Overcoming Writer's Block

Well its the second day of February and I was really struggling with the middle part for the story. I want to get the treatment done in the next couple of days so that I can start with the script. However there were a couple of events I couldn't make the set up for.

Then it hit me that my plot was rather complex and hard to write all at once, so I decided to write three plotlines for three main characters. Then look them through, intertwine them together in the final treatment and cut out unnecessary crap. (it still sounds messed up but there is a madness to my method)

I started reading the book "On Writing Horror", a guide from the The Horror Writers Association  that gives you tips on writing characters/plotline/mood/etc.. specifically for a horror setting. So I highly recommend this book for anyone who is plunging for the first time into horror writing (like myself D: )

Speaking of books, the first post I want to make for the Women in Horror month is an award winning comic series I believe would be good to kick off this series.

Y the Last Man 
Created by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra
Written by Brian K Vaughn
Artwork by Pia Guerra
Published by DC Vertigo

Now whether or not you consider this a horror story, it still fits within the realm considering it is an Post-Apocalyptic drama series (much like the Walking Dead)

Y the Last Man is about a man named Yorick, who finds himself to be the last living man on Earth as a unexplained plague killed off all of the men in the world as well as all the male animals (except for Yorick's pet monkey Ampersand)

So now Yorick is traveling the world trying to reach his girlfriend who was last known to be in Australia. All the while trying to prevent attention drawn to himself. From the scientists that want to use him as a lab rat, to the extremist feminist society that kills any remaining men in sight.

The writing in this story is done by Brian K Vaughn and illustrated by Pia Guerra. It takes a realistic look at what would happen if Man disappeared off the Earth and how the Women would cope and try to get society working again.

The writing is very well done and talks about gender issues that is not exploitative or exclusive in any way towards either gender, Pia's artwork is well done, clean lines and colours, something that can transfer straight from comic to the screen (I am surprised that it hasn't had a movie adaptation by now)

This is the type of comic book I would give to people who are typically not comic book reader (usually due to overtly sexual/sexist imagery stereotypically found in comics) because the writing is really good and raises some interesting questions.

I've really enjoyed this book and Pia Guerra is a talented and lovely lady and I hope to see another project from her in the future.