Five of my Fav Costumes

Last year, I went to the amazing Halloween showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Hollywood Blvd Theater in Woodridge, IL. I say to anyone looking for a rollicking, loud, disturbing, and different Halloween experience, RHPS is the place to be. Here's their website: http://www.rockyhorror.com/participation/showtimes_venueinfo.php?vid=26. Anyway, here are some of my fav halloween costumes. Notice that a few of them are RPHS friendly.

Riff-Raff: This sexy stud is Dr. Frank's beguiling buttler. Do you fancy yourself the servile, sadistic alien type? Or maybe you've always wanted long flowing blond hair and a humpback. Either way, I have a totally disgusting crush on anyone who dresses up like Riff-Raff.

American McGee's Alice and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: This one's a twofer, only because I love this picture. In my mind I'm planning the Alice and Nny wedding ceremony. Pretty sure all the guests will be bloodily slaughtered.

Bender from Futurama: Yes, you need the booze! And yes, I've mostly included Bender because it amuses me that someone would tolerate wearing this costume for even a moment. You, sir or ma'am, have balls.

Dr Frank: Speaking of balls...

Need I say more? Crossdressers are the highlight of my halloween experience.

Mrs. Lovett: I know this isn't the Helena Bohnam Carter version, but I like it. Especially the pie with eyes. Like, really? The eyes didn't get ground up with the rest of the body tissue? Really. That's awesome!

Here are some books/short stories that have shaped me. Feel free to loathe every single damned one:

1. Griffin and Sabine by Nick Bantock (prepare to foster your extremely odd inner life with this one)

2. Cowboys are My Weakness by Pam Houston

3.Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, art by Stephen Gammell

4. Barrel Fever by David Sedaris (pretty much anything by D.S)

5. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

*And I would like to (cautiously) recommend Stephen King: A Memoir of the Craft

**This, of course, will not be my last post of recommendations. I have sooooo many. Prepare. Get some paper. A pen, too.

Help.. I Need Somebody

Truthfully, I'm somewhat of a novice writer. So, why do I presume to give you, the reader, advice about writing? Is it because I'm a presumptuous twenty-something college student that thinks she knows it all?
You can safely assume I am.
Nonetheless, I don't think it's fair that a dud like me has a literal vault of helpful writing tips and no venue to share. From what I've seen on the Internet, there are plenty of people who would enjoy a bit of help in constructing their short fiction, creative non-fiction, and (occasionally) poetry.
So with no further ado, I give you my first and most important nugget of crispy creative writing truth: READ!!
Read often. Read well. Read badly. Read everything. There is some truly great literature out there...as well as some truly appalling literature. Learning how to tell the difference is half the battle. If you know something is magnificent, and you know why it's magnificent, then you are on your way! Mull that over.