What makes a short sentence short and a long sentence long? (And a long sentence a run-on sentence?) 1. That depends. (2 words) 2. That depends on a lot of things, including pacing (e.g., lengthy, dramatically slow sentences versus shorter, “faster” ones) and historical aptness (e.g., using longer sentences to make an eighteenth century fiction piece reflect that period’s slower … Read More
What is horror, exactly?
Help me out, here, please. My novel 22 Dutch Road is supposed to be a horror book, but my monkeys aren’t sure if it’s got enough, well, to put it bluntly, gore. (Allergen alert: copies of the book are printed in facilities which also process gore). Is gore necessary for a “horror” book? Per book-genres.com’s definition: “Horror stories are designed … Read More
A Great Escape
Okay, so it’s out there: my novel, 22 Dutch Road, a book weaving such diverse elements as dachshunds, samurai, schizophrenia, economic insecurity, panic rooms, octogenarians, corrosive paternalism, and Tasers, all together. Why read it? If you like dark fantasy (think Stephen King) and want–or need—an escape from life’s anxieties, it should deliver for you, or so my monkeys tell me. … Read More