#Spooktastic Reads

[signourneybooks]

Four Books with Day of the Dead | Top Ten Tuesday 452 | Spooktastic Reads

As you might know we are hosting Spooktastic Reads again at the moment. And instead of focusing on Halloween we wanted to give some attention to Day of the Dead as well in our prompt challenge. And for today I wanted to share some books that have Day of the Dead in them. But I also came to the realization that I don’t know that many. If you know of any please drop them in the comments below,…

[bookjotter6865]

Winding Up the Week #393

An end of week recap “Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works.” – Virginia Woolf We will be heading off on a slightly delayed honeymoon, or honeymoomin as our waggish doggy-sitter (pun intended) insists on calling it, on 1st October for four days – only as far as York, but it will, I’m afraid, scupper next Saturday’s…

[lifeofafemalebibliophile]

Reading Recommendations: Spooktastic Reads 2024

It’s that time of the year again where horror films reign, kids go trick or treating, and candy is everywhere! Since Halloween is coming up later this month, I’ve compiled yet another list of creepy novels to satisfy your horror cravings. Each book has its own horror rating, from one to three ghosts: Enjoy these spooky tales to fill your night with fright! See last year’s…

[wordwiilderness]

WORD WILDERNESS HAS REACHED 100 POSTS!!! 🎉

As October comes to a close, I have one more Spooktastic book to talk about. Here’s my review of My Darling Dreadful Things by Johanna van Veen and my hundredth blog post on Word Wilderness!

[slow-writer]

TMAGP (and TMA, indirectly) Spoilers and Thoughts...

You have been warned...

I wasn't part of the original TMA crowd back when it was first airing. I'd heard mutterings of it, but never really thought much about it. To be honest, I probably wasn't mentally ready for it back then. Instead, my younger sister started listening to it last year and then kept talking about it until something she said made me go, "Y'know what? Okay. I'm in."

I ended up bingeing through it during work this past October, and holy sh*t. I fell down the rabbit hole hard. (Maybe, in this case, it would be more akin to running face first down those coffin stairs? I digress.) Being so new to it when everyone else had already been swallowed up by the sky, it was cool to dig into the Wikis that had already been made, to see the links and foreshadowing.

But now, it's the beginning of TMAGP, and I actually get to listen the day they release, to jump on here, or reddit, or tiktok, or wherever to be a part of the theorizing AS IT HAPPENS. And boy oh boy, I'm happier than Simon Fairchild in the stratosphere.

Do I have a notebook to jot down my thoughts as I listen? Of course, I do. Do I have multiple tabs open, some with ARG info, some with TMA info, and yet more with references to alchemical symbols and practices? Duh. Have I started my own spreadsheet for it all? Well, if you knew about my Lego Dimensions spreadsheet.... nevermind. Yes, I have.

But nothing beats being able to talk (or type) about it with other fans, like my sister, or those faceless avatars (lol) of the interwebs. And man, has my brain been CHURNING.

First, let me get out of the way that I wasn't able to take part in the ARG as it was happening, and my goodness! I'm so happy there are other people out there like me who were able to sum up and load it up for the rest of us to learn about. No idea how much of it will be *necessary* to unlock all the secrets, but I'm the kind who loves to know trivia just cos. And the details I am learning definitely pull me deeper.

Second, I feel like in the beginning of TMA, there was barely anything for the listeners to dig through. One guy working on behalf of an organization, trying to dig through seemingly implausible and overly spooktastic first-hand statements dating back centuries that are in crazy disarray from the previous archivist, and he's laying on a hefty helping of "this is utter balderdash, complete poppycock, and absolute piffle" opinion. It was a slow burn, something that (as an American, and being exposed to so much more instant gratification in storytelling than necessary) UK storytellers seem to be experts in, and was even more expertly done in this case, since so many little things had to eventually build up without listeners automatically assuming what would happen next, without them getting bored.

But TMAGP is already so full of so much extra stuff, so many little things (even before it was released) that we may all get BURIED in the sheer amount of data we think is vital. We're not listening to tapes this time, we're definitely listening via internet-connected devices, like computers, mobile phones, and security cameras. So, while TMA had old tape recorders magically appearing (or were they being dragged by hordes of spiders?) and switching themselves on so they could hear all the random happenings within the archive, TMAGP is no longer reliant on such hand-wavery. Whatever/whoever is listening can do so from anywhere to anyone they want. That makes the world of TMAGP

SO MUCH BIGGER.

