Trying something new.

I'm about to take my first stab at writing some sex stories. Erotic horror, to be exact, for an anthology from Comet Press. I'm a virgin when it comes to writing erotica. Let's hope I can bang something out for this. I want to write something that'll really penetrate the reader's emotions, something that can bring them a lot of pleasure. The more people that realize how anal I am about my stories, the better.

All right, I'm done.

Some publishing news.

I know it's been a while since I've updated this. But a lot has happened in the last few days. So, let's begin.

My short story "Hurt" was published with Horrified Press's Displacement Anthology on September 30th.

My short story "The House Of Wolves" was published with Devolution Z on October 1st

My short story "What I've Done" was published with Under The Bed on October 4th.

That about covers it. There's some other things going on with my life that I may or may not talk about one day on here. So, until next time.

"Death Breath" live on Theme Of Absence!

Go check it out.

http://www.themeofabsence.com/2015/09/death-breath-by-craig-steven/

Publishing News!

Good evening, everyone! I'm pleased to announce that my short story "The House Of Wolves" has been accepted for publication by Devolution Z Magazine! Keep a look out for it on October 1st! It's a good story. Of course, I kind of have to say that. Whatever.

Killing off a character you've fallen in love with is like...

Publishing News!

Good evening, everyone. Just thought I'd let the news slip of a couple acceptances I've received the last few days. Let's begin.

My short story "Flesh And Bone" was accepted into an anthology by the name of Strange Vacations from Horrified Press, the Sinister Saints division to be particular. This is run by Rich Dodgin, a good guy who I like sending stories to. Release date as of yet unknown.

My short story "The Funeral" was accepted into an anthology by the name of Weird Ales from KnightWatch Press. This is a great opportunity and one of my personal favorite stories. Hype. Look out for this one next January.

That's all. Now I have a birthday party to get ready for, so, yeah. Here's a random GIF, something that you've all no doubt come to expect from me.

It's okay to eat fish because they don't have feelings.

Now that that's out of the way, an update.

My old ass just turned 24 yesterday. God. Talk about a kick in the ass to get some important things done with my life. A lot of people say 24 is too young to talk like that, but I remember my 12th birthday like it was yesterday. So, pretty soon, I'll be 36, 48, 60, 72, 84... You see where I'm going with this. Get it while it's good, ladies and gentlemen. As Drake once said, "Yolo."

RJ (my editor, the great guy that he is) is sending my manuscript to me on September 17th. Really looking forward to him tearing me a new ass.

A more somber update; Beyond Imagination Magazine and Beyond Science Fiction Magazine have closed to submissions, both magazines releasing their final issues on September 1st. I've worked with Dayne Edmonson since March of this year, and I think we really got out some great issues in the last six months. His reasons for their discontinuation are completely personal, and I'd like to thank him for the experience that I garnered from being their editor for the last half-year.

Finished a few short stories, edited them, and have them waiting with a few different anthologies. Waiting on them to tell me I suck so that I can send them somewhere else.

I think that's it. Here's the coolest GIF ever.

The Weeknd just released a new album.

It's called 'Beauty Behind The Madness,' and like anything else The Weeknd has ever made, it's an absolute treasure. The music that Abel makes calms the soul and soothes the spirit.

Very good music to write to, as well. Atmospheric with a lot of attention to jazzy beats that carry your mind away with. I highly recommend the album.

The wisdom of Bukowski

“Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at whatever there was: communism, health foods, zen, surfing, ballet, hypnotism, group encounters, orgies, biking, herbs, Catholicism, weight-lifting, travel, withdrawal, vegetarianism, India, painting, writing, sculpting, composing, conducting, backpacking, yoga, copulating, gambling, drinking, hanging around, frozen yogurt, Beethoven, Back, Buddha, Christ, TM, H, carrot juice, suicide, handmade suits, jet travel, New York City, and then it all evaporated and fell apart. People had to find things to do while waiting to die. I guess it was nice to have a choice.”

-Charles Bukowski, Women

Cover art for a new anthology I'm featured in, coming out September 30th. Trippy.

I'm now a proud Affiliate of The Horror Writers Association!

Go me, huh?!

Sanitarium's 35th issue has been released!

