Writing:The Illusion of Originality

It’s safe to say most writers aspire to create work that’s considered “original.”

If you believe you’ve happened upon an untouched concept, just ask: what are the chances? If I had a Spanish doubloon for every “fresh idea” I had – only to discover it had already been done, I’d have a soggy treasure chest full of worthless currency.

In the horror genre it seems, originality is highly praised — and barely read. The key is to find unusual angles for the usual tropes.

Let’s take the zombie sub-genre. Clearly it has reached a saturation point in every possible medium. Like the ambling corpses that populate it, it keeps hanging on, long after there’s any point or purpose. That’s not to say zombie stories are no longer relevant. If anything their persistence is testament to their relatability. Even before Romero, we vaguely understood the implications of an afterlife far removed from our idealized concepts — for both sides of the deal. We see how similar our neighbors seem to these mindless decaying machines of consumption. So what stories are there to be told within its framework?

Survival, loss, hardship and terror.

All humans made equal by a shared crisis. Plenty of room for stories within that framework, right? Yes, actually. People will still fall in and out of love, have children, make friends and enemies, compete for attention and position, strive for better lives. These are human stories, about life. Originality is rendered irrelevant.

Ridley Scott’s ALIEN was hardly a brand-new concept, having culled most of its basic story elements from IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE and PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES. The characters, blue-collar types performing tedious, unfulfilling jobs (in space, by happenstance) are not written to be admired for their intellect, toughness or discipline. They’re you. me and our neighbor, coffeeing up to go punch a clock every day till Kingdom Come.

Whoa! That lame-ass job just got real sketchy with the addition of an insidiously predatory element which none of them (us) have any hopes of predicting or understanding.

Ripley’s story is that of a good worker doing a thankless job who may or may not have hooked up with her superior at some point, and just really wants to stay alive. Saving mankind, thwarting her employers’ evil plot, and eliminating a grave threat are just unexpected breaks she was lucky enough to catch. Nothing wrong with that.

It’s different from its forebears only in that it’s more about characters than scenario. Is that original?

In Craigslist LA’s writing gigs category, it was common a few years ago to find this basic post, with little variation:

SCRIPTS WANTED: Low budget,1 – 2 locations, minimal FX. FRESH, ORIGINAL CONCEPTS ONLY!!!!!

Putting aside the multiple layers of irony, it’s fair to say most horror film producers posting on craigslist, don’t really know what they mean by “original.”

The “original story concept” is an illusion, or at least so wispy that chasing it requires time and energy better spent writing the billionth haunted house yarn, and then imbuing it with the depth and meaning of experiences we all share.

I once spent a lot of time wracking my brains trying to think of original horror concepts. I was missing the point. Horror is ancient, primal, even predictable in its way. When you gaze upon a rollercoaster as you stand in line to ride, you have an understanding of what it’s going to do — but you’re not prepared for the depth of what it does. I now understand that it’s the depth that is most important — as long as it’s built on a damn sturdy framework.

One of the reasons I made RED HARVEST’s The Chalk Outlines a horror punk band is that I’ve never seen characters from such a niche musical genre in prominent roles. The Halloween parade, hallucinatory treats, weird, tech-less (yet modern) setting — all part of an effort to do something unusual with common tropes. Experimentation, but with known components.

Likewise, with the upcoming followup GRIM HARVEST, I chose to steer away from too closely mimicking the structure of the first. Some may find this jarring. But this is horror. If it’s not jarring, then something’s wrong.

If lack of an original concept is jamming you up, then let me suggest doing the opposite. Choose to write the cliche’s rather than not to write at all, and write them better. There’s somebody out there for whom every formula is a new experience, and just as many who relish crawling into the same warm bed night after night, under the same comfortingly disquieting darkness.
One of the reasons I made RED HARVEST’s The Chalk Outlines a horror punk band is that I’ve never seen characters from such a niche musical genre in prominent roles. The Halloween parade, hallucinatory treats, weird, tech-less (yet modern) setting — all part of an effort to do something unusual with common tropes. Experimentation, but with known components.

