Aug 20, 20213 min read

Weirder than Fiction #1 Real-Life Adventures of a Horror Writer.

By Craig E. Sawyer

It's Friday, and I hope you are getting ready for a fun weekend! It's been a while since I dropped a new blog post, and I wanted to share what's going on. I'm taking a vacation next month with my girlfriend and her family to Coronado in San Diego. We are going to be staying at the Hotel Del Coronado.

Evidently, some guests check-in, but they never check out. The historic hotel opened in 1888, and it supposedly has a very haunted room - Room 3327 (formerly Room 3312), and another haunted room is Room 3519 (formerly Room 3502). I guess they changed them to keep ghost hunters on their toes. Each is the site of some crazy paranormal happenings, like things, moving and flying around strange noises. The story goes that the mistress of the hotel owner committed suicide after she found out she was pregnant - lovely. Also, a little horror trivia, the initial inspiration for Stephen King's short story "1408" came from a collection of real-life news stories about parapsychologist Christopher Chacon's investigation of a notoriously haunted room at the hotel. I'm not sure what our room number is yet, but I'll keep you posted.

I just finished the first draft of my first novel - Clay Boy! As you know, I've written and had published many a short story and comic book, but I knew it was time to put on my gloves and get in the novel-writing ring. The punches came fast and furious, and I have a few black eyes and bruises to show off over drinks, but this is all a minor prelude to the final bloody rounds of combat when my editor (Ben Eads) hands me back his notes.

There is a hellish reason that those editor revision marks are in red, because they are made up of the blood from the slaughtering of my precious darlings (words I thought necessary, but must be sacrificed to the greater gods of storytelling). Before the great battle is said and done, I'm sure that my eyes will feel gouged, and my soul stretched like warm taffy, but by the reckoning - I will hopefully have a draft worthy of publication. And as Hemingway once said, "No man with any talent, who feels and writes truly about the thing he is trying to say, can fail to write well if he abides with them." I may not be the most talented writer, but hopefully, I write true,

What else is the publication horizon and available now? I have a short story coming out next month in a Weird Tales Annual: "Zombies," which is edited by Douglass Draa, of not only Weirdbook but also Startling Tales (Wildside Press). I am printing issue #2 of the Mars City Vice comic and shipping it soon. Issue #1 (available now on Amazon, just put up & Comixology) The Forbidden Museum comic Kickstarter was a success, and we will be moving toward printing that for an October ship date. My short story "Welcome Home" is in "Funny as a Heart Attack" by Schlock Publications (available now on Amazon). Links at bottom of the page.

What am I drinking?: Jefferson's Ocean Bourbon

This bourbon is aged at the mercy of the sea and travels to 25 ports, 5 continents, and crosses the equator 2 times. It's one of my top three bourbon whiskeys. It's not cheap, but nothing good is. $80 bucks for a 5th (750ml). It's as smooth as a beautiful woman on silk.

What am I eating?: Chloe's Oat Milk Mint Chip Pops

Found exclusively at Sprouts Grocery, these oat milk bars are so good, they'll make you slap your grandma and roll around on the ground, I eat more of them than I should, They are 4.99 a box, and worth every damn penny.