S.J.Budd

Ray Bradbury was a hugely popular science fiction author best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 and it is one of his many inspiring writing tips that will be heavily influencing me for 2016. Ray Bradbury argues that; "When you start writing short stories, the quality doesn’t really matter; you’re practicing your craft. At the end of the year, you’ll have 52 short stories. It’s almost impossible not to have at least one good story among those 52. Writing short stories will teach you to be constantly looking for ideas. In addition, every week you’ll be happy, because by the end of each week you’ll have something to show for your efforts." Wise words indeed and as 2015 draws to  a close it's time to set out some new targets for my literary pursuits. I've found that setting myself targets is a great way to stay focused at motivated. I've been very fortunate to have had a few short stories published in 2015 in the wonderful Sanitarium Magazine, Siren'

Sanitarium is a monthly horror magazine that brings you the best cutting edge horror fiction, dark verse and macabre entertainment. It's a fantastic read and I heartily recommend it to anyone who loves horror. It's out on the 20th of every month and is available in print and download from Amazon. Sanitarium is about to release it's landmark 40th edition of it's magazine. To mark this special occasion the editor of Sanitarium Magazine, Barry Skelhorn has been interviewed by Casey Chapman who runs a wonderful blog called Severed Scissors . If you're a fan of the wonderful Saniatarium Magazine do check out this excellent interview here. Issue 33 features outstanding original fiction from the most exciting up and coming horror authors. There's also articles; Re-skinning Werewolves by R.Donald James Gauvreau and a review of Sharkpunk Stories with Bite ( edited by Jonathen Green) by Kit Power. There's also a great interview with legendary horror author Adam Mi

I've recently finished a second draft of a novel I have been writing for the last two years and although it was an incredible feeling to get that far, it has left me really drained. I feel like I need a six month break from writing but am fearful my writing may suffer. I also worry whether this is the beginning of a serious bout of the dreaded writer's block. It's taken a year of hard graft to complete the second draft and towards the end working on it day after day it was beginning to feel like a chore which for me is a massive warning sign that something is going wrong in my novel. Recently, I read a great tip on writing which warned that if you're not having fun writing it, no one is going to have fun reading it. Then I came across this great little article on Buzzfeed written by Hayley Campbell , about the writing style of Neil Gaiman. He talks about how he writes all his novels by hand. For example his novel Stardust was set in the past and he bought a fountain

The first chapter in your book is the most important chapter for a number of reasons It must be able to convince a reader to read it right until the end which is a big commitment of time and effort Not only does it need to convince your readers of the worthiness of your book but also any agents or publishers. These people are hard to please, they may be extremely sceptical when they begin If your first chapter isn't brilliant no one is going to carry on reading your wonderful tale and an unread book is a terrible thing. It's no good having some brilliant chapters at the end or middle of your novel if the first one isn't up to par. When writing and editing your  undiscovered masterpeice it's a good idea to think of the first chapter as a thank- you to the reader for turning the pages. You should reward your readers at the tale's beginning, not just at the end.  Your first chapter should be like a showcase, use it to show off your linguist

Coraline is a dark children's story that's not for the faint of heart. It centres around a remarkable little girl, Coraline Jones who moves with her parents to a new home which holds a secret door. Coraline has gone on to win the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young readers, the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novella  as well as the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novella. This is the third book I have read by Neil Gaiman and as usual I have not been left disappointed. Neil Gaiman possesses an extraordinary ability to take one of his unique characters and just leave them all alone in a most ridiculous situation facing the most dire circumstances. I have to admit when I read his books I always think this character will never find their way out of this hell hole. The plot seems too preposterous, Gaiman will never get out of this alive. But each time he creates these fantastic stories. His stories are so strange believable. They seem to write themselves. I am incredibly je