Third, I know not everyone who listens to these things is like me (or, let's face it: us--there are so many fans doing regular deep dives on here, we should have our own categorization on the wiki). There are bound to be listeners who just leave everything at face value and wait for the story to unfold itself organically, and when it's done, it's done. But even as an adolescent, when I got into something, I did my best to listen to, watch, or read everything I could find on that very niche thing. At least for a while. (Hello, undiagnosed ADHD!)

So, I watched/listened to a couple interviews and Q&As regarding the new show prior to release. And while both Alex and Jonny have been clear saying you don't have to have listened to TMA to enjoy TMAGP, I kind of think just saying that is leading us TMA fans in a very specific direction. And I think it's very intentional, and that a lot of fans either haven't heard about it yet, or are choosing to ignore it.

They say that TMAGP is tangentially related to TMA in that there will be familiar themes, but

it's taking place in a completely different universe from TMA;

time in TMA worked differently (especially during the Entity Torturepalooza in S5) towards the end, so dates of events there may not line up with dates or events in this universe; and

the main or overarching theme is different.

In TMA, the story was "what makes a monster a monster?" As in, is there a line one crosses that they can't return from? Is it a physical manifestation, like it alters their appearance? Is it an action they have to take? And does that action have to be done willingly, or can it be coerced? Does becoming the monster to protect someone else, or to achieve a greater good... does any of that matter?

In TMAGP, they've already said that the story will be "what makes a person a person?"

The implications of that sentence are many and mind-boggling.

I first thought it had something to do with the idea of the humane (not human): kindness, empathy, compassion. The ties that bind us together as people (like being fans of a little horror podcast from across the pond) could be part of this.

But, now that we have 5 episodes out, and a metaphorical army of lore-deep-divers digging through every word and sound effect and episode title, I think we can truly start to figure out where we're heading.

Artificial Intelligence.

It struck me as I was re-listening to the first episode this morning. (I really am trying to fill out my spreadsheet in a semi-logical manner and with as many pertinent details as possible, really. That's the main reason I was doing that this morning. At least, that's what I tell myself.) We are hearing all these happenings over web-connected devices (don't think I don't see you, Alex and Jonny, and your oh-so-hilarious punning!), the OIAR employees are working on a modified business-forward version of Windows NT 4.0 that precedes Windows 95 that has a name that we interpret as 'Freddy' (or Freddie, depending on where you are in the transcripts), one of the documents from the ARG was a spreadsheet called 'Klaus' (which IS the name of the former IT guy Gwen's asking about because she heard/saw young Lena arguing with him), and we have at least 3 text-to-speech "voices" that Alice has given names (Chester, Norris, and Augustus).

All of that was running through my brain, and then I heard this passage within the first few minutes of the episode:

LENA - Nonsense. Sam is the only one who has had any cake so far. GWEN - And that was only because you practically forced it down his throat. SAM - No, no, it was… nice. LENA - People like chocolate cake.

People like chocolate cake? She didn't even ask her employees (all 5 of them at that time) what flavor they'd prefer, or if they'd want something else? No. She just knows a fact that "people" like chocolate cake, so of course, her employees--who are people--would like chocolate cake.

Almost like a computer following a logic-based workflow, perhaps?

Lots of people have been trying to figure out who in the office is the Big Bad, and many are saying Gwen just because of her ambition and her last name (Bouchard), but I think her name is a red herring. Others are saying Alice knows more than she lets on (and so many are hating on her, and I will NOT ABIDE THE ALICE DYER SHADE because I love her and I would very probably hide bodies for her) but I agree that certain things she's said are a little sus, though they really could just be her personality. I really have known some women like her, and they are some of my favorite people. (Plus, the fact that we now know that she's the most tenured employee at the OIAR--save possibly Lena--does make the brain churn some more.)

But with this line about chocolate cake, and how she was unable to join them at the pub, and how we haven't had a scene with her outside of the OIAR office, it makes me think that Lena might just be part code.

[Let me also add this really quick: I've seen A LOT of people trying to make the current episodes fit into Smirke's 14 +Dekker's 1, but I don't think the Entities as we codified them are what we're dealing with in this universe. I think trying to link everything back to that show will be a lot of wasted thought, because as they said, this isn't a direct sequel. (Do I think it's actually Jon, Martin, and Jonah--yes, Jonah, not Jurgen--trapped in the computer system? A bit, but it won't shatter my appreciation if the voices are something else entirely.)

Plus, I've seen others saying that the statements we've heard, while creepy, aren't all necessarily to do with fear. Most of them are about desires and obsessions.

