Who holds the pen— you or your characters?

Something that’s intrigued me as writer is: how much control do I have during the creation process? When I sit down to write, I usually have a brief outline either generated in ink or, at the very least, well defined in my brain. I usually know where I want to begin and have a ballpark estimate of how and where my story should end. The middle, or meat and potato portions of my tales usually dwell in very murky waters.

But…

…usually…

…my characters dictate their own direction. How so?

Let’s try a writing exercise.

I see a woman. Her name is Wendy. She’s tall and beautiful. She has brown hair and blue eyes. She loves the theater and Italian food. She loves her boyfriend, Max and has never cheated on him. She practices witchcraft and eats babies. Whoa! What happened there? She was almost perfect until I found out she loves the theater…

Just kidding.

The witchcraft and eating of babies just came out of nowhere. Or did it? How does the brain birth a person of our own devise? Is it our own devise?

Sometimes I get stuck in the middle of what I consider a strong story. Everything is going splendidly until I hit “the wall.” You writers know what I mean. There’s no way to get around it either, so I try breaking it down. I try going over it. I try going under it. Every attempt ends in failure. I look back and I can see Wendy with her arms crossed. She’s tapping her foot with a smug look of “I know what your problem is…you’re simply not listening to me.”

I get worried. Do other writers have conversations with figments of their imagination? Is it schizophrenia? Is there a bit of insanity in store for me? Is there any harm in listening to what Wendy has to say?

Maybe not. Okay…here goes.

Hey, Wendy. Uh, I think I’ve been a jerk. I probably haven’t been paying enough attention to you.

You haven’t.

I know. Sorry. But I’m willing to listen now. What should do? I’m stuck here in front of this wall, and I really don’t know what to do.

Angel, Angel, Angel…first of all, the main problem is my name isn’t Wendy.

It ain’t.

No. It’s actually Frank. And I’m short. And I hate the theater. And I cheat on my wife all the time.

Wow. No wonder I can’t get through this wall. I’m really sorry, Frankie.

Excuse me, it’s Frank.

Oh. Sorry, Frank. What now?

I need you to trust me.

How so?

I need you to give me that.

Give you what?

That pen in your hand.

Why?

Because that wall isn’t a wall at all.

It isn’t?

No. It’s a door. Watch. Give me the pen and I’ll show you.

* * *

Okay, a bit theatrical, but this is how it works for me sometimes. I have to hand over the reins to my characters. I have to give them control. I have to listen to them. It’s not enough to create this person from out of the thin air. I may have given Wendy…er, Frank his first breath, but I have to realize he longs to breathe on his own.

Okay, enough about me.

What’s it like for you and your creations?

New story, "Chewing the Fat" up at Pulp Metal Magazine

I got a brand new story, Chewing the Fat up at Pulp Metal Magazine. Many thanks to Editor, Jason Michel – The Dictator.

Excerpt:
Millie had her first baby the day after her eighteenth birthday. Although “had” would imply “given birth to” when in fact “had” in this particular case denotes “ate.” And she’d have no problem telling you that that Antichrist infant tasted nothing like chicken.

“It really didn’t,” she’d admit with a wink...

Read the entire story here.

Author CK Webb Reviews The Man of Shadows!

The Deepening is a fantastic resource for book enthusiasts. Editor-in-Chief, Clayton Bye and his staff offer insightfully honest book and novel reviews. One of his staff members, Author CK Webb, has just posted a review of my book, The Man of Shadows, published by Panic Press. She says, "I absolutely loved The Man of Shadows. The writer’s tales give a new spin to old stories, and he does it with a style unlike any other. Angel Zapata will have you questioning everything that you believe as an adult and wanting, more than anything, to pull the covers up tight when you crawl into bed at night…"

Read the entire review here.

You can pick yourself up a copy of The Man of Shadows through Amazon here.

I really appreciate CK taking the time to read and review my work. Thanks so much, CK!

CK Webb is author of Cruelty To Innocents & Collecting Innocents which she co-wrote with her mother, DJ Weaver. You can find out more about her work at the site, WebbWeaver.

The Man of Shadows FREE Giveaway on Goodreads

My book, The Man of Shadows has been listed on Goodreads. Stop by and enter the FREE giveaway for a signed copy here!

The winner will receive a signed copy of my book, The Man of Shadows.

Panic Press presents, The Man of Shadows, a dark collection of twenty-five short horror stories by Angel Zapata. Edited by S.E.Cox and illustrated by Darren James.

It begins with “The Mouth of Babes,” a visceral tale of streetwalkers and addicts, morbid voyeurs, cannibalistic tattoos, and witchcraft. Jimmy only wants another photograph for his online Death Images website. But when his good friend, Steve calls him down to the morgue to see a body with a strange tattoo of a mouth on her abdomen, he learns that sometimes the dead have incurable appetites.

“In Death Reversal,” a grief-stricken wife hopes to resurrect the husband she murdered by making a long distance call to hell.

