Hyba is Writing

In which I talk about what you can expect from Scrittorio Magazine in general, and what you can find in the Winter 2023 issue, released December 31, 2023. Find the magazine here or go to https://sites.google.com/view/scrittoriomagazine/issues Find me at... My blog: hybaiswriting.blogspot.com Tumblr: @hyba Twitter/X: @HybaIsWriting IG: @hybaiswriting

Scareuary 2024 is a horror writing challenge where writers can try their hands at writing scary stories for the month of January. There are four different challenges: The Coppe's Webbe, Lingering Fears, The Unseen, and Ghastly Reflections. Choose the one that suits you (and your schedule) best, and enjoy! Listen to the episode for more info, or check out my blog: hybaiswriting.blogspot.com IG: hybaiswriting Twitter: HybaIsWriting Tumblr: hyba Blog: hybaiswriting.blogspot.com Don't forget: Scrittorio's latest issue will be out at the end of the month. That's in 5 days! Keep an eye out for an episode on that, too.

A short story about a woman encountering a peculiar supernatural situation while traveling abroad in Morocco... Recorded this one a while back on an older microphone, and I'm happy I had it because I've got myself a wonderful summer cold and currently have a very nasal sound. Enjoy this unsettling little piece! --- --- --- Social media handles Tumblr: @hyba Twitter: @HybaIsWriting And find me on my blog: hybaiswriting.blogspot.com

In which I share a snapshot of my ever-changing novel editing routine in hopes that it might help other writers and authors out there to create their own. IG: @hybaiswriting Twitter: @HybaIsWriting Tumblr: @hyba My tumblr has an ask box that I regularly check - send me any Qs, comments, or suggestions there! Don't forget to drop by my blog at hybaiswriting.blogspot.com

In which I discuss podcast changes moving forward, update you on my fantasy novel The Pirates of Sissa, and wrap up Season 2. Learn more about The Pirates of Sissa on my blog. Find me on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Grab the 2022 Reflection & Productivity Journal here for $2.00! Try out a full-month sample free here! Check out my psychological thriller Apartment. Add it to your TBR on Goodreads! Looking for a writing prompt workbook? Check out 101 Writing Prompts.

In which I talk about the creepiest monsters to be found in my high fantasy novel-in-progress, The Pirates of Sissa. The kahlaqrab is a scary beast to come upon in the middle of the Black Desert, and with good reason. Learn more about it in this episode! You can read my short story "The Legend of the Five Thousand Shells" over on my blog (hybaiswriting.blogspot.com). If you have any questions, requests, suggestions, or just want to say hello, you can find me over on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest.  Transcript Excerpt: "This creature was first inspired by the sandwalker, which is a cryptid that apparently originates in Arabian mythology, though I haven't personally heard of any such creature in my lifetime, nor has anyone I've been able to ask about this sandwalker. I do wonder where the source material for this creature comes from. Nevertheless, it was a cool fantasy creature, if somewhat terrifying, and I knew from the start that I wanted to do something with it. You'll actually notice that a lot of the creatures that I mention in my fantasy novels are going to come from legendary or mythological creatures, usually from Arabian or Islamic stories. It's one of the ways that I would like to represent my culture in my writing. So, I decided to adapt the sandwalker for my book by using it as a basis for the creation of the monsters called 'kahlaqrabs' in my fantasy world. The sources I found online about sandwalkers was very limited, and mostly referred to one entry in a book that I've never seen. All I had to go with was what it apparently looks like and what it eats. But that led me down a rabbit-hole in my mind. I found myself considering whether the myth might have originated from the sighting of a fossil left over from the Cretaceous period, where I believe that area was submerged underwater, if I've done my research right. I conducted a little bit of research online and found some prehistoric creatures I had no idea existed - creatures whose fossilized remains might actually give someone cause to think there was some kind of giant shelled monster roaming the desert - and they most definitely gave me some cool ideas for the kahlaqrabs in my book! I also considered that the desert has a lot of scorpions, and they're nasty creatures that you really need to look out for when you're out there, so it also stands to reason that many desert-travelers would be terrified of the idea of giant scorpion-like creatures. This, too, might have given rise to the idea of the sandwalker as more of a scary tale rather than anything else. From there, I took things several steps further and got into the nitty gritty details of how the monsters in my book, the kahlaqrabs, are born, how they live, what they eat, how they hunt, how they look, and so much more, making my final kahlaqrab concept very different, in my opinion, and very unique when compared to what was available online about this sandwalker creature. I really enjoyed figuring out their behaviour as animals, their reproductive processes, their habits and routines, and so on and so forth. It's actually a lot of fun to compile all of this different information that you can find online about a variety of real-world creatures and use them to imagine something else completely..."  See full transcript on my blog.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Every now and then, I host a sale, or give my books away for FREE! Until July 15, 2021, you can grab free copy of Apartment by filling out this survey on enhanced ebooks to help me out with some academic research. --- In which I chat with you about one of the main settings in my book, The Pirates of Sissa, called the Black Desert. Learn about its climate, geography, creatures that live there, and some of its history and role in the Sissan-Qorsan conflict.  To learn more about The Pirates of Sissa, click here. Learn more about the series here. To read the short story, The Legend of the Five-Thousand Shells, visit my website. Finally, go on a trip to the Black Desert in this episode of the podcast (anchor link)! For those not listening on Anchor, it's Episode 14 of the first season. To check out my eerie suspense novella Apartment and grab yourself a cool summer read, click here. To get a copy of my 101 Writing Prompts digital workbook and take your creativity to the next level, click here. And, finally, connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr.  Until next time, friends!