Want to write a horror or crime story? There are 3 posts on my Weird Wednesday blog about deathbed visions, with writing prompts!

Crisis Apparitions

The story goes like this: when someone is in a moment of crisis, whether it be death, near-death, or just a time of great anxiety, they can project an image of themselves to a loved one. The image can speak or be silent. It can look ghostly—someone floating above the floor, shining with radiance, or resting in a coffin—or it can seem exactly like a real person visiting. Many times crisis apparitions are comforting: a beloved family member coming to say a last goodbye.

The Third Man Phenomenon

​​The “third man" is the phenomenon where people in life-threatening or highly stressful situations sense another person (of whatever gender) with them. The solo hiker has a companion, or the group of four becomes five, of which most or all report seeing the extra person.

andA Peak in Darien

People who are dying or who have gone through near-death experiences (NDE’s) often report deathbed visions, in which they see apparitions of family members or friends who have passed on. A “Peak in Darien” experience refers specifically to seeing the apparition of someone who has died, but whose death is unknown to the experiencer. It describes gazing into the afterlife and inexplicably seeing someone that you believe to still be alive, only to find out later that the person has indeed died.

A “Peak” writing prompt:

Rumors of my demise. Obviously, the fact that someone has died but that no one knows about it yet would be very unsettling. It might be the case that the news has been kept from the person on their deathbed because it would upset them and they are already in poor health. Or it could be the case that no one in the room knows of the death because it hasn’t been announced yet, and thus everyone is distressed later when they find out. You could have a group of characters off doing something dangerous, like mountain climbing, and at the news that one of them has died, their friends and family must attempt to rescue the rest.

Check out the posts for more prompts!

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

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Hey, y’all, it’s Weird Wednesday! Where on some Wednesdays, I blog about weird stuff and give writing prompts.

Today: The World’s Weirdest Good-Luck Charms: Dirt, Flies, and the Hangman’s Rope

Welcome to Weird Wednesday! Today we’re brimming with good fortune and ready to talk about those wonderful things that bring luck. For example…dirt.

Believe it or not, superstition says the luck of a household is contained in the dirt on its floor. So if you sweep that dirt over the threshold and out the door, the luck will go with it. But have no fear if you like clean floors: if you sweep inward and then carry the dirt out, it’s okay. One assumes vacuums must also get around the rules.

How about having a fly in the house? Flies are not usually welcome visitors, but in winter, the last fly in the house after the rest have died is said to be very lucky—which means you shouldn’t get out your flyswatter. I guess that is lucky for the fly.

And heading into gruesome good luck charms, we come to the hangman’s rope.

Check out the blog post for the whole story and some writing prompts, such as:

Dirt cheap. Imagine a dystopian capitalist society with a market for aesthetically appropriate good luck charms: in this case, dirt from the houses of the more fortunate. Of course, there would be the usual amount of fraud in such a market, but could someone scrape out (pun intended) a living this way, selling literal crumbs from a table? And is the dirt actually lucky? 

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

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Why You Shouldn’t Mass Submit Your Writing

 

This week in 1822, a hurricane hit South Carolina, and gave rise to a legend: the ghostly Gray Man.

The story goes like this: a young man was traveling from Charleston, South Carolina, to meet his fiancée on Pawley’s Island. Unfortunately, his horse stumbled in a marsh and threw him, and he drowned in the muddy water. But after his death, the young man’s fiancée saw him once again: on the beach (or, according to some accounts, in a dream), where he warned her about an approaching storm.

Taking the warning seriously, the young woman fled the area with her family. Soon after, Pawley’s Island was struck by a terrible hurricane which left intact only the home of the poor grieving woman. And now, legend says, every time the circumstances are repeated—every time a hurricane is due—the ghost of the drowned man appears on the shore in gray clothing, still seeking reunion with his lost love. His appearance is a warning of an approaching hurricane, but also brings protection: those who see him will find their homes spared by the storm.

So how much of the story is true? Well, the storm part is easy to verify: there were six Atlantic hurricanes in 1822, the third of which caused major damage and loss of life in South Carolina. This was before hurricanes were given people’s names, so it’s just called “The Carolina Hurricane of 1822.”

But what of the ghost?