To me Cornwall is a wild and magical landscape still deeply in touch with its celtic roots and influences. A little corner of the British Isles where pixies and other fey creatures still roam. There's magic in the air. If you've never been to Cornwall you're missing out on a wonderful experience. This little book is one of those books that just mysteriously appear in your life. The short ghostly tales within capture beautifully the raw undiluted Cornish landscape and its  lingering aura of forgotten arcane history. This is not the Cornwall that the tourists know and love but of the older primal Cornwall. The author, Mary Williams is just as mysterious as her wonderful tales. She has written dozens of books yet there is very little information about her. She was born in 1928 and lived in Cornwall from 1947 until she died at the grand age of 97. She has published an impressive 17 volumes of ghost stories as well as romantic novels, all set in Cornwall. It's a shame

I've been fortunate enough to have one of my short stories accepted for Bewildering Stories in issue 639. In this tale I've moved away from horror, this is my attempt at comedy writing, hopefully it hasn't gone too badly! It's very loosely based on a very old legend,that has captivated me since I was a little girl. Try and see if you can guess which one it is. You can read it for free on the link below. The Secret Lake in Bowmere Industrial Estate by S.J.Budd

It gives me great pleasure to announce that one of my short stories has been published in the rather excellent InnerSins magazine. You can read it here  "A young woman with a caring heart and a giving spirit helps a young waif on the street and finds her way into a nightmare. To survive, she must go against her very nature to escape the horror."  If you would like to submit your work to InnerSins or any other magazine that features dark fantasy and horror fiction click here for a list of magazines currently accepting submissions.

Some children's books are too good to be only enjoyed by children, Fablehaven is one such example. It's like reading the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time, when I first read Fablehaven it was like being a kid again and seeing the world with innocent wonder and curiosity. Had I read this book as a child my life would have been different. I would have been on the first plane, armed with a packed lunch and my trusty cereal box, to Connecticut to look for Fablehaven. I most definitely would have drank a lot more milk. Fablehaven, written by Brandon Mull is a remarkable debut. It's the first of a series which includes; Rise of the Evening Star, Grip of the Shadow Plague, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary and Keys to the Demon Prison. In 2012 Schaffer Studios announced it had bought the rights and Fablehaven the movie is currently in production. It starts off with siblings Kendra and Seth being forced to stay with their mysterious grandparents whilst their parents

What are adverbs? Adverbs  are words employed to modify a verb,  adjective  or other  adverbs. The cat walked slowly. The  adverb  is  slowly , it is describing how the cat was walking. It described further the verb which was  walked . The cat was particularly ruthless.  Here the  adverb   particularly  is describing the adjective  ruthless. The cat walked very slowly. The  adverb  phrase  very slowly,  describes the verb  walked. Why should adverbs be avoided in your writing? Because Stephen King said so. Whether or not you rate his books he really knows what he's talking about and is probably one of the most successful writers on the planet. He's written 54 novels, 6 non-fiction books and 200 short stories. So yeah, he's knows what he's talking, or should I say writing, about.  Using too many adverbs is generally considered lazy writing. Excessive use of adverbs tells your story rather than tell. This is something to be avoided at all co

Sanitarium is a magazine that brings you the best cutting edge horror fiction, dark verse and macabre entertainment. It's a fantastic read and I recommend to anyone who loves horror. It's out on the 20th of every month and is available in print and download from Amazon. In issue 32 there are eight brilliant short stories, incredible dark verse from William.J.Hugel, H.H.Bond, Colin Browen. There are two interviews with award winning writer Craig Davidson and Benjamin Percy, and if that's not enough there's numerous articles and reviews. As well as fantastic cover art by the hugely talented Kevin Spencer. Help support horror's finest and talented authors by buying your copy! Flesh or Fantasy by Gwendolyn Kiste We all have our wildest fantasies known to no one but ourselves, but what would happen if they came true? Would our lives be changed for the better?  Should our dreams remains in our heads or come out and join reality? This brilliant short story

In grammar a gerund is the -ing form of a verb that functions as a noun. Here's an example There's a ghost that haunts the abandoned building. In this sentence the verb form  building acts as a noun . The sorcerer had mighty powers but terrible spelling Here the verb form spelling acts as a noun in the sentence.

