Five Scariest Movies From My Childhood

Every now and again I come up with a list of things I recall as being those things having guided my life. Whether it has been childhood books I've read, iPhone apps I love, or antagonists I admire, I enjoy sharing these things, hoping my readers will take the time to seek out opportunities to experience the same.

Yet another area I want to share is the 5 scariest movies I've experienced. Watch these and know, your life will never be the same afterward. I dare you.



Let's Scare Jessica to Death   1971

This movie is so old, I can barely recall why it scared me so much, but I wasn't very old when my sister and I watched it as a televised movie on HBO years after it came out. I think we were babysitting my younger brother while our parents were out on their weekly Friday night bowling league.

I recall screaming when this drowned, pale-white body emerged from the lake. The special effects and makeup back then were horrible, but they didn't need all that stuff to shoot a scary movie. Scary movies were scary because of the situations, not the gore.

Burnt Offerings  1976

I loved Bettie Davis in her black and white movies. The young Davis was such a beauty. When I watched her in Burnt Offerings, I was horrified. Still a great actress, she made my skin crawl in this movie. She played the elder Aunt Elizabeth, all things centering around her health and well-being as I recall it.

When the father and son play in the pool, there's some rough housing and the father holds the kid under water, attempting to drown him. The look on the father's face, his obvious violent pleasures, scared the crap out of me. The premise of the movie is that this run down old house restores itself to its glorious beauty, little by little, as people die on the property. Spooky, right?

The Sentinel  1977

I'm not certain why this movie stuck with me after all these years, but I remember the priest fascinated me. It's the introduction of after the fact information that scared me with this movie.

The main character attends a birthday party and you think nothing of it, because it's pretty ordinary. But later, she discovers that everyone in attendance at said party were dead criminals and she'd been hanging out in a sort of purgatory to hell. WTF??

The Shining  1980

The spooky twins murdered years ago in this hotel? Didn't bother me they were twins, didn't bother me they were murdered, and didn't bother me they showed up as aberrations. What bothered me? The look on their faces. It was like fish on land, but not struggling for air. The idea of it just spooked the hell out of me.

When you can create a scene where the characters behave super ordinary from the expected, that's pretty freaky to me! Jack Nicholson going after his wife the way he did wasn't as scary to me as when she'd discovered all the writing he'd been doing which consisted of lines and lines of "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Ghost Story  1981

Spooky because it connects with our sense of past ghosts seeking vengeance upon us. There are so many ways we experience the past, and this movie touches upon the psyche playing on each. It's something how the producers and directors years ago connected with our sense of foreboding, so much unlike movies today.

Each character in this movie who deals with their past does so in a situation which will make your skin crawl.

Do you have a favorite childhood horror movie you'd like to share here? I love it when you can go back at least 30 years and experience technology then vs. now. You didn't have a whole lot of gore in horror years ago, but they weren't lacking in the creative art of scaring the bejeezies out of you.

I'll Have a Vanilla Latte, Thanks

I had a discussion about coffee yesterday and it reminded me of my writer friends out here in the blog-o-sphere. Why? Because I think we all drink coffee, or some variation of the caffeinated concoction. When I think of coffee, I think of Barnes & Noble, then I think of books, then I think of you, the writer.

My husband started the discussion by asking, "How do you drink that stuff? It's so bitter!"

It's an acquired taste, honey. Kind of like beer.

The Teetotalers

Coffee isn't alcohol, but you'd think you were consuming abusive amounts of the Joe around these folks, even if only consuming one cup per day. They don't understand the kick we get from our daily dose of java. The way I see it is, if I don't criticize you for smoking your cancer sticks, please save the lecture on how coffee contains no nutritional value whatsoever.


The Bottom Feeders

These are those folks who drain the very last drops from the pot you made first thing in the morning, you know, because you're such a nice person, thinking of all those others who would benefit from the fresh pot you so kindly started. Unlike you, these bottom feeders place the empty pot right back on the burner. Lazy bastards!

