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May 16, 2023
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Whatever! I didn't want you to listen to my story anyways. My story basically unlocked the secrets of the universe of how to be too clever. Oppsies. Anyways I was given 20 lashes like any good sailor should and learned the error of my ways.

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Note to self: Write horror story set in bi level home, and/or 1960 asbestos laden trailer home.

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That sounds great. Personally I want to make a ghost story set in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. The Dana Thomas Killer has to be short than normal to navigate around the house. His prairie style slasher moves are so chaotic they provide a stark contrast to the bold lines lines present in Mr Wrights work.

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And today we have glass towers where the windows don't open and with zero architectural detail..

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You could do a story set in one of those razor thin sky scrappers in New York.

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Apparently in one, you have to be comfortable with seeing the water in your bathtub move on windy days.

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Ohh that is pretty scary for someone like me that is afraid of heights.

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1928 version of Fall of the House of Usher

https://youtu.be/gc4VLCaE9po

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They don’t haunt them like they used to. Modern architecture has all the charm of a dropped plate of lasagna.

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I watched a video about horror yesterday and it went ever how setting is very important. It stressed that victorian houses are kinda cliched so it is nice to see that contrasted or at least explained better in this post. As long as a writer is aware of the challenges they can make anything work. Oddly enough I find that I appreciate horror the more that I write.

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This is fascinating, and it's perfect timing for me, as I'm currently working on a haunted house story (set in a quirky but decidedly not Victorian house, for the record).

While we're on the subject, I would love some suggestions of what you and others consider to be the essential haunted house stories. (Beyond the ones you already listed in this post, of course.) House of Leaves, obviously, and more recently, How to Sell a Haunted House and Horrorstor. What other must-reads am I missing?

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The Big Book of Ghost Stories edited by Otto Penzler is filled with dozens of classic ghost stories many of which take place in a spooky house. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/129450/the-big-book-of-ghost-stories-by-edited-with-an-introduction-by-otto-penzler/

I have been falling asleep to it for the past several weeks which means I listen to hours of spooky stories - many of which are horrific- in my sleep, so if I seem more twitchy than normal at the next NY story night you know why..

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No wonder you have weird writer dreams. 😂

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check it out.

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Hey Chuck, hope you're doing well. Any interesting takeaways from the last workshop you had?

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I've sometimes traveled by homes I used to live in as a kid and I am always REALLY drawn to knock on the door and ask to go inside to look around - but I never do. I didn't want to disturb the people living there. But now, I'm wondering if I'm afraid I'll see a ghost from the past. Or find a terrible story I wrote.

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The REAL Wally Lamb just commented on my Facebook. Still shaking. Does this ever get normal?

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