Blue Sludge Blues – This was an experiment in using words that disturb people and seeing how that worked its way into horror (after all, horror is all about eliciting a negative reaction, whether that's fear, disgust, or something else). I posted on Facebook asking people what words they hated, aside from the obvious (moist, for example), and thought where better to set this than one of those toilets with the seemingly endless cavern beneath it? Is there anyone who doesn't hate those? Is there anyone who doesn't hover over those puppies and watch between their legs for something, anything, that might rise from the blue-tinted muck? I got to read this one aloud in front of a group of people while it was a work in progress, and the reactions were such fun.
What the Fire Left Behind – In June 2012, I was one of thousands of people fleeing the Waldo Canyon Fire after it burst over a final ridge between wild land and several inhabited suburban neighborhoods. The absolute terror of trying to pack up my children (and cat) and a few important belongings as ash rained down around my house and flames licked at rooftops in the near distance will always be with me. We made it out safely and our house ultimately survived, but I feel such rage when someone throws a cigarette out their window around here, knowing that it's a tinder box just waiting for the right moment to go up again. She does what I can't.
The Tourist – For a time, I enjoyed doing flash fiction challenges on my blog, though I rarely did it with horror. This story was an exception, and I posted it for a Halloween challenge run by WEP (Write…Edit…Publish).
Cravings – The bane of my existence, this story has gone through multiple major revisions, and been rejected for the related reasons. For example, in the first iteration, the couple have a pet dog, Jauncy. The pregnant wife attacks Jauncy, but she's saved by the husband before serious harm is inflicted. It kept getting rejected with the note that I should have gone all the way. So I did. I revised it, killing the poor dog. We all know we're not supposed to kill the dog (whoops, I've done that in another story in this collection), but it sounded like it was time to do it with this story. Sure enough, I got rejections because I'd killed the damn dog. I finally scrapped the dog entirely. She ate a guy instead. Apparently, that's far more acceptable.
Sound Advice – As someone who is part Cherokee, I've long taken an interest in Native culture, mythologies, etc. (And fry bread. Always fry bread.) I found it frustrating that a lot of authors took liberties with Native myths, borrowing the name and the general idea of them, but changing the rules entirely. Skinwalkers are probably the most commonly abused, followed by wendigo. While researching, I found a forum online where folks were telling stories of their experiences with skinwalkers. There was an officer on the forum, who talked about having to do night patrols and being chased by something he was certain was a skinwalker. Thus began the late night road trip through skinwalker territory.
In the Dark – Well, this is one of those that just happened. I wanted to write a story about a carnival, so I started writing. This is where it took me.
Faceless – Air travel is exhausting. It's complicated. There are people everywhere, bumping you in the airport, overflowing into your seat, shoving to get into line. On one such travel day, I blearily looked around, and my eyes must have blurred, because there was a lady with no face staring right at me. I did a double take and blinked, and her face was normal. On the plane, I busted out a notepad and pen and started this story, finishing it in the hotel. Oh, and the spaghetti bag? That's something a TSA agent actually said to my husband. He always travels with tech and cables galore, all shoved into a backpack. All those cords and cables don't look so great on a scan.
For Love of the Hunt – I love to see who can guess what book this is anti-fan fiction for. So far, I've only had three people guess correctly. I've had to read the book that inspired it twice now, and the first time was really more than once, because it was for an Odyssey of the Mind competition. Want a hint? It's a story about a man fishing in the ocean. A classic.
Metamorphosis – I happened across a call for stories about zombies, written from the zombie's point of view. I'd never written a zombie story before, and it sounded like fun. This was written in one sitting.
Know Thy Neighbor – Much like solo hikes in the park, I'm a fan of late night walks. It's peaceful. People don't stop me to talk. I can think through story issues unimpeded. There aren't toddlers and pets to maneuver around. It smells wonderful, the coyotes yip and screech, and rabbits run all over the place. On the flip side of all that, I'm always cautious and hyper-aware while I'm on these walks. There have been a few freaky incidents, but nothing that actually ended up being serious. This story was written one night after a walk where a guy was squatting down in his lawn and stood up just as I came up and around a hill (I live in the foothills, so there's no such thing as a level sidewalk around here), scaring the living daylights out of me. He must have been screwing around with his sprinkler system or something, though why he was doing that at around midnight I have no idea.