The Pot Watchers

My old boss used to say to me, "A watched pot never boils."

My answer? "Yeah, but when the pot has finished brewing, I'll get mine first!" Seriously, we have a tendency to become impatient while waiting for the brewing process to finish. Move pot away from dripping java; hold cup in place to capture brewing liquid until cup is full; replace pot. You've seen this, right? I know two people in my department who do this. I'm one of them!

The Frap Boys

Annoyance Majoris, they hang out at Starbucks attempting to out-caffeinate one another. Don't bother to search the word at dictionary.com; I made it up. Imagine a twenty year old dude slamming down a triple power latte and crushing the cardboard cup against his forehead, "Grrraaaaahhhoooooooooah, get me another, NOW!"

I shouldn't poke fun. My daughter loves McDonald's Caramel Frappé. That's just as bad.

The Instant Gratifiers

For those of us who have given up on socializing others into the world of java etiquette, there's always instant coffee. Whether you choose to dip baggies in hot water, or scoop crystals from a plastic jar, you will bypass the madness and enjoy your beverage in the sanctuary of your office. Total word count today? Five hundred and forty three.


Which type of consumer are you? Or, as the Brits would say, "Would you prefer a cup of tea?"

Labor Day Mission and Mishap

I woke up this morning, Labor Day 2013, to find I'd neglected to share my experience with you of my visit to the wonderful city of Savannah, GA. While attempting to compile a post and provide pictures from my wonderful vacation, I noticed the warming temperatures in my home. Yes, the air conditioned atmosphere I'd been privileged to know the entirety of my life has been taken away, though temporarily (I hope). I'll have to call a technician tomorrow, during non-holiday hours, of course.

In the meantime, while I sweat profusely in my newly transformed 1,630 sq. ft. oven, because the thunderstorms are preventing a nice, cool dip in the pool, my husband approaches me with the question, "Can I get you to help me with something?"

OH, LO AND BEHOLD! That means he's done started something which must be completed by the end of the day or I'll not get any sleep, let alone any writing done.

I follow him to the bedroom, but not before making a brief stop in front of the oscillating fan we'd set up in the living room. This gives me some relief, but it doesn't tame the rising temperatures produced by the blazing Florida sun.

When I finally arrive at the door of the master bedroom, I am witness to piles of 15 years worth of historical relic, which has been displaced, meaning everything which occupied our walk-in closet had been transferred into our bedroom and onto every available surface you can possibly imagine: bed, floor, windowsill, dresser, name it.

He places hands on hips and says, "I need your help. What can we toss and what do you want to keep?"

ARRRRGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm talking everything from 1995 letters of recommendation from old bosses, old text books and book club membership collectibles, to pictures, report cards, closed accounts, five purses filled with receipts, missing social security cards (2), and my old passport I never declared as lost when I got my new one. What is wrong with this man? Doesn't he realize you don't start this sort of mission on LABOR DAY and WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING??!

Am I angry he asks...

Yes, but I still love you. Happy Labor Day!

So, how did you spend your Labor Day? Did you work? Did you sweat? Or, did you actually relax and enjoy your time off?

Heading to Savannah, GA

Here's a short post to let you all know I'm well and heading out to Savannah to meet my sister and brother-in-law for a weekend of fun, touristy stuff.

My grandson will hold down the fort. Meet Levi Carlisle:

Dear Writer's Block,

It's not you, it's me. I'm not saying this to make you feel better about the break up. I'm calling it quits because I need new direction in my life. I feel like sticking with you, while feeling the way I do, is only going to make matters worse. I have a story to tell, and if I don't have the opportunity to tell it, I may regret it for the rest of my life. I know you don't want to see that happen.

You've been a great deterrent and have protected me long enough. I'm stepping out into the real world. I'll need to write. No longer will I use you as I've so conveniently done in the past. I know you were only trying to help me, but progress must be made, and it must be made now.

Chapter 13, here I come!