Likewise, with the upcoming followup GRIM HARVEST, I chose to steer away from too closely mimicking the structure of the first. Some may find this jarring. But this is horror. If it’s not jarring, then something’s wrong.

If lack of an original concept is jamming you up, then let me suggest doing the opposite. Choose to write the cliche’s rather than not to write at all, and write them better. There’s somebody out there for whom every formula is a new experience, and just as many who relish crawling into the same warm bed night after night, under the same comfortingly disquieting darkness.

One of the reasons I made RED HARVEST’s The Chalk Outlines a horror punk band is that I’ve never seen characters from such a niche musical genre in prominent roles. The Halloween parade, hallucinatory treats, weird, tech-less (yet modern) setting — all part of an effort to do something unusual with common tropes. Experimentation, but with known components.

Likewise, with the upcoming followup GRIM HARVEST, I chose to steer away from too closely mimicking the structure of the first. Some may find this jarring. But this is horror. If it’s not jarring, then something’s wrong.

If lack of an original concept is jamming you up, then let me suggest doing the opposite. Choose to write the cliche’s rather than not to write at all, and write them better. There’s somebody out there for whom every formula is a new experience, and just as many who relish crawling into the same warm bed night after night, under the same comfortingly disquieting darkness.

Advertisements

SON OF HALLOWEEN, HA HA HA

“You don’t know what death is!”

Death is the blackest eyes.

It’s The Devil’s Eyes.

It’s one good scare, and we all deserve it.

In 1979, John Carpenter’s modestly – budgeted horror thriller HALLOWEEN undeniably changed both our favorite genre and our favorite holiday. There isn’t much I can say about the horror classic that hasn’t already been said. For me, it’s more than another horror movie. It’s as much a zeitgeist, a section of my life, as it is an isolated piece of escapism.

There was a book store in the mall where I attended church. After services, while Mom was getting her social on, I would hop down to the book store and have a gander.

I can’t remember the name of the place. It was one of only a handful of businesses that dared to open on the Lord’s Day in the near-hidden shopping center that to this day sits mostly empty. My guess is, the adjoining Office Depot is the only reason it hasn’t been dozed. It was during excursions to this purveyor of fine literature that I discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger via his biography Education of A Bodybuilder, which is a good read, BTW, whether you even lift or not. …Bro.

Fifty Worst Films Of All Time was there as well. Finding GODZILLA VERSUS THE SMOG MONSTER listed within sent me into a tailspin of indignant rage. It was one of my favorite movies. I bought the book of course, and wrote a three page rebuttal defending the kaiju classic. Don’t think I ever actually mailed it.

One fine September Sunday, I glanced at the paperback rack and beheld this:

That third option is gonna be a hard sell.

The official movie novelization, released in advance to generate interest.

The figure on the cover is not an accurate representation of Michael Myers by any means, but it damn sure conveyed the horrific threat of an escaped psychopath who could blend into throngs of Halloween celebrants. There was a section of pics inside that included a harried Loomis, a terrified Laurie — and The Shape, as Mister Myers was then called, emerging from shadow.

Gee, something sure smells stabby.

I read a passage and returned the evil little tome to its display. Not for me, this level of mind-scarring scaritude. Not yet.

Cut to: two years Iater. I was in that confusing, exhilarating part of my teens that can make or break one’s entire adolescence experience. Either somebody told me or I saw it in the TV Guide (which seems like such a quaint and redundant publication now) that the most talked-about horror film since THE EXORCIST was coming to network television.

NBC scheduled their version of HALLOWEEN to coincide with, and promote, the release of the sequel, which was one of the first, I believe to forego the use of RETURN, REVENGE or SON OF to indicate continuation. Ironically, the first two would grace later sequels, while the third — well, read on.

I understand some additional scenes were filmed for the TV version of HALLOWEEN to make up running time for heavy cuts, but I couldn’t tell you which were which. (More info on that can be found on a special edition DVD somewhere, or just read here: http://www.angelfire.com/film/jc-halloween/halloweenontv.html)

I’d heard the legends. Kids used to talk about movies like they were real events, you see, before video blog set diaries and behind – the – scenes documentaries came along and ruined everything. The Shape, it was whispered, absolutely can not be stopped by any force — not even The Almighty Gun.