My story "Beyond Redemption," my self-proclaimed darkest story yet, was published in this issue, so don't hesitate to buy it (no pressure)! Here's the link to all of the places you can get your hands on one of these bad boys. http://sanitariummagazine.com/blog/2015/07/30/sanitarium-magazine-issue-35-is-out/

Seriously, check it out!

Just a few updates on my life. Nothing too interesting.

I recently tried my hand at ghost-writing. This wasn't a satisfactory experiment by any means. It was very short-lived. I discovered that if I'm not writing it, it's not one of my ideas, and/or I don't like what I'm writing, I'm not going to write it. I tried, but my brain told me, "Craig, you've got too much shit in your own head to try to write other people's ideas. Focus on you. Do you, mate." I said, "Thanks, brain," and decided to cut my short-lived ghost-writing career, well, short. I'm feeling really good about this. No deadlines to worry about now, and I can focus on my own work. Feels good, man.

Also, got my short story "Pieces Of Me" published with Creepy Campfire Quarterly. This is old news (if you follow me on any other kind of social media, that is), but I somehow forgot to share the news on my website. My apologies. Also, the amount of money I'm making from this sale is enough to get me into the Horror Writer's Association at the Affiliate level. So, yeah. Neat.

My editor, the esteemed RJ Cavender, is still working on my full-length novel and he should have it back to me by the middle of September. I'm very stoked for this. This guy has worked with/for every badass in the horror genre and I can't wait to see what he does with my work.

Until next time, friends. This has been Craig Steven.

Story/Interview posted.

Hey, everyone. In case you haven't seen it yet, I've recently had both an interview and a short story posted at Theme Of Absence. Go check them both out if you'd like.

http://www.themeofabsence.com/2015/07/may-this-be-love-by-craig-steven/

http://www.themeofabsence.com/2015/07/author-interview-craig-steven/

Well, this is depressing.

I've never been one to suffer from writer's block. Every time a story fell flat, I would move onto something else and come back to it later on. However, in trying to write two different stories and outlining for a few more, I'm the one who's fallen flat on my face. Nothing is coming. In fact, besides a few Facebook messages, this post is the first thing I've been able to hammer out all day. How depressing. Here's hoping that I get over this slump, and fast.

Hot Heck!

All right, everyone! Some big news is in order, so why not share it with y'all?

First off, I have a short story appearing in an anthology that was just released! The anthology is called 'Growing Pains,' and it was released by Horrified Press. My short story "Shook Ones" is featured in it, and yes, it IS named after the song by Mobb Deep. A quick synopsis of the story: Dealing with both his parents' divorce and his constant bullying at school, Travis is content to roll with the punches, quite literally. One day, however, he snaps, and with the help of an odd street-side merchant, Travis fights back. Quite well, too.
You can purchase it from Lulu.com from this link (Right here), or you can purchase it from Horrified Press's website directly, which saves you about $5 since you don't have to pay shipping (Right here; scroll down to the middle of the homepage, and it's on the right). So yeah, there's that.

I finished my full-length novel! I know what you're thinking;

Truth be told, though, I'm right back at square one. I've gone through and done a massive edit on it. Do I still think it's not ready for publication? Of course! Nowhere near it! It's my baby, so I hate saying that, but it needs some work done. So I've contacted several professional editors, and after that, I'll be sending it out to a publishing house. Then I have to play the waiting game which, while I'm the most impatient person in the world, is a dire necessity one needs to grow used to when chasing down this dream.

Uhh, what else...... My flash fiction story "May This Be Love" is due to be published with 'Theme Of Absence' on July 10th. It's free to read, so definitely don't miss that. It'll also have an interview posted where I answer some important life-or-death questions.

During my downtime, I'm currently busting out several short stories for several anthologies/collections with nearing deadlines. It's fun to get back into the swing of short fiction after focusing on my full-length for the last month or so.

I'm pretty sure that's it. Thanks for reading, everyone, and remember, if you have any questions, concerns, or even if you just want to tell me how cool I am, hit my 'Contact' tab at the top of the page. Thanks for the love, everyone. 'Til next time.

Jitter Magazine published with a story of mine featured!

Here's the link! (http://prolificpress.com/bookstore/jitter-press-c-7/jitter-issue-3-p-120.html) Go check it out! Fun fact: I was featured in this magazine with Leslie Bohem, the man who wrote the screenplay for 'Nightmare On Elm Street: The Dream Child.' Support the arts!