Love,

~~Muse 

Have you ever had to write a break up letter to your writer's block? Try it! It was inspirational to finally get these words written. Now onto some real writing. 

5 Favorite Childhood Toys - Remember These?

I'm taking a short break to enjoy some memories of my favorite childhood toys. I did this with favorite books not long ago, because not only do our memories of books shape who we are, but they also influence how we develop our characters and how they feel about the world around them. Your toys do the same. Here are five of my favorite childhood toys.


Creepy Crawlers (no wonder I'm a King fan)

There was the machine where you baked these hard, rubber squares in an incubator of sorts and you would watch this creature unfold. It could be a spider, a scorpion, or snake. I can't remember what it was called. When all your creatures were fully formed, you'd then have to shove them into this gadget and turn a crank in order to press them back into squares.

Something similar came out years later. I got my son the Creepy Crawlers for Christmas to disguise the fact I wanted it for myself. New technology meets bug making fun. You would squeeze this gooey ooze into molds in order to make your creatures, and the mold would "set" and form solid, rubbery bugs. It was so cool.


Nesting Dolls

My absolute favorite toy was Nesting Dolls. When I think about these dolls, I realize that my O.C.D. was present even back when I was four and five years old. I remember one of the smaller dolls had gotten lost. The whole toy was ruined! Devastation!  My mom put all the dolls back inside to show me everything was fine and that the doll still "looked" the same. But it wasn't the same.

You don't truly understand the meaning of void, not until you've been through this sort of trauma. At such a young age, to have an adult explain to you that everything is fine (when you know they are full of shit) is even more traumatic. Why? Because now you realize you don't even have an advocate who understands and empathizes with your problem. I don't have to see that it's not there. I KNOW it's not there. Don't treat me like a dummy!


Rock Em Sock Em Robots

First, let me just say, here is another example where I was always the blue and my sister was the red. She was the first girl and I was the second, so Sis got all the pink stuff. My parents created this policy so as to not get our stuff mixed up. I would get blue, or one of the neutral colors like green or yellow. The only time I ever got to be the red robot was when I was playing against my dad.

I'm telling you, if children were able to bring a law suit against their parents at such a young age, I'd have sued my parents for discrimination. No lie!


Shape O Ball 

This never went out of style for young kids. I had mine for years. I was pretty good at it from the very beginning. After I knew all the shapes, I would further challenge myself with timed, stress tests. I'm never one to leave myself bored with old toys. This was another reason this toy stuck around for so long, until I became obsessed with numbers and started writing them out as described in this blog article.

Casper Mask

Even when it wasn't Halloween, I would always search for my Casper mask. The plastic masks were very durable back then. I'd keep them for months after the All Hollow's Eve. Whenever the stretchy string that went around my head to hold the mask in place would break, mom stapled it back on. The only thing she couldn't fix was when the plastic edge of the mask would get a small crack in it. There's no fixing plastic cracks, I know.

She put scotch tape on the crack, but that didn't help. Much like the missing nested doll, you knew it was broke, and with time, the crack in the plastic gets bigger and bigger, until it splits into the open eye or mouth areas. Then, it's no longer a mask.

Thank goodness there was always a month or so before the next Halloween. Mom would then buy me another Casper mask.

What were some of your favorite childhood toys?

Backstory - What It Is And Why We Use It

Have you ever read a book that opened with backstory?  What?! You don't know what backstory is? Backstory is anything and everything which happened to a fictional character before the start of the current story.  It's what gives a character depth. Example:

Julia grew up in the mid-western town of Belleville, Texas, where her parents owned a farm. She woke every morning since the age of ten and fed the chickens, milked the cows, and gathered the eggs.

You're probably thinking exactly what I would be thinking if I were reading that opening chapter. "Who is Julia and why do I care that she grew up on a farm?"

This is why backstory should be scaled back in the beginning. Let me know what the story is about first. Get me involved, then tell me a little about this character's backstory and why it fits when the time is right. When you start off with backstory,  I'm thinking, "Oh, great. Now I have to remember something boring. What if I forget this later on? This is too much work!"