By the time of this historic television event, I’d experienced a growth spurt, a healthy interest in the opposite sex, and a growing interest in more mature horror. Suffering from often-crippling introversion and social awkwardness, I reasoned that watching harder horror films would somehow make me braver.

It’s hard to articulate this well, but I remember a need also to “be there” for the beautiful and vulnerable girl I’d seen cowering in that paperback; to protect Jamie Lee/Laurie/The Final Girl with what I was sure was my Shaw Brothers-movie-level of kung fu prowess.

Like a big boy, I watched it alone with the lights off. Much as I had heard about it, I was not prepared for the abrupt nut-punch that was the final shot; a feeling of incompleteness that also ironically felt final.

Fortunately, that much-needed closure, the “rest” of the story, was as close as my local cinema.

I was too young to drive; a mere freshman in high school. I asked my mom to drop me off at the theater, and amazingly, she did. It was the Plaza in downtown Asheville, which at that time was considered “rough.” I’d already been dropped off on my own or with my little brother Egan at least a handful of times to see the kinds of kung fu and low budget action flicks that people refer to as “grindhouse” these days, and come away unscathed. No way my old man, and certainly not my mom, would sit through that crap if they didn’t have to. So I suppose it seemed reasonable that I could survive a late showing of R rated horror. Maybe my folks were more progressive than I give them credit for. Maybe they secretly hated me. Whichever the case, I caught a break that a lot of kids my age did not, and I wasn’t going to waste it.

Better still, as I sat off to myself awaiting commencement of the darkening and the flickering and the killing, I was surprised to hear familiar voices. I turned to see two junior girls I knew from my school bus, chattering excitedly. I gave a wave and next thing I knew, the ladies were seated on either side of me, squeezing themselves against me for protection against the unfolding atrocities, and sending my young heart into a tailspin of weirdly pleasant associations. I guess my lifelong horror fixation was a sealed deal at that point.

All too soon, the melodious strains of The Chordettes singing “Mister Sandman” swelled, as end credits rolled. At this point, some clever chap impressed his date by calling out “What’s next? Son of Halloween?” It’s weird the things that stick with you. I like to think that couple is still together, that they watch H2 every year, and he cracks that same joke afterward.

The next year, Halloween got another TV showing, and I had acquired a “girlfriend.” You see, I place “girlfriend” in quotations, because the night I went to her house to watch it with her and her folks, she spent the entire time on the phone talking to her “boyfriend.”

So I sat there with her parents, in what was surely an uncomfortable silence for them, and watched my new perennial classic. And you know what? I did not miss ol’ whatsername in the least.

Since that time, I’ve revisited HALLOWEEN maybe five times, which is paltry for someone who considers themselves such a fanboy for it. That’s really the case with most films for me. I believe that, given time between viewings, a movie can continue to surprise you throughout the years, while eliciting memories along the way.

Autumn and Halloween times seem powerfully provocative in producing this effect. The movie HALLOWEEN, just as much. Who knows when I’ll watch it again?

This year, in a sense, I feel I’ll have the opportunity to re-visit that wistful and wonderful time in my life, via David Gordon Green’s updated HALLOWEEN. Like The Shape himself, the film series refuses to die. But now we’ve come full circle, with John Carpenter back to produce, bringing along Jamie Lee Curtis and even the actor who first portrayed Myers, Nick Castle; both reprising their roles.

Advance word is strong, and the release date of October 19 seems just about right (some previous series entries have dropped in August! Sacrilege!)

I will be there.

And don’t worry, Laurie! I’ve kept my kung fu skills sharp.

Red Harvest Blog Tour

Check out these horrifying blogs for giveaways, excerpts, and more!

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFO!

The Haunted Hollow Chronicles

It’s here! Get your copy of RED HARVEST today! Click on the image below.

In the epic tradition of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Jonathan Maberry, a chilling new masterwork of small-town evil, centuries-old traditions, and newly-risen terror…

Red Harvest

Every year at harvest time, something strange and wonderful happens in the sleepy farm community of Ember Hollow. It comes alive. Truckloads of pumpkins are sent off to be carved into lanterns. Children scramble to create the creepiest, scariest costumes. Parents stock up on candy and prepare for the town’s celebrated Pumpkin Parade. And then there is Devil’s Night . . .