An antecedent is a word, phrase or noun to which a pro- form such as a pronoun refers to. An antecedent serves to give meaning to a pro-form. A pro-form often follows its antecedent Here's an example The Dwarf who dwelled in the mountains, lost his magic axe. In this sentence the antecedent is Dwarf , it adds meaning to the pro-noun "who". The witch appeared by magic to let us know she was running late. In this sentence the antecedent is witch and the pronoun it refers to is she.

I'm not a gamer but I was intrigued about this book. It is the source of inspiration for The Witcher , an incredibly popular computer game. Written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski it is the first of two books which are a series of short stories linked cleverly together. The Last Wish is the first book in the series. The Witcher is a fighter, Geralt from Rivia, who earns his crust by ridding the world of monsters. The Last Wish is certainly fast paced and packed full with tales of many wondrous and macabre creatures such as strigas, vampires, evil genies and tempestuous sorcerers. Inside this delightful book you'll recognise many of the fairy tales but they won't be as you remember them from your childhood. The people and monsters in this book are not what they seem. Sometimes it is the humans that are the worst creatures of all. You'll be surprised at where your sympathies lay. You would expect Geralt to be a cold blooded killer intent on bloodshed and anni

 I've been writing on and off for years but recently I've decided to take my writing a lot more seriously. I still write just for the fun of it but I am interested to see how far I could take it if I were to treat it like a career. A few days ago I took the plunge and joined a writing group. I'd been toying with the idea of joining one for some time. Previously I'd heard mixed reviews about whether they're a good idea and was a bit too shy to join. I wasn't sure if I could handle critisicm at such an early stage of my writing. I also felt it would be hard to criticize other people's work. It was so nerve wracking posting my first chapter work in the group. Literally I am the only person that has read the first draft of my novel. It's so different to posting a short story. My novel is like my baby, short stories are like one night stands. If people don't like my short stories I'm not too fussed, but to hate my novel would be devastating.

The Last Unicorn is one of those books I'd heard so much about and has often been hailed as a classic. Many of my writing heroes, including Patrick Rothfuss, have declared it a masterpiece. He even said it was one of his favourite books, he's probably my favourite writer, so I had to see what it was about. I wasn't sure if it could live up to my expectations. I was completely wrong. When you read this book you feel like you are in a dream, its beautifully poetic and resonant. It's easy to see that this mighty classic, originally published in 1968, has inspired authors such as Neil Gaiman. The imagery is luxurious and bewitching. Each sentence is a treasure to read, this book is like a fine wine it should be enjoyed sip by precious sip. This book takes us on a journey but not your typical cliché journey you so often find in fantasy fiction. It's a delightful children's tale that is intelligent and charming much the amazing 'His Dark Materials'  b

A clause is a group of words that usually contain a verb and other components. Clauses can form sentences on their own or with other clauses in a compound sentence. What's a Restrictive Clause? A restrictive clause provides essential information about a preceding noun within its sentence structure. Without the presence of the restrictive or defining relative clause. A restrictive clause is usually connect to the other clause/s by the following conjunctions: that, which, whose, who and whom. A comma should not be used in front of a restrictive clause. The mermaid who accidentally gave pirates the wrong directions, felt silly. In the above sentence, the mermaid is the restrictive clause. What's a Non-Restrictive Clause? A non-restrictive clause  is a clause that provides extra information which is not crucial to the sentence. Again with restrictive clauses, a non-restrictive clause is connected to the other clause/s with the following conjunctions: that, which, wh

