Writing Updates for December 2015: Melancholy, Vengeance, and 2016

It's already December... Wow! Time flies when you're doing something you love, so I'm very grateful for my readers this year. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write, thank you for giving me the energy to pursue my dreams. Enough of the sappiness, though. You came here for writing updates, so that's what I'm going to deliver.

Shattering Skies: The 10-Day Invasion released this week and it is my final book of 2015. So, even with the festivities around the corner, it's time to focus on 2016. Next year will begin with Project: Melancholy, which should be officially announced by the end of this month or early January. Nothing has changed since the last update. It is still a collection of short scary stories using drama to amplify the horror. I will say: it is my longest, most refined work yet. Although I love all of my work (not in a pretentious way), this one holds a more special place in my heart since it helped me trudge through a depressing bout.

Starting February 2016, I will be transitioning from short stories to novellas/novels. Project: Vengeance will kick off this transition with a bang. I decided to shrug off the 'content guidelines' for this book. In other words, this is an extreme vision of horror and thrills. This revenge-thriller aims to rattle you with dark characters, shocking violence, and a jaw-dropping finale - you will not see it coming. I am very excited to officially announce this book, but I'm still working out some minor details. I intend on announcing this book with Project: Melancholy, though, so keep your eyes peeled.

March 2016 will continue the trend with Project: Possession. This book is, well, about possession. It is inspired by The Exorcist (not in terms of writing, but instead inspired by the plot). However, I didn't want to lean on the iconic novel/film for this book. To be more blunt, I wanted to drift away from the recent string of disappointing possession-horror films released nowadays, I wanted to pull away from (most of) the cliches - especially the excessive bone-popping we've seen in these films. I also wanted to push the boundaries - I have a feeling I might be pushing too far, though. I'm very excited to finally share this book in the near future. Expect an announcement in February.

I have a slate of novels planned for 2016. Aside from the aforementioned projects, I'm also working on a serial killer thriller. And, yes, I hope to push the boundaries with this one, too. This project is still early in development, though. I'm also planning more daring and uncompromising thrillers. I've really enjoyed delving into this style of writing. It makes me feel free and honest. Some stories may make you uncomfortable, but it's something that makes you feel alive - at least that's how I feel.

Anyway, thanks for reading! As you can see (or read), I'm very excited for 2016. If all goes as planned, it's going to be an incredibly disturbing journey. I hope you stick with me through this trek.

Until our next venture into horror,
Jon Athan
@Jonny_Athan

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