Richard Schiver

Category: Random Musings

  • Exploring the Power of Horror Tropes in Storytelling

    Exploring the Power of Horror Tropes in Storytelling

    Storytelling thrives on the familiar and the unexpected. Nowhere is this more evident than in the use of tropes. Tropes, recurring themes, motifs, and character types are the building blocks of narratives. Shaping how stories unfold and how audiences connect with them. In horror, tropes like the “final girl,” haunted houses, forbidden fruit, or the impostor in plain sight are instantly recognizable, but their influence extends far beyond the genre.

    What makes horror tropes so powerful is their adaptability. The “final girl,” for example, is a staple of slasher films, representing resilience and survival. Yet, this trope appears in thrillers, action movies, and even science fiction, where a lone protagonist must confront overwhelming odds. Haunted houses, another classic horror motif, are not limited to ghost stories. They can symbolize psychological turmoil in dramas or serve as metaphors for societal decay in dystopian fiction.

    Tropes also serve as bridges between genres. The forbidden fruit, rooted in horror’s fascination with temptation and consequence, is equally at home in romance, fantasy, and crime stories. By crossing genres, tropes invite writers to subvert expectations, blending elements of horror with comedy, mystery, or adventure. This fusion creates fresh narratives that surprise and engage readers, challenging them to reconsider what they know about both horror and storytelling itself.

    Moreover, tropes influence how stories are told and received. They provide a shorthand for emotion and meaning, allowing writers to quickly establish atmosphere or character dynamics. When used thoughtfully, tropes can deepen psychological tension, heighten suspense, or evoke empathy. However, their true power lies in reinvention. Horror writers excel at twisting familiar tropes, breathing new life into old patterns and crafting stories that resonate across genres.

    In the end, tropes are not just tools for horror. They are catalysts for creativity, shaping the stories we tell and the ways we experience them, no matter the genre.

  • Embracing One-Star Reviews: A Writer’s Perspective

    Embracing One-Star Reviews: A Writer’s Perspective

    My apologies, I got so caught up in yesterday’s football games I failed to write today’s post. So I’m dredging up this old post from the stone ages of self-publishing and touching it up a bit for today’s audience.

    It was bound to happen eventually. It happens to every writer who puts themselves out there.  No one is immune.  Not even F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose novel, The Great Gatsby, has received a total of 162 one-star reviews. Stephen King is known the world over as a writer worth reading. Yet his novel, The Stand, considered by some to be one of the best post apocalyptic stories ever written, has gotten 245 one-star reviews. 

    Every writer gets them. Everyone. And I’m no different. I’ve gotten several on some of my earlier works, as well as my more recent works.

    Does it bother me? Not in the least, and I only mention it to make a point. If one wishes to be a writer, singer, painter, dancer, actor, or anyone who puts themselves out in the public eye, you need a thick skin. Because not everyone is going to like your latest masterpiece.

    But I as a writer do take one thing from these one-star reviews. The reviewer, for all their loathing, did finish the story. Even though they didn’t like it, they admitted to reading to the end.

    How a writer responds to a one star, or a bad review, can become the stuff of legend in this day of instant communication coupled with the anonymity of the Internet.

    I’m personally aware of a writer who used sock puppets to attack anyone who dared impinge upon the quality of his work. I discovered this when the author in question reviewed my work in a couple of different places. In one place he posted the review under his sock puppet, while in another place he posted the exact same review, word for word, under his real name. I guess he wasn’t really paying attention that day.

    Upon closer examination I discovered that the writer had reviewed his own work in addition to attacking anyone who dared give his work less than four stars. In case you’re wondering his work was self-published.

    Overreacting to bad reviews is not restricted to those who self-publish.

    Anne Rice is well known for her Vampire Chronicles that have sold millions of books worldwide. When Blood Canticle was released many of the readers who had been waiting for the book were less than thrilled and responded with negative reviews. At the time of the writing of this original post there were 109 one-star reviews out of a total of 406 reviews on Amazon. Anne’s response was not nice. I’m not going to share any links here but if you do a search you can find out everything that happened.

    While researching this post I discovered that self-published authors are more inclined to get into a fight with reviewers than those who have followed the traditional route. Sadly, this leads many people to frown on self-publishing. And reviewers may refuse to review self published works for fear of being confronted.

    I’m no expert but I personally believe it may be because those who have followed the traditional route have endured rejection by editors in the past, yet continued to submit, thereby thickening their skin, and preparing them for bad reviews. With some exceptions.

    While those who self-publish may not have experienced rejection until they are reviewed by the public who are known to not pull any punches when it comes to letting others know how they feel about a product they’ve paid for. Does this mean I frown on self-publishing? Absolutely not. Back when this post was written self-publishing carried a stigma that was slowly being erased. I’m just making an observation from my time in writing and publishing. I’ve been writing off and on since the early 90’s. A computer failure in 2001 wiped out ten years of hard work and put me off from writing for some time, but I’m back and going after it as hard as time and money will allow.

    I’ve self-published in the past and will continue to do so. Anymore it seems like the smartest route for most people. Yet I still submit to those publishers open to submissions, and I did get one of my works published by Severed Press that has since reverted back to me.

    As a writer, how does a negative review make you feel?

    If the book or story you read was bad, do you post a negative review?

    If not, why?

  • Uncover Your Authentic Voice as a Writer

    Uncover Your Authentic Voice as a Writer

    In the beginning every writer faces the challenge of finding their authentic voice. Your writing voice is more than just the words you choose; it’s the unique perspective, rhythm, and personality that shines through your work. But how do you discover and nurture this elusive quality?