In its most basic form, a clause is a group of words which contain a verb, and other components. Clauses can form a complete sentence on their own, or just form part of a sentence. The Goblin spat at the butterfly. The above clause forms a complete sentence, and is the main clause but in the sentence below the same clause forms part of a sentence. The Goblin spat at the butterfly, as it had been harassing him for some time. This is an example of a compound sentence that contains two or more clauses linked a conjunction. What's a Subordinate Clause? A subordinate clause relies on the main clause for its meaning. The Goblin spat at the butterfly, as it had been harassing him for some time. As it had been harassing him for some time is the subordinate clause in the sentence. Without the main clause it makes no sense on its own. What's a Conditional Clause? A conditional clause describes something that is possible and usually begins with if or unless. The

Parenthetical expressions sound terribly complicated but are really easy to understand and are very commonly used. So what is a parenthetical expression? These are expressions, or phrases often found in the middle of a sentence, that disrupts the flow of thought. They do not deal directly with the topic in hand. They are usually offset by commas, parentheses and dashes. The clauses that precede and follow a parenthetical expression can independently form a complete sentence without the parenthetical expression. A parenthetical expression is not essential to a sentence. Let's have a look at some examples: The cat woke up early that morning, he had mice to catch. He had mice to catch, the cat woke up early that morning. A parenthetical phrase can appear at the end or beginning of a sentence.  

Understanding what an indefinite pronoun is easy-peasy. An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that does not refer to any person, or thing in particular. Examples of indefinite pronouns include: anything, something, anyone, everyone. This is how an indefinite pronoun can be used. There was something in the way In this sentence the indefinite pronoun is something. It is referring to an unknown entity. If you need to recap on what exactly is a pronoun, here's a quick reminder. A pronoun is simply a word used instead of a noun. Here are some examples of pronouns ; I, me, you, he, she, it, that, they, each, who, somebody.   There are three types of pronouns . These are subject pronouns, object pronouns and possessive pronouns. For more info on pronouns click here

This sounds incredibly complicated but fortunately it's not. Let's break it down to find out what it means. . Pronominal - means playing the part of or relating, to a pronoun. Pronoun - A pronoun is simply a word used instead of a noun. Here are some examples of pronouns ; I, me, you, he, she, it, that, they, each, who, somebody.   Pronominal possessives - These include my, your, our, their, his, her and it's. They differ from other pronouns as they refer to a noun and show possession. They help to modify that noun and are technically adjectives. His muffins are burnt but hers are perfect. The pronominal possessives in this sentence are His and Hers they are used to refer to muffins.

I'm a big fan of Sanitarium Magazine, I had my short story, The Little Orphan Girl, published in issue 28. My first published short story,ever! Ever since I've been buying this magazine as the stories featured are really great, all killers, no fillers. The magazine features established authors, this issue features Ken Goldman whose stories have appeared in over 700, (yes 700!) independent publications worldwide. Also featured are some great up and coming writers like Brooke Warra who has appeared in Sanitarium before, alongside yours truly, in issue 28  with Spineless As stated on the back cover it is the perfect length for your in between reading. It's great to dip into on a boring commute into work. There's also some great articles on witches, zombies and the horror genre. There's an interview with author Josh Malerman and dark verse from Ian Sputnik, Austin Muratori and Layla Cummins. Here's why you should be reading Sanitarium Magazine   The Peculi

Sanitarium Magazine is published by Eye Trauma Press and if you like dark and macabre tales you'll love this monthly magazine which is available to buy in print and e-format. I've been incredibly fortunate in having one of my short stories published in issue 28 of Sanitarium and have since become hooked. This magazine also features great poetry from Terry Miller, James Michael Shoberg and Andrew Fortunato. There's some great articles on everything horror related such as zombies, splatterpunk  and interviews with Wayne Simmons and Dark Pond Creations. This magazine is out on the 20th of each month, you can buy your copy from Amazon. It's available in print and epub. Some Notes on the Reproductive Cycles of Arachnids by Nick Kimbro This amazing story starts off like any other story, a multi millionaire, Lucas Franklin Westhaven has gone missing and Skip Thompson, a insurance claims investigator has picked up his case. Shortly after this the story descends into

