So I made a valiant attempt to write a Halloween themed story, with the intent of finishing it before Halloween rolled around. Surprisingly enough, I probably could have finished it in time, but I sort of got stuck on the plot. (Give me a break, it's been a while since I sat down to write something.)

I think the problem is that I really don't enjoy writing horror, and this excercise has solidified that opinion of mine. Additionally, while I would like to believe that I have a vivid imagination, I rarely allow books or movies to frighten me. The last time I can clearly remember being afraid was August 1st, 2005 when I was hit nearly head-on by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. I can play that scene over in my head like it just happened this morning, and this incident is so frightening because of the possibily of death, which is something we're all afraid of. If even just a little bit.

The point is, this was frightening because it was REAL, and because it happened to ME. Reading about the same exact thing in a book or seeing it on a TV screen will not even come close to having the same effect. And this is why I have difficulties invoking the emotion of fear in my writing.

So, I'll just chalk this story up as a failure and file it way. I will, however, share the basic plot with you.

The story focuses on one man, who starts to notice strange things happening on Halloween morning. He feels uneasy. People are ignoring him or don't see him. He has trouble holding on to things. We eventually learn that these things are happening because he's beginning to disappear, and the reason for this phenomenon revolves around the spirit of Samhain slowly ripping him away from the physical world. I hadn't precisely fleshed out why Samhain was doing this yet, but it was going to be related to the way this guy was living his life. So basically, it was the guy's own fault he was being deleted from existence, and I just hadn't determined exactly what he was doing to cause it. On the most basic of ideas, it was going to be because he refused to show he cared about anyone else. But it was going to be more complicated than that, because the guy DID care about the people around him very much. He just refused to show it. I had yet to develop the psychological reasoning that was causing him to do this, which would have served as the "trigger". (Or "twist", if you prefer that term. For example, Chiitsu's transformation, Kobal's transformation, Ren's sword being unsheathed, etc.)

The story was actually going well until Samhain appeared. Then it just got silly. I should have picked a different villain, because all I could imagine was the episode of The Real Ghostbusters where they fight Samhain, who was a ghost with a huge pumpkin for a head. So.Not.Scary.

This idea of self-isolation (that's the best term I have to describe the theme) is a recurring element in the stories I've written, with Chiitsu probably being the best example. But none of my previous characters had kept themselves so tightly closed as this character, and he was actually beginning to intrigue me as I developed him.

I will have to place him into a plot that is more suited to my writing talents.


I close both locks below the window.
I close both blinds and turn away.
Sometimes solutions aren't so simple.
Sometimes goodbye's the only way.

Linkin Park -- Shadow of the Day