T.C. Harrelson's Blog, page 2

The Beast of…Bladenboro?

Long before this author concocted the story of the Beast of Macon Hollow (heck, long before this author was even born!), there existed another legendary beast—the Beast of Bladenboro.

 

The Beast of Bladenboro slunk from the swamps shortly after the Christmas season in 1953 and stirred up the locals in this sleepy little mill town. It was said to have drained the blood from its victims, usually dogs and small farm animals. Some of the townspeople claimed to have actually seen it—a large, black cat with its eyes aglow. For the next few weeks, the beast terrorized the town; the women and children were afraid to walk the streets at night and the men formed posses to hunt it down. Then, it was never heard from again. The terror…the chaos…the danger…all faded away as fast as they appeared. The only things left behind were questions.

 

As many of you know, the original beast planted the seed for the creature that would eventually become the titular nemesis of my debut novel. Macon Hollow’s beast, however, bears only a passing resemblance to Bladenboro’s. Yes, Macon Hollow’s citizens usually see it as a great black cat, with glowing red eyes, and double rows of fangs and claws. But that’s where the kinship ends. The Beast of Macon Hollow is much more than just a flesh and blood animal. It’s a malevolent spirit bent on mankind’s destruction!

 

In the last few weeks before the release of The Beast of Macon Hollow, I invite you to visit the town of Bladenboro, North Carolina, and experience the beast for yourself. The Beast Fest is held every year on the last Saturday of October, this year landing on October 27.  For more information, check out this link: http://www.borobooster.org/BeastFest.html.

 

 

 

BOOKMARKS!

BOOKMARKS held its annual Festival of Books in downtown Winston Salem over the weekend, showcasing a diverse group of top authors. Bestselling paranormal romance author Sherilynn Kenyon, humor columnist Celia Rivenbark, bestselling crime novelist Kay Hooper, and voice-of-the-Tarheels Woody Durham were just a few in attendance.

 

Second Wind Publishing, the future publisher of a certain debut novel by yours truly, had a very active booth. Next year, I’ll be there again…signing copies of The Beast of Macon Hollow! In the meantime, click on the link below to see a few photos:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?se....

 

‘The Beast of Macon Hollow’ to be Published Soon!

I’m thrilled to announce that The Beast of Macon Hollow, my debut young adult novel, will be published by Second Wind Publishing in the Fall of 2012. Many thanks to Mike Simpson and Second Wind for kick-starting my writing career! I hope everyone will enjoy reading Beast as much as I enjoyed writing it. What’s next? The sequel, of course! As you read this post, I’m hard at work outlining the second and third book of the Beast series…

Here There Be Zombies: The Dead Invade Wilmington

Local Zombies at Fan Boy Comics

Did you hear the bone-chilling moans of the dead emanating from University Landing Shopping Center on Friday the 13th? Did you see the hungry zombie hordes swarming the sidewalk outside Fan Boy Comics? I did…and, boy, it was a lot of fun!

I had a great time at the Walking Dead comic’s 100th issue release party at Fan Boy Comics today. Owner Thomas Gilbert really knows how to treat his guests to a good time. A zombie costume contest…a zombie talent show…door prizes…and special guests. I was able to meet (and get my picture taken with) actress Jane McNeill of AMC’s Walking Dead TV show! The official poster artist for the show was also there along with local zombie artist Brandon Blanks. Thomas even had a zombie bust used in the show on display. Very cool!

Thanks, Fan Boy Comics, for giving the Wilmington area yet another awesome way in which to spend an evening!

 

Faith: A Necessity for New Fiction Writers

If I were asked to list the skills a budding new fiction writer should possess, faith would be at the very top. Faith?! That’s right. Faith. But what about creativity? A fresh voice? Desire? Discipline? Don’t worry…they’re all on the list. But without faith, even the most talented unpublished writer won’t get far. Allow me to explain.

Let’s think about the fiction writing process…from the perspective of a wide-eyed new writer eager to embark on his literary journey. He has the desire to write. He immerses himself into learning the craft, taking classes, reading books, magazines and web articles. Characters. Plot. Pacing. Voice. Should he outline or write spontaneously? Should his story be character-driven or plot-driven? He learns what works for him. He finds his comfort zone.

He’s creative. Plot points and characters invade his thoughts. He finds himself pondering the solution to seemingly impossible circumstances in the wee hours of the night. As he drives to work, his mind wanders to the make-believe world that he has created, interacting with its characters as if they were long lost friends. The story unfolds.

He disciplines himself. He sets aside the time to write, sometimes working into the night. He diligently cranks out chapter after chapter of his debut novel. He pours his soul into the pages of his book. After months (maybe years) of disciplined writing, he approaches the end of his journey. Barely able to contain his excitement, he types the last period of his story. It is finished! 

But there the dream may come to a ego-jolting halt. He wants to succeed, so the young writer reads his story with an objective, discerning eye. And realizes that it’s…garbage. The trite, over-descriptive musings of an amateur. He is frustrated. He is discouraged. He is at a all-time low point.

Now, what skill can bring him out of this hole? Desire? Discipline? Creativity? They can only take our hero so far. Faith. Only faith can rescue him now. Faith in his abilities. Faith in his story. Faith in his dream. Faith is the only thing that can instill the young, unpublished writer with the courage to go back to the drawing board. To revamp his story and try, try again.

From rough draft to final, polished copy, how many times does self-doubt-that nagging voice inside his head that tells him he’s wasting his time-threaten to halt the young writer’s progress? He’s heard it more times than he can count. Only a fool would believe he could be a published author. Faith is his only weapon against this enemy. Faith gently whispers into his ear, reminding him of the good work he is doing. Urging him to dig in his heels and carry on. Faith reassures the young writer that he WILL be published. One day.

Faith. The new fiction writer’s best friend. And his greatest skill.