Check out the blog post for the whole story and some writing prompts, such as:

Hurricane hunters. You could write a ghost hunter/storm chaser mashup about internet personalities chasing the Gray Man. After all, it’s hard to anticipate the appearance of a guy like Mothman, who shows up before random catastrophes. But we have plenty of advanced notice for hurricanes. So how about an uneasy alliance between adrenaline junkies wanting to experience a hurricane and ghost hunters who’d like to document a reliable paranormal occurrence? What happens if they find the Gray Man? Is he what they’re expecting? Can they manage to get proof before the storm hits? Does the Gray Man’s protective influence work if you seek him out on purpose?

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

If ghosts are created by trauma and tragedy, then battlefields would make for heavy hauntings. Civil War battlefields are no exception—Chickamauga’s got the usual phantom sounds of canons and fighting, ghostly lanterns of grieving family members come to find their dead soldiers, and even a White Lady searching for her lover. But then there’s one guy that just doesn’t fit.

Old Green Eyes is pretty much just that—green eyes, floating in the woods. Sometimes he’s got a body, and sometimes that body is human-like, but most of the time, he’s just a pair of glowing eyes. And nobody seems to know what the guy is doing there. What on earth does he have to do with the Battle of Chickamauga? Or anything else?

Check out the blog post for the whole story and some ghostly writing prompts, such as:

Something’s missing. Obviously, the most common theory for Old Green Eyes is that he actually is a soldier from Chickamauga, whose body was buried without its head, and thus the head is still wandering about looking for its should-be grave. That doesn’t explain the glowing green eyes, of course—but you as a writer could. Maybe the soldier had strangely piercing—almost glowing—green eyes in life. Or maybe the soldier’s death wasn’t from the battle at all, but at the hands of a supernatural creature or curse, meaning he left no ordinary ghost.

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

Advice for Writers from Editor Atlin Merrick

I’ve got a guest blogger this month: my friend, the wonderful Atlin Merrick of Improbable Press. She’s a writer and editor whose passion is amplifying the voices of the underheard. I asked her for her top three pieces of advice for writers. What follows is her own words:

As an editor for over twenty years, the first wee bit of advice I’d love to give writers is easy peasy lemon squeezy:

 Write no matter what.

If you love the story, write the story. Is it the hot topic at book stores right now? Doesn’t matter.

No one predicts what’s suddenly the zeitgeist. Who saw Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid being as big as it became? Is your story niche? Doesn’t matter. Solar Bones by Mike McCormack is a prize-winning novel written as one single sentence.

The point is, popularity is unpredictable but your passion is irreplaceable. If you love your story, write your story. Say what you want to say, the way you want to say it, and finish writing it. Be proud then done because you’ve done the hardest part: waded through self-doubt and time crunches and let your passion carry you to a completed work. It’s the only thing a writer really controls, so please write.

 When you’re done send the work out, and know that now you don’t control everything.

It’s fine if you want to control the process, that’s what self-publishing is for and plenty of people go that route. I’m an editor for traditional publishers though, so I can talk to you about that. 

Traditional publishing is where the press does all the work after they accept your story. They edit it, proofread it, design the cover, promote it, and get the book printed and into the hands of readers. And you pay for none of that. During that process you do take part. All edits have to be agreed on by both the publisher and writer. Often a press will ask you how you envision the cover, but since they’re paying for the artwork the final call is theirs. You’re collaborators now.

Ask questions, ask questions, and none are dumb times infinity forever.

You can’t know what you don’t know. When you approach a publisher with your story, always, always read their submission guidelines first, and if you have a question, email them for clarity, they get questions all the time. They also receive books they’d never publish because people ignored the guidelines. No one wins there, so always read the submission guidelines first.

Once your novel or short story is accepted, ask questions then too. Whether about the contract, edits, promotion – ask! And unless you want a real short career, be polite please, because this is your workplace now and tantrums help no one. Yes, some writers throw them and life becomes difficult difficult lemon difficult for everyone; often those writers are newbies because it’s from anxiety and confusion that people lash out.

Write for the love of it, for the joy your characters bring you, and you’ll find others who are carried away by that passion. Good luck!

–Thanks very much to Atlin for stepping in for me this month! You can find @atlinmerrick on Bluesky or reach her at  atlinmerrick@improbablepress.com

This article was first published on my writing blog

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

Three Haunted Places that Would Make Good Settings

In speculative writing, spooky places are often their own characters. Humans love scary stories so much that real-life locations all over the world are rumored to be haunted. So if you’re looking to write a ghost story, here are a few lesser-known real-life haunted locales that would make good settings.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Heceta Head Lighthouse (shown above) near Florence, Oregon, is a working lighthouse and an opulent bed-and-breakfast. It’s said to be haunted by a spirit named Rue, who lost a daughter on the grounds. If you’re looking for a haunted place that’s cheerful and welcoming to the living—lending itself to tales of friendly ghosts, like Rue, or horrifying stories that hit you unexpectedly—it’s hard to go wrong with a living landmark and symbol of safety.

