Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 2h

whatever pops into your head first! I’ll listen to just about anything

1

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 4h

please send raucous and loud music recommendations

#WIPSnips #WritingPrompts

He wakes far too early on Tuesday to the crackling blare of the stereo turning on in his living room and even after shuffling in to turn it off and returning to bed he can't fall back asleep. He goes for a longer run than usual to make up for Monday and the early wake-up but he can't stop turning the song he'd heard over and over in his head. He swears he's never heard it before, it's not the sort of thing he usually seeks out, too raucous and loud, but it had been familiar somehow. Almost welcome.

1 1 10

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 2d

the three boys buy into the same idea, the main girl has no idea what to believe, and the other girl it’s…a bit ambiguous

the excerpt below kind of gives an idea of each of their personalities

She knows Danny believes, he’ll believe in anything, she likes that about him. He’s never made her feel foolish for still believing in fairies. The fairy stories are one of the few things she has left of her father. Tom may make fun of them, but he believes in god so she’s not sure he has a leg to stand on. Adam believes in himself and what he reads online. Mary Grace isn’t certain that Andrea believes in anything at all.

1 1

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 3d

I tend more toward the folkloric when it comes to most any creature or spectre

most modern interpretations feel less interesting, filed down and made palatable in a way that I can’t quite sink my teeth into

folklore tells us about ourselves, the dark ugly bits we try to hide

#HorrorWritersChat

Gree_ @greethewriter.bsky.social · 3d

Listen to the Symposium’s finest vocalist, as their tenor bends the living into unnatural angles and swivels them into the air! Tell us, what ghosts do you prefer? Of the folkloric tradition, or those invented by authors? And why?
#HorrorWritersChat

Question Three

Art by Jelle Husson, featuring a haunted monastery of many sharp-tipped towers scraping at the midnight sky. The largest is in the centre of the structure’s roof, whose walls are painted white. The monastery is located above a hilly terrain of dark stone and dark green moss. A stony, twisting road leads to the monastery.

It is always a delight to see our violinists perform! How the living bend their splintering bones as they float above us all! Tell us, our ghostly compatriots – which of us are better? Of the folkloric kind? Or invented by our shadowy creators?

No links, covers, or self-promo! Leave that for the end! Quote the post & include the hashtag!

#HorrorWritersChat

3 9

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 3d

where a ghost lingers is less important than the how and the why

I like when ghosts don’t know where they are, not quite sapient, retracing the path they took when they were alive, seeing a version of the world that no longer exists

I like my ghosts insensate in their longing

#HorrorWritersChat

Gree_ @greethewriter.bsky.social · 3d

Now, let us begin! Let the flutes bleat and the trumps blare, snatching all the souls of the living away! What are your favourite haunts? Mausoleums? Lavish estates? What secrets do their wraiths protect within?
#HorrorWritersChat

Art by Jelle Husson, featuring a haunted monastery of many sharp-tipped towers scraping at the midnight sky. The largest is in the centre of the structure’s roof, whose walls are painted white. The monastery is located above a hilly terrain of dark stone and dark green moss. A stony, twisting road leads to the monastery.

Question Two

Ah, the performance has begun! Behold the souls of the living darting into the flutes and trumpets! Now, as you sip your ectoplasmic wine, tell us – what are your favourite locations for ghosts? And why?

No links, covers, or self-promo! Leave that for the end! Quote the post & include the hashtag!

#HorrorWritersChat

5 13

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 3d

salutations! I’m pun and I write weird things from my brain

there is a knock at the door and when you open it there is no one there

however as you wander through your home you see wet footprints across the floor and hear odd laughs and murmurs

must just be the storm outside

#HorrorWritersChat

Gree_ @greethewriter.bsky.social · 3d

Be welcomed to the ethereal music hall! A stringed aperitif is in order… do tell the Symposium what do you write, from where… and what IS, indeed, your wraithful visage for tonight?
#HorrorWritersChat

4 15

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 3d

my main characters are a group of five teens between the ages of 16 and 19 who believe they already have the answer

1 1

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 3d

it’s definitely intended to be ambiguous, I like keeping things open-ended so audiences can come up with their own interpretations

1 2

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 3d

character fears for day five: going for my riders

ben - losing control, especially of his anger

eric - being perceived as weak

kate - losing everyone she cares about

bianca - nothing, don’t worry about it :)

#SFFChat

SFFChat @sffchat.bsky.social · 8d

Apologies that the October prompt list for #SFFChat is so late! When I wasn't able to get it done for the first I wasn't sure if I should do it, but in the end I made one.

