New Writing Prompt Series and Website Redesign

If you've been following my writing journey for a while, then you know stinaesc.com has changed over the years. I used to strictly go by christinaescamilla.com until I lost the domain for a few years, and a spam fashion site took it over, lol.

However, one thing that has remained consistent is the "blog" portion of the site, where I give writing advice and tips. However, I have never really done the whole "author updates" thing. I did like one or two posts back in 2014 or 2015. But those posts are long gone now. Anyway, I finally wanted to start doing just that. This little category in the new "writing section" is where I will keep all ya'll great folks updated on new stuff coming down the pipeline, but here is what else is different about the website.

Out with the Old, New With the New

I admit I went all in when I first became a published author. I was posting consistently, had a strong social media presence, and I attended soo many author events. Ironically, though, it was during my Creative Writing undergrad that I sort of fizzled out. I'm not sure if it was because I was a nontraditional age student and just felt awkward or just being forced into a box, but that experience, while making me a better writer, also made me feel dispassionate about writing.

After college, I met my partner, and we started carving out a life together. I ended up going into marketing and falling in love with it. I tried to get back into writing, and during that time, I published a few writing prompt books. However, I don't know if it was because I was constantly writing marketing copy (even now, as I write this blog, I know all the things I'm doing incorrectly to "rank," but I’m okay with that) or just the tiredness, but I struggled writing narrative fiction.

All of that changed because of two things – a very close relative was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I lost my job (this is after assuring me they "had my back" and then firing me the day after one of her chemo treatments). Anyway, I digress. Rather than immediately jumping back into the workforce, I took some time to self-reflect, which I acknowledge I'm privileged to do. I realized that if I died tomorrow, then, aside from spending time with my family, I just want to write, and write, and write. Maybe my work turns to dust, and no one cares, but I do, and that's good enough.

So all that is to say – I'm back, baby lol.

I still need to figure out the whole social media thing, but for now, I have decided to use this website to continue highlighting my books and offering writing advice. But I also wanted to write about a few categories I'm personally passionate about as shown in the image above and well, the header of this website.

Here are the details:

• Film - The Film Fiend blog will allow me to geek out about horror movies. For the longest time, I toed the line of embracing my love for the genre because I didn't want to be judged, but you know what? Fuck that noise. Anyway, I'll talk about cultural impact, directors, and stories, and of course, I'll offer plenty of movie reviews.

• Travel – Wanderlust Wanderings is a place to recollect all the weird spots I've been and unusual places I want to go. I'll also point out interesting locales and haunted places. Anyone who knows me personally knows I am always down to go off on a wild (but totally safe) adventure.

• Curiosities – Stranger Than Fiction is where I can talk and talk and talk about weird shit. Fun fact: my partner and I are really into collecting oddities and antiques. Though my dust allergies may hate it, we love the stories and history that come along with these strange objects. Speaking of weird history, there will be plenty of that here, too, along with other odds and ends, bits and bobs, I find interesting.

• Bibliographies – Curated Critiques – is something I'm especially pleased about. I used to be into reviewing books, but then I left a three-star review (I'm honest like that) for an author, and she made it a point to leave a one-star review for every book I released after that. Some people are wild, lol. Anyway, I'm happy to be reviewing books and book-adjacent stuff, along with giving recommendations on fun book things.

So yeah, fun stuff.

There is a merch section, but as of right now, it is only in existence on the site. Since my partner and I both do art and graphic design, we thought it would be fun to release new designs every so often. There will be a few aI generated pieces, but I have a big mostly-done-by-us stance so this will only be on occasion.

Oh, and by the way. All of these blogs will have a main picture related to me and my life. The photo for this post is of my dog Tiffany and me from last Halloween's Pawfest. She doesn't look pleased, but I promise she is haha. It’s part of my try-not-to-be-a-recluse promise I made to myself.

Horror Prompts and Let These Scars Remain

Now for some fantastic news! I am writing again! *fanfare* I'm so excited about the two new projects coming down the pipeline:

500 Horror Writing Prompt Series

One of my best-selling writing books is 1,001 Horror Writing Prompts and I think the reasons are because a. I'm a horror writer giving out horror ideas, and b. my passion showed in these prompts. I originally wanted to do a follow-up to my Write Horror: Good Enough to Wake the Dead, geared towards advanced writers. This would also be a separate series that focused on a different subgenre for each book, but that is going to take some time because I want each book to be well researched.

In the process of writing some of the initial notes for the currently untitled series, I started having all these writing ideas for the different subgenres. I was diagnosed with ADHD a year or so ago, and I realize now that writing prompts help me get out all my hyperactivity when it comes to rapid writing ideas. So, I decided to write prompts that are specifically dedicated to different horror tropes. The first book, 500 Writing Prompts: Monsters Unleashed, has already been released!  

The next one, which will have the subtitle "Contagion" should be releasing this weekend or next week (depending on when the cover designer is finished). After that, I want to have the third book in the series, “Unholy Encounters” dealing with religious horror and the fourth book, "Bloodlust" which will focus on vampires, werewolves, etc., done by 2024. This is a 10-book series so that the rest will be spread out across 2025 and possibly at the beginning of 2026. Hopefully, I can get it wrapped up in a year.

Let These Scars Remain

This is probably the book I am MOST excited about because it's my own anthology! The first and only short story collection I have released is 64 Deaths in 2013. The last multi-author anthology I released was in 2015 with The Deep Dark Woods, so... it's been far too long. I really wanted to release this book in 2023, so it would have been exactly 10 years after the release of 64 deaths, but eh life happens.

Anyway, this will be a 12-14 short story collection where the recurring theme is the singular moments that shape our lives forever - that one split-section decision that leads to death, brutal discovery, or trauma. Children and youth are also prominently featured throughout the book because I also wanted to touch a little on the loss of innocence and childhood trauma.

The book shares the name with a short story I wrote in my senior project class at the University of Houston under the direction of Robert Boswell. Two other stories, "Little Lambs Lost," "Riptide," and "Come Play, Bent Man” were all born during that time but do not look remotely like they did when I first wrote them and workshopped them in class. I think they are far more refined.

Unfortunately, I don't have a cover to share just yet, but I know for sure that Let These Scars Remain will be published in 2024, hopefully before my birthday in December.

I plan to write at least 2k-5k words a day (on top of any blog writing time), so hopefully you will be seeing future writing series, standalone horror novels, and of course, short story collections.

Spooky Season, Here We Come

This blog post has already come out much longer than intended, but I also wanted to say how much I am looking forward to this spooky season. My relative is officially cancer-free!! Which means we get to enjoy the holidays celebrating that. 💗

I am beginning to rewatch a lot of classic horror movies and am looking forward to some of the new films coming out. I've already seen Longlegs and and have plans to catch up to some of the other films that have come out since then. I'm also looking forward to reading Stephen King's new short story collection, You Like it Darker, and I may find some other spooky reads.

So, needless to say, I am open to any and all suggestions! I hope you're having a great fall start yourself!

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