It’s a privilege to read such great storytelling but what I continue to find so impressive is the continual underlying current of dread that runs through Hermann’s tragic tale. Each step of his adventure has its own challenges and complications, but, because of the strength of your writing, you can almost see, in your minds eye, the shadow of the werewolf haunting his every step. And he probably knows he can never outrun it but he still goes on.
Thank you again, Daniel. I’m always so appreciative of your comments. Your generosity of spirit is all too rare nowadays. You’ve managed to transfer your sharp skills as a film critic into this platform is such a way so as boost the confidence of writers who don’t have the benefit of professional reviewers to highlight their work. I also like how you manage to find admirable qualities of movies you often don’t care much for. You’re very balanced!
Their travels continue to take them to intriguing places! The first sepia image of the stables looks almost exactly like an old photo from my great-grandparents. I'm not sure where it was taken, but there was a family farm somewhere with a barn just like that!
Also, thanks for the kind mention! I'm always happy to share horse knowledge!
Thank you, Jacquie. Your advice has been so invaluable. Separately, have you thought of posting more autobiographical essays regarding your upbringing with horses? I remember your essay from last year about painting and horsemanship and your interview for Storyletter. Your mention of the sepia photograph resembling one of your great-grandparents’ photos was intriguing. It sounds like you come from a venerable line of equestrians—and equestriennes!
Thanks, Daniel. It's funny you mention the horse essays because I've been meaning to spend more time working on things like that for my Glenshee newsletter, which I've been neglecting. Oddly enough, as far as I know, I'm the first one in my family (at least in recent history) to take an interest in horses! I don't know what it was about them, but they captivated me at first sight :-)
Thank you, A.B.! I’m looking forward to working on the next few chapters, which are going to include an entire flashback into the pre-Christian origins of the werewolf.
I do have a few lined up. But I made a mistake of committing myself to three novels, each of which I’m over halfway through. I’m hoping to finish the werewolf one by October (Halloween), and possibly one of the others by the end of the year. I have a bad habit of writing short stories that spiral out into longer pieces. So I’m trying to keep that under control. I wrote a short story earlier this year that I submitted to a magazine, so I had to remove it from Substack. But it got rejected because “we don’t publish fantasy” 🙄 —But that story was not really a fantasy story. Anyway, I think I’m going to republish that one here soon and publish the other parts to it, since I only published part one. It’s called “The Hidden Library of Kafr Musa” and it’s a magical realism story (which must be where they got the idea that it’s fantasy).
Another great chapter, Daniel 👍🏼
It’s a privilege to read such great storytelling but what I continue to find so impressive is the continual underlying current of dread that runs through Hermann’s tragic tale. Each step of his adventure has its own challenges and complications, but, because of the strength of your writing, you can almost see, in your minds eye, the shadow of the werewolf haunting his every step. And he probably knows he can never outrun it but he still goes on.
Brilliantly done 👍🏼
Thank you again, Daniel. I’m always so appreciative of your comments. Your generosity of spirit is all too rare nowadays. You’ve managed to transfer your sharp skills as a film critic into this platform is such a way so as boost the confidence of writers who don’t have the benefit of professional reviewers to highlight their work. I also like how you manage to find admirable qualities of movies you often don’t care much for. You’re very balanced!
Their travels continue to take them to intriguing places! The first sepia image of the stables looks almost exactly like an old photo from my great-grandparents. I'm not sure where it was taken, but there was a family farm somewhere with a barn just like that!
Also, thanks for the kind mention! I'm always happy to share horse knowledge!
Thank you, Jacquie. Your advice has been so invaluable. Separately, have you thought of posting more autobiographical essays regarding your upbringing with horses? I remember your essay from last year about painting and horsemanship and your interview for Storyletter. Your mention of the sepia photograph resembling one of your great-grandparents’ photos was intriguing. It sounds like you come from a venerable line of equestrians—and equestriennes!
Thanks, Daniel. It's funny you mention the horse essays because I've been meaning to spend more time working on things like that for my Glenshee newsletter, which I've been neglecting. Oddly enough, as far as I know, I'm the first one in my family (at least in recent history) to take an interest in horses! I don't know what it was about them, but they captivated me at first sight :-)
I've got to go back and start this novel again, it's been a while since I read the first few chapters but I really enjoyed them 👍🏼
Thank you, A.B.! I’m looking forward to working on the next few chapters, which are going to include an entire flashback into the pre-Christian origins of the werewolf.
That'll be awesome. Any other short stories planned?
I do have a few lined up. But I made a mistake of committing myself to three novels, each of which I’m over halfway through. I’m hoping to finish the werewolf one by October (Halloween), and possibly one of the others by the end of the year. I have a bad habit of writing short stories that spiral out into longer pieces. So I’m trying to keep that under control. I wrote a short story earlier this year that I submitted to a magazine, so I had to remove it from Substack. But it got rejected because “we don’t publish fantasy” 🙄 —But that story was not really a fantasy story. Anyway, I think I’m going to republish that one here soon and publish the other parts to it, since I only published part one. It’s called “The Hidden Library of Kafr Musa” and it’s a magical realism story (which must be where they got the idea that it’s fantasy).
That's the problem, not enough time to execute on all the ideas and projects 😆
I'm looking forward to the stories whenever they come!