April 2024 Wrap-Up

So that’s the first quarter of 2024 done.

April 1st was Macabre Monday and I posted my March Wrap-Up.

01/04/2024

The number of books that I have half-read is building up. Half-read might be a bit generous as well.

At the end of last month, I decided to organise what I’m reading so I can finish them.

To begin with, I won’t be buying new books until I’ve read what I already have.

I used to have a nonfiction book, fiction book and audiobook on the go at any one time, and it worked for me.

I will hold off on The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym and finish reading The Haunting by PC Doherty. I have a couple of hours left of Waylander to listen to. And, I will finish off I Am Providence, but I am not very far into it and it is massive.

That’s my immediate reading plan.

I was going to post a story that I had published but I changed my mind on Sunday at the 11th hour. That story will still get posted here but I had to post my piece about Gothic literature first.

08/01/2024

My Gothic literature post went out today and you can check it out below if you missed it.

Then I checked out everyone’s Macabre Monday Notes and did the dreaded tagging on my Note.

John Coon

mentioned a film that I remember watching and quite liking called Wishmaster. Check out John below.

I passively listened to a story about a secret hidden door in the character’s childhood home. I liked that premise and my current work in progress is a collection of short stories with the theme of being in plain sight but not being seen.

So I immediately sat down and opened my ideas document.

Within a couple of minutes, I had poured out quite an interesting paragraph with a clear structure and POV to tell the story. I imagine that this story will be done by the time you read this!

The story that triggered my idea is HERE!

In an earlier monthly wrap-up, I told you I would be touching more on my work in progress. The collection of gaslamp horror stories has the theme of horrors being in plain sight but going unseen.

These stories will be released at regular intervals, perhaps monthly if the Muse Demon permits, right here on Substack.

I absolutely smashed that hidden door story - just over 4k words! It is by far and away the most gothic thing I’ve ever written. Can’t wait to share it with you.

15/04/24

At 4 pm, this week’s scheduled post went live! You can check it out below:

A.C. Cargill, Author

commented on my note that it would be good for us to repost some of our older posts. Our newer readers might not be aware of everything in our backlist and by reposting something they might discover more of our work that they like! Not a bad idea if you ask me.

I was just replying to a comment on my resurrection post by

Daniel W. Davison

who was talking about people who were buried alive having the ability to ring a bell that would alert people that they were alive.

I was reminded of another type of coffin that would allow the unfortunate inhabitant to break the glass on the lid, and after a face full of glass and dirt, they could climb to safety. If I were to witness someone emerging from a grave I would sprint away at full speed.

In the same comment, I was reminded of Ambrose Bierce. I was working through his work at the end of last year on my Kindle but I forgot about it. I guess that’s a problem with the Kindle, you don’t physically see what you’re currently reading!

Photo by @felipepelaquim on Unsplash

I watched The Last Voyage of the Demeter and I’m all the better for it. If you don’t know, it is the story of Dracula’s boat journey to England told through entries in the captain’s log book.

The story, the set and the vampire were great! I’m glad the vampire was portrayed as an ugly monster.

That’s all for another month!