Okay, I usually try not to post more than once a day on this here blog, but since we're just days away from Halloween (woohoo!) I thought I'd take a minute and list my three favorite Halloween vampire movies. Sure, I have a cornucopia of other films I love to watch during this spooky time of year, but hell, I write vampire stories for devil's sake. I'm gonna keep it real! Until the Vampire Hunter D is captured in celluloid, this list will do. And I have to give a shout-out to INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. Without this film, I never get into Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, and perhaps never begin writing about vampires in the first place. Near Dark should be on this list, it is utterly incredible, though very similar to The Lost Boys and came out in theatres the same year. But this is a top 3, not a top 4 or top 5. This will be boringly obvious, I'm sure. Right then, I'll begin. 3. John Carpenter's VAMPIRES Easily my favorite Western of all time. The vampir...

So I'm listening to the Deftones' "Change" and thinking about HBO's True Blood. Obviously I'm enthralled with the show. Of course--it is about vampires. But what I'm so enamored with is the striking relation between the book and the series. While a lot of liberty is taken, obviously, for the TV story, that's to be expected. It's all part of the medium. I could rant about the show all morning long. But I won't waste your time. I'll just tell you that the show totally has me hooked. I'm sure Charlaine Harris is proud. I think Alan Ball did an excellent job of capturing what the book is all about. And with episode 8 just airing, I hope it's cemented a place in HBO's library like the Sopranos did, or Deadwood. It's completely unique to anything else on TV, and the only other show I watch is The Shield. This is one of those shows that makes me realize why I love the Vampire lore so much. It's just spooky, supernatural, and co...

What do I want to write today, dear blog? How about the fact that I may soon be back on my butt and out of school because the economy sucks and I probably won't get another school loan again? No, that's not what this blog is for. So what about the fact that neither Presidential candidate seems worth our next four years of future history? Nope, that will just give me a headache. Well then, that leaves me with talking about the fact that I've hit a creative rut the past week or so. Sure it's all been documented here, but I haven't even opened one of my stories in nearly two weeks! Jeez. Perhaps exercising will open up my blood and get the oxygen flowing back into my head. Guess I'll go for a mile or two walk tonight. With my iPod , because I'm kinda tired of thinking. I'm kinda tired of baseball, and football at the moment. I may actually be failing a class now, because I forgot the past three homework assingments. And I'm definitely tired of pushing ...

So today I've officially begun a project renovating the small room into an office. I'm searching for some (more livable) paint; maybe a dark beige. The blue walls and carpet just frighten me for some reason. It feels sort of like you're drowning. I've found my desk. Finally. And some dark brown book shelves. A friend is bringing by a futon for me. And tonight, I'm going to empty the room. Everything must go so I can get new carpet. Above is a picture of an office I've used as inspiration. It's uber-cozy and sleek and just plain enough. While I can't afford the badass Apple, I have found the lamp (from Target, no less). Wow, am I ever milking this thing for all it's worth. It's gloomy out, so this is the perfect project right now. I'll be back soon.

It's amazing how many distractions I have at the moment. Regardless of my complete lack in finding a suitable writing desk (wow, am I really this high maintenance?) one thing after another blocks me from getting a good day of writing in. The World Series is so far sub-par. School is bordering on monotony. And Direct TV put up a hell of a fight in fixing their mistakes that consumed an entire week of inspiration. (Let me just say that it feels great to have Comcast back.) And where the hell did Autumn go?! It went from sunny and 60s to frigid goddamn-cold overnight! At least I'm getting some quality time in with my girlfriend (definitely under the covers). Blah, blah - I'll be writing tonight.

Today is chilly, easily the first sweater-weather day of the season. I'm still searching for a desk, and once this is done (hopefully tonight) I can place it in a dimly lit corner of the office and get back to writing. With classes in Mid-term, I've put the story on the side. But now that we're heading back into a lull, and with the weather turning, I can start mailing out queries. There really isn't a single book that I'm fascinated with at the moment, too. This is perfect writing time. Speaking of queries, the other day I must've mailed at least four queries via Yahoo! Yet to get a "We're sorry" from a single one yet means that the weekend looks good... I've been reading a lot of ghost stories lately, and this makes me want to write something just for Halloween. Some short stories to put up on the site. I had this idea for a story of a vampire who is also a Horror Host on a TV station in Baltimore in the '80s.

Do you ever listen to a song and just get high? Yeah, music plays a pretty big role in my life, and my iPod s always in my pocket. It's absolutely in everything I write. Sometimes it feels like I'm even writing scenarios around a particular song. Or maybe my entire first story is about music. The protagonist is a turntablist, at least, who never quite got the hang of the guitar. I'm beginning to understand why I'm holding on so dearly to this first story. After this one, the world is different. There is no more music to be made. Or I'm sure nobody wants to create any. After this first story, the world is dark and it's a polar opposite from the amazing and vibrant world we know today, which, I'm not necessarily sure we appreciate. It would be so easy for the world to be wiped away. Today is sunny, warm and I have "Let it Die" by the Foo Fighters beaming in my ear. It's a good day for writing. It's a good day...

It's that time again, the most perfect time. Autumn is a most special season, but spring has always been my favorite simply because it removes the residual emptiness and cold of winter. It redresses the trees (I'm a big fan of trees, for some reason), grass turns green, the warm air fights back against the bone-chill cold. The world becomes alive again. But nothing can match the beauty of autumn and Halloween. The leaves turn many shades of reds and browns and orange and yellow and fading greens. Jack-o'-lanterns lit with candles on porches. Yards with cornstalks and pumpkin-head scarecrows. Even the evening sky turns a silvery purple and the stars look brighter. People notice the full moon more. First fires in the hearth burn warm and cozy. And the TV is alive with the death of horror movies. It'll give you cold chills, honestly. The buzz in the air is palpable. 👻 Do you ever get the feeling that you're not cut-out to be a writer . I get the feeling more and more ...