I’ve been writing, just limited amounts as I feel that I can accomplish the task. To be honest, I don’t know that I can fully stop that aspect of my craft. More importantly however, I’ve begun illustrating once again. Since 2005, I’ve had only a handful of illustration projects that I’ve actually completed (some for myself and a few for others). I guess that I could say that my drive for the literal art of my storytelling craft dropped off my plate (much like a serving of cauliflower when I was a kid). However, in the recent year or so, it has gained momentum once again in what I enjoy doing.

I know that probably everyone has heard advice from family or friends on doing what you enjoy. For more than twenty years, that was art (illustration) for me. Writing always took a backseat to the joys that I found in drawing and/or painting. However, something curious happened to that drive when I suffered five heart attacks in a quick succession between 2004 and 2005. It was as if that part of me had abandoned me, left me for good. I still enjoyed seeing great artwork, but my desire to do it had all but vanished from my being.

As of today, I have rediscovered that spark within me to begin illustrating that which I am writing. For me, it compliments and completes some of the aspects of the stories that I am trying to tell. For the most part, it brings the characters and places of the stories within my own head to light in a clear manner. The most important thing for me in this discovery is that I enjoy my stories a bit more.

With that said, I thought that it would be a grand idea to share some of these with you here in the blog. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed tooling them up.

You can also find these illustrations on my Facebook page (under the Photos tab), or here at my Google/Picasa gallery.

In the first week in April, I had the honor of being before a Social Security Administration judge to appeal a "paperwork only" decision on whether I am physically disabled or not. At the hearing, after a rather brief (but thorough examination of my specific physical ailment case), I was found by the court of experts to be in fact physically disabled from what our government deems as, "competitive employment." From what I understand, this simply means that since I am physically ill, and under a doctor’s constant care, I cannot compete for the same active employment that others can.

The prestigious courts decision was no surprise to me, having felt that I have been physically unable to accomplish full-time employment since 2005 (the year that I had my last heart attack). However, the decision, the judgment by these authorities within our Social Security system left me feeling somewhat exhausted, and yet relieved at the same moment (it was an odd sensation to say the least).

I took a few weeks away from writing (as well as illustrating) during April to recollect myself and focus on a great many things that I felt were important at the time. I think that it was time well spent, and it gave me the opportunity to look at my writing in a newfound way. What I learned while on the hiatus was this; I should take more time with the fictions that I’m writing. I’m writing for me, and as such, I should care for my stories a little bit longer before launching them out and into the world. After all, I have no deadlines in which I find myself writing, and that fact leaves me free to pursue them, as I like (and enjoy). Therefore, with that in mind, I’ve begun to pace myself a little more slowly. I find that this new pacing has curbed a bit of stress for me, which is always a good thing to do I think.

I’m still working on several short stories. However, recently I’ve also begun working on outlines for a much more detailed story. It is one that I hope will be able to become a novel, but I’m unsure at this time if I will be able to accomplish such an epic project. The last novel that I attempted was lost during a computer glitch and malfunction, and what I have left of it sits in a folder, smoldering with the cooling ash of lost desires to finish it. I assume there are many manuscripts, by well-versed authors in the field today, who have several of these lying about from their early careers, so I’m not too worried about it here-and-now.

I enjoy the short story, and I feel that I still have a ways to travel before I can say that I can tell one of these well enough to take on a much larger project. However, the story ideas that enter a writer’s head, can at times, consume them to the point of being just as disabling as any other type of disease. I’m sure that I’ll have to tell these stories in order for them to leave me alone, so that is what I will be working on moving forward.

Anyway, that’s what has been happening on my end as of the last couple of months. I’m still here, still plodding through stories and the ideas of them. Thanks for sticking with me and venturing back to see what’s new on this end. I hope to have a new short, entitled, Stone in Love, completed soon.

