Disclaimers and expectations / Happenings In The Outhouse 25-May-2018

I have been listening to a number of true crime podcasts lately (thanks in big part to the Netflix show Mindhunter).

One thing I have noticed about a fair amount of them are the disclaimers they have before each podcast.  Or, if they come to a graphic part where they're describing a murder or something demented being done to another person, they give a disclaimer.

Why?

First, these are true crime podcasts.  We should expect the blood and gore, the graphic nature of the sick individuals who create much havoc in society.  My wife buys a lot of discounted or free ebooks, many of them in the romance genre.  I will admit, I do read some of these.  I recently read one that bordered on pornography.  It was extremely graphic and delved into the weirder side of sex.  I will not give the title or the author, but I did look back to see if there was a disclaimer.

There wasn't one.

I read a number of thrillers and true crime books.  Again, no disclaimers there either.

Why is this?

It's because we expect it.

I've read a fair amount of Stephen King horror novels and I don't believe I have found one single disclaimer on any of them.  Why?  Because we expect to be scared to death.

The same goes with thrillers and the like.

So, to all of the true crime podcasters out there, quit putting disclaimers on your podcasts.  We expect the blood and gore and graphic crap.  It's true crime for crying out loud!

We expect it!

End Of An Era / Happenings In The Outhouse 18-May-2018

A few weeks ago, the remaining members of our local writers' group decided to disband after . . . 15 years.

And when I mean the remaining members, it was literally down to one lady and myself.  Other members who were still in the group were unable to attend our tri-weekly meeting due to a variety of reasons.

It was bittersweet to end such a long run of friendship, swapping stories, and encouragement.  But I must add that the friendship will not end.  It will continue long until the end of our days.

Why my pen name is a secret? / Happenings In The Outhouse 11-May-2018

Writing the title to this blog feels a lot like the old "what I did last summer" essays we used to write in school.

For those who have been following this blog, I am currently in the middle of a . . . secret project, for want of a better word.  I am writing a romance novel, with around 18,000 words written so far, and am putting this under a pseudonym.

But what pseudonym am I using?

Sorry, that's a secret.  Will it remain a secret?  I don't know.  There are a few people whom I will tell about it, but that list is extremely small.

Besides, I am writing this romance more as an experiment.  You see, I am a storyteller.  I have threads of romance through many of my other stories, but this will be the first one where the major theme is romance-based.

Stay tuned . . .

Training Grounds Is Out / Happenings In The Outhouse 04-May-2018

Training Grounds is now published!

Click on the link to view your favorite ebook retailer.

What else am I working on?  I am currently around 15,000 words into my new romance work-in-progress, written under a pseudonym.  It's working well, and has been going places I never imagined--which is usually the case with most of my stories.