Call me a lazy reader if you want, but that's exactly what I am. I had to read in college because I needed to learn in order to get a great G.P.A. Likewise, I read at work because I get paid to do so. 

When I want to read for enjoyment and entertainment, I purchase a book. For my money, I shouldn't have to make my brain work so hard. The story should unfold without any work on my part. Agreed?

Providing birth into your story for your protagonist is not the purpose of backstory. You don’t have to introduce your characters up front. Eventually, we'll want to know more about them, but not until it's time. Get your story started first!

The purpose of backstory is: 

• To show character motivation
• To build the reader/character relationship
• To educate the reader on why this story exists 

I attended a session at the TWA conference and book festival this past May and the presenters, Jamie Morris and Julie Compton, shared with us the seven ways you can introduce backstory. I’m providing samples from my own novel, Precinct 9, to show where each purpose is fulfilled.

Flashback

The rubble from the blast had buried him, leaving only his head and right arm exposed. Kelly had held his hand for hours until the heavy equipment operators arrived. There wasn’t enough time to get him out from under all the concrete boulders and metal beams. Two months after the explosion, she received an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps. They would have been discharged together on the same day.

Dialogue

“What about her father? Where is he?” The words left her lips. He could answer or not, it’s just passing time. 

“Killed in Afghanistan, a year before.” 

When the words sunk in, Kelly looked up and away from the ice cubes dancing in her glass. It was a slap so hard she thought she’d not be able to speak again. She placed the drink onto the captain’s desk. “I’m sorry to hear that, sir. I wouldn’t have asked.” What else could she say? Her throat constricted and she thought better of saying anything more, but she did. “I didn’t know.” 

“Goes without saying, Kelly.” Hearing her name come from his lips unnerved her. Up until then it was either Cooper or Sergeant Cooper.  

He continued on as if cued by some unknown force, “Elizabeth was a single mother for over two years. When I came back without him, I had to fill that role.” 

“You were there?” She asked, but it was more an affirmation. Word from other officers was he’d served in Afghanistan, but nobody was certain when or why he left the military.
 

“I was.” Captain Elliot pulled the bottle to his lips and took in two swallows of the golden brown liquid. 

Uneasiness swept over Kelly when she realized how late it had gotten. “It’s after midnight, Captain. Let me drive you home.”

Narrative

The innocence played out and the pit of her stomach ached. Horrors lurked everywhere in the world today and these children were unaware. They were protected from it. Or did it simply hide for now? Kelly remembered the days where there were no fears; evil did not exist.

Objects

Kelly launched a photo attachment from one message with a subject line “Panama City Beach, Baby!” Two young girls on a beach with the ocean as a backdrop peered back at her sporting peace signs and bright smiles. The message: Wish you were here! The date of the email, two days before Victoria’s murder.

Dreams

Kelly drove home with the Captain’s brief on her mind. She imagined his commanding presence filling a small room full of eager men. “Attention, officers…meet your new Lieutenant.” When the new lieutenant entered the room, it was the captain’s date from earlier this evening, wearing the same provocative red dress. 

A blaring horn pulled Kelly out of her trance, two bright lights heading toward her.

Allusions and Associations

When she secured the door after stepping into her Jeep, she pounded the top of the wheel with her closed fists and placed her head on top of her tensed knuckles. She waited for David’s voice in her head. The red-head master of disaster he’d called her. It was because she was stubborn, he’d said. The only thing that came were her stupid, stupid tears.

The “invisible” 7^th method

“My niece.” He handed Kelly a small glass filled with ice and poured two ounces of Bourbon into it.

She accepted knowing she wouldn’t drink it. “Thank you.” She picked up the small, pewter frame. “She’s adorable.”

How do you deliver your backstory? Do you sprinkle it in when needed, or do you provide an entire chapter to bring the reader up to speed? I prefer the former. Which do you prefer to read?