Are You a Psychopath?

That was the question that grabbed me while perusing social media.

You know those silly quizzes that are so addicting, yet typically so lame? I just couldn't resist. Having written THE MIRROR PEOPLE, which required significant research into the phenomena, I decided why not? How psychopathic am I?

What followed was a vocabulary test where you were asked to match a word to one of two synonyms. Being a word nerd, I found it highly entertaining...until the quiz concluded that I was a full-blown, mad-in-the brain, clown-loving psychopath.

(For the record, I hate clowns.)

The clincher was, if you were intelligent enough to actually match these words to their closest synonym, you were definitely a psychopath, because who else would invest that amount of time into obscure language?

Um, only every writer on the planet.

So then, what are the TRUE symptoms of psychopaths?

1. A lack of empathy. True psychopaths have a hard time processing other people's emotions. Logically, it might make sense, but they don't get it naturally. This makes them ideal for management positions because they have no issues with firing someone.

2. They are charming. "Life of the party" may be a common description, but it's all on the surface. This is one reason they make excellent salesmen or businessmen. For the few minutes you spend in their presence, you feel like a star, but deep down, they're manipulating you to get exactly what they want.

3. Criminal behavior. Because they don't connect with the moral reasons behind laws, they adhere to the idea that if they can get away with it, it's okay. They also act impulsively.

4. A poor sense of smell. It's true! I know that sounds strange, but the part of the brain that processes smells is also the part that controls impulses. True psychopaths tend to have low activity in that corner of the brain.

5. No fear. Not only can't they experience/understand fear, they find it easy to flip that inner switch and cut off all emotion.

So basically, don't be a psychopath.

And now the moral of the story: Before you claim something as fact (even for a silly quiz), do your research. Then do more. It's easy to make yourself look like a clown-loving fool.

For your enjoyment, here's a TRUE test for psychopathy (click on the image):

Do you like stories about psychopaths? Ever taken a psychopath quiz? Know any psychopaths?

What is Scary? 5 Tips for Creating Scary Stories

I was recently asked a funny question: do you write scary stuff?

Well, I don't think so, but some people do. A reader recently told me that she had to put my debut novel (MOONLESS) down because of a scene 5 chapters in. I had to take another look. Maybe I do write tense, if not terrifying things.

I really didn't intend to make my entry for the Parallels anthology scary, but when I typed that first line: "Every day I look into the eyes of a stone cold killer", I knew I had to go with it. What kind of bizarre story was spilling onto the page? And yes, it's intense, but like all emotions, you can't experience one extreme without experiencing the other.

An extreme scare=an extreme relief.

The same is true with my Maiden of Time series. There are creatures one might call a cross between a dementor, vampire, and werewolf. Just perfect for Halloween. They're coming out to play in the final book, TIMELESS, releasing November 1. (Shameless plug there.)

So what is it that makes a story "scary?" And how do we implement the scare?

1. The setting:

The word choices and imagery depict an ambiance that sets our nerves on end. One scene in Moonless takes place in a 17th century cellar at midnight. A "dead girl" is found hanging from the rafters on chains. (She's not really dead, but that's another discussion for another day.) The setting builds on the shadows, the lack of light, the chill in the air, the flicker of a nearly-dead candle, the dead silence, and the bleeding red skirts of the hanging girl. Did you get all those details there? Full sensory experience based on what we perceive as terrifying--and that's the scene that robbed me of a reader. *sigh*

2. A protagonist you like:

If you sincerely care about a character, you don't want to see them step into the attic and get hacked to pieces by an ax murderer. A likable character builds the tension. That was the case with Jak from The Mirror People. I had to tell his story because I had to know that this sincerely good guy would somehow overcome the monster on the other side of the glass.

3. Foreshadowing:

We get hints, snippets that tell us something sinister is coming. A shadow on the wall. A scuttling and closing door. A bizarre taste on the wind... These prepare the mind and build anticipation for a future payout. This is one of my favorite tools--especially when it comes to planting red herrings so the reader is caught unawares.

4. Building tension: 

The stakes are upped. Things that really matter (like people's lives) are jeopardized. We take it to the next level by throwing something new into the fire. In Timeless, Alexia is already battling the Knights Templar to keep her people alive, and then mysterious murders start happening in her camp. Suddenly there is no safe haven.

