Hello, Fire Enthusiasts.
Once upon a time there was a scary carnival. Full disclosure: I’m not particularly fond of spooky carnivals. Not a fan! So why was I there? I wasn’t. I was writing it.
And not just me. There were thirteen of us.
The idea was a project that would be fun and would benefit charity. “It started as a conversation between me, Julie (Julianne Snow), and Jason (Darrick),” said Author Brent Abell. “We talked about doing some sort of book together, and it grew from there.”
The three authors steering the project came up with the setting and the characters. Author John Everson wrote the first chapter and then that was sent to the next author. They added their chapter, turned it in, and then it eventually made its way to the next author. On the date that the material arrived via email, the author was left with one final instruction. “As you’re working on your piece,” the email read. “Please keep in mind that this is a blind write for the authors coming after you, so your discretion is greatly appreciated.”
I asked Brent if there was ever a worry about keeping the authors on path. “It was easier to keep the cats corralled than we thought it would be,” he said. “We also figured the running order to have John start, and have us at predetermined points in the order to get everything back on track if things got weird. I know my chapter had to swing it back to reality before Julie closed it out.”
That’s a quote from the television show The Prisoner. I never saw it, but I’m very well versed in this quote as it’s taken from the Iron Maiden song “The Prisoner” which was inspired by the show. Doing some quick research, I found that Number Six was born March 19th (Original Star Patrick McGoohan’s real birthday). Mine is March 22nd. I found that quite interesting, but I digress…
“Come one, come all!” the blurb on the back cover began. “Step right up and join thirteen masters of macabre literature as they take you on a journey unlike anything you’ve ever traveled. We’ve got freaks, fantasy and fear; all lined up waiting to take your breath away. Will you be tempted by the Freaks of the Flesh? Astounded by the Freaks of Fantasy? Baffled by the Freaks of the Mind? All this and more awaits you for just the small price of three tickets... and your soul.”
The book came in at 158 pages and was published October 29th, 2013, just in time for Halloween. It is no longer in print, but did do some good. “Before going out of print,” Brent said. “We were able to donate $200 to Scares That Care.”
I certainly have my copy. Shall we start the bidding at $100?
“I really enjoyed the process, from the initial development of the idea, all the way to the final product,” said Author Julianne Snow. “It was incredible to witness the cohesive story at the end, written in 13 distinct voices.”
“Wow, I can’t believe it’s been over a dozen years since this came out,” said Author Armand Rosamilia. ”I wrote chapter ten, so I had a lot of reading up to that point and remember having a few ideas but then saw the previous authors had used them. My part was about 2,400 words and I wrote it quickly, within a few hours, and sent it back. Got the edits and then couldn’t wait to read it all once it was completed.”
Brent has been the only member of the group that I have had consistently any kind of contact with since that time. We’re both Iron Maiden and Chicago Cubs fans, so we chat online now and again. Revisiting this book gave me the opportunity to chat with Armand for the first time and also check in again with Julianne.
“I’m still friendly with quite a few of the writers in this project, and I’m still a big supporter of Scares That Care,” Armand said.
According to the site: “Founded in 2006, Scares that Care has raised and donated over $400,000 to organizations and families with a child affected by illness, severe burns, or people fighting breast cancer.”
Writers, can you imagine taking part in a project like that? Perhaps you already have. If so, please share that experience.
For me, I think it was one of those things where you think it could be fun in the beginning, then regret raising your hand just before it arrives at your email because you’re scared to death of embarrassing yourself or having bitten off more than you can chew, and then ultimately glad you played a small part and that it all worked out.
Of course I was kidding about auctioning off my copy. I’m keeping it.
We’ll talk soon.
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