Category: Kim Koning
Not Writing…Courting Monsters
The Not Writing Writer is a Monster Courting Insanity
Franz Kafka
Sometimes, not writing is the perfect prescription for a writer, given the right circumstances. Sometimes my thoughts are too chaotic to put pen to paper, or fingers on the keyboard…
Sometimes, Not writing…
Is a way of hiding from my dark emotions and avoiding voicing those chaotic thoughts…
Sometimes, Not writing…
Is not being present in the moment. Not writing my way through those dark emotions and untangling those chaotic thoughts is the way to falling into their deep pit of fury.
Sometimes, Not writing…
Is not remembering that putting those emotions, those twisted knots of thoughts down on paper is the way to remember to breathe.
Sometimes, Not writing…
Is the pattern that pulls me deeper into the dark, battling to see the light.
Sometimes, Not writing…
Is the fear that my words are worthless or worse that they are too heavy for the page to carry.
Sometimes, Not writing…
Is the monster courting insanity, flirting with danger and drowning in grief.
Sometimes, Writing…
Is to remind myself that in a world of chaos and unpredictability, sometimes the only world I can control is the one that spills out of the ink that I put on the page.
Sometimes, Writing…
Is the prescription to calm my fears, fears of the unknown, fears of the future, fears for those I love.
Sometimes, Writing…
Is the way I can keep my record of the unknotting of chaotic thoughts in a world gone mad.
Sometimes, Writing…
Is the motivation that allows me to push forward another day with the promise of hope.
Sometimes, Writing…
Is a way to heal these open wounds, a way to sort these missing puzzle pieces.
Sometimes, Writing…
Is the way I breathe. The reminder that if I am creating then I am filling the black holes of nothing that chaos creates.
Sometimes, Writing…
Is the truest part of me.
Now, Writing…
On Reading between Deadlines | Deadlines and Dead Bodies ☠️📚
Welcome to my new Reading Zone… Deadlines and Dead Bodies… All things books and coffee…
Missives From the Blue “Reading Between Deadlines” Chair…
I finally joined the cool kids and created my own bookstagram account. I decided my “KaffeeKlatsch” reviews need to be revived and refreshed. You can still find my KaffeeKlatsch reviews in the Archives link on this page. Deep Down in The Archives
So I’ve changed things up a bit…
Deadlines and Dead Bodies
Firstly feel free to follow me on my bookstagram account here or you can find my bookstagram account (the second Instagram icon) in the social media sidebar — the small icon menu on the left.
Secondly as I did on my previous book reviews, I will be mostly reviewing books written with darker ink. You can expect my thoughts and opinions on dark psychological thrillers, twisty thrillers, horrors, paranormal, grimdark, dark fantasy and urban fantasy. But I tend to be an eclectic reader so occasionally you will see some reviews about various genres other than my favourite dark veined novels. You may even see a poetry review or three. What will remain unchanged is my pairing a book with my chosen poison: coffee. So if you’re new to my site, *welcome, pull up a chair and stay a while* and if you like books and coffee, then get comfortable. The way this works is I like to recommend the perfect caffeinated blend of poison that I would pair with my chosen current read.
Some of these books will be library loans, some will be on my bookshelf and some will be ARCs. It just depends what book/s I’m currently in the mood for.
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ Ratings ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
As most of us book dragons know, Goodreads has its own 5 star rating system. I will give you my rating out of the Goodreads star system. Although we’re all locked into the Goodreads star system, in our own online spaces we get to make up our own rules. I’ve always felt limited by 5 stars especially when so many books are in that half star range… So I’m sticking to my own system…
I will be rating books out of 10 ☠️. 10 being the highest rating. However I will give a special 13 ☠️ for books that I love so much I would re-read and if I haven’t already got the book on my own bookshelf, I will buy myself a copy.
Posting Days
- I will be posting a TBR books list each month.
- Fridays will be my book review days on this site. I will post, at the minimum, on at least 2 Fridays every month. Some months you may get lucky and get a book review post every Friday.
- For more reviews, follow me on my bookish instagram as I will be posting quicker reviews there.
So…come back here on Fridays for some decadently dark and delicious reads…
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
Tell me, what are you reading this week?
☠️☠️ Disclaimer I am not being paid for any reviews. All reviews are my personal opinions. ☠️☠️
Secret WIP 2019 Soundtrack | Track 5
Every time I start a new writing project (WIP), I always create a mood music playlist in Spotify/YouTube to set the tone for that specific writing project. That way when I hear that playlist or specific songs from that playlist, I can immediately fall into the world of that specific project, no matter what I’ve been doing before then. The music playlist is my gateway into my story’s world…
This is one of the Inspiration Tracks for The Dark Fairytales.