The Name of the Star is the first book in a trilogy of books called Shades of London and is written by Maureen Johnson who so far has written ten highly successful novels. This is a book intended for young adults but it has a much wider appeal. The story centres around Aurora Deveaux, call me Rory, a US teen coming to study in London whilst her parents, two law professors from Benouville , Louisiana, have come over to lecture at Bristol University. I think the reason why I like this book so much is that I just love Rory. She's not a delicate girl who's insecure about how she looks, or how many friends she's making and whether she's just met the boy of her dreams. This girl is very refreshing, she's smart, down to earth, sure of herself and she's really funny. She's the sort of character any girl can relate to. When you start to read this book which is told by Rory in first person, you feel like you have been accepted by her as a close friend and t

Even if you're not a big horror fan or even a keen reader, you probably familiar with Stephen King, unless you live in a cave, in another planet, in a different dimension. Stephen King has had the sort of  career that makes most aspiring writers weep. To date he has written and published more than 50( yes 50!) books, ALL of them have been WORLDWIDE bestsellers. If that doesn't make you slightly jealous as a aspiring author, many of these has also been made into incredibly successful films. It's enough to make me weep, but he's not a bad guy. What really strikes me about this book was his  touching motivation to write this. Of course he's been paid to do it, but I think it's really generous and kind hearted to write about the craft of writing. I can't think of any other hugely successful writer that has done this. With so many 'how to write' books out there, ask yourself this; how many have been written by a multiple best selling author? Wha

If you think that fantasy fiction is only about dragons and wizards you'll be in for a shock. The genre of fantasy is, well, fantastically diverse and all encompassing. Fantasy has always  been my favourite literary genre as it's one that's not hemmed in by reality. You can create a whole new world with new creatures and generally turn everything upside down, left and right, and back again. The fantasy writer has the greatest power to create. Fantasy differs to its cousin genres of Horror and Science Fiction with it's absence of dark and scientific themes. Though they can and do quite often overlap such as the Alien films, with great effect. There's so many sub genres within fantasy fiction. Some of these I've never heard of before but can't wait to explore them all. Please note this article is a work in progress, this list is impossibly long! So it will take time, so starting at A....... Alternative Historical Fiction Also known as alternative r

I came across this article the other day and had to share it as it's really inspired me and hopefully will inspire whoever reads this. D.M.Barratt always dreamt of writing a novel but with family and work commitments she never found the time, but she never gave up on her dreams and at a grand old age of 84, she completed her first novel - The Girl on the Moors - which is available on Amazon on kindle and paperback . It currently only costs £3.74, a proper bargain.   The Girl on the Moors is a tale set in Cornwall about a young girl called Sophie Wallender who decides to leave her home in search of her grand mother. On her journey she discovers dark secrets and is plunged into danger. This just goes to show that you are never too old to give up on your dreams, and that if you really put your mind to something, you will achieve. And this may sound incredibly corny, but the very word IMPOSSIBLE spells I'M-POSSIBLE. Mrs Barratt is an incredible woman to not only have t

"There was a silence on the tors that belonged to another age; an age that is past and vanished as though it has never been, an age when man did not exist, but pagan footsteps trod upon the hills. And there was a stillness in the air, and a stranger, older peace, that was not the peace of God." On the wild Bodmin Moors of Cornwall that have defeated man and where nature reigns triumphant, is an inn standing solitary against the ravaging winds and cold unforgiving days. But it is solitary inn for no desperate traveller dares to visit, there are secrets and malice in Jamaica Inn and Mary Yellan is about to discover them. It is incredible that Daphne Du Maurier wrote this modern day classic when she was just 29, it's truly a masterpiece. Du Maurier is probably better known for writing Rebecca, but for me, her masterpiece is Jamaica Inn. It is a beautifully haunting and gothic modern classic. The imagery is so alive, I read this and weep, hoping that I could have