Crazy to be writing a book I think is maybe brilliant but maybe also complete tedious literary peacocking. Maybe I should stop thinking and get back to writing.

Next up: THE GREEN MILE. The chapbooks were published when I was 16. I bought two each month so my mother and I could read it simultaneously. We’d talk about the story and anxiously await the next installment. We saw the movie together 3 years later. The book is phenomenal, and movie is great too.

When people talk about reading King too early, I read GERALD’S GAME in sixth or seventh grade. A colleague told my mother not to let me read it, but when I told her I’d read half of it already she let me finish it. Anyway, great book. Crazy good adaptation.

As we enter the depths of winter, @unstablebooks.bsky.social gives us some Indigenous horror recs that really bring the chill. Featuring work by @wordsandguitar.bsky.social , @waub.bsky.social , @jacymorris.bsky.social , @sgj.bsky.social , and more! www.thefandomentals.com/five-indigen...

Bad TIME-ing. Ha!

Spending this snowy day reading EMINENCE FRONT @rebecca-rowland.bsky.social I’m about halfway through and loving it. It’s like King’s ‘Salem’s Lot via Storm of the Century by way of Golden’s Snowblind. Really great. @clashbooks.bsky.social

FYI: Stephen King rules. Take a LONG WALK with us as we celebrate how the King reigned on both the big and small screen this year.

What I forgot to mention was the fun, the joy of creation. Even writing really crappy stories, I still had great fun. Don’t abandon the fun.

While writing my newsletter, I wrote an extra one: "We Like AI Because We're Lazy." open.substack.com/pub/authordi...

For the evening crowd…

Over on Threads, I guess you can’t vilify Nazis. Oops.

How it started. How it’s going. www.lastgirlsclub.com/pdfcopy/p/wi...

My published work in 2025: Empty Devils is me against the proliferation of modern-day Nazis, “The Ten-Dollar Preacher” is me taking on religious con-artist grifters, and “La Lechuza” is me against heartless ICE agents targeting children.

Want to read about heartless ICE agents getting what they deserve? Check out my story "La Lechuza" in the Winter Issue of Last Girls' Club! I love this story, and I'm so pleased it has a home with these fellow fierce literary warriors! www.lastgirlsclub.com/pdfcopy/p/wi...

Fam heads up on a call for submissions: please share with a Black Horror writer who you know would eat this up. Look at that dream editing duo: @mauricebroaddus.bsky.social and @chesyaburke.bsky.social 🔥🔥🔥 Deadline January 14th, 2026...! blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-goth...

A truly free society wants the artists to weaponize words and images so the people see truth and the government stays scared and accountable.

And the best writing, too, it’s all teeth.

Absolutely astounding. I’m always in awe of his prolificness and the quality of his work. One of best.

Very cool.

Started writing my last newsletter of 2025, and then went off on a rambling tirade against AI, so yeah, if you subscribe to my newsletter you’ll have two before we escape 2025.

Writers are people who have forced themselves to sit and write and do it for as long as it takes to get good and then keep going. The struggle, the learning, the honing of craft, is the point.

Talk about a lineup: Aimee Hardy, @ceejthemoment.bsky.social @ronaldmalfi.bsky.social @rebecca-rowland.bsky.social @carolinebicks.bsky.social George Saunders

“And nothing saps my interest as a reader, viewer or listener more than the dawning realisation that a work was made largely by an LLM: that no conscious human could be bothered to fully immerse themselves in creating the thing I’m consuming.” Oliver Burkeman

Look what I just got! @netgalley.bsky.social @ceejthemoment.bsky.social

One of my former students stopped by today. Edward went into the Marines, and I couldn’t be more proud.

Authors, remember that you CAN insist on human translation for your foreign-language editions and have it written into your contracts. You can no longer just assume you're going to get a human to work on the book whose every word you wrote with intent.

"concept artists can experiment with AI to make their lives easi-" wrong I smack you with Claire Hummel's immaculate and detailed understanding of costume design, which she got by studying historical references, which made her strong, which you will not become by relying on AI get good

What I wore to bed, and what I’m wearing today.

Woke up to a story acceptance. Very cool.

Stephen King: Why I Hugged Rob Reiner After Watching ‘Stand by Me’ www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/o... “Chris Chambers say[s] to the weeping Gordie Lachance: ‘You’re gonna be a great writer someday.’ That weeping boy was me. It was Rob Reiner who put it on the screen.”

Now listening.

“the simple fact that, as the children grow into adults, they become either incapable of faith or crippled by a sort of spiritual and imaginative arthritis?”

How to get your Master’s in horror . . .

Rob Reiner on 30 Rock. Excellent.

Especially cool to see my buddy, former roommate, and fellow @sunygeneseo.bsky.social alum (Class of ‘03), Jesse Gavin, in @strangerthings.bsky.social So damn cool. #StrangerThings Also, yeah, end of episode 4 was really well done. Kudos. #StrangerThings

Finally catching up on Stranger Things, and it’s so cool to see this.

Let’s go! Already read several and, illegally, skipped to the end to read “Why I Write.” That and “Dedication” will be used as exemplars for my creative writing students to emulate. (Whole damn book will probably be used.) Anyway, @sgj.bsky.social rules.

Sometimes I write notes and scenes and dialogue on Post-Its and after it’s in the story, I crumple the note and it feels so satisfying.

What a phenomenal conversation @thisishorror.bsky.social @pfracassi.bsky.social If you’re a writer, this discussion is an absolute must. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Exactly why I want to add this book to my 11 Honors curriculum.

Happy Friday. Embrace your inner Pennywise.

Going back in for the rewatch.

Horror fans, I've got a JADE DANIELS IS MY FINAL GIRL shirt (XL) and a copy of MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW for one lucky winner! To enter, show me proof of a donation of $10+ to a food bank this holiday season. I'll pick a winner from all you kind folks! cc @igreggreene.bsky.social @sgj.bsky.social

Get fully into the festive spirit by watching SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT’s Santa kill Nazis for 48 hours.

www.instagram.com/p/DSF_I9qkWX... Such a fun conversation @horrorjoypod.bsky.social

My horror joy this week is definitely #WelcometoDerry but there’s lots more horror joy in my discussion with @horrorjoypod.bsky.social

Always a pleasure to listen to @gabino.bsky.social Great conversation with @thisishorror.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

A student decorated my classroom door. #HappyHolidays