But this year, something is different. Some of the citizens are experiencing dark, disturbing visions. Others are beginning to wonder if they’re losing their minds, or maybe their souls. One newly sober singer with the voice of a fallen angel is tempted to make a deal that will seal his fate. And one very odd boy is kept locked in a shed by his family—for reasons too horrible to imagine . . .

Whatever is happening to this town, they’re going to make it through this Halloween. Even if it kills them . . .

Also available in paperback at Amazon 📖 CLICK HERE

and in the UK 🇬🇧 CLICK HERE

Welcome to Ember Hollow

From the first review on Goodreads!

“Set in the Appalachian hills of Western North Carolina, this novel of extreme horror is the first in a continuing series, invoking both Supernatural elements and the horrifying evils in the human hearts. There are some stomach-churning moments and revelations in this compelling story, but what most impressed me was the characters, their delineation, and the emotional impacts they cause on each other. I’m quite looking forward to the next entry in The Haunted Hollow Chronicles, as once again, good and evil battle for supremacy in tiny, tucked-away, Ember Hollow.

CLICK HERE to Pre-Order Today! Available September 3, 2018   

In the epic tradition of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Jonathan Maberry, a chilling new masterwork of small-town evil, centuries-old traditions, and newly-risen terror…Red Harvest

Every year at harvest time, something strange and wonderful happens in the sleepy farm community of Ember Hollow. It comes alive. Truckloads of pumpkins are sent off to be carved into lanterns. Children scramble to create the creepiest, scariest costumes. Parents stock up on candy and prepare for the town’s celebrated Pumpkin Parade. And then there is Devil’s Night . . .

But this year, something is different. Some of the citizens are experiencing dark, disturbing visions. Others are beginning to wonder if they’re losing their minds, or maybe their souls. One newly sober singer with the voice of a fallen angel is tempted to make a deal that will seal his fate. And one very odd boy is kept locked in a shed by his family—for reasons too horrible to imagine . . .

Whatever is happening to this town, they’re going to make it through this Halloween. Even if it kills them . . .

Triple Hit Combo – Brandon Lee

Brandon Lee’s career path converged with mid 80s Hong Kong cinema’s trend toward emphasizing gunplay over kung fu. Filmmakers like John Woo and Tsui Hark, perhaps as a way to separate themselves from the post – Bruce Lee wave of cheap, quick and generally bad cash – ins, insisted on breaking from the assembly line style of action films to experiment with both more grounded and more fantastic concepts, the former incorporating a “realistic” firearms presence.

Unfortunately, Lee would die at the young age of 28 before the gun – fu fad ran its course and allowed him to properly display his own significant fight skills. It also left a sad paucity of films from which to draw for this edition of THC.

---

Versus Michael Wong in Legacy of Rage:

The legendary Bolo Yeung turns up as a low – level thug, just long enough for a quick scuffle with Brandon. Bolo always performs balls – out so this had the potential of being a brilliant fight. For whatever reason, likely the aforementioned gun fight emphasis, the fight is barely a footnote in the film. In the end it’s still great Hong Kong action though, and the breathlessly – paced plot leads us to a final showdown with 80’s HK stalwart Michael Wong.

Choreographer Hoi Mang works with Wong’s martial arts limitations and the requisite gun trope to craft a decent showcase of Brandon’s Jeet Kune Do principals in a satisfying, anything – goes war between righteous hothead and honorless gangster.

---

Versus Al Leong in Rapid Fire:

Lee’s first solo lead in a Hollywood studio film makes it a standout from typical 90s actioners by strength of his performance alone. Yet the fights overall might have been dismissed as no better or worse than those of any direct – to -video schlockbuster if not for two scenes in particular, choreographed by Lee’s friend Jeff Imada (Big Trouble in Little China) The first features veteran martial arts and stunt performer Leong (also from Big Trouble in Little China) who was versatile enough to match Lee’s unusual style of JKD trapping and catch wrestling moves for a surprisingly complex and quick series of exchanges.

