Of Nessie, Outlines, & Overdue Updates! Writing Update (May 31)

Art by Sebastien Ecosse. Link: https://sebastienecosse.artstation.com/projects/Ooqqy8.

Hello to all,

Bradyn Harrison here and first off, apologies for this delayed update. I meant to do it this Wednesday, but I was neck-deep in my newest project. I was busy outlining the story and I forgot to write this newest entry.

So, here I am to tell you what that project is.

But, first, I think it’s important to give you some background context before we continue.

As mentioned last time, I’m working on a first novel in the action/adventure/horror/creature/thriller/mystery genre.

So, think of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and his only sequel, The Lost World. A science-thriller that combines creatures with science, thrills, some horror elements, suspense, action & adventure.

Others that are also similar to what I’m doing are Dave Freedman’s Natural Selection, James Byron Huggins’ Hunter, Steve Alten’s Meg & Loch series, Ethan Pettus’s Primitive War, &Warren Fahy’s Fragment.

And yes, I highly recommend to read those stories out if you’re interested.

But, back to my project.

It’s based on a short story I wrote a few years ago (one that I actually took one of these meetings) named “Dark Loch.”

It’s the story about a man named Angus Danvers who ventures to Loch Ness after his dear brother, Brian, who returned from Loch Ness, mysteriously terrified, died in a warehousing accident. Both always wanted to go searching for the mysterious creatures said to live therein, but only Angus is left.

As he searches the loch, he uncovers ominous reasons why no one has been able to find the creature —while risking becoming a footnote in the mystery’s darker side.

Without spoilers, that’s the gist of the novel.

The feedback I got on it — as a short story — was fairly positive, but criticism I received (rightly so) asked questions like:

Why is Angus even continuing to search if he’s in danger?

What is his motivations for searching? Is it because of his brother’s wish?

Or is it something deeper? Is it do his brother’s memory proud? A grief-based reflex?

Why did Brian want to solve the mystery in the first place?

Those are just a few, and I admit those bothered me too for a while. The story had potential, but it was a diamond in the rough & I had no idea how to fix it.

So, I put it away while I was working on other things.

At the beginning of this month, I decided to expand and revise the story into a novel.

I figured with the questions asked (and my personal intense dissatisfaction with it as a short story), it’s worth exploring.

Fast forward to day and I’m starting Chapters 9 & 10 respectively (I want this to be well over 40K words). I’m not actually writing the novel per se — I’m just doing the outlining right now to save me the heavy lifting.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m a bit of a plotter.

And what I can tell you is that my take on Nessie and her brood will be…striking, to say the least. Again, no spoilers, but I hope that my portrayal of the world’s most controversial cryptid will stick in your brain after the pages have turned.

“So, who will you be submitting this to?”

The answer: Severed Press.

To give a short explanation, I have copied their About section here (link to their site is here:

Severed Press is a leading independent publisher of horror and science fiction.

Publishing trade paperbacks and E-Books.

Severed Press has earned a reputation for excellence, quality and commitment to new and established authors alike. We are proud of the diversity of our authors and aim in continuing to build strong relationships worldwide. Authors include seasoned masters of horrors such as Tim Curran, Mark Tufo and Jake Bible to best selling newcomers David Achord and Joseph Talluto.

Severed Press titles are a regular feature in the top 100 horror and Sci-Fi best seller lists and was voted This Is Horror Publisher Of The Year 2014.

So, yeah, they were the first ones I thought of when I came up with DARK LOCH. And they accept dinosaur, sea monster, cryptids, horror, action, adventure, science fiction and at one point even kaiju fiction.

After they indicated their interest, I started work on it immediately.

[embed]About | Severed Press A leading independent publisher of horror and science fiction with a reputation for excellence, quality and commitment…severedpress.com

I also want to be upfront here. I have not worked on a novel before. I have always been a short story writer first, so while working on this, I found I had to do things differently than in short prose.

Which is why the outline came into play. And I’m honestly happy I’m doing it that way.

So far, I’m having a blast with the characters, the mystery, the suspenseful parts, and atmosphere.

Yesterday, I submitted this to a local author’s group for feedback (just the Prologue — they have page limits in place) and though I was told to expand certain parts, the overall feedback was very positive.

One of the fellow writers even told me that it reminded him, in a good way, of Micheal Crichton’s style of writing, which made me bounce off the walls.

So, yeah, everything is going pretty well.

One more thing before I go: If DARK LOCH, upon completion and submission, is successful… than I’ll just say that Loch Ness won’t be the only lake with a mystery creature to get the same treatment.

I have plans. BIG plans!

But, that’ll be saying too much now, won’t it?

Stay tuned for more updates.

Please consider buying Sinister Scrawlings on Amazon today. It’s in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle formats. If you buy the book, you’re helping me as a growing author.

Also, I’d love it if you’d do the same for TITANS OF HAVOC: Tales of Kaiju & Destruction, if you’e a fan of Godzilla, kaiju movies, or something a little different from the norm. Available in Paperback or Kindle formats.

Thank you very much! And, if you are curious, take a look at my author site here.