Why Do I Write and Why "Horror"??

This isn't my normal blog post about terrifying supernatural spirits or man devouring creatures. It's more of a short post to describe why I do what I do and what makes the interest in what I do so prominent in my life. When people ask what kind of stories/blog do I write/have, I always hesitate for a moment before revealing the nature of the content. I do this for two reasons ; 

• 1)  The first one is because for people who aren't into these kind of stories there is a certain look that is received when revealed, and that is the look of "Pretend to look like you are interested but really what kind of psychopath is this guy and what has him so messed up". I personally love this look and it is all part of the fun but the reality is that I am NOT a psychopath and NOTHING has me so messed up I just write about something that I enjoy as every writer or blogger does. The stigma to the horror genre is very real from the outside to which I put it down to fear. People don't want to read about someone getting tortured or being trapped in the pits of hell for all eternity but in fact people getting tortured or murdered is what happens in life and is happening right now as you read this. The idea of hell and being stuck there for all eternity is also a very normal thought and fear that people have but we put it to the back of our minds in order to function to the best that we can in life, this is a skill us humans need and have controlled to some extent. I personally have a lot of these fears and I am aware of what happens in life so I write fictional stories which helps get these thought out of my head and when down on paper it helps rationalize them. 

• 2) The second reason I hesitate is because I  don't like the label "Horror" it just sounds so generic and gory and that's not what I'm about. Some stories are based on urban legends from across the world including America, Brazil, Ireland and England etc... and these legends are what give those small towns in these countries some history and tradition, and that itself is a positive idea which should not be labelled with the name horror. Other stories are completely fictional and all born from the mind of yours truly. The psychological ones are my favorite because it generates a lot of creative power and this is something that should be the main interest of the story, I like to make people think critically about the world and themselves, and again I think it would do them stories a disservice to just say its just all horror. There is a magic side to a spooky story especially around the fall/autumn as we say here in Ireland and winter time. When the leaves start to fall on the ground and you can see your own breath starting to form as you breath out. Around Halloween especially there's something in the air that attracts me so much to it, the sight of carved out pumpkins and all sorts of scary decorations actually brings a content feeling inside myself. I could live in the aura of the months of September - December forever and never get bored.

As for why do I write in general, well why do farmers farm? Why do athletes run? Its just something that I was born with a liken to, you can get into the whole nature vs nurture debate on this if you wish. At school I always preferred subjects that demanded creative freedom and storytelling was what I enjoyed the most. When writing I get lost in the world that I have created and that's the beauty of it. The people, the town, the story is all you and I get sucked into that which can be fantastic for a break from the hundred miles an hour lifestyle that people tend to live nowadays that's just outside the walls of your writing chamber. 

Before I came up with the idea of the blog I had no idea what to write about, all I knew was that I wanted to write something but had a million different ideas floating around my head. That's when I decided to write a collection of short flash fiction stories, to get all those ideas out there and to stop them pestering me. I am hoping to and working on issues to come out monthly containing 10 - 15 short stories per issue and also a novel is in the works. The whole writing game is not something that happens overnight and cannot be rushed , patience is key along with a certain amount of meticulous planning.

So that's it basically there's no need to get into too much detail or personal reasons behind it all, I don't think that's needed. Go on people read my stories, critique them, think about them, share them with friends or online but most importantly enjoy them and I hope that I have least scared you a little!!!! 

My Style

There are no set ways that my posts will be delivered, the length and development of each story will be completely unique to my way of thinking.Some will be long others will be short, a few lines in some cases but you may ask why only a few lines and the answer is as long as i get the point i want to get across to you then the length should not matter, and of course some will be left open to interpretation as this is called folklore of the "mind" and a big part of why i am doing this is to get myself and others to use their minds when reading my posts or indeed when coming up with ideas of their own.

Of course there will be some dark stories but there will also be some more lighthearted, fun posts which is important for my sanity if not anything else when writing so many blood-curdling and fearsome scenarios. Don't worry if you see the words "lighthearted" and "fun" this is after all intended to scare people but with a little tint of comic relief to satisfy all.

As a newcomer to all of this please be patient as i get used to this new world and always send me feedback or any ideas you have yourself either as a comment under a post or by email at folkloreofthemind@gmail.com. Oh and tell all your spooky loving friends to follow me on twitter @mindfolklore. That's it for a quick introduction on what to expect, hope you sinisterly enjoy what you read, thank you for reading.