Still going through the first round of edits for 'To Claim Hell.'

With about a hundred pages left, I've cut out 10,000 words. I was stoked about this, and still am, but it's a bittersweet feeling considering that that's about 5-8 days worth of work. No regerts.

My favorite song ever.

Published!

Good deal! Just found out that my short story, "Mess," will be published in an anthology from Horrified Press, entitled "Fugitives" sometime this year!

Crazy to think that I was bragging about this just 8 months ago. I now have 26 short stories, a novelette, and a novella under consideration. Suck on that, Craig from 8 months ago.

Seven short stories under consideration for publication right at this moment. You read that right. SEVEN.

— Craig S. Herndon Jr. (@WriterCraig) September 11, 2014

"The common room was rowdy. There was gambling, raucous laughter, and sexual harassment. It was a two star online review kind of inn."

— Awful Fantasy (@AwfulFantasy) September 16, 2014

Published!

Pleased to announce that my short story, "The Family Ruin," has been published with Asylum Ink Webzine. It's free to read, so go on over there and check it out! Follow the link HERE.

Published!

All right, cool! Just found out that my flash fiction piece, "May This Be Love," is going to be published by Theme Of Absence Magazine on July 10th. Good deal! Celebratory Pokemon GIF incoming!

All right, so, this is pretty weird.

So I'm writing a story about a married couple. Their names are Frankie and Alice. I'd written about 2,000 words of it before I said their names out loud. Frankie and Alice. Frankie. Alice. Frankie Alice. And then, a realization hit me; "I've heard that somewhere before." So I looked it up.

And there it was.

Now, I don't know if this is strictly coincidence, or if by some odd turn of events, I quickly scrolled past this movie on Netflix but my mind grasped onto that sequence of those names. How kookie. In any event, I don't think I want to change their names. I've grown fond of them. Still, though. Weird.

UPDATE:

Now that I think about it, I more than likely subconsciously thought of those names because of these two: That seems much more likely.

Also, in case any of you were wondering...

Here's an accurate portrayal of what it's like trying to become a well-established writer and make enough money off of it to live off of.

I feel like I've gotten a lot of good writing done tonight.

Would that I could stay up and all night and continue to pound away at this short story about a cannibalistic Bed & Breakfast, but I have to be on that grocery store grind. You know, the one that takes time away from the job that I like, the one that I'm passionate about?

Yeah, that one. One of my managers dropped a hint that I might be getting transferred to a store in the ghetto, and when I informed her that I'd heard nothing of this, she quickly dropped the subject and said that she'd only been kidding. I think I might prefer a store in the ghetto compared to where I'm at now (straight up Hickville, down in the boonies). At least then I wouldn't be the only one listening to rap music and be forced to listen to bluegrass music for eight hours a day.

Seriously. Bluegrass music. Eight. Hours. A day. Put yourself through that hell and tell me you wouldn't look forward to being transferred, either.

Regardless of what store I'm at, my desktop computer will always be in the same place, in the spare bedroom of my two bedroom apartment. And that's where the real work gets done.

Until next time, friends. Same blonde hair. Same rap channel...

So today was really frickin' productive.

Remember that picture of the open call for submissions I posted earlier? The one where the writer has to write a short story from the viewpoint of a zombie. Well, I started putting some work in on that. Wrote a little over 700 words, said "All right, cool, this is a good foundation, time for an internet break (I'm a procrastinating bastard)." While looking around Duotrope, I come across this listing!

And inspiration struck. I've had this idea for a superhero in my head for a while now, but seeing this pried open the floodgates. I typed like a frickin' madman. And now, at almost one in the morning (I've gotta be up in less than six hours, GAH!), I've got a first draft on my hands, sitting strong at a little over 3,600 words. Can't remember the last time I wrote a short story in one day (besides that flash fiction one, but that doesn't count). Needless to say, I liked it. After letting my beta readers get a hold of it after a couple edits and seeing what they think, this bad boy's getting sent on over.

So wish me luck! Also, you should submit something too, if you're a writer (Hell, even if you're not; who am I to tell you how to live your life?). Who hasn't wanted to write a story about a superhero once upon a time, am I right?

It's a good idea to say "I know you can talk" to every animal you meet, just in case.

— mindflakes (@_mindflakes) March 13, 2015

Now, this seems like fun.