The woman who wanted so desperately to see her dead husband again that she'd get scammed over and over to possibly resurrect him;

the person who wanted to spelunk an 'unsolved' site to the point of crime;

the woman who wanted to finally feel comfortable in her skin to the point of disfiguring herself;

the man who wanted so badly to climb out of his assigned station and achieve fame that he'd regularly 'feed' his violin blood from other people;

and the man who wanted to feel the same terror he felt when watching scary movies with his dad when he was a kid to the point of chasing down 'borderline illegal films' and ignoring LITERALLY ALL the red flags to the end.

I think that theory is the closest to what we may actually encounter.]

I've seen others on reddit saying they think that this series will be about the race to create the philosopher's stone--the stone that creates the elixir of life and, essentially, immortality. I think it's a valid idea. But, what if it went further than that?

Because with all the alchemical hints dropping in the show's logo, the ARG, and the 3-category system to the statements (yes, I'm keeping track) that could make one think of the spirit, the mind, and the body in alchemy....

What if they're trying to create life from software?

What if these entities or desires or whatevers have been working through some ancient busted code, feeding off statements from "real" humans experiencing strong emotions, watching the employees that work with it every single night, so they can create something as close to a human as possible from just wires and 3 decades of unreadable code?

Oh lord... it just occurred to me that--due to this being a HORROR podcast--they might need to collect a skin suit for the Not Quite Human. Is that what happened to Klaus? Ick. And now I'm hoping I'm wrong.

[lilyspencerappreciationweek]

We've had some lovely, spooktastic entries for Day 1 of LSAW! It's amazing to see everyone get into the Halloween spirit and spread love for Lily at the same time 🤗🤗

It's now Day 2, dedicated to Lily the Gamer! Lily is known for her love for video games and pop culture media, and is most known for her ability to use those references when she speaks to people. Her comic abilities and fun nature make these dialogues a joy to read!

Any and all content is welcome during this week - fanfic, fanart, headcanons, meta, edits, moodboards, interactive media, even screenshots of your favourite Lily scenes!! Our only requirement is that the pieces should focus on Lily and present a positive depiction of her. WIPs and Throwback pieces are also more than welcome!

You can send pieces during any day of the week (not necessarily just the day of the theme) but do specify which day you meant the piece for!! We will keep a bonus week open for any pending entries too. Our rough deadline for entries will be Nov 10th. You can still send entries after the date and it will still be put up in the masterlist - this date is mostly for us to make the thank you video! Otherwise we will be open for entries until the next event.

Do keep these things in mind while making your posts:

1. Use the tags #lilyspencerappreciationweek and #LSAW, along with the days you mean the content for (#LSAW Day 1, #LSAW Day 2)

2. Tag @lilyspencerappreciationweek, as well as hosts @sazanes and @lizzybeth1986

FAN-COMMUNITY BLOGS keep the creative parts of our fandom alive! If you would like to participate in other events alongside this one, here are a couple great blogs you can check out!

@choicesficwriterscreations - Accepts both fic and art! Check here for their rules, policies and roster of events!

@choicesmonthlychallenge - Any and all content welcome! Here are the prompts for @choicesoctober, and more prompts for @choicesnovchallenge2021.

@choicesflashfics - Primarily for fics under a 2500 word count. These prompts are for the week, until 4th Nov!

@choicespride - Any and all content, as long as it is centered around LGBTQ characters and/or themes! Currently there are no themes so far, but you could definitely check out and enjoy their past events!

@choicesprompts - Primarily fanfic! They just finished Flufftober, but here are some of the events they've run that you can enjoy!

We can't wait to see what our Lily lovers have in store for us this week!

Happy Lily Spencer Appreciation Week, everyone!!

[doweesig]

BOO! HALLOWEEN COMMISSION SALE IS HERE!

I’ll be doing $10 off discount for Halloween comms until around early November. To read the original commission information, please check the COMMISSION INFO post.

If you’re interested in this sale or just a regular commission, send me a message or contact via discord (same username as here).

Reblogs are very appreciated! Thank you and have a spooktastic day!

