As I sit in bed, wearing the proven ultra-sexy combo of fuzzy pajama pants and both my retainers, I struggle yet again with finding interest in working on anything other than the second and third novels of my current series. So instead of a thought-provoking book review or some other profound insight, I’m going to introduce you to a game I sometimes play with myself called “Writer or Psychopath.”
- I love watching other people fail because what happens next is going to be interesting, possibly even entertaining.
- Playing with other people’s emotions is my favorite thing to do.
- Imagining ways to hurt people is my second favorite thing to do.
- I don’t have a problem with happy endings, as long as everything leading up to them is messy, dirty, and at least a little demoralizing.
- If someone is happy, I imagine ways to destroy that, and then try and pick the most dramatic way.
- My favorite law is Murphy’s.
- My next favorite law is Newton’s Third Law of Motion (because it doesn’t just apply to physics).
- Catastrophe and Cacophony are euphonious and titillating means of story propulsion.
So which is it? Writer? Or psychopath? Some days even I’m not sure.
May the page-turners be with you.
Thalia Huntley 