Hope the continuation of the spooky theme isn't a bother--interpret the prompts as broadly as you need to (including snippets)

1. Introduce yourself!
2. First Costume you ever wore
3. Share something positive
4. Snippet: Haunting
5. Character fear
6. Favourite spooky or horror book!
7. Snippet: Orange
8. What are you reading?
9. Have you ever scared yourself reading or writing?
10. What are your characters dressing up as for Hallowe’en?
11. What would your mc do if their doppelganger showed up at the door?
12. Snippet: Blood
13. Share something visual (character art, moodboard, cover, etc)
14. Snippet: Night
15. Does your world have any spooky holidays or traditions?
16. Do ghosts exist in your world?
17. Character most likely to survive a horror movie
18. TBR Check-in!
19. What’s your opinion on Bigfoot?
20. Is space inherently spooky?
21. Snippet: Hunt
22. Favourite monster
23. Reimagine your book as a horror story (or, as another genre if alreadu horror)
24. Ask a question of your own to #sff participants!
25. Share some writing advice
26. A story you hope to write but haven’t
27. What’s the value of horror?
28. Snippet: monster/creature
29. Friendship(s) in your story
30. Reading plans for November
31. Snippet: Share a scary scene!

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 3d

admittedly, waking from a nightmare can offset your whole day

#WIPSnips #WritingPrompts

It's not something she's ever told anyone about, it had always felt silly to fret over something as ephemeral as a bad dream when so many people were living through horrors while wide awake. Nathalya learned early to keep everything safe and hidden away. Every emotion, every thought, every stray fear or feeling can be exploited if one is not careful.

Nathalya prides herself on always, always being careful.

1 8

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 4d

it’s kind of a thriller that the central characters believe is supernatural, if that makes sense

1 1

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 5d

twice in one and with two different meanings!!

#WIPSnips #WritingPrompts

"Miss?" A hand rests on her shoulder and she startles but doesn't pull her eyes from where they rest on the wall. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Aim for the head," She murmurs, "Like putting down a rabid dog.

"What?" Her eyes seem to hone in on the gun at his belt, suddenly and terrifyingly intent, and his hand wraps around it on a reflex. She looks up at him, eyes boring into his own, as she brings a single bloody index finger up to point at the space between her eyes.

"Don't miss."

2 2 11

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 6d

a snippet of poem for day four! fun fact: this was supposed to be a self-love poem posed to me as a challenge by a friend…it pretty decidedly doesn’t count

#SFFChat

your body is a prison
out of working order
alcatraz
lost at sea
empty save for ghosts
your ghost
the actual you
haunting this body
poltergeisting
rearranging memories like furniture
in a new house

1

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 6d

going to knock out the first three days in one:

1) hi, I’m pun, and I write spooky nightmare things

2) first costume I remember was a pig when I was two I think

3) something positive: we’ve passed the bulk of the busy season at my job and I should be able to write again soon!

#SFFChat

SFFChat @sffchat.bsky.social · 8d

Apologies that the October prompt list for #SFFChat is so late! When I wasn't able to get it done for the first I wasn't sure if I should do it, but in the end I made one.

Hope the continuation of the spooky theme isn't a bother--interpret the prompts as broadly as you need to (including snippets)

1

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 6d

so sleepy today

#WIPSnips #WritingPrompts

Somewhere outside there is a crashing sound and then muffled, pained moaning, and Mary Grace stumbles her way out of the car. She re-orients, and the street is quiet, empty of people. She still has no idea what time it is.

Another sound comes from the convenience store on the corner and Mary Grace rushes over. She leans her back against the wall, peering through the window sideways to see if the way is clear. Through the dark of the shop she can see a body on the floor, a dark puddle seeping out onto the pale linoleum. Mary Grace brings her hand to her mouth, swallowing a gasp.

1 13

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 7d

I just can’t really imagine hanging a giant hunting scene in my house

#WIPSnips #WritingPrompts

Janice stands in the entryway staring at the painting above the sitting room mantle, one sculpted brow quirked.

"Well," she says, gaze flitting to Liana for a second before settling back onto the painting, "That's quite a beastly thing, isn't it?"

The massive oil painting is, from a technical perspective, a masterpiece, an original hunting scene by Paul de Vos dating back to the 17th century. A pack of hunting dogs tear at a stag, its head thrown back in a scream. One dog takes a hoof to its soft stomach. The stag's one visible eye is wild. There is no blood, but neither does there need to be.