[ao3feed-jonmartin]

The Case of The Spooktastic Snoop

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/KSL4Iqn by WonkyElk “I’m not angry, I just want to know which one of you set up the website. So that I can disembowel them.” Words: 2993, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 6 of CW Detective Agency Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Sasha James, Trevor Herbert, Julia Montauk Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Detectives, Fluff, Kidnapping, POV Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/KSL4Iqn

[gamesonwheelsyt]

Hello, Simmers! 👻

Are you ready for an entire month of spine-tingling room creations that will haunt your dreams? 🕷️

Unleash your spooktastic creativity and showcase your eerie masterpieces using #WHEELIESPOOKY23

🦇 See you October 1st for a hauntingly good time! 🦇

🎃Create a 4x4 room, with any wall height (or no walls at all, it is totally up to you)

🎃No CC

🎃TOOL mod is ok

🎃It Doesn't have to be functional

Here is the list of room ideas for each day, if you have trouble reading from this poster:

01 - Haunted Kitchen

02 - Forgotten Fountain

03 - Zombie Apocalypse Bunker

04 - Spectral Library

05 - Cursed Mirror Parlor

06 - Creepy Painting Studio

07 - Haunted Ball Pit Playroom

08 - Mad Scientists Lab

09 - Witch's Potion Chamber

10 - Paranormal Investigator HQ

11 - Séance Chamber

12 - Vampire's Resting Place

13 - Creepy Motel Room

14 - Abandoned Classroom

15 - Cursed Treasure Vault

16 - Haunted Attic

17 - Abandoned Asylum

18 - Coven Gathering

19 - Haunted Dining Hall

20 - Creepy Doll Nursery

21 - Werewolf's Den

22 - Cursed Graveyard

23 - Enchanted Forest Altar

24 - Spooky Mermaid Cave

25 - Haunted Music Room

26 - Haunted Artifacts Exhibit

27 - Witchy Greenhouse

28 - Alien Experiment Chamber

29 - Haunted Theater Stage

30 - Witch's Potion Party

31 - TRICK-OR-TREAT PORCH

[signourneybooks]

Seven Deadly Sins Book Tag | Spooktastic Reads

For our spooky season it seemed like fun to do a book tag like the seven deadly sins book tag! Obviously this is about the seven deadly sins. Unfortunately I can’t find who created this book tag. I clicked through a lot of posts but everyone only mentioned who tagged them or where they found the tag. If you do happen to know or if you made the tag, drop me a message and I will add that…

[thegoblincourtier]

#SpooktasticReads Review | The Awesome by Eva Darrows

#SpooktasticReads Review | The Awesome by Eva Darrows

The Awesome by Eva Darrows

My Rating:

Seventeen-year-old Maggie Cunningham is tough, smart, and sassy. She’s also not like other girls her age, but then, who would be when the family business is monster hunting? Combat boots, ratty hooded sweatshirts, and hair worn short so nothing with claws can get a grip, Maggie’s concerns in life slant more toward survival than fashion or boys. Which presents…

[lifeofafemalebibliophile]

Reading Recommendations: Spooktastic Reads 2023!

It’s that time of the year again where horror films reign, kids go trick or treating, and candy is everywhere! Since Halloween is coming up later this month, I’ve compiled yet another list of creepy novels to satisfy your horror cravings. Each book has its own horror rating, from one to three ghosts: Enjoy these spooky tales to fill your night with fright! *See last year’s recommendations…

[tstrangeauthor]

Writing Spooky Vibes

~tstrangeauthor on instagram~

A week into Spooky Season, and if you want to make your WIP spookier/eviler, consider using this for ideas! T/W: spooky, horror stuff and mentions of blood and gore.

List of spooky desc. words!

murky: dark and gloomy, usually from mist

placid: calm, not easily upset/excited

ominous: threatening

sinister: bad

anguish: painful/miserable

gaunt: bony

macabre: disturbing/horrifying depiction of death/dead; grotesque

eerie: strange

haunted: ghostified, idk you get the gist

grisly: gruesome

Making things Extra Spooky

Here’s just some things to try out that I always find off-putting when reading:

Make things that shouldn’t be scary be scary. A haunted house is: expected, ordinary (still valid if you have a haunted house) but it’s the things you put inside that haunted house that’s really WOAH. That show not tell factor. Like if you mention a haunted laugh, I’m always like OOO I thought that guy was just some normal guy. That’s always extra threatening cuz laughter is: fun, cool, neat which is the opposite of haunted. So put them together and BAM recipe for spookiness

Add ugly mental images! Things that would make you pause for a second. Maybe your character gets a bloody nose while they’re asleep and wakes up covered in blood (more foreshadowing perhaps?) or somebody reaches in the dark for their friend’s hand, only to find them dead! SpOoKy. (I swear this sounds so murdery I’m so sorry I’m just a writer)

Overdescribe and under describe. This advice circulated a lot when I was just beginning and boy oh boy is it helpful! Mention the clothes they’re wearing, describe the way their long fingers wrap around a glass. Describe their face, OVERDESCRIBE the way their teeth look. 

