PACT
PACT was the second horror story I ‘officially’ released, and this blog goes into a bit more detail about some of the stuff behind the scenes.
OVERVIEW
With his wife recently deceased, William has fallen into a spiral of depression and alcoholism. Memories haunt him when he is sober. Memories he struggles to contain, no matter how hard he tries. But there is something else that comes with those memories. Something which causes him to question his sanity. Something unwelcome and deeply terrifying.
WRITING PROCESS
Pact began as a practice exercise, as I wanted to test a new writing style. I finished writing the first draft in November 2021, but something didn’t seem ‘write’ with it (did you see what I did there?). I allowed a few people to read it during its earlier drafts, and although the feedback was highly positive, I decided to shelve the story for a while before revisiting it in May 2022. After a few months of editing and Beta Reading, I was finally satisfied with how it flowed. Pact was then ‘officially’ released as my second novelette.
PERSPECTIVE
Pact is written from the perspective of a grieving individual who is unsure of the meaning behind his fragmented memories. Alcoholism and depression are the key areas I explored, and I wanted to make the reader experience a slow build-up of tension before William began to accept his fate with a sober mind.
‘OFFICIALLY’
Why do I keep putting ‘officially’ in inverted commas on this blog? Here is why.
This is the original unofficial order of my stories before I found my current writing style…
See You Later - Oct 20
Fear of the Devil - Mar 21
Chosen - Sep 21
Pact - Nov 21
…and here is the official order after several complete re-edits:
Obsession - May 22
Pact - Sep 22
See You Later - Oct 22
Chosen - Jan 23
Void - Feb 23
Fear of the Devil - May 23
MY INFLUENCE FOR PACT
This story came from out of nowhere. I am sure there must have been a few things I have read or watched which may have planted a seed in my mind, but I genuinely have no idea where Pact came from, which I am sure is quite worrying for my wife.
ENDING
The ending for Pact is very effective (in my opinion) and ties up some of the loose story threads. I feel the conclusion gives appropriate closure to the story, and I am pleased with how it reads.
FEEDBACK
This is another short one at 31 pages; however, feedback has been excellent across various platforms. I am delighted with the response for Pact, particularly as I was beginning to settle into my writing style with this.
LEARNING POINTS
So many to choose from, but I will select the main ones.
-If a story doesn’t seem right, shelve it for a few months before revisiting it. If you plan to do this, prepare to see the entire thing through.
-Accept that each story has its own unique flow. Embrace this.
-Don’t compare your current WIP with your last. Allow your new ideas (and writing style) to unfold. Keep developing as a writer.
WHAT NEXT FOR PACT?
Pact will join Obsession in my future horror anthology collection. I also have a story in mind called Meat, which is loosely connected to Pact. Stay tuned for more on this.
SOME THINGS YOU WILL NOT HAVE NOTICED…YET
William stumbles onto the street when he leaves the supermarket and is nearly hit by a minibus full of kids. Well, that very same minibus is escorting those very same kids into the country for a school trip in Chosen, one of my WIPs.
SHOUT OUT TO READERS
Once again, a massive thank you for reading this book. As an independent author, reviews really do make a difference. If you enjoyed this book, please leave a short review on Goodreads or Amazon. This really helps to boost an author's profile and makes a massive difference in terms of sales.
WHERE CAN I READ THIS?
You can either buy the story on Amazon or Smashwords.