Shelly Blake-Plock

Shelly Blake-Plock standing in his kitchen.

How about them Brewers?

I’m finding that 90% of editing an historical fiction novel is just reading dictionaries and looking at old maps.

Been in deep editing mode the last few days. I think I’ve forgotten how to sleep. Send oxygen. And cheese.

Title: What We Learned About Werewolves By Shelly Turns out silver bullets don’t work. The End #HorrorWritersChat

I’m not always sure who the monster is. Sometimes it’s one of the characters. Other times, it’s me. #HorrorWritersChat

I think that horror is a form of dialogue within literature. And what is grotesque in a story is just one of many rhetorical tactics the writer can deploy in an ongoing argument with the variety of voices and echoes that call from pages, quiet library stacks, bookstores, & tombs. #HorrorWritersChat

In the before-times, I was Shelly, from Maryland and spent less time thinking about chesse than I spent working on an historical fiction serial killer story set in Baltimore in 1891. Nowadays, I don’t know, but I’ve suddenly become distrustful of cats. #HorrorWritersChat

In my usual fashion, my first attempt to edit and cut down four chapters resulted in an increase of 2,000 words.

Whenever I see a piece of writing advice online, I immediately vow to do the opposite thing.

Editing.

Draft done. Time to start the first big edit.

Done.

Last chapter.

Three and a half chapters to finish.

Been working on a Linked Data project the last two weeks. It’s a glossary for digital learning terminology. Looking for feedback. Glossary is here: www.i2idl.org/glossary Developer portal is here: id.i2idl.org/developers Still in prototype. Architecture is purposefully lightweight at this stage.

Got four chapters left to write. Could be finished by this time next week.

The Brewers win the pennant. Wow.

You blink again, hands twisted in the air. War echoes faintly across the frozen copse. There he is; under this slanted shroud. A mist between leaden raindrops. Waiting. Have you answered the questions? Got something to share? Promote below & share each others' posts! #HorrorWritersChat

I was working on a short story where eyeballs were both impossible to destroy and also remained connected to the mind even when the rest of the body was gone. The setting was a battlefield littered with eyeballs. #HorrorWritersChat

I tend not to think of any fiction as reality, at least at the line level. So, I’m perfectly fine letting thing blur together. Sort of like how you can think of multiple things at the same time… do math while a song is playing in your head and a vision of childhood flashes by. #HorrorWritersChat

I wrote a cumulative battle scene in a manuscript called Vanishing Fact. In the end, two survivors walked a landscape littered with corpses. One has gone blind and asks the other to lie to her about what she sees. And her friend lies and describes the ways things were before. #HorrorWritersChat

Shelly from Maryland. Finishing up a serial killer novel set in 1891 Baltimore. Boulder vs. Las Vegas gets my vote. #HorrorWritersChat

I think the world wants a Milwaukee / Cleveland series.

Oh, it’s going to be a day.

Love seeing the Dodgers lose.

There are moments in writing a book that destroy you as the writer. And I don’t think you ever fully heal. Do it enough and you end up looking like you broke your arms and legs several times over and never once had the bones set properly.

I’ve only got five chapters left to write in my new historical serial killer mystery set in Baltimore in 1891. AMA. 🩸📚 🕵️📚 🖤💀

About to emcee the neighborhood Octoberfest for my 16th time.

Never heard as many radio commercials for adult diapers as I have since when the postseason started and I started listening to WTMJ radio calls of the Milwaukee Brewers. ⚾️🧷

#HorrorWritersChat Encore: "We hope you have enjoyed the show..." That was fun. Tell us in the Comments on THIS post what you're promoting on the road right now, putting the answers into this post with the hashtag: #HorrorWritersChat

Screenplay: A collection of three-minute scenarios of people suffering: from minor indignities like getting pooped on by a bird to more, um, substantial matters like giant spiders getting loose in an elevator trapped between floors. Between each scenario: Napalm Death - You Suffer #HorrorWritersChat

The Book: Twenty Seven The Pitch: Dead rock stars, all of whom died at the age of 27, come back as zombies and attack the corporate headquarters of Spotify. #HorrorWritersChat

Shelly, from Maryland. Currently finishing up a serial killer novel set in Baltimore in 1891. I tend to use music functionally when writing. So, for example, I’ll listen to the same music my characters would listen to. Gets me into their headspace. #HorrorWritersChat

Tomorrow, 11 AM in LA, 1 PM in Memphis and New Orleans, 2 PM in New York, 7 PM in the UK: This week's #HorrorWritersChat Join us for 4 questions, a chat, and some self-promo at the end:

Was in Niagara Falls over the weekend, among other things doing research for the next book in the trilogy.

Ô

Moving along.

It’s not officially fall until Lottie has her beatnik sweater on.

Thanks for joining us for the first (fictional) Horror Writers Chat Conference! Once you’ve answered the questions and interacted, share your promo with the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat IN THE COMMENTS on this post. Travel safely and don’t forget to keep in touch. Until next time...keep it spooky.

All of the people on #HorrorWritersChat, of course.

“Hey Bram, while you’re here, could you sign my neck?” #HorrorWritersChat