I know I can’t be Stephen King (well, maybe someday) and I know I should probably read his book on writing on my shelf, but I hope this inspired some of you for a halloween one shot or help on a horror scene/book! Lmk in the comments and have a spooktastic month!

[bourbonstreetrpg]

Boys and girls of every age Wouldn't you like to see something strange? Come with us and you will see This, our town of Halloween

For tourists, the preparations for the big Halloween party in New Orleans meant seeing people decorating the streets to welcome the ghosts and ghouls that will gather in the streets and mingle with the crowd. From the Parade of the Ghouls to the biggest costume party event at Saints & Sinners & Sinners, the city is bustling with excitement and festivities. Not the same can be said for those locals who know better. 

Halloween meant that while the treaty of secrecy and peace is still fully much intact, it doesn’t mean that everyone plays by the rules. Other species have less to worry about than the witches and werewolves who have more to fear on old Hallow’s Eve. The veil between the living and the dead is thinner on that night while the full moon is visible for everyone to see.

Celebrate all you want, just be careful of the dark corners of the city. You’ll never know who’s lurking in the shadows. Prepare yourselves for night of screams and chills this Halloween!

Notable Events:

The Spooktastic Parade

Quickly followed by the Halloween Block Party at Bourbon Street

Costume Contest at Saints & Sinners

OOC/ADMIN NOTES: Welcome to the first event of the roleplay! It’ll be a week-long event from October 26th to November 3rd. We will start on 26th with the preparations of the city for the Halloween festivities, start the Halloween proper events on the 29th and we’ll end on the 3rd of November where the parties have finally died down. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of things happening on this event so make sure to be on your tiptoes - you’ll never know what’s gonna happen.

( Please like this post once you’ve read through it. ) 

[the-corset-witch]

September Review

I’ve been a bit distracted with the launching of my shop, which honestly, I did on a small bit of a whim and it’s really worked out!  I didn’t get a lot of tasks done because of this, though.  I also struggled a lot with my anxiety and depression but I feel like I’m on the up and up, which is better than completing a to do list in my opinion.

During September I was doing more Astrology study, and managed to finish a big chunk of my book on Astrology, but not the whole book.  I was also working on my personal routine quite a bit, and it’s still rough but it’s been shaping up alright since I started coming out of this dark spot.  

What I’ve Accomplished & How I’ve Grown

- I feel a bit more knowledgeable about the zodiac signs as well as the planets.  I wish I had read more and studied more, but I still did accomplish something.

- I’m working on finding a method of mindfulness that utilizes my hands; I find peace with crochet and coloring.  

- I launched my shop on a New Moon and in a couple weeks it’s Moonaversary will come up.  I’ve been devoting a lot of time to that and it feels great to be working, so to speak.  I’ve been really worried about my finances, but even the small bit of money I made last week has made a HUGE difference- in both my financial life and my mental health concerning finances.  

What Is Still Before Me

- October is my spooktastic month, so again my focus is going to be on Shadow Work and this time I’m dragging my boyfriend along for the ride.  

- October also includes plotting my NaNoWriMo, which is the same one I worked on last year and the same one I worked on during July.  I’ll be throwing together an outline.  

- I’m going to make some writing themed spreads to put up in my Etsy shop for other writers!

- This fucking election, but that’s all us Americans, amiright?

[count-lucios-bitch]

Rowan, the lil babe, has gone on what they are calling a "spooktastic adventure" and will not be returning to Vesuvia until two weeks after Halloween ends. Their journey began yesterday (they haven't technically left vesuvia yet, they wanted to wander the forest for a day before heading to the docks and sailing to foreign places). They plan to send Lucio a letter every day. Here is today's letter.

They're fairly embarrassed by their handwriting and tried very hard to keep it neat please be nice to them.

They will also be sending photos of their adventures, as soon as they actually head out. The boat leaves tomorrow night, and they said that anyone who wants to come along is welcome to join them.

They are jokingly calling their daily letters "letters to Lucio" which, for some reason, they find hysterical.

They are very very excited for the adventure that awaits them, and the new friends they could possibly make on the journey.

(Yo if anyone's apprentices want to hop into this be my guest. It's basically just writing daily letters to your apprentice's LI and drawing some pictures of them doing fun things in different places, sometimes doing the things with other apprentices. If you do end up joining in, pls tag me in your posts and add the tag "spooktastic adventures" so that I can find it because I want to read them! All of these posts (of mine) will have the same tag, plus "letters to Lucio" and "rowan's trip" if you ever want to see them.)

(Feel free to send asks directed at Rowan, I will answer them in character. They would love to tell you about their spooky adventures around the world)