Lee’s best and best – known film The Crow, while action packed was entirely kung fu-free. Given the overall atmosphere, this is entirely appropriate.  For the third of his top three fights, we have to go back to Rapid Fire.

---

Versus Three Assassins in Rapid Fire:

Lee as Jake Lo is a witness under police protection holed up in an upper level apartment. One of his protectors is on the take, and opens the door for a pair of assassins. What follows is an ingenious three-on-one that has Brandon making maximum use of his environment to outsmart and outfight his gun-wielding assailants while trying to escape through the barred windows and to the ground below. A lot of time and planning clearly went into this film’s fights which would explain why there are only a handful, and this fight in particular.

Before becoming an ascendant star on his own, Lee worked with a few notable action stars in higher profile films; David Carradine in Kung Fu: The Next Generation and Dolph Lundgren in Showdown in Little Tokyo. But the true showcases of his talent as both actor and martial arts will always be Rapid Fire and The Crow. Then, we lost him, and something more than a dynamic film star. Brandon Lee was intelligent, thoughtful and openly loving to his family, friends and fans. There will never be another.

---

Don’t forget to sign up for our FREE newsletter and get exclusive access to free flash fiction plus other exciting FREEBIES! CLICK HERE to sign up.

RED HARVEST Giveaway and Pre-Orders

Kensington Publishing is giving away 100 free kindle copies of my new book RED HARVEST. Ends June 20,2018 Click here for more information on the goodreads giveaway.

RED HARVEST is currently available for pre-order at the following retailers and will go on sale September 4, 2018.

In the epic tradition of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Jonathan Maberry, a chilling new masterwork of small-town evil, centuries-old traditions, and newly-risen terror…

RED HARVEST

Every year at harvest time, something strange and wonderful happens in the sleepy farm community of Ember Hollow. It comes alive. Truckloads of pumpkins are sent off to be carved into lanterns. Children scramble to create the creepiest, scariest costumes. Parents stock up on candy and prepare for the town’s celebrated Pumpkin Parade. And then there is Devil’s Night . . .

But this year, something is different. Some of the citizens are experiencing dark, disturbing visions. Others are beginning to wonder if they’re losing their minds, or maybe their souls. One newly sober singer with the voice of a fallen angel is tempted to make a deal that will seal his fate. And one very odd boy is kept locked in a shed by his family—for reasons too horrible to imagine . . .

Whatever is happening to this town, they’re going to make it through this Halloween. Even if it kills them . . .

CLICK TO PRE-ORDER

Crescendo of Darkness:Guest Blog

Music has the power to soothe the soul, drive people to obsession, and soundtrack evil plots. Is music the instigator of madness, or the key that unhinges the psychosis within? From guitar lessons in a graveyard and a baby allergic to music, to an infectious homicidal demo and melancholy tunes in a haunted lighthouse, Crescendo of Darkness will quench your thirst for horrifying audio fiction.
HorrorAddicts.net is proud to present fourteen tales of murderous music, demonic performers, and cursed audiophiles.

Please enjoy an excerpt below from Crescendo of Darkness.

---

“A Whisper in the Air” by Jeremiah Donaldson

Employees at a job find solace in playing music on break, but a haunted melody draws in more than just new musicians.
Jim pushed the steel door open and exited the building. The evening breeze made him shiver. He pulled his flannel tighter while people poured from the doorway behind him. They spread out into the parking lot full of vehicles and lights from all the new hires that had just started. ‘Newbies’ was the preferred term, and it was Jim’s turn to be one, again. The last call center had gotten old. Simply walking through those doors had started to put a cloud over his day that was instantly gone the second he went outside.

He scanned the parking lot for any of the various people that he knew, but deep shadows were everywhere, so he waded through the crowd.

Bass from someone’s vehicle thundered with higher pitched sounds underneath. A word or two from conversations around him were audible as he passed car after car. Cigarette smoke and vapor floated across headlights as if fog had moved into the area as it was known to do on cool nights. He detoured around a small circle of people bouncing a hackysack between them in an empty spot.

Then something stood out in the din around him.

