So what is a Horrorist, anyway?

If you are reading this it means you are starting the Horrorist's Journey. But it's not a path you will walk alone. You've got me, your ever faithful Horrorist himself, who will be documenting the steps as we go.

To understand the Horrorist is to compare the Horrorist, so let's start with some terms you would be familiar with:

Chemist - one who investigates reactions and interactions between atoms, molecules, and other substances.

Alchemist - one who transforms ordinary substances into extraordinary riches.

Botanist - someone familiar with plants and their biological make up, one with knowledge of combining and cross breeding.

Bard (of the Dungeons and Dragons Definition) - one who is a master of song, speech, and magic.

A Horrorist has elements of all of these characters, but what it boils down to is one who finds the gripping, the horrific, and the terrifying in the everyday and conjures a narrative around them. The Horrorist places everyday people (characters) in these narratives and allows them to either rise or fall to the Eldritch challenges. 

Many aspects of our day to day life have the potential for great horror, and it is my role to tell those stories, teach those lessons, and (on a good day) deliver the reader safely through the stormy seas to the other side of the shore, all the wiser. It's education through the time honoured tradition of the cautionary tale, while having a little bit of fun in the process. All while retaining the magic that comes from taking ordinary words and stringing them together to become something greater than themselves; a cohesive and compelling story, a page turner, a real barn burner. 

This is the role that I live for. This is the craft that I dedicate many of my spare moments to; and (finally) one I can share with all of you. So walk with me as we stroll through writing samples, ideas, characters, problems I've faced, figuring out how to fit a story around inspiration when it smacks me on the head, and my journey to publish a book, something I’ve only dreamed about for the last 25 years. 

Make sure you visit every Thursday at 11am. I'll have a new step in our path, and new magic to share.

This blog is for casual and dedicated horror fans alike. It's for fans of the writing process and those curious to know how an aspiring author gets his ideas. As plainly as I can put it, this blog is for people who love reading the written word. Here's a hint for those of you who made it this far. Step one is by getting curious, and then fostering that curiosity.

I'll leave you with that.

See you next week.

-Mark

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