve got it printed out, red pen handy, and I’m ready to attack it with everything I’ve got.

2. I will start researching agents/publishers.

a. The remaining 11 months are going to be dedicated to trying to figure out what to do next. I’ve got some books lined up that I want to read on the subject. After that, it’s into the unknown!

3. I will finish writing my WIP.

a. I recently got this idea stuck in my head and literally ran with it – within a couple of weeks I’ve already written over 40,000 words. I’m probably three-quarters of the way done with it. Even though my completed novel is my baby, I’ve got a really good feeling about this one.

4. I will lose 20 pounds.

a. This is a big one for me. I’ve already lost 30, and I’d really like to keep going with it. By summertime I’d like to be a pants size or two smaller. I’m not necessarily concerned about weight so much as being able to fit into clothes that I really like. It’s more about health than trying to be super skinny.

This entire top shelf of my bookcase is my "to-read" shelf.

5. I will read 25 new books.

a. This past year I’ve read 50 books, but some of them were repeats. It was tough reading that many books AND trying to keep up with all of my writing goals. This year, I’m cutting my goal in half and concentrating on reading things I’ve never read before.

I feel better already! I’m also shooting to participate in ROW80 in the first quarter of 2012. That’s going to allow me to break down these big end-goals into smaller and more manageable steps. I’ll also be able to post weekly updates about how I’m doing. Feel free to kick me in the virtual butt if you guys see me slacking!

If the world is going to end in 2012, I want to make sure to get as much done beforehand as possible. I hope you guys feel as good about this year as I do. Let’s make sure it’s a fun one!

(Disclaimer: I do NOT believe the world is going to end in 2012.)