This year, the moon waxes with a peculiar glow, casting shadows that hint at untold transformations. I declared it the ‘Year of the Werewolf,’ expecting the few movies I’ve previously mentioned. But oh, my fur and fangs! There’s more than I ever imagined!
And then, as if the universe conspired to keep me on my toes, I stumbled upon a curious trend: Ominous Positivity. It’s like someone mixed sunshine with thunderstorms and sprinkled it over social media. Suddenly, my feed was urging me to ‘shine brighter or else.’ I’m obsessed.
And last night, nestled under my cowboy patchwork blanket, I revisited an old book: ‘Bad Habit.’ The book that makes me cringe to know I wrote it. So here I am, caught between werewolves, ominous affirmations, and a book that defies literary norms.
Werewolves -The Beast Within & Wolfland
First up, we’ve got Kit Harrington—yes, Jon Snow himself—slinking through the shadows in a werewolf thriller that promises moonlit chills. I can practically hear the howls echoing in my dreams. And then there’s Pierce Brosnan, our suave former 007, stepping into the moonlight once more. His film, ‘Wolfland,’ directed by none other than his own son, Sean Brosnan, has me intrigued.
The Beast Within
The Beast Within is told through the eyes of young Willow, portrayed by the talented Caoilinn Springall. She questions her life within her family’s compound, in rural England. Joining this eerie ensemble are Kit Harrington, Ashleigh Cummings and James Cosmo. Their presence adds layers to the darkness—the kind that seeps into your bones and keeps you awake at night.
The film looks both haunting and intriguing. I’m counting down the days—I can’t wait to see it.
Wolfland
This time, it’s Pierce Brosnan who steps into the moonlight as a retired werewolf hunter, Devlin, grizzled and haunted by past battles. A legend among legends. Armed with determination and a dash of rebellion, a determined teen tracks him down. To save her village from a gruesome curse.
There’s no official trailer yet. We’re in pre-production territory, where imagination dances with anticipation. We’ll wait, we’ll wonder, and we’ll keep our eyes on the moon Deadline Hollywood emails.
Ominous Positivity
- You’ll be okay, there’s nothing you can do about it.
- Success is inevitable.
- Chase your dreams, or they’ll haunt your nightmares.
These speak to me, but then someone pointed out there was also malicious positivity.
- Your problems are like a free trial version of personal growth.
- Keep smiling, it confuses people.
- Embrace chaos, your life needs more plot twists.
Perhaps it’s time to channel my inner artist and create my own prints to nestle on my gallery wall, casting enigmatic shadows, as I have found no designs online I like yet. But if you’ve stumbled upon any prints for sale—those that whisper ‘shine brighter or else’—please guide me. I am going for a more gothic aesthetic for this gallery wall but I’m not objectional to the odd brighter print in there.
Bad Habit
I loved plotting Bad Habit, loved writing it, loved deliberately doing things to make the reader feel uncomfortable. But somehow I seem to have added a further layer of discomfort for the male readers. Who find my main character, a female protagonist, distant and lacking in things that would make them feel connected to her. But I haven’t had the same response from female readers. Which got me curious.
A good story doesn’t just have you reading about a character, it puts you in the story so you can journey through the experiences and learn from them -on the off chance you encounter them in real life. Research has demonstrated that your brain actively experiences the highs and lows, excitement, and trepidation of the characters in the book.
So, to my male readers, is a female protagonist better for you when written by a male or female author? Who is your favourite female protagonist, and do you imagine yourself going through the story as her or alongside her?
Horror and Fantasy Author – Also writing as K.T. McQueen. Love Western Horror, cowboy boots, my cactus Collin, & my Demon Cat.
Moths – I hate moths, the way they flutter at your face!