An acoustic guitar was picked and tuned for a second before the player started an upbeat rock melody that Jim didn’t recognize. The notes made it to him through the clash of sounds, but were barely a whisper. His friends would be in that group

He tried to focus on the sound and let it lead him to its source, but it came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Could more than one player be strumming the same tune? He doubted it, especially since the notes sounded as if they were being made up on the spot. It made him want to bob along as he walked, but the tune needed some drums. And bass. And a singer, belting out a gravely song.

Jim’s fingers moved of their own accord as he memorized the notes being played, imagining himself plucking the bass lines along with the guitarist. The rhythm put a bounce in his step until he was almost skipping along while playing air bass. Then the notes began to repeat themselves and he thought he had it…

“What the fuck are you doing?”

A chorus of laughter sounded from Jim’s left.

He turned to his friend’s voice before he realized the tune had stopped. “Shit, there you are. I’ve been looking the place over for you.”

Arek blew out a cloud of vapor. “We’ve been standing here, watching you bounce across the parking lot like you’re listening to a techno version of ‘Little Green Bag’.”

“I was listening to whatever you all were playing. That’s how I found you. That would be a pretty good song if it had something else going for it.”

Arek pointed a thump at Stan who was putting a new string on a guitar. “You didn’t hear us playing shit. Numbnut snapped my ‘E’ string on first break.”

*********************************

To read the rest of this story and thirteen

other horror music shorts, check out:

Crescendo of Darkness

Direct link: https://www.amazon.com/Crescendo-Darkness-Jeremiah-Donaldson/dp/1987708156

Edited by Jeremiah Donaldson

Cover by Carmen Masloski

HorrorAddicts.net Press

Let music unlock your fear within.

793 Words About Editing (Down from 127,987)

When my work first began to be accepted and published, I quickly learned several surprising facts about the process. Likely the most surprising was that many writers just aren’t into self-editing; something I thought was strictly required.

My first forays into professional writing were as a screenwriter, a discipline which exists in an entirely separate universe, worlds apart from published prose. Submit a completed screenplay with so much as an extra space between words, and the assigned reader – often an intern or entry level assistant of some kind, feels perfectly justified in tossing your work into the can, or hitting delete. Seems unreasonable, even elitist doesn’t it? But there is a brutal Darwinian logic at work, stemming from multiple factors. Most significantly, one page of a properly formatted screenplay is said to equal roughly one minute of screen time. Thus, a finished spec (non-commissioned) script should top out at between ninety and one hundred and twenty pages. Typos, overly descriptive narrative and general sloppiness can queer the formula. Nobody has time for that. Anyone accepting screenplay submissions will not want to account for your mistakes. Your work has to be finished. And perfect. That includes editing.

If you’ve written so much as a mash note, (that’s how we used to refer to sexts, kiddies) you’ll know that not everything you drop on the page should stay there. Nobody gets it right the first time. We can all scan for typos and mistakes, but not every writer can take up the cross of amputating pieces of their children. That’s where professional editors and editing services come in. There are these wonderful souls have no interest in the process of world building from the ground up or stringing together narrative. Their calling is to clean, organize, refine. It’s as much an art as the actual storytelling, and we wouldn’t have decent books without them.

That said – maybe I’m weird. I would rather be the one doing the amputating, if it must be done, than to leave that surgery to someone who could never be as emotionally or energetically invested in my monstrous fetuses as I am. It probably has a lot to do with habits learned as a screenwriter, but maybe also with martial arts and weight training, two activities which require constant personal refinement, self-sacrifice and yes, pain.

In any case, I’m inclined to chip away, to leave as little distraction for beta readers and as little work for editors and publishers as possible; to turn in a complete work. My belief is that a highly polished piece is that much more likely to be accepted, quicker to be published, and even more valuable to a publisher – and thus likely to command a larger purse for you the writer, not even to mention what it does for your reputation as professional, timely and attractive to work with.

Every writer is different, and I can’t pretend to dictate how all writers should conduct their process. Maybe some are so driven to move on to the next project that they simply cannot conjure the focus needed to trudge through a fifth, sixth and seventh draft of nothing more than making cuts and additions. Maybe for some, the story is well and truly done, maxed out, past history – yet still needs an outside hand before being ready for mass consumption. Their cartridge is spent and it’s time to chamber the next round.