Dead Woman’s Crossing

Dead Woman’s Crossing, Oklahoma is a concrete bridge over Deer Creek in an unincorporated community in Oklahoma, also called Dead Woman’s Crossing. In 1905, a woman named Katy DeWitt James was found shot to death in the creek, near the bridge, which at the time was made of wood. Fortunately, Katy’s baby daughter turned up unharmed. The murder is unsolved, but witnesses said Katy entered the Deer Creek area with a woman named Fannie Norton, who then returned alone. The name of the place alone is spooky enough, but a lonesome concrete bridge in the country encapsulates the horror inherent to isolated places.

Landmark Inn

Landmark Inn, in Marquette, Michigan is a restored 1930’s hotel. Any such place is likely to give rise to ghost stories, but the Landmark, on the shores of Lake Superior, has a very unusual ghost. She likes to fill beds with metal screws—insert your own joke here—which might make you think she was a carpenter in life, but no, she was a librarian. Her oddities elevate the usual haunted hotel with a kind of whimsy that would make for a good story.

The world is full of spooky places and speculative stories just waiting to be told. You can also check out some unusual vampires, rare cryptids, weird ghosts, and strange werewolves that might make good characters.

This article was first published on my writing blog

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

But Myers is not the only thing said to be in that house.

Read the whole story on my blog and get some ghostly writing prompts, such as:

Hold my beer. It’s funny how when you say things like “Nobody can spend a night in this house,” you get a long line of brave idiots volunteering to do exactly that. (There is a related trope, where they absolutely do not volunteer, such as in the story The Vampire and St. Michael, which I found when researching my post on vampires being compelled to count objects.) There are various possible motivations for a character willing to spend the night in a haunted house. It could be money or treasure (as in the movie House on Haunted Hill), bragging rights, an attempt to “cleanse” the house, overconfidence, or curiosity. The idea that someone can go from normality to complete terror in a very short amount of time is desperately fascinating. Some people are willing to risk death to find out what it is.

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers 

 

Today: Vanished in Mid Air: D. B. Cooper

Welcome on this Weird Wednesday! Today we’re going to take off in a plane, but land without one…somewhere over the vast Pacific Northwest. Sound fun? Then put those tray tables up, because we’re heading out.

It’s a strange phenomenon to have a person who’s famous for being unidentified. Everybody knows who they are, precisely because nobody knows who they are. “Dan Cooper” is one of those people. The name was an alias, and was further misreported by the press as D. B. Cooper. So who was he? Well, let’s take a look.

On Nov 24, 1971, the day before Thanksgiving, a man boarded Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 for a short hop between Portland, OR, and Seattle, WA. This man, holding a ticket under the name “Dan Cooper,”  passed a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb, and asking for what today would be $1.6 million and four parachutes. (Why four? Possibly Cooper wanted to be sure he was given working parachutes, by insinuating he was going to take a hostage with him—a main and a backup parachute for each of them.)

Cooper proved a gentleman highjacker: when the plane landed in Seattle, and the $200,000 ransom was paid, Cooper let the passengers go. He then asked the flight crew to take him to Mexico City. But partway through that second flight, after ordering all crew to the cockpit, Cooper opened a door and extended an airstair.

Around 8 p.m., in the dark of night, Cooper parachuted out somewhere over Washington, with the vast Pacific Northwest forest below him. And from there, he vanished.

Check out the blog post for the whole story and some writing prompts, such as:

Murder most foul. What if D. B. Cooper vanished because he was murdered? Say he landed safely and started making his way out of the forest with the money. Maybe he had an accomplice who was hungry for the cash. Maybe he randomly met someone who noticed he was carrying $200,000 in a bag. Or maybe the killer didn’t even know about the money—the PNW has its share of serial killers who pick up hitchhikers on the road. You could write a story where the hijacker’s luck only holds out long enough for him to put his feet on the ground—after that, he’s in more danger than he was jumping out of the plane.

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

A free, downloadable spreadsheet for querying a novel

I’ve spent a year in the query trenches for a queer romance novel, and I’ve learned so much about querying! So here is the fruit of my labor: a spreadsheet for querying authors.

From Manuscript Wishlist to comps to how many agents you can query from a single agency.

Happy writing and good luck!

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ The Vampire Haven erotic romance series ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers