S.C. Parris's Blog: News and Information, page 12

Killing Off Characters

So while in the locker room at college today with my dear friend who has read both The Dark World and The Immortal’s Guide, said that she wants a lot of characters to die, upon my asking who she thought should.

I was shocked at one of her suggestions, as the character she mentioned was (not only one of my favorites), but was, in fact, quite integral to showing the state of the soul once one ventured through The Immortal’s Guide, and did something else that I won’t mention here for lack of spoiling things.

It just shocked me. Even more so when my boyfriend chimed in, with interest on which characters should live or die. All in all another fun day.

What do you think about killing off characters that hold an important part of the story together? Would the story be strengthened or weakened by their death? Would the fans appreciate it? Would you kill someone off just because a fan said the story would be ‘so muuuuchhh bettterrrrrr!!!!1111′ without him or her or it or them?

Let me know in the comments below!

Writing on The Two Swords commences, naturally, and at the very beginning, all I can say is we see trouble starting right off the bat. As it should be in a S.C. Parris story, no?

I’m off to go write some more and scroll through Tumblr, (follow me, kids),

and

Keep your bite.

-S.C. Parris

Filed under: General Life, Inspiration, The Dark World: A Delacroix Novel, The Delacroix Series, The Immortal's Guide: A Delacroix Novel, Writing Process Tagged: author, characters, dark fantasy, killing, the dark world, the two swords, vampires, writing

Objects of Wrath

Objects of Wrath.

Filed under: Cover Reveals, Inspiration, Reviews Tagged: objects of wrath, permuted press, sean t. smith

Flowing

In class today, instead of focusing on the film being shown, I got a spark of inspiration for the third book in my vampire series – The Two Swords.

The beginning at least. And as much as I can say here without giving anything away, I was focusing more on everyone else but one of the main-er characters, and just giving in and focusing on this character made everything fall in together – plot points I hadn’t thought of ’till now surfaced. Quite why I enjoy writing things down – though I can’t get the words down fast enough. :) 

The rest of my day was fairly nice. Though I’m a bit tired now, but ah well. I’m off to write.

You? 

You be sure to 

Keep your bite.

-S.C. Parris

Filed under: Writing Process Tagged: dark fantasy, historical fiction, the two swords, vampires, writer, writing

Women in Horror Month: Childhood Rolemodels.

S.C. Parris:

This is pretty much how I feel about the monsters of yore, but for me it was the men, the Draculas, the (Frankenstein’s) monster, the Mummy, the Vincent Prices. I’m not sure why but there was something infinitely intriguing about male ghouls and spooks, perhaps it was because that was mostly what I was shown while growing up. Who knows.

All I know is, you can’t find me not thinking about vampires. Thems my favorite.

Keep your bite,

S.C. Parris

Originally posted on Misadventures of a Misfit:

I’ve always been a weird child. I cut teeth on vampire movies, carried around a Wolfman doll I treasured (appropriately named ‘Wolfy’), and made ‘potions’ in the front yard when our new neighbors were moving in next door. The Universal Monsters have always been near and dear to my heart, and set a solid foundation for my love of the horror genre. But a big influence on my childhood and the girl I grew up to be were a handful of women, characters you could call them even, that my mother introduced me to at various points. I’d like to share the top five with you, starting with an honorable mention (aka, I snuck in a sixth person. Ha!)

Honorable Mention: Vampira

View original

Filed under: Writing Process

Contacted

After a very eventful past couple days, I must say things have turned around drastically. For one I was contacted today by Permuted Press via phone and they expressed great enthusiasm for The Dark World and to work with them on publishing it.

I can’t remember what I said in response physically, but I know inside my head I was screaming and massively disoriented as well. :D

Either way, I was told they’d be interested in pursuing a contract with me so I await that with bated breath.

I know this is short and it’s been months since I’ve posted but I figured this deserves a post, don’t you?

I’ve a bottle of 2 liter Pepsi and sour gummy worms to celebrate, so off I go to continually smack myself in the face with disbelief.

Funny how things come around, hm?

I have a shit load of people to thank and they know who they are but I shall thank them when the time comes (ie., the contract is officially signed and this is my absolute reality).

Keep your bite,

S.C. Parris

Filed under: Writing Process Tagged: apocalypse, contract, dark fantasy, good news, permuted press, personal, publisher, publishing, the dark world, vampire, vampires, writer, writing

Understanding Writing Style

Being in a creative writing class has made me realize (if, only more so), my writing style and how it differs (and is similar to) my peers in the class. I’ve written short stories for the class thus far, two poems, and naturally, my inclination was to write, or share, my previously written work, or type up stories where couples were distraught, on the verge of a break up, lost secrets not told, secrets, as a whole, I realize tends to more or less resurface in my work, something my professor enjoys immensely to say the least.