    The first step in finding your voice is embracing authenticity. Write as you speak and let your natural tone guide your sentences. Don’t try to mimic the style of your favorite authors or follow trends just because they’re popular. Instead, focus on expressing your thoughts honestly. Readers are drawn to sincerity and they can sense when a writer is genuine.

    Exposure to different styles and genres can help you understand what resonates with you. Read widely, from classic literature to modern blogs, and pay attention to what excites or moves you. Then, write often. The more you write, the more comfortable you’ll become with your own style. Experiment with different formats, tones, and topics until you find what feels right.

    Your background, interests, and experiences are the foundation of your voice. Don’t shy away from incorporating personal anecdotes or opinions into your writing. These elements make your work relatable and memorable. Remember, your perspective is unique. No one else sees the world as you do.

    Finding your voice doesn’t mean ignoring grammar or structure. During editing, refine your work to ensure clarity while preserving your individuality. Remove clichés and unnecessary jargon but keep the quirks that make your writing distinct.

    Finding your voice is a journey, not a destination. It evolves as you grow as a writer and as a person. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the process of discovery. Over time, your authentic voice will emerge, making your writing truly your own.

  • This week in random ramblings. Back up, Back up, Back up!

    This week in random ramblings. Back up, Back up, Back up!

    For anyone unaware of what is happening I have recently gone through a change of computers. Wednesday before last I got up and hit the power button on my computer as I usually do. It didn’t start. I hit it again with the same results. Of course at this point the panic started to set in. I had some of my work backed up on a thumb drive, but not all of it. Call me old fashioned but I never really trusted cloud storage for backing up my work.

    Long story short I purchased a new computer, using my CC which I didn’t want to do, but what choice did I really have? Everything I had ever written was on that computer, as well as the covers I’ve designed in the past and piles of stock photos purchased over the years from various vendors.

    To give you an idea of how much was there when I finally got my old computer running again and started transferring from my old to my new, there was over 1.5 gigs of writing in 1,036 files spread across 206 folders. The folder I use to hold covers was over 36 gigs. It took me a good week to get everything transferred over.

    I’m the kind of writer who can’t work on just one thing. I’m currently knee deep, about 55,000 words into The Bad Place, a story that loosely continues the saga of Sheriff Paul Odenton who appeared in Cursed (I was warned not to use that title as it would get lost, but I’m stubborn that way. One of these days I’ll change that to The Witch of Porter Mines.)and the second book of my trilogy titled Parasite. I’m a sucker for one word titles.

    I know if I could focus on just one work at a time I’d be a hell of a lot more productive.

    I am also working on and off on an interesting little tale I call Bitter Hollow, that stands at just 50,000 words. I worry I’m not talented enough to complete it the way I see the ending in my mind.

    Then there’s Lair of the Broken Queen, book six of my post apocalyptic series This Lawless Land. I stopped at around 45,000 words as I wasn’t really feeling the story though I know exactly how the series will end. I’m torn between making this the last chapter of the saga, or adding a seventh book.

    It was this last one that caused me the most pain. As I’m transferring everything over using thumb drives I begin to notice that not everything is coming over as it should. Folders half empty and such. One piece of work that vanished was Lair of the Broken Queen. All I had left was the rough outline I wrote back when I started the book two years ago.

    I’ve been through this before, in 2001 I lost everything with a hard drive failure that wiped out over ten years of work in the blink of an eye. Tried having it recovered, but no one could help me. I’ve recreated a lot of the work through memory. My Cursed file was one that vanished and I rewrote the book from memory.

    I have spent the past week poring through my files looking for the missing work. Imaging my relief when I find out I inadvertently saved the file under a different name.

    I’ve bought a number of 64gig thumb drives I’ll use to back up my more important files. I just hope that if and when it happens again, technology has not moved on to the point the thumb drive is useless. Of course the second question would be, will I be around to see it happen. At 66 I’ve entered that stage of life where you have more time behind you than ahead. But that’s a subject for another time and place. Now that I’ve gotten this mess straightened out I can move forward once again.

  • The History and Beliefs Behind Superstitions

    The History and Beliefs Behind Superstitions

    I want to take a break from talking about writing all the time, and share those things that tend to come up while researching. Today I’d like to dive into superstitions.

    Even as technology improves, superstitions are still part of our lives. For example, many buildings skip the thirteenth floor because people think it brings bad luck. Pilots often treat their planes as if they are alive and follow special routines before flying. In the military, superstitions are common. Navy members believe it’s unlucky to wash a coffee cup—though some just like to keep it “seasoned.” Tank crews sometimes think apricots cause bad luck, like equipment breaking down. I didn’t experience this myself, but I’ve heard stories about it. In the Navy, whistling is thought to bring bad weather. It’s also considered bad luck to look back at a helicopter after getting out. Some scout snipers wear a bullet called a “Hog’s Tooth” for good luck and protection.

    The word “Abracadabra” might surprise you. While magicians have long used it on stage, it has an even longer history as a magical charm. It first appeared in writings from the second century BC. The word comes from shortened Hebrew words meaning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Other references to the word align it with Abraxas, a snake-footed god worshipped in Alexandria before Christianity.

    People believed the word “Abracadabra” could protect them from illness and bad luck. In the seventeenth century, some in London wore amulets with the word to guard against the plague, according to Daniel Defoe’s Journal of the Plague Years.

    So, next time you hear someone say “Abracadabra,” remember that some believe saying it out loud can summon strong supernatural powers.

    What unusual superstitions have you heard about? Feel free to share your stories in the comments below!