Meet Me On The Battlefield | SVRCINA
No time for rest
No pillow for my head
Nowhere to run from this
No way to forget
Around the shadows creep
Like friends, they cover me
Just wanna lay me down and finally
Try to get some sleep
We carry on through the storm
Tired soldiers in this war
Remember what we’re fighting for
Meet me on the battlefield
Even on the darkest night
I will be your sword and shield, your camouflage
And you will be mine
Echos and the shots ring out
We may be the first to fall
Everything can stay the same or we could change it all
Meet me on the battlefield
We’re standing face-to-face
With our own human race
We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay
Our tainted history, is playing on repeat
But we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead
When I was younger, I was named
A generation unafraid
For heirs to come, be brave
And meet me on the battlefield
Even on the darkest night
I will be your sword and shield, your camouflage
And you will be mine
Echos and the shots ring out
We may be the first to fall
Everything can stay the same or we could change it all
Meet me on the battlefield
We carry on through the storm
Tired soldiers in this war
Remember what we’re fighting for
Meet me on the battlefield
Even on the darkest night
I will be your sword and shield, your camouflage
And you will be mine
Echos and the shots ring out
We may be the first to fall
Everything could stay the same or we could change it all
(We can change it all)
Meet me on the battlefield
Meet me on the battlefield
(We could change it all)
Secret WIP 2019 Soundtrack | Track 4
Every time I start a new writing project (WIP), I always create a mood music playlist in Spotify/YouTube to set the tone for that specific writing project. That way when I hear that playlist or specific songs from that playlist, I can immediately fall into the world of that specific project, no matter what I’ve been doing before then. The music playlist is my gateway into my story’s world.
This is one of the Inspiration tracks for The Dark Fairytales.
Walk Through The Fire | Zayde Wolf ft Ruelle
I’m always wondering
If it’s ever gonna end
I can feel it in my bones
I can feel it in my bones
Standing in the dust
Of what’s left of us
(I can see you in my soul)
(I can see you in my soul)
(Woah oh oh oh)
Did we take too many chances
Did we let too many pass us
Did we throw it all away
Did we throw it all away
Did we light too many matches
Turn ourselves into these ashes
Did we throw it all away
Did we throw it all away
We walk through the fire
Is there a way out
Is there a way out
We walk through the fire
Is there a way out
Is there a way out
I try to understand
How we’re here again
(In the middle of the storm
In the middle of the storm)
There’s no way to go, no way to go
But straight through the smoke, straight through the smoke
And the fight is all we know
(The fight is all we know)
Did we take too many chances
Did we let too many pass us
Did we throw it all away
Did we throw it all away
Did we light too many matches
Turn ourselves into these ashes
Did we throw it all away
Did we throw it all away
We walk through the fire
Is there a way out
Is there a way out
We walk through the fire
Is there a way out
Is there a way out…
Of the fire
I wanna know is there a way out
Is there a way out
Show me the way out
Is there a way out
We walk through the fire
Is there a way out
Is there a way out
Secret WIP 2019 Soundtrack | Track 3
Every time I start a new writing project (WIP), I always create a mood music playlist in Spotify/YouTube to set the tone for that specific writing project. That way when I hear that playlist or specific songs from that playlist, I can immediately fall into the world of that specific project, no matter what I’ve been doing before then. The music playlist is my gateway into my story’s world…
This is one of the Inspiration tracks for The Dark Fairytales.
Love and War | Fleurie
I’m next in line and my supply is running out
It’s time to leave, the clouds are hanging low
The truth begins to show
Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
You will always be every one of these
Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
You will always be every one of these
Nothing’s fair in love and war
In life, in love, this time I can’t afford to lose
For one, for all, I’ll do what I have to do
You can’t understand, it’s all part of the plan
Broken pieces of the night
Sing like hollow lullabies
You and I, always in disguises
Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
You will always be every one of these
Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
You will always be every one of these
Nothing’s fair in love and war
Secret WIP Soundtrack | Track 2
Every time I start a new writing project (WIP), I always create a mood music playlist in Spotify/YouTube to set the tone for that specific writing project. That way when I hear that playlist or specific songs from that playlist, I can immediately fall into the world of that specific project, no matter what I’ve been doing before then. The music playlist is my gateway into my story’s world…
This is one of the inspiration tracks for The Dark Fairytales.
The Sound Of Silence | Disturbed
Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
“Fools, ” said I, “You do not know
Silence, like a cancer, grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you”
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells, of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls”
And whispered in the sounds of silence
Secret WIP 2019 Theme Soundtrack | Track 1
There are five things I do before beginning any new writing project.