“The Bridge” pits the superstitious beliefs of the neurotically-challenged, Benson against the very real presence of a modern-day troll.

“Dead Flames” paints us a brief love story between the walking dead.

From the wicked predilections of children to the varied manifestations of evil personified, The Man of Shadows will have you running for the light.

Anatomy Fidelity and The Hole Truth at The Glass Coin

The Glass Coin has published a couple of my poems for their Open Minds, Duplicity themed issue. My works “consider the external/physical human body and dig deeper into its internal/spiritual significance.” Explore Anatomy Fidelity and The Hole Truth.

My sincere thanks to editors, Sairah Saddal and JM Prescott.

The Man of Shadows available for Kindle on Amazon.com

Don't have a Kindle? Hmmm...you may need to buy one so you can download yourself a copy of The Man of Shadows for only $4.99 on Amazon.com. If you prefer, the print version can be purchased through Panic Press using the link on the right of this page. Of course you can always order both...

I'm saving my pennies now so I can get my own Kindle. Hell, I just realized my Rage of Angel header still says I'm an unpaid writer...I may have to change that...;-)

Hey, and if you enjoy my book, please feel free to leave a review over on Amazon.

Sonar4 Landing Dock reviews my book, The Man of Shadows

Sonar4 Landing Dock reviews my book, The Man of Shadows from Panic Press. Yeah, they did call me a chick, but the review is great, so I easily forgive them ;-)

You can order yourself a copy of my book on this very page, or thru House of Horror or Panic Press.

Ebook version is also available for $4.99 at Smashwords. Smashwords also provides you with the first 30 pages of my book to read prior to purchase. Check it out!

Tweet Me a Story & The Undead Submachine Gun call for submissions

Tweet Me a Story Contest

Register for the Tweet Me a Story contest. It's free! You’ll have to write an entire story in 140 characters (which includes spaces). They send you the prompt for Round One on January 13th and you’ll have 5 hours to write and submit your story on the same night. $100 prize.

Visit NYC Midnight’s Tweet Me a Story Contest to register.

The Undead Submachine Gun

J. Darko is hosting a writing contest based on your choice of five prompts. Per her blog,
HERE’S WHAT TO DO:
1. Pick a prompt
2. Email me (at darko_undead@hotmail.com) to inform me of your intent to participate
3. Write me a killer fuck’n horror story!
4. Email your polished final-draft as an attachment

Prompt 1: It’s the apocalypse, baby. Yes, your end-of-the-world event must include zombies. However, there’s a catch. The zombies must take a back seat to another pressing horror that your main character(s) will face while also having to deal with the undead horde in the backdrop. This “other horror” must be something tangible and assail your character(s) at some point in your story. How and if your character(s) prevail in the end is up to you.

Prompt 2: A horror story inspired by music.

Prompt 3: Hell on Earth.

Prompt 4: Fan-fiction…“The Walking Dead” inspired narratives.

Prompt 5: Fan-fiction…vigilante horror.

Deadline: Midnight, February 31st, 2011.

Visit The Undead Submachine Gun for all the gory details on specific prompt requirements, rules and prize info.

I'll be writing something based on prompt #1. C'mon and join me on any one of the 5 choices.

She’s got some really great prizes, so get writing!!

5x5 Fiction: Stories Told Loud and Clear now accepting submissions

5 by 5 Fiction: Stories Told Loud and Clear is a quarterly flash fiction e-zine.

I’m looking for exceptional stories to shout from rooftops. Complete stories (not rantings or poems) must be exactly 25 words long, told in exactly 5 sentences, with each sentence comprised of exactly 5 words.

Any variation from these short, sweet, strict guidelines won’t even be considered. All genres are welcome. Write it, proofread it, and send it in the body of your e-mail to loudandclearfiction (at) yahoo (dot) com. Subject line should read: 5x5_Story Title_Author's Name.

I only ask for one time publishing rights. Otherwise, all rights remain with the author. And don’t even think about plagiarizing, ‘cause you will be found out and prosecuted to the full extent of the claw. That’s right, I said “claw.” As in having your eyes clawed out. I’m deadly serious. For reals.

I have no money, so won’t be giving any away as payment. Sorry, wish I did have money for you. Hell, I wish I had money for me.

But how do I style my work, Angel?

As you would any story. I don’t want to see your work broken into poetic verses. I love poetry, but don’t want to have any submitted for this venue. Yeah, really. For God’s sake, didn’t you read the bit about the claw?

Should I provide a bio?

Yes. Make it exactly 5 words (and yeah, that includes your name). You can provide a link to your website or blog and I’ll hyperlink it to your name, so it doesn’t count toward your 5 words.

Okay.

Am I making myself loud and clear?

Then get going.

-Angel Zapata, editor
December 11, 2010

The Man of Shadows available as Ebook at Smashwords

Panic Press has just listed the ebook version of my book on Smashwords.
You can find your FREE 30 page download sample here. The entire ebook can be purchased for $4.99.