Patrick Rutigliano's Blog, page 12

Where is Horror Going?

Recently, the esteemed Brian Keene wrote a short post regarding the absence of new horror icons to take the place of the old. And he’s right, really. It’s so easy to pick out the names of well-loved actors and characters from past decades, but once one approaches the year 2000 … not so much.

And, as usual with horror, I think the cultural environment had a lot to do with it.

The post-9/11 era saw a massive shift in American perspectives. This was reflected in the entertainment industry, and speculative drama fell right off a cliff. Yes, there were exceptions, but by and large, television and movies reveled in realism. I’m not talking about procedural accuracy (most police and legal shows/films take extreme liberties with the way the real world actually works), but the threats presented. Over the last decade, viewers got every flavor of terrorist, serial killer, and rapist imaginable. The villains are indeed despicable, disturbing even, but there’s something lacking.

The element of the unknown.

Every one of these “monsters” is still a person, and he can’t become anything more than that. No matter how awful the villain presented, he can be outmaneuvered, overpowered, and killed by any person more capable than himself. The only things that can set him apart as a “monster” are motivation and method. And after a point, that’s … kind of dull.

Playing with the whole “since these are human beings, this could happen to you!” aspect can’t elicit any new fear after the thousandth time it’s screamed at someone, which is probably why some of the more recent crime thrillers have been so outlandish (*coughThe Followingcough*) in their efforts to stand out.

Worse, the new millennium heralded an unprecedented period of money-grubbing unoriginality on the part of studios. The only stranger stories they seemed willing to touch were ones they believed had built-in fanbases ready to throw money at them, leading to a slew of terrible remakes of genre classics. And when so many of them flopped and/or got panned, it was easy to say, “Well, they won’t even go for the classics, anymore. Why on earth would we take a risk on something new?”

True out-there entertainment has only really been coming back in recent years (thanks in large part to the Marvel movies, which proved a little crazy can be a lot of fun), and I really hope it starts creeping into horror as well. Because when the best genre fans are offered is another serial killer off an assembly line or a half-baked remake of an old icon, it’s time to open a vein and let some fresh blood pour out.

New Article Up (Cover Art)

Because good cover art can be tough to come by:

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/cover-art/

Prospective Cover Artists!

As I’ve been having a tough time settling on an artist for Bestiary’s cover, I figured I’d let you guys take part in the decision! So, here are the artists I’m considering. Feel free to throw any favorites you might have into the ring as well and I’ll take a look at their portfolios:

Gary McCluskey (who I’ve worked with before and is pretty damn awesome):

http://garymccluskey.carbonmade.com/

Zach McCain (of DarkFuse fame–not sure what he charges, though, so I might need to raise additional funds):

http://www.zachmccain.com/gallery.html

Clarissa Yeo (the photoshopped route):

http://yocladesigns.com/portfolio

Jerrod Balzer (who did the book covers over at KHP, including the one for Surviving the Crash):

http://khpbooks.com/

-I also just noticed the blog hit 100 followers! Thank you all for keeping up with my shenanigans!

New Article Up (Strong Female Characters)

Because strong female characters can’t be made out of cardboard:

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/strong-female-characters/

Back to Work!

While I didn’t mention it here earlier, I was busy the last two months doing freelance work for a couple clients (for which I’m extremely grateful!). I had to take a brief hiatus from my regular workload to take care of business, but I’m ready and rearing to get back to writing fiction and producing books once more.

And I actually started a new novella shortly before I started working on that first proofreading job. I think I’ll get back to that one soon … as well as promoting Surviving the Crash and producing Bestiary, of course.

Hopefully, I’ll have some concrete news on cover art next week!

New Article Up (The Pros and Cons of Outlining)

To outline or not to outline? Which camp do you fall into?

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/the-pros-and-cons-of-outlining/

A New Review of Surviving the Crash!

A four-star review from Horror After Dark:

http://www.horrorafterdark.com/2014/07/review-surviving-crash-patrick-rutigliano/

New Article Up (Engaging the Senses)

Because good writing is a full-body experience:

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/engaging-the-senses/

Bestiary Production Update #11

After much scraping and scrounging, I’ve managed to get enough money together to pay for Bestiary’s cover art. While I had my eye on one particular artist, I’m waffling a bit and continuing to weigh my options.

And furthermore, I want to get YOU involved in a major decision.

While I’m very eager to get Bestiary to you all, I do wonder if I should slow down on that front for just a bit in favor of producing a print version of Surviving the Crash. Obviously, I would have to siphon some funds from Bestiary’s production to get such a thing underway, which would delay the novella for at least a few extra months.

So, color me interested: which one would you readers out there be more likely to pick up? The first novella in a dark carnival revenge trilogy? Or the print version of a post-apocalyptic pulp novel that’s already had an electronic release?

New Article Up (The Importance of Self-Editing)

Because any tool (including Word) is only as good as the person using it:

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/the-importance-of-self-editing/