Now lest I wax too high and mighty/writerier than thou, I should mention that recent experience has taught me that, as much as I may be driven to self-edit, I’m not always that good at it. My upcoming September release, Red Harvest: Haunted Hollow Chronicles Volume 1, probably made it to the “accept” pile by the very skin of its teeth. My editor, one of God’s own angels flying above a purgatory of self-indulgent keyboard and pen jockeys, sent my manuscript back to me with notes that, despite their diplomatic composition, exposed me as a mediocre compositionist with a few half way decent ideas. I learned a lot from her patient yet deserved annihilation of my sloppy prose. I wish for such an entity to nurture and afflict all you smug story slingers out there, if for no other reason than so that I can read your very best work.

But I also encourage you to self-edit the absolute hell out of your work. After all, if you’ve done your homework you should know everybody needs editing. The better your work is, the more readers it’s likely to reach. Swallow your ego, crush your lassitude and refine that diamond. You might be surprised at how satisfied you can be with your own work when you look at it after a harsh slash session or two.

---

Don’t forget to sign up for our FREE newsletter and get exclusive access to free flash fiction plus other exciting FREEBIES! CLICK HERE to sign up.

Triple Hit Combo!

Every action star worth his (ahem) assault should have at least three great fight scenes under his belt, am I right? I thought it’d be fun to list the top three of action cinema’s hard working men women, and even children. But a great film fight is not just about some athletic performers doing interesting techniques. Editing, build-up based on story line, camera angles and setting play a part.

With that in mind, you won’t see clips of these great fights posted here. Of course you can easily locate them yourself, but a great fight depends on context — and a youtube clip cannot provide that. If you’re a fan of screen/stage combat you owe it to yourself to seek out the full film — unless otherwise noted, of course; for a good fight scene can also save a mediocre film.

This will be an ongoing series, written and posted as the mood strikes. Recommendations are always welcome.

---

DONNIE YEN:

The latest Hong Kong superstar to cross over into Hollywood, Yen was acting in action films for nearly four decades before landing his best known Hollywood role in Star Wars: Rogue One. Always heavily involved in his won choreography, Yen’s films are among the best of the genre. His fight style has come to include a good deal of MMA, including submissions and wrestling takedowns.

Yen played legendary Wing Chun instructor IP MAN in the film of that name, turning in some of his best work across the trilogy.

3. Master Ip Man versus ten black belts, IP MAN: Set during the Japanese occupation, IP MAN plays on a popular theme in kung fu films; that of a good man, put upon by cruel oppressors, pushed to the breaking point. The scene comes about mid way. The Japanese general in charge pays locals to come and fight his soldiers, to keep their skills sharp. When he takes it too far and someone is crippled, Ip Man takes the challenge. The scene is a master work of camera work, sound effects, and Yen’s unbelievable speed, which Michelle Yeoh one commented is the fastest of anyone she ever worked with.

 

2. Inspector Ma versus Tony, FLASH POINT. Paired with innovative director Wilson Yip once more, Yen is a hot headed police inspector in a labyrinthine crime story that ends at an abandoned shack out in the country. Collin Chou of The Matrix series is his opponent. They use the environment to brilliant effect, giving the audience a couple of breathers in just the right spots to create a feeling of exhaustion -and satisfaction- when we reach the conclusion. Yen breaks out a lot of great leg locks, as well as his famous wind-up punch.

1. SPL Killzone: Ma Kwan versus Mob Boss Wong Po: I truly doubt Sammo Hung Kambao is capable of performing in or choreographing a bad fight, and this great battle has him doing both. Wilson Yip directing yet again in another gritty police drama. It’s just after Ma has battled Po’s best fighter, played by Wu Jing, in a fight nearly as bad ass as this one. The setting is a multi-level bar with lots of glass to break. Boss Po’s cellphone plays into the fight as well, giving this fight the emotional resonance Hollywood has either never mastered or never bothered with.

Runners up: Vs Mike Tyson in IP MAN 3, Vs Jason Scott Lee in CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON 2, VS Jet Li in HERO.