I showed him A Night of Frivolity, which he loved, and for my midterm, I had expanded upon Judgment, briefly flirting with the thought of making it a straight psychological thriller/mystery, but when it came down to it, the book was just that, but flirted, instead, with vampires and magic. Deadly vices in their own rights. He gave me an A+ on the work and told me that he would’ve distributed it to the class but he didn’t want them, (and these are his words, mind you), to feel ‘intimidated.’ I scoffed immediately – my work hardly warranted such a claim, but he’s remained impressed with my work, so much so, like I’ve said previously, he’s offered to give The Dark World to a publisher friend of his, so we’ll see how that goes.

He has stressed to me that he desires to see me write something that didn’t involve vampires, magic, because he says my character building, plot structure…etc., it’s all there, he just desires to see what else I can do. And I agree. I too have wondered when (because I know there is no more if), I will write a novel or short story that is solely…normal? Well, sans fangs and magic, at least. I don’t know if that’s soon, because I believe I’ve just begun to fully explore my love for those dark themes and what they bring out in me and what I can understand within them, and I can’t see myself, for right now, working on anything contemporary or even solely historical fiction. I enjoy reading those types of works, but not too often, and would sooner pick up a book with swords, potions, alchemy, dragons, magic, supernatural creatures…etc.

I often wonder if this is a phase. Shall I one day grow out of it and venture onto…calmer pastures of writing? Or shall I always find comfort in the macabre, the bloody?

Only time will tell.

For now, I’m quite glad with the streaks of A++’s that I’ve earned in my creative writing class thus far, and the positive acclaim my writing has garnered.

Oh, and I was mentioned in the much-talked about author Jayme K.,’s interview with Carlana of This Lady Writes, do check it out and snag a copy of Disorderly and Nocturn by Ronald Andres Moore when you can!

Keep your bite,

-S.C. Parris

Oh and I’m listening to this amazing music by 78Violet (sisters Aly and AJ Michalka) while I go about my night. Give it a listen, will you?

Filed under: General Life, Inspiration, Judgment, Patricia L. Bordeaux, Short Stories, The Dark World: A Delacroix Novel, The Delacroix Series, Writing Process Tagged: authors, Before sunrise press, blood, college, creative writing, disorderly, fantasy, magic, nocturn, novels, personal, series, short stories, steampunk, stories, vampire, writers, writing

Update on Publisher News

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve updated, but it’s been on my mind, believe me, so here I am. a Lot has happened recently, I’ve been to Comic Con, and due to my last blog post about my book and my Creative Writing Professor’s friend, the publisher, I’m here to expand on my update about that.

So I finally have the book in my hands, but a chapter is all off, and me being the perfectionist I am, in my rush to get the book in my hands and into the publisher’s hands, I overlooked that mistake. So I put a note in the book explaining the mistake and where the chapter is supposed to start, and that, despite that, the entire book is as it should be, and if my professor needs me to order another copy, I shall.

But I feel like he won’t and he’ll take it as is.

I feel like this won’t deter a positive outlook on my work from his publisher friend, for whatever reason.

I’m happily optimistic about all of this, like everything will finally work out.

I’ll keep you all updated.

In the meantime, Disorderly for Kindle is free right now as of my writing this.

Keep your bite (and your fingers crossed!)

-S.C. Parris

Filed under: General Life, Inspiration, The Dark World: A Delacroix Novel, The Delacroix Series, Writing Process Tagged: amazon, author, book, college, creative writing, disorderly, kindle, novel, professor, publisher, the dark world, writing

Good News!

So I gave my Creative Writing Professor my copy of The Immortal’s Guide to hold because it was apart of an assignment to bring something you really care about to class. So he kept it over night and when I returned to class the next schedulded day, he told me he really liked it, that my narrative was very vivid…etc.

Anyway, fast forward to today -

He told me that he has a friend (I forget the friend’s name) who is a publisher and he wants me to get him a copy of The Dark World to hand over to the publisher.

HUGE NEWS, RIGHT?

So here I am, getting everything ready (updating the novel with the newer manuscript…etc.) to get this ordered to my house.

This is huge. I had to remind myself to breathe during the rest of the class.

I can’t even – wow.

So, off I go to continue working!

Keep your bite!

S.C. Parris

Filed under: General Life, Inspiration, The Dark World: A Delacroix Novel, The Delacroix Series, Writing Process Tagged: creative writing, life, personal, professor, publisher, the dark world, the immortal's guide

Quick Post

I want better and so I’ll have it.

Filed under: General Life, Inspiration, Writing Process Tagged: life, personal, quick, writing

A Haiku; No Writing

I feel very lost

No technology can ease the pain

Writing, I cannot

Keep your bite,

S.C. Parris

Filed under: General Life, Inspiration, Poetry, Writing Process Tagged: creative writing, Haiku, personal, poem, technology, writing