- I choose a new notebook specifically for that project. (All a new binder/cover.)
- I set up a visual aesthetic mood board for the WIP. (Both digital – Pinterest, and analogue – binder + wall.)
- I choose a working title for my WIP.
- I set up the Scrivener documents.
- I create a Mood Music Playlist in Spotify/YouTube.
Every time I start a new writing project (WIP), I always create a mood music playlist in Spotify/YouTube to set the tone for that specific writing project. That way when I hear that playlist or specific songs from that playlist, I can immediately fall into the world of that specific project, no matter what I’ve been doing before then. The music playlist is my gateway into my story’s world.
This is the Main Theme Track for The Dark Fairytales.
Dead Of Night | Ruelle
Don’t know what to expect
My mind is racing, I can barely feel my breath
Like a dream I can’t escape
I wanna run, but I’m still here when I awake
In a pitch black world, anything goes
No telling where the wind will blow
In a pitch black world, anything goes
In the dead of night strange things happen
In the dead of night the world goes cold
When the lights go out all around, whispers fill the air
In the dead of night, better hold on tight
You can shout or you can scream
But it won’t save you from the midnight trickery
When the daylight disappears, you’ll find no shelter in this tangled web of fear
In a pitch black world, anything goes
No telling where the wind will blow
In a pitch black world, anything goes
In the dead of night strange things happen
In the dead of night the world goes cold
When the lights go out all around, whispers fill the air
In the dead of night, better hold on tight
Better hold on tight
In the dead of night
Come take a breath
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t say another word
Don’t let the darkness find you
Holding still, don’t break inside
Don’t say another word
Don’t let the darkness find you
In the dead of night strange things happen
In the dead of night the world goes cold
When the lights go out all around, whispers fill the air
In the dead of night, better hold on tight
Better hold on tight
In the dead of night
Better hold on tight
Tell me, Do you create playlists of inspirational/motivational music?
Requiem at the Death Masquerade Ball
This is the Poem that was the first true seed for my new Secret Passion Project,
The imagery in this poem was so visceral to me that the images haunted both my waking and my sleeping hours. It was the first seed for this world that I have fallen in love with and occupies most of my imagination…
Requiem At The Death Masquerade Ball
The time has come to bid adieu
Creatures remove their masks
The sirens sing a terrible requiem
The banshees shriek with unearthly delight
The werewolves howl into the night
The spirits moan with grief
–
Nasnus rattles his cage of bones and flesh trapped in rage and Grief
Ravens cackle and caw, taking wing bid their dark mistress Morrigan Adieu
Spirits wrathful, Spirits vengeful retreat into Van Gogh’s endless Night
She rises in fire born in Dragons’ breath, Leaving a trail of singed Masks
The fae dance a dirge as the night unmasks decay hidden in dead Delight
A keening claws at the air as the banshees sing their final Requiem
–
Ghostly queens, haunted kings dance to their madness in sweet Requiem
The sand walker drowns his prey in the immortal sands of Grief
Silvery sidhe spin the bewitched across the starburnt night in Delight
Spirits murdered long ago, kiss their beloved a hallowed Adieu
Samhain’s moon rises in skies of blood, the wild hunt tear away your masks
The gods cursed by pride flee into the murderous Night
–
Iridescent masks of silver stardust fall away revealing monsters of Night
Feasting on canapés of terror, feasting on nightmares in Hypnos’ Requiem
The blood moon rises, terrible creatures shed their faceless masks
Bones break, spines twist unmasking wolves driven mad by their Grief
Bound by their curse, madness is both their solace and Adieu
Only the forest and fog hide their bloodthirsty Delight
–
The forgotten gods revel in the music dancing in sinful Delight
Faceless Chaos in mask of anthracite, Nyx feared Queen of the Night
Beautiful Mesperyian cloaked in robes bloodied by those long bid Adieu
All creatures pale to the searing power of their King and Queen’s Requiem
Hades’ dark cruelty masked tonight, His lover’s torment his only Grief,
Persephone, a vision in liquid mercury, glides in his arms watched by Masks
–
Creatures remove their Masks
The banshees shriek with unearthly delight
The spirits moan with grief
The werewolves howl into the night
The sirens sing a terrible requiem
The time has come to bid adieu
–
All seekers of night and masks,
Spirits of All Hallows’ eve bid you Adieu
Those graveyards are emptied as the dead rise with delight,
to this Requiem
Forgotten is the grief,
hush as the Spirits dance you into the Night
© All Rights Reserved Kim Koning
Ssshhh… Secret Passion Project |Following Dark Story-Squirrel Trails #CampNanowrimo