18 of my short stories are under consideration for publication right now.

Yes, you read that right; EIGHTEEN. Needless to say, I'll be checking my e-mail religiously for the next couple months.

Flash Fiction Update.

This just in; Flash fiction is the bee's knees. Just wrote a 1,000 word story in a little under 15 minutes and edited it in another 5. That's a short story in almost 20 minutes, and not to toot my own horn, but I like it. At that rate, I could write a short story collection pertaining to flash fiction in half a day. That might just be an idea I follow through with. But, being a writer, I've forgotten more ideas than most people can remember. Maybe writing it in this blog will help to cure my scatter-brained tendencies? In other news, LOOK HOW CUTE THIS BABY PIG IS.

In between editing my full-length, I want to go on a flash fiction spree. Seriously. Talk about productive. I could write at least two stories a day!

Just submitted three short stories for Bloodshot Books' 'Not Your Average Monster Anthology.' To give you an idea of the kind of monsters you'll be seeing if any of these stories get published...

Lord...

RED RIDING HOOD: Grandma what big ears u have, what big teeth u have BIG BAD WOLF: Wtf kid I'm all self-conscious now. Ur grandma's dead btw

— pat tobin (@tastefactory) April 28, 2015

In a perfect world, I could write the actual story as fast as I write the outline for it.

I know this is a cover, but God, this song...

I have a plethora of playlists I use for when I'm writing. Here's part of one that's easily become my favorite.

Cool beans!

Got home from the gym tonight to discover that my short story "The Comedown" has been accepted for publication at Jitter Press as a reprint. This is neat.

Spent a couple hours reading over submissions for BI/BSF today.

17 submissions, to be exact. I rejected 16 of them.

Were I not heading out in a bit, I could use a nice stiff drink. Maybe when I get back from the gym, where I'll no doubt look like this Sandshrew:

Hopefully going to get some work done on my Wendigo story, too. I'd like to get at least 1,000 words down on paper before I pass out from exhaustion. Working three jobs can be tough sometimes.

But I digress. Can't stop staring at this GIF while I'm typing, hahahaha. That's all for now, then.

This post is so accurate that I almost want to cry.

http://thescalexwrites.tumblr.com/post/116938607022/writing-a-book-is-so-easy

Unrelated GIF is unrelated.

Writing a story about a Wendigo for an upcoming monster-themed anthology. Stoked. Think I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one.

A preview of a story pending review with Sanitarium Magazine. Check it out!

Beyond Redemption

By Craig Steven

“As greed of gain has drowned all temperance, there's nothing left to stem the rising blackness.”

-Marcus Bischoff

             I bundled my coat tight, fighting for its warmth, shivering violently regardless. The wind whistled around me and the temperature wavered around zero, threatening to freeze me where I stood. The tall chain-link fence surrounded me and the tennis court on which I stood, empty but for the blood that'd been spilled on it just hours before. Four separate blotches on the green cement conjoined to form a warped Rorschach test, though the clean-up crew had done a good job of ridding the site of most of the blood. Three victims I'd never met, and a fourth, the man that'd turned the gun on himself after murdering three others; my younger brother, Christopher.

Probably the funniest tweet I've seen.

"I'm the only cop on the force who can play the bassoon dammit" "Not anymore" New cop in sunglasses walks in, just killing it on the bassoon

— pat tobin (@tastefactory) September 30, 2012

This song, man.

I love listening to stuff like this while I'm writing. The instrumentals, the atmospheric voice, the content of it. Great listening.

A blog post on my new blog. Neat beans.

But what in God's name do I write about in this blog post? I suppose I can start with a controversial statement that I made on Facebook a few weeks back;

To Hell with Wattpad.

You read that right. Wattpad is the literary dumpster of all literary dumpsters. I tried it out for a few weeks, but I quickly noticed that the content on the site is more than dreadful. I'm not hating on fan-fiction, but when there's Harry Styles stories at every turn, or Twilight rip-offs, Hunger Games rip-offs, Walking Dead rip-offs... You're starting to get my point, I think. The originality that should be thriving on Wattpad, a site where anyone can read numerous stories for free, is dead, maybe having never existed at all. While there are some gems on the site, very few of them pertain to anything original and/or well-written.

That being said, if you're on Wattpad and I've offended you, send me your link, and I'll let you know if you've proved me wrong.