Dark, soulful tales that haunt long after the last page.
fiction
-
Fighting Seasonal Depression with Hate
I entered the workforce at the age of 16. That was in 1982. I worked for the only McDonald’s Enid, Oklahoma, had at that time. I lasted three weeks, then moved on to another job. That’s 43 years of answering to someone else in order to make the money needed to survive. I’m tired of…
-
Why I Write Horror — And Why You May Need It
Why I Write Horror—And Why You Might Need It People ask me sometimes—why horror? They ask it like I’ve made a strange, almost impolite choice. Like I could have written something nice. A romance. A cozy mystery. Something where the dog doesn’t die and everyone learns a heartwarming lesson by the end. I’ve written books…
-
Writing the Unlikeable Protagonist—and Making Readers Care
There’s a certain pressure in fiction to make your protagonist likable. Relatable. Sympathetic. You’re supposed to give readers someone they want to root for—someone they’d grab a beer with or follow into battle. But sometimes, the story demands someone worse. Someone angry. Someone broken. Someone who’s said and done things you can’t defend. Someone like…
-
Cursed Bloodlines: Why Horror Loves Generational Sin
Some ghosts don’t come from outside the house.They come from your last name. One of the oldest horror tropes—maybe even older than the vampire or the haunted house—is the cursed bloodline. From Greek tragedies to Southern Gothic, horror keeps coming back to the same chilling idea: You can’t escape your family. You can try. You…
-
The Thin Wall Between Life and Death in Nursing Homes
Nursing homes have always creeped me out. My first experience in one was in maybe the 4th grade as a Cub Scout. Our den mother took us to a nearby nursing home to sell raffle tickets or something. I remember old women sitting in a lobby like they were waiting for us. Waiting to take…
-
The Healing Power of Literature
This post isn’t about writing. It’s quite a bit about literature, but really it’s about personal problems and healing. I don’t usually share such personal stuff here, but I feel compelled to do it tonight. If that isn’t for you, skip this post, but come back soon. Books have always been my refuge. As a…
-
Six Novels and Their Lessons: A Writer’s Reflection
Driving home from the dog park tonight, a random image from my past popped into my head. It was a scene from the fourth novel I finished sometime back in about 1992. You probably know that Shara was my first published novel, originally released in 2003, but it was the seventh novel I’d completed. I…
-
From Failure to Flow: My Writing Revival Story
Writers are emotional creatures. Some of us have hot tempers, fragile egos, narcissism, and a host of other issues. These often come with unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drug and alcohol addiction. I’m lucky in that I don’t have the temper, the narcissism (I think) or the addictions. But, yeah, sometimes my ego takes a…
-
Pre-Order _Sycamore Souls_: Release Date and Special Offers
Sycamore Souls, my upcoming novel set for release on November 5, is a heartfelt homage to my hometown, Enid, Oklahoma. The story follows Kelsi, a young woman escaping a troubled past, who learns about love and community while caring for an elderly man. The book is now available for pre-order.
Steven E. Wedel 