So, it’s been a while since I’ve taken part in a Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) event. I had intentions of doing the official Nanowrimo in November last year but my schedule just didn’t allow for it. But this year I am taking part in Nanowrimo events. The first event, Camp Nanowrimo, starts 1 April. I have signed up. To make things even more fun, I’ve corralled my CP, Darcy, (Writing Critique Partner aka Story Sister aka Keeper of My Manuscript when I want to trash it) into joining in the writing madness with me this year. Actually we’ve decided to make the April Camp Nanowrimo (Camp Nanowrimo runs in April, July, September and Nanowrimo runs in November) an annual tradition for us. Our birthdays fall in the last week of March, they’re one day apart from each other, a few days before Camp Nanowrimo begins. So we thought it would actually be a lovely annual tradition to do the April Camp Nanowrimo together annually…
2019 April Camp Nanowrimo Project
This year I’m finally going to start drafting Book #1 of my new Secret WIP Series. I’m really excited to get started with this draft. This is a passion project. It is very different to my main WIP series The Tattooist. But it is still very much a ME project. It is deep, dark and deliciously twisted. But it is not a thriller nor is it crime. It fits into quite a few literary genres. But if I had to sum it up, it is a grimdark mythological dystopian fantasy. I did warm you, it’s not an easy story to peg into just one genre.
It is full of dark gods, monsters, creatures and humans. My main characters are all anti-heroes and villains. It is hard to tell the protagonists from the antagonists because in this story everyone is touched with a vein of darkness, only the degrees of darkness separate the characters.
I wanted to write a huge epic world-building story that just allows me to play on the page/screen. My favourite tv series, The Originals, ended its run and I wanted more of the same. I wanted to immerse myself in a world of ruthlessness and deep story threads set in a fantastical setting. In fact, my beloved Niklaus aka Klaus Mikaelson (main big bad in The Originals) and his ruthless siblings is very much an inspiration for many of my characters.
I wanted to have a project that I escape into, in breaks from rewrites/edits of The Tattooist. I had an epiphany that I work better when I am at work on two projects simultaneously. It is the way I read as well, I never have fewer than 4 books on the go simultaneously. Part of this is because I enjoy switching genres, whether it be in writing or in reading, often two or three completely different genres to match differing moods I might be in. I also find that in my writing, working on two wholly different projects set in two completely different genres feed off each other in inspiration and motivation.
This Passion Project has actually been germinating quietly for the last three years, ever since I got back from Europe. A seed was planted and I have been slowly watering it, waiting for the right time to work on it. I feel it is ready to be written now.
The working title for this series: The Dark Fairytales
That is not the real title, I’m keeping the actual title secret for now. This is a deliciously dark, decadent tale that I want to keep to myself for a while.
I’m going to blogging throughout April giving you snippets of my inspiration behind this series. So keep your eye posted for new posts.
Certain dark things are only meant to be loved in secret…..
I leave you with some visual aesthetics from my series inspiration board (it’s a private board) I’ve set up on Pinterest.
Writers: Tell me, are you taking part in Camp Nanowrimo?
Non-Writers: Tell me, what stories are you reading or watching that has you in their grip?
Related
Camp Nanowrimo
Nanowrimo
The Originals (Netflix)
What is GrimDark?
2019 Birthday Vibes & Dreams Fulfilled| Ancora Impara
This birthday was a good one in so many ways. Things in my life are slowly on the upswing. For so long I’ve been caught in chaos but the chaos is starting to mist away as calm enters my life again.
Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been. | David Bowie
This year I decided to renew a teen dream and give it roots in my present. I have always loved classical music. I love music of all genres but it is in classical music that I find my soul smiling. My favourite instrument, the one that truly calls to my soul, has always been the violin. It’s haunting song always moves me, no matter the melody. Although I studied music in high school, I could not afford a violin so I studied piano and the recorder instead. But ever since then I have had an unfulfilled dream to have my own violin and to learn to play the violin.
Keep on reading!
2019 | Seeking White Space
Welcome 2019
Every year for the past few years, I have not made any New Year Resolutions but instead I have focused my year around One Word. This One Word has themed my year, moulded my intentions and focused my goals. Some years I stuck to just One Word. Some years I chose separate Words for separate areas of my life. In 2018, I chose One Word but then chose a few more words called Core Desired Feelings (CDFs). These CDFs helped round out and expand my One Word. I truly loved this method of setting Intentions for the year ahead so this year I am keeping this method of Intention Setting for 2019.
Kim Koning 