How To Scare Children (#IWSG November 2024)

Halloween has passed and Christmas looms on the horizon. My wife insisted we take a break in between; we put a lot of work into our haunted house (this year was the fifth annual!), so we need some down time before rushing headlong into the holidays.

Here's a few pics from the haunted house, to show you what we traumatize our children with:

This year's event led them all over the neighbourhood, from my in-law's shed, to our garage/kill room for the main festivities, out into the woods behind the playground (led by a path of mysterious lights) and finally back to our back yard where one final surprise waited for them in an ominous box.

Now that's out of the way, I've been able to return to writing. Still revising Gale Harbour Book 3, and writing this year's Christmas book. I'm always a busy beaver.

November Question - What creative activity do you engage in when you're not writing?

Plenty. The main ones are creating scary settings to frighten my children and nieces (see above), but I also do a lot of miniature painting and crafting (see here, here and here... and here and here)

I also draw, do arts & crafts with my kids, make costumes for school plays and Halloween, play and make games (both tabletop and an occasional video game). I used to play music but I honestly don't have time to keep up with it on top of everything else. I've never had trouble finding hobbies - the problem has always been finding time to do them all.

How was your Halloween?

Hugs & Kisses,

-CDGK

P.S. I'm number 39 on the IWSG List! Look at me and be awed! Mwahahahaha!

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Writers post their thoughts on their blogs, talking about their doubts and the fears they have conquered. It's a chance for writers to commiserate and offer a word of encouragement to each other. Check out the group at http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

November? No way. Lies, I tell you. (#IWSG November 2022)

NaNoWriMo time!

Not for me, though. I don't NaNo. November's always a busy writing month for me already, but it's usually finishing/editing Christmas presents. I don't have time to write 50,000 new words on something. Fortunately I already have a first draft of this year's story, so I only have to finish the many (many) illustrations that need to go along with it.

October was crazy. The whole family came down with Covid, so that really threw us for a loop. Fortunately none of us were hit too hard, but the effects certainly do linger. The fatigue and mind fog are certainly real, and I hope there are no further long-term effects.

Didn't get much writing done in October, but there was lots of other creative stuff. The big thing was the annual haunted house that we did for the kids in the family. It took weeks to plan, involved painting the entire basement black, and then four more days to set everything up - but in the end we locked our kids and nieces in the basement and gave them 90 minutes solve an escape room and get out.

It was a lot of work but the kids had a ton of fun. I set up a camera so the adults could watch them, and I think we had even more fun than the kids! The story of the escape room was that a disgraced toymaker was luring children into his workshop to help him build toys, which were unfortunately murderous and the children rarely survived. They had to solve puzzles, decode riddles, cut open stuffed animals to find keys and clues, objects hidden in the ventilations ducts, plus a few creepy surprises hidden to give them a fright or two. There was also secret messages written on the walls in invisible ink, and a UV flashlight used to find them. It was all INCREDIBLY involved, and my wife and I swore again we won't do it again next year, but who knows...

I also took up painting gaming miniatures again. Tiny little figurines about an inch or so tall that requires a lot of attention to detail and a steady hand. Funny it was much easier when I was 25 years old... and didn't have Covid... But I do really enjoy it and have already spent too much money on paint and models and may have put a lot of research into getting a 3D Printer...

The Stormtrooper on the right was painted while I had Covid, the one of the left was done after I got better. I don't know if you can see the difference in the picture, but it's substantial...

And of course I made the kids' Halloween costumes... and may have already booked myself to make my niece's costume for her next year...

Writing? What's that?

Hugs & Kisses,
-CDGK 

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Writers post their thoughts on their blogs, talking about their doubts and the fears they have conquered. It's a chance for writers to commiserate and offer a word of encouragement to each other. Check out the group at http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/.

Like the new logo?

You may have noticed yesterday that I revealed a new logo for Stories I Found in the Closet. It was designed by the fabulous Ann McDougall, who ran a cool program through the month of January called "Branduary" where she designed a new logo, by request, every day for 31 days. Not only was I amazed by the speed which she put these up (she never missed a day) but the quality and variety of her designs was quiet exceptional.

Here are a few samples:

All images Copyright Ann McDougall (obviously)

I was lucky enough to get in on Branduary, but anyone else looking for design and creative work should definitely hit Ann up. She now has a Facebook page, so it's easy to get a hold of her. Check her out!

Ann McDougall Design & Creative