As always, thanks gang,

:o)>

Therefore, here’s what’s been on the stove burners this month. I am continuing my work on my latest short story entitled, Stone in Love. I am hoping to have it done and posted by the end of this month. I know that this month it will appear as if I’ve been slacking (with only one short to post), but I am working on a much more ambitious project as well, as I continue working on that short story. I’ll spill some of the beans on this as I get things more solid on the project. I want to make sure that I am ready to launch into it prior to saying that it’s going to develop for me.

In the beginning of the month, I received my first rejection letter to the short, Hope Hungers for Patience. I’ve received several such letters in my past when submitting artwork in the comic book industry, so the letter does not rattle me. If anything, it strengthens my resolve to do better in the future, which I know that I will. Like any art, you become better with focus, and of course practice.

I have several ideas lined up for new short stories, and Kitty (my wife) tells me, that it seems that I come up with a new one on most days. Some of these ideas are better, I think, than my earlier shorts. However, I find myself usually pursuing the ones that really challenge me as a storyteller. Usually, the more difficult ones are the ones I attack first, because they excite me more.

In 2009, I began a novel (working title, Once a White Road), and I’ve placed the manuscript on hold at this point. I’m sure most storytellers have reached a point with several manuscripts where they either lose interest in the story, or cannot find the zeal to continue attacking the lives of the characters within the story. For me, I think that I really need to focus more on different material at this point, as White Road was less a horror story and more of a Southern Gothic tale. I enjoy those types of stories, but I fear that the magic in the story was suffering due to my attempts at writing it, rather than flowering into something that challenged me.

The month of May looks good, and if I can get over the hump in a couple of projects that I have going on currently, then it will end up being a great month.

Thanks gang, and that’s all from my end.

:o)>

Here is an example of a recent query letter of mine for a recent submission to a horror magazine. This was sent in response for a open submissions call. Today’s post is for no other reason than to see the process of submissions as it goes along. It can be a long process, one I liken to that of my old military days of “Hurry up and wait.”

I did in fact search for an editors name (which you should always do in the process) to address my query. However I unfortunately, came up short with one to hail in this query. So, I went with the old standby of, Submissions Editor. I do try to avoid this, however, sometimes it cannot be found in print, or on-line.

Its also unfortunate that the magazine’s e-mail address given for this open call for submissions, returns a delivery notification failure upon sending. It states that the domain does not exist. I suppose that it’s always good to lace one’s horror with a little bit of mystery. In this case, I’m stumped, so I messaged the only e-mail address that I could find on the website, and that was the editor. I am hoping for a response in order to turn this short story in for review at this time.

________________________________

Dear Submissions Editor at Horror Bound Magazine Publications,

Good day, my name is Framen Stewart. I am writing you today to submit a short story for your publication, Horror Bound, to review. This short story submission is in reply to an open call for submissions through your website, Fear of the Dark: An Anthology Published by Horror Bound Magazine Publications. I have attached a short story that I have written to this e-mail for my submission to this anthology for review (MS Word file, 2007 version).

Pity the Girl is a completed 5,500-word contemporary horror short story, set in rural Texas (in Any-town America). This short story is intended for the horror genre marketplace, and should meet your criteria listed in the open call: Horror Bound Magazine Publications seeks short stories for an upcoming anthology entitled Fear of the Dark (Temporary Title). The point of the stories should be to investigate the human fear of the unknown, the dark, and the common themes found in nightmares. Please see the synopsis of my short story submission below.

I am a professional copywriter, and illustrator. I have worked in both the comic book and advertising/marketing industries for twenty-six years. I have been writing professionally for ten years, and I have finished a number of manuscripts to-date. However, I have only recently become interested in publishing my own fictions, and at this time I am an unpublished author. If you would like, please feel free to visit my website (listed herein) for more information.

If you are interested, I would very much like your publication to review this completed short story for your anthology publication. Your feedback to the manuscript is most welcome. If you prefer, you can send an e-mail, should this be more convenient for you in your response.  However, all of my contact information is located at the beginning of the manuscript, should you wish other options of communication. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Framen Stewart

Story synopsis: Sonia Lovejoy resides at Harmony House nursing home in Texas. At ninety-three years-of-age, afraid of the dark, and a victim of a recent stroke, Sonia has seen better times. One summer day, a polite visit from her granddaughter brings the aging woman a package, containing a memory from her distant childhood. The memento is one that she thought had been discarded years earlier. The innocent gift from her granddaughter reminds Sonia of the anguish that she once felt for her missing twin sister, Sophia. The painful memory of Sophia’s disappearance one night from the family home, when they were both young girls, upsets her. Sonia knows that the mysterious circumstances surrounding Sophia’s vanishing are due to the dark contents of the packaged keepsake. Sonia’s exasperated response to the sudden reappearance of the age-old packet, leads her into a living nightmare of recollection and revealing discovery that will unsuspectingly see her make a demanding choice before the night is over.

________________________________

If you would like to read this short story listed here (Pity the Girl) in this post, simply click here to view it. Thanks gang, and have a grand day.

It must have been the later, wasn’t it? Oh, there are just too many things getting in my mind’s way right now. Too much, stress if you must know. I don’t handle stress well you know. I usually just smile a lot in order to relieve the pains of it when I feel it coming on. That’s why I’m smiling now, at this very moment. I’m supposed to be happy—it’s my job.

Trixy, Reban and Clara stood nearby, that much I can say with certainty. Trixy’s chiffon tutu rustling above her ballerina-like tights, Reban’s breath—hot with his lighter fluid and vodka concoction, and Clara’s inane farting from the three live chickens she had eaten earlier—those things are hard to miss—even in my Swiss cheese memory.

The smoothness of the item that I held somehow comforted me—made me feel assured—calm in a weird way. It was as if it became a part of me the longer I held it in my hands. It was oh-so soothing let me tell you. I could almost hear it singing to me, giving me peace. I know that sounds strange, but it my line of work, one accepts the strange as a standard part of life.

I know that I was upset with Meme; that much I’d admit too. I mean, who in their right mind wouldn’t be disturbed by his kind? He pranced around here as if he was God’s gift to comedy. As if he were, the soul tragedy in life’s little play. I think that he thought that anyone would find him utterly amusing. I didn’t. In truth, he made me ill—just looking at his sappy, forged smile, faded-color costume, and ratty wig. He was a disgrace to the profession don’t you see? He was a laughing stock—but not by his talents—if you get my drift.

As for what happened, honestly it’s all a big blur. Meme looked at me after the show, smiling that offending grin beneath his sadly applied makeup, and shaking his head. I asked him what was so humorous. You know what he said to me? Well, he told me that I wasn’t funny. I know—me, Teatle-Dee, clown extraordinaire, not funny–now there’s a laugh for you.

Then, I don’t know what happened. The next thing I know, Jungo hollers, stumbles over his big shoes and Meme has a new, wide smile on his face.

So Detective, I guess we see who’s funny now, don’t we?

Click here if you would like to download the short story.

This, in a small measure, is what I experienced during the near fatal events of my last heart attack, in 2005. It is funny what the mind can, and cannot recall during tragic events. Most of what we cannot, I feel, is a simple defense mechanism, and probably should remain unknown for good reason. Oddly enough, I am a rather easy person to sedate; however, rather difficult to remain so. This 1,000 word flash fiction short only skims the surface of the weird and strange goings-on that I experienced during the procedure. I am sure there will be more that will seep into future shorts.

Click here to read the 1K word tale.

So, here area a couple of links to a desktop wallpaper that I have put together for the image of the Therion shadow creature from the short story. They both are done to my preferred screen resolution (which is 1366×768). Should you want it at a different size … well, you will just have to make the adjustments yourself, using whatever photo-manipulating software that you may use (yes, I am assuming that you have and use such). There is one with the Pity title on it, as well as one without. Shameless self-promotion is an artist’s right of course, however I realize that not everyone enjoys that type of thing.

You may use the links provided below to share with others if you should care to do so. The is used used under a Creative Commons License [Attribution: (CC-Drew Staffen) 2010. Used under a Creative Commons License. Some rights reserved.]. The photo manipulation was done by yours truly for purposes of the short story.

Enjoy gang.

Desktop wallpaper no. 1 (with story title)

Desktop wallpaper no. 2 (without story title)

I have often wondered what would happen if I were to write a short story specifically for a horror anthology. Well, now I know; no need to wonder any longer. Storytelling, specifically for a collection of short stories, based upon a specific topic and/or theme, and targeted for a particular customer-base, was not a bad experience. In fact, overall, I have found it rather gratifying to attack an editor’s selective choice.

Pity the Girl was written as an answer to an open submissions call from a horror magazine publication. The topic given in the call, “The point of the stories should be to investigate the human fear of the unknown, the dark, and the common themes found in nightmares,” with a modest word count range of 1500-5500 (I went with the larger count of course).

The idea for this story (that I have shelved for years) was due to one of youngest son’s fears of the shadows within his bedroom when he was very young. He swore that he could see them (as humanoid shapes some of the time) coming out of the walls, plopping into the floors and ceiling, as well as moving all about his bedroom like liquid ink. I have always wanted to take the idea of living shadows, and put a mythic spin on a strange being that reaches back into the ancient times of man. This story plays with that notion, toying with it in mere suggestions and fictive assumptions. However, I believe that I have found sustenance for some of my future stories. I am sure that there will be further stories for me to tell that will range deeper into dark world of fantasy and horror, with the Therion. I hope that you will join me … in the shadows of course.

Click here to download the full story.

However, I have friends using the aforementioned networks who tell me these amazingly outrageous stories (so they must be true) about how both women and men are so forward these days via these social networking web sites; sending flirtatious emails, risky photographs and even explicit chat and video through these services to almost anyone who makes contact with them. All of this, and they have never met the other individual who they are sharing this type of private and sometimes intimate communication with.

I find this information placing me on somewhat unfamiliar territory. I for one, could not even imagine how dating is in these days of super accessible communication. On the other hand, what this kind of communication could mean to a dating scenario today. What could this type of communication become for most people utilizing it for such activity? Would I trust in someone trolling the internet for communication in this fashion? I would like to think not, I would like to think that I have not become so desperate for the attention of the opposite sex to sell myself so cheaply via a social network. Maybe I would one day, but I don’t think so here and now.

It has become strange to me in seeing just how open people have become through this type of media, seemingly forgetting that what they may send is so easily accessible on their or other’s computers, phones, etc. All in the vein of reaching out for someone to either like them, date them or possibly even have sexual relations with them. However, it is all there for anyone who has eyes to see.

My question would be this (in regard to utilizing these networks in such a fashion); are their not enough other actual dating and sexual hook-up web sites out there for one to use instead of the location-based social networks? The answer would be yes, there are, but from what I have seen in researching this topic, they cost money in effectively putting to use for the end-user, and thus enters the free social networking web sites. The operative word being free, they cost nothing for the end-user to put to work for them. Thus, these networks become more highly attractive to most searching for this type of interaction. This instead of paying a web site to use for what my friends have told me is known as an “On-line Booty Call” (MySpace being the more notorious of the two used for this purpose).

I am not saying here that my generation was more virtuous, we were not saints or anything quite so trite in comparison to the here and now of today’s youth. However, in my age it was considered wild, crazy even, if someone took Polaroid photographs or filmed any such lewd content with a VHS video camera (Yeah, I am that old) to share with most folks. Now, people send clips of explicit acts via cell phone, email, and even social networking web sites, each person performing whatever they care or dare to do. All along reaching out; yet hiding behind the safety of their invisible eye on the interconnected world. Trying to immortalize themselves in cyberspace, and usually not in a very flattering way from what I have played witness to to-date.

Possibly this new form of action among users of social networks is because of the inherent disconnect in not actually seeing or meeting the other individual in a face-to-face manner that compels one to engage in such activity. If you end up not liking the situation of sharing this type of information, one can simply click-off the web cam or simply delete the individual from one’s friends list. Simple, no?

Maybe it is the thrill of daring to do what you might not otherwise attempt behind the safety of one’s own keyboard and monitor, without the risk of rejection from the other party involved. After all, the other party must be sending images or sharing racy messages or video as well or the enticement really is not in place for interaction. Thus, it is a lower rejection threshold in the form of communication.

However, maybe, it’s the need for connection without any real risk of endangerment being taken in order to accomplish the individual’s desires for a form of intimate contact. These are only a few of the many possibilities out there, for why it might be sought after. There are just as many reasons as there are users of these web sites. It is difficult to narrow down the fields of why someone uses what he or she uses in such an avenue. I am not one to judge.

Wanton need for stimulation, for communication of this sort has lead to an over-abundance of other issues within these networks that some find out too late in most situations. The theft of private information has been reported in some cases, along with other unwanted contact. Privacy is always an issue to be dealt with for all location-based social networks, and this should be kept in mind when communicating via these structures of social interaction. I have experienced this by receiving strange chat messages from an old high school friend recently. The messages told me that she was mugged in a foreign country and in need of money. No, I did not fall for it. However, I did find it a shock to find out that a Facebook account can be highjacked so easily for malicious purposes.

Without the proper security measures, other users could easily download information, photography, or applications (via certain types of cell phones) and use them to pinpoint certain users for anything they may choose to use, and potentially even involving harassment or worse. Each of the social networks mentioned here have integrated security measures that can be used (I personally have found Facebook to be the better of the two mentioned herein from my experience, and is why I choose not to use MySpace any longer).

Should all these networks provide for some individuals is a Booty Call, that is what they choose to use it for, and I am neither condoning nor condemning that measure of use for anyone here. However, if one is not utilizing these networks for that, and if you are like me, and are merely using it to stay in touch with friends, family and fans, then please exhibit an ounce of notice and caution to who and how some are trying to get in touch with you. It could save you some embarrassing moments in your in-box or your comments section of your social networking pages. Think of it as surfing the World Wide Web with a virtual condom on your mouse, that is what I do and it seems to work pretty well for me.

This piece took me a bit of time to complete, as I’m much slower than I once was when it comes to the illustration thing. However, I am rather pleased with the outcome. And I thought that I’d share a bit of it with you all prior to the completion of the short story.

No, I’m not going to tell you what the story is about, but I’ll provide you just a look-see, a peak at the idea behind the short story. I’m influenced by a great many aspects of life; the horror, the darkness, the weird in it all. My art, like my writing, reflects a bit of that fascination as well. I especially like the advantage I have in being able to tie some of my ideas (the visual ones) into what I write in my storytelling. Remember, I am an art school graduate, one driven toward graphic, sequential storytelling. So, it’s only natural that I work in a vein that is somewhat visual for me.

This short story is a bit unique for me. This is the first short that I’ve taken on that I’m specifically telling to appease a topic given to me by an outside source. This one has come to me from Horror Bound Magazine’s open call for short story submissions. Their topic of choice for an upcoming anthology was simply, the darkness. I’ve enjoyed writing something that is geared to a specific topic for someone else, one that is not “just something I want to tell a story about for myself.” I hope that you all will enjoy the weird short story when its completed, and I also hope that the editors at Horror Bound will enjoy it enough to actually add it to their anthology that will more than likely not print until next year (as the open call doesn’t end until December 2010).

Anywho, here is the link to view the new artwork (larger than it is in this post). It is hosted on my Google (Picasa) account, along with the other covers for my shorts so far this year. Enjoy, and thanks gang.

:o)>