Do you have any friends or loved ones who are writers? Are you having problems deciding what to get them for their birthdays or Christmas? First, we will talk about the normal but functional gifts you can bless them with. Books on writing, a dictionary, or a thesaurus is always appreciated, and writers can never…
Will your character dance around his Xmas tree on Falling Needles Family Fest Day? Could your character’s uncle make Scrooge look like a great guy to work for? Could he be the real reason for Humbug Day? Does the character you created plan on celebrating A’phabet Day as soon as he learns his alphabet?
Are you trying to come up with a town name that makes one think of snow or the winter holiday season? Did you know towns appropriately named for winter and/or Christmas stories already exist? AlabamaBell, AlabamaBethlehem, AlabamaChestnut, AlabamaEvergreen, AlabamaStar, Alabama AlaskaCandle, AlaskaNorth Pole, AlaskaWiseman, Alaska ArizonaBell, ArizonaChristmas, ArizonaHumbug, ArizonaPartridge, ArizonaSanta Claus, ArizonaSilver Bell, ArizonaSnowflake, Arizona…
Do you have a torment of ogres chasing after your character? Is he about to run into a devilry of gremlins? Has he been driven insane by a rally of hobgoblins who escaped capture by a malevolence of trolls? Does your story need a monster? Take a look through the monsters in this article and…
Phobias are constant, irrational fears that afflict some people. Their fears should be taken seriously. They should never be made fun of or belittled. But, as writers, we can bless (or curse) our characters with phobias and make the story so much more interesting. What happens if someone encounters the object of their fear? They…
What comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? Some of you may think about the Pilgrims and Indians and the feast they shared on this day long ago. But if you are more food oriented, you probably think about the scrumptious food you will have with friends and family as you celebrate this day.…
Are you looking for idioms and words that can be used to set a creepy tone to your scene or story? Do you want to use words that will send shivers up your readers’ spines? Is it your desire for those who hold your book in their hands to be frozen with fear? Will they…
Nursery rhymes are written for little children, so they should be sweet and innocent, right? Little children should not have experienced the horrors and reality of life yet, and these rhymes made to entertain them should not talk about them either. But not all nursery rhymes have innocent meanings. “Ring Around the Rosie” is one…
Have you ever thought about using a mental hospital in your story? The reasons people were admitted to these institutions suggest many different story ideas. The cruel and inhuman way many of them were treated can also fill one’s head full of ideas about the patients, those who “cared” for them, and those who had…
Here are eight more creepy crawlies that live way too close to us. Wasps—paper wasps, yellow jackets, and boldfaced hornets—nest in rotten tree stumps, crevices in rocks, and in mud. A person can develop an allergy to their stings without warning. The daughter of a friend of mine, who had never been allergic to their…