Acknowledgments
"The Blue Mist" © 2015 Shannon Lawrence (The Deep Dark Woods, ed Christina Escamilla, Revolving Door Press)
"The Salvation Lottery" © 2016 Shannon Lawrence (The Literary Hatchet #16)
"Maelstrom" © 2015 Shannon Lawrence (Sanitarium Magazine #35)
"Shifting Sands" © 2016 Shannon Lawrence (Dark Moon Digest #24)
"Blue Sludge Blues" © 2016 Shannon Lawrence (Devolution Z: The Horror Magazine, Vol. 7)
"What the Fire Left Behind" © 2018 Shannon Lawrence
"The Tourist" © 2013 Shannon Lawrence (The Warrior Muse Blog)
"Cravings" © 2018 Shannon Lawrence
"Sound Advice" © 2016 Shannon Lawrence (Bloodbond May 2016)
"In the Dark" © 2018 Shannon Lawrence
"Faceless" © 2017 Shannon Lawrence (Dark Moon Digest #28)
"For Love of the Hunt" © 2016 Shannon Lawrence (Cheapjack Pulp 1216)
"Metamorphosis" © 2016 Shannon Lawrence (Through Clouded Eyes: A Zombie's Point of View, ed. Gloria Bobrowicz, Sirens Call Publications)
"Know Thy Neighbor" © 2015 Shannon Lawrence (Under the Bed, Vol. 03, No. 07)
Thanks
A lot of people have been there for me through this. From teachers throughout the years who encouraged me and told me I could be a real, honest to goodness writer someday, to those who have just been there with their writerly energy to socialize and keep the inspiration going. As far as teachers go, Kay Esmiol was the teacher who most inspired me. We'll always have the opera.
I'd be remiss to not thank my parents for never telling me writing wasn't a career. For reading countless stories scribbled by an immature hand, and for continuing to support me by reading my stories, as they mature with me.
I wouldn't be a writer if I hadn't first learned to read. I'm thankful both for my parents' love of reading, and the fact that they didn't limit what I wanted to read. Their bookshelves were where I discovered authors like Stephen King, Dean R. Koontz, Michael Crichton, Sue Grafton, and so many others. But I also need to thank my godmother, Mary, who taught me to read in the first place. Her patience through the butter and seven years hasn't gone unnoticed.
These stories have been through a variety of critique groups. To my critique partners through the years, the one and only MBeebers, Michelle, Jen, Deidre, Becki, Ray-Ray, Patrick, JT, Craig, Nikki, Paul, Pete, Charise, Bowen, and Jim (Bobby), thank you for the valuable feedback.
Not one friend or relative has ever put down my love of writing or choice of career, and I appreciate all of you, but there are way too many of you to list.
To the authors who inspired me in person, such as Julie Kazimer, who was the first to say hi and draw me into the crowd; DeAnna Knippling, who taught me that writers should be experimenting and performing elaborate surgeries with their words instead of just maintaining the status quo; Kelley Armstrong, who dealt with my probably not-so-subtle fan-girling throughout my first ever writer's conference, and gave me great advice on writing as a m
om with small children; Virginia Campbell and Chris Mandeville, who gave me opportunities to grow within the writing community, as well as my first speaking gigs as an author; and every author, big and small, who was down to earth and supportive to a newbie author. They showed me that the real professionals don't look down at beginning writers; they instead support them, answering questions when asked and lending a supportive word when they can.
Thank you to the writer's groups that exist to support burgeoning writers. It's been a privilege to be a part of these groups: Pikes Peak Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and Pikes Peak Pen Women.
Finally, and most importantly, my kids and my husband. My kids have dealt with a spacy mom who disappears into her stories sometimes, and had the audacity to be proud their mom is a writer. My husband, Jeff, my biggest fan, has supported every single aspect of my writing journey, no matter how inconvenient, without ever having complained. Instead, he is always the first to ask what I need from him to make things happen. From volunteering with the writer's groups to needing writing time to traveling as a speaker, my journey has been disruptive to our family at times, and he has been along for the ride without fail. Even though he doesn't read for fun, he has every single publication I'm in on a shelf at work. Jeff, you are my forever. I love you.
About the Author
A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes in her dungeon when her minions allow, often accompanied by her familiars. She writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her stories can be found in several anthologies and magazines, including Space and Time Magazine, Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things, and Once Upon a Scream. When she's not writing, she's hiking through the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings. Though she often misses the Oregon coast, the majestic and rugged Rockies are a sight she could never part with. Besides, in Colorado there's always a place to hide a body or birth a monster. What more could she ask for?
Website: thewarriormuse.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewarriormuse/
Twitter: @thewarriormuse
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/thewarriormuse/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/shannondkl
Smashwords Author Profile: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/thewarriormuse
For past and upcoming publications: thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/p/publications.html
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