5. Surprise:

This is the best part of a scary story in my opinion--that thing jumping out that you didn't expect. That twist that changed the entire story for you. Surprises are a must.

If you can pull off the tension and bring your readers to that place of relief, you've got them for life. Go forth and scare!

What's your favorite scary story or movie?

O = Other Worlds

Do you love alternate realities or other worlds?

As a young reader, I couldn't get enough of them, although they looked something like this:

And now they look more like this:

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In The Mirror People (my contribution to the Parallels anthology), my other world looks like this:

The concept started out as an idea: What if it was someone's job to mimic their reflection? I sat down to write and these words glared back from the computer screen:

Every day I stare into the eyes of a cold-blooded murderer.

Well THAT wasn't a direction I'd considered going. Regardless, I had to see who this narrator was and what was going to happen to him. Jak appeared on the page and I have to say, he's one of the best characters I've ever had the privilege of transcribing. (I say transcribing because our journey together didn't feel like writing. He told me his story, no reservations.) What if two dimensions were actually dependent on one another, but only one side was aware of the relationship?

Yeah, bend your brain around that one, eh?

Do you have a favorite dual reality story?

(Remember, comment and be entered to win one of 10 copies of Parallels.)

H = Horror

Do you love that rush of adrenaline when facing something truly terrifying?

Horror is at the heart of any good story, but especially speculative fiction. Today we (Hart Johnson and Crystal Collier) invite you to vote for the more horrifying monster in the comments for your chance to win Parallels: Felix Was Here.

HART'S HORROR 

Or rather Cecily's, in The Seventeen.

The Seventeen is not a story of monsters, but the horror Cecily feels is real. It is the horror of lack of control. She is a peon-level employee for a large pharmaceutical company and while she can protest if something isn't right, in the end she just has to do what she is told. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but let's just say there is a point at which Cecily feels truly horrified at what is happening, and more specifically, at her lack of power to do anything about it.

I like horror you can't see, but of the creatures, Cthulu is the one.

CRYSTAL'S HORROR

My favorite horror creatures is the banshee. (So much so that I based a character in another novel off her.) This version of the banshee may not appear too intimidating, but the true horror is psychological, for to hear a banshee crying means you will die within 24 hours. You spend those last 24 hours watching for death and never knowing how it will take you.

True horror to me is the anticipation of something horrible, something beneath the surface and sinister--like Jak's mirror image in The Mirror People. He lives on the reverse side of the mirror and is tied to a serial killer. If Jak doesn't mimic his mirror self completely, which means killing people, he will cease to exist.

Of these creatures, which do you find more terrifying? Cthulu from the deep, or Banshee, herald of your demise?

Don't forget, every comment you leave is a chance you have to win one of ten copies of Parallels: Felix Was Here.

C = Cheese

Okay, okay, what does cheese have to do with speculative fiction, you ask. Bear with me for a moment.

C is also for Crystal. (A word I'm particularly fond of.)

In Napoleon Dynamite, the crystals are a mystical element that will power a time travel device. They're a symbol of magic. (Hey, does that mean I'm a symbol of magic? Score!)

Life is full of symbolism.

What is the first thing you think of when someone says, "Cheese!"?

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That's pretty much it for me too. Actually, my picture is more like this:

Cheese is a symbol (like crystals). For me, it means something so much more than food or smiles. It represents the true essence of happiness. This last picture is my special needs brother, the happiest, most loving person I've ever known. And yes, he was obsessed with cheese. It's because of him I insist that:

Cheese is the best food on the planet. Cheese=happiness. Cheese makes the world go round.

Symbols are all around us in life and thus all throughout literature. They're a subtext that conveys greater meaning in everyday life. In THE MIRROR PEOPLE, the mirror is a symbol, an element meant to make us question the inner demons we face. Symbolically, are we like Jak, trapped by his twin identity, or are we the type of people who define our own worlds--like my brother?

Due to symbolism, cheese is my happy place.

What's your cheese?

(Remember, every comment is a chance to win a copy of Parallels.)