1 12

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 8d

fear exists at the heart of most media, and the human experience itself, conflict is punctuated by fear

I don’t think there is a way to write anything without including fear

fear, terror, horror: they all raise the stakes, influence the ways in which characters act and relate to others

#SFFChat

SFFChat @sffchat.bsky.social · 8d

#SFFChat Q1: What role does horror play in SFF? (or replace "horror" with fear, spookiness, or another similar thing!)

A spooky person with a sheet over them that's tinted orange.

2

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 8d

hi, I’m pun, and while I am a generally pretty fearless person I have an abject horror of causing harm…any kind of harm

this sucks because as a human being I am, like everyone else, quite capable of causing harm

#SFFChat

SFFChat @sffchat.bsky.social · 8d

#SFFChat Intro: Introduce yourself and share a fear you have! Could be a traditional fear such as a phobia, or maybe it's a writing-related fear.

A spooky person with a sheet over them that's tinted orange. Photo by Kevin Escate!

1

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 9d

my cousin called to wish nana a happy birthday while we’re sitting out on the patio and nana, without even saying hello, opens with

“we’re out here in the dark”

1

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 9d

yeahhhh, this tracks 😅

A screenshot of the results from a uquiz. There is an image of a chain link fence with “Danger: Stay Out, Stay Alive” written in red on a concrete background. Under the image it says “Your Result: Extreme Horror”

1 2

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 10d

I have a lot of dreams about rivers

#WIPSnips #WritingPrompts

The river is low, slower than usual as it makes its lazy way toward the sea. Typically by April the wet season is in full swing, the river filled up with rain and snowmelt from the mountains. But this year the rain is late, March and April both bone dry. The land is parched, not yet turning to green after the bitter cold of winter.

She likes to walk along the edge of the river,
finding footing in the shifting water-smooth pebbles, feeling the ice cold seep into her boots. She fancies one day she too can make it to the gulf if she follows the river close enough. But the river bends and is lost between two sheer cliffs and she knows she must turn back. There is a life for her away from the river, a life she chose that she cannot leave behind.

Sometimes though, she dreams of being lost at sea.

2 7

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 10d

having worked as a caregiver, there is horror in the way the elderly are treated, in the way dementia makes you lose bits of yourself, in the frustration of no longer moving the way you once could

my nana turns 95 today and loves to tell people that she shouldn’t be here anymore

#HorrorWritersChat

Eryn McCee @erynmccee.bsky.social · 10d

#HorrorWritersChat

Ageing comes to us all, if we're lucky. And while we might not self-insert, our fears colour our horror.
Does it matter if our characters are young or old? Do our ages, and our feelings about ageing, slip quietly out of their mouths?
Do we speak our fears?
10 minutes to outro

In Horror, ageing itself can be terrifying or empowering.
What does it mean to you and your stories?

1 1 4

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 10d

hi! I’m pun and my two active works in progress both center on teens who do not want to think about their problems (their problems continue, regardless)

I am not a teen, I am something much worse (a millennial)

#HorrorWritersChat

Eryn McCee @erynmccee.bsky.social · 10d

Here we go, #HorrorWritersChat!
Today is the 1st October, beginning of spooky season, if you ever let it end, and that means it's International Day of Older Persons.
I like the idea of it being International Longevity Day but it isn't that yet. Today is about ageing and horror.

roll call!
What’s your name, what do you write and ...
how old are you?
Don’t be shy. There’s a method to it.

2 2 5

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 11d

not sure if this piece counts as a vent but it’s definitely personal

#WIPSnips #WritingPrompts

The second time you remember seeing the tall man you are three and your best friend is dead. You watch him die, hold his tiny paw in your hand as he goes. The tall man stands behind you. You dream about being buried every night for a month, becoming food for the living. You never see the tall man in those dreams but you know he is there.

1 15

pun @thelastpunicorn.bsky.social · 11d

the truck is based on my mom’s 1986 toyota we had all throughout my youth

#WIPSnips #WritingPrompts

Jeremy picks her up in his beat up hand-me-down truck, paint job now more a dull rusty orange than the bright red of its youth. All of his college stuff is packed into the bed so Ana has to wedge her bag under the dash. Jeremy wrangles her into a bear hug before she can crawl into the passenger seat and she lets herself be enveloped.

He holds her out at arms length for a moment to look at her, hands on her shoulders and eyes scanning her face, "How are you?"

"I'm fine J," she huffs, mouth quirked into a smile.

He frowns, disbelieving, and she sighs before pulling him into another quick hug.

"Seriously, you've got to stop worrying."

"Never gonna happen," he says but he grins as he foists her into the passenger seat. "But I'm glad you're doing okay. I've missed you, bug."

"Missed you too, you monster."

1 10