Horrorfind Reading

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

I just found out I'll be reading at this year's Horrorfind convention in Baltimore on Friday, August 10 at 6:00 P.M. along with author Erik Tomblin.

I'm not sure what I'll read. Last year it was "Deadnecks", the story that makes up the first half of Deadneck Hootenanny . This year I'd like to do a shorter piece or two. I might pick "The Losers vs Beelphegor" from The Horror Library Volume Two (BTW, it would be nice to actually see a copy of the book). It's pretty brief and funny (at least I hope it is). I also have an unpublished piece called "The Nursing Home of the Gods" which also fits the bill. It will be appearing in an upcoming venue that is still unannounced, so the reading might make a nice premiere -- and hopefully by August I can tell the audience about the project.

Okay. I realize most of you won't be there, so I hope I didn't bore you. If you do make it, stop by Salon F even if -- like me -- you're really just there for the 7:00 P.M. reading by Thomas Monteleone.

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

ristow · **Posted:** Sat May 12, 2007 10:59 am

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Sat May 12, 2007 12:28 pm

Good luck with the reading, Mark. Wish I could be there, I'm afriad that I can't though.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

Can you guys provide life-sized cardboard cutouts of yourself that I can place in the audience so I can feel I'm among friends?

ristow · **Posted:** Sat May 12, 2007 8:24 pm

Thanks Mark! You just unwittingly gave me a GREAT story idea!

Now i just need to finish my zombie novel (70000 of 80000) and my sea-monster thing (12,000 of 15000) so I can get to it.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

padrone · **Joined:** Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:22 pm **Posts:** 6

I'll be there,

IF . . . .

1.) I'm back from dinner in time, and

2.) you DON'T use your radio voice

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

ristow · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 11:40 pm

Hey mark,

when I write this story I alluded to, I'll call the main character "MARK JUSTIN" -- and he'll be a radio disc jockey,

only I'll make him from High Wycombe or some other small town just outside the southern city limits of London. His station is Zed-487, The Zeb-ra, and he's, as the brits would say, "On holiday" in Bermuda. (for the foreseeable future, any short story I'm writing will be about Bermuda.)

How that fits with your post about picture cut outs of Matt, Me, and the rest of us will be left up to your imagination!

ristow · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 1:23 am

One last thing...

I guess this counts as making prelimary story notes.

The character, Mark Justin, got fired from his BBC talk radio gig for showing up to work for showing up to work drunk, and mumbling the word "Wanker" 73 times while reading a three minute news segment

Because of that, he consigned to taking a job where he has to spin Spice Girls, Ace of Bass, Kylie Minogue, and lots of crappy Euro Disco records.

Again, I'm purposely leaving out the cut-out dynamic.

Now it's really time for me to shut up and write the thing.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 12:28 pm

Rich,
Now we're all going to want to know what happens in your story, so you'll have to let us know where it ends up.

I've always wanted to place a story in England because I hold the place in such high regard in my mind. I've never been out of America though so I always fear that I would get a bunch of stuff wrong about the land and culture (Despite reading so much fiction from British writers like Campell, James Herbert, M.R. James and others). How do you hadle writing about places you may be less familar with?

ristow · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 1:00 pm

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

In an odd coincidence, I got my contributor copy of The Horror Library Volume 2 today (along with a check, thank you), and "The Losers vs. Beelphegor" holds up pretty well. It's the first time I've looked at it in months. I read the first couple of pages out loud and my wife snorted several times, so that's a good sign (on the other hand, she has a sinus infection. Hmmm). A lot can happen between now and August, but it's looking like this will be the story I read.

An odd by-product of this is that I now have ideas for a couple of more Losers stories. If I can find a publisher that likes to bring the funny, I can send 'em "The Losers of the Lost Ark".

ristow · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 3:10 pm

You know, I tried to be "humor writer" last summer, and I filled up a couple of notebooks. I found, on Ralan and WD market were very slim on humor. best of luck.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

I've had some luck with humor. I've been writing columns for a local magazine. And the pay rate -- at least five times professional fiction rates -- is almost enough to make me a non-fiction kinda guy.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 5:15 pm

I put a spot of humor here and there in the novel I wrote but that was mostly to give my main character some personality. I really don't like to include much humor in the horror I write because I really enjoy my horror to be very dark and creepy. I feel as though humor detracts too much from the horror. I don't think I could ever write non-fiction either, despite the fact that I hear it pays a good deal more. Up to this point I haven't been paid for anything, so I'm not giving up to much. Lately for some reason I've gotten it into my mind that I might like to interview some people though. I don't know why that is, I don't believe that I would have any skill at doing it, but I think I'd just like to ask some of the people whose work I enjoy any question I want, I guess. I'm glad that we have Mark here, who is good at interviewing people and uses that ability to talk to a lot of very interesting people. I will continue to live vicariously through him.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

ristow · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 6:09 pm

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

ristow · **Posted:** Sat May 19, 2007 4:11 pm

The Mark Justin character has now moved from a drunk disc-jockey to a stoic Falklands War Veteran. He's now more of a heroic ex-Royal Marine. This is turning out to be a fun story. I can honestly say that, if it never gets published, I honestly still enjoyed writing it.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

ristow · **Posted:** Sun May 20, 2007 12:13 am

ristow · **Posted:** Sun May 20, 2007 12:14 am

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

ristow · **Posted:** Mon May 21, 2007 1:19 am

Done!!!!

Now I have to clean it up and cut the word count. I'm at 4874, which means 874 needs to go.

I'm glad I have some experience editting newspapers..... but getting rid of 874 will be a challenge.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Mon May 21, 2007 12:19 pm

Rich,

You'll have to let us know if it lands somewhere, so we can read about virtual-Mark Justice in your story.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

Is Virtual Mark better, um, endowed than Real Mark? :lol

ristow · **Posted:** Mon May 21, 2007 5:58 pm

Just imagine a grumpy Falklands War vet, a drunk a fired radio personality, and somebody who has to combat man-eating-flowers --- I'll leve the endowment issue up the imagination. "Mark Justin" does no "seducing," if you get my drift

ristow · **Posted:** Mon May 21, 2007 11:54 pm

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