Reviews from

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Poems

Viewing comments for Chapter 25 "Horror Writer: An Acrostic PictaPoem"
A compilation of pictapoems from my portfolio

69 total reviews 
Comment from kiwijenny
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Dean you are clever and I love where your muse takes you and it is just that....to a-muse.....I tell self deprecating humor ...you like to scare.....I like to shop ..my daughter likes to bungee jump....yikes. I would wet my pants if I did and swoop back through the hovering pee......
Love it
God bless

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 10-Mar-2014
    Ha ha! Wet my pants and swoop back through the hovering pee......I liked that, kiwijenny!

    Thanks for always supporting me in what I try and do. I am sincerely grateful.
Comment from Phyllis Stewart
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Dean, I'm an outlier in your statistics. I hate being scared, I hate tension and fear in stories and in real life. I hate surprises in life. Horror just repulses me, period.

Now, that doesn't mean I won't write about Willie killing 11 people with the camera, but I take a humorous perspective and never show the gore or the fear of victims. I love to write about Hell and the devil, but only see him as a bungler. When he throws a settee at Frank or a footstool at Ginger, he expects them to catch it and use it, not to suffer pain when it hits them in the face. He is just a stupid bully.

Your writing is excellent but the subject matter is often hard for me to read. Not all of it, but a lot of it is actually painful to my psyche.

My hubby loves horror movies and tells me "it's not real" so he doesn't understand why I cry and run away from the tv while HE is laughing at how stupid the teenagers are. I hated the movie "Alien" because of all the tension in it, never knowing when the monster would pop out again. I just stopped watching. Hubby? He has seen it many times... says it's a brilliant movie!

So... don't be offended if I can't read some of your stuff. If it gets too horrific, I have to turn the page, cuz I'm a wimp. :)

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 09-Mar-2014
    Hah, no worries, Phyllis.

    I rarely have much gore in my horror stories. To me, excessive gore cheapens the thrill, like slasher movies. I can't stand them, and I refuse to watch them. Now, a movie like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, or 6 Souls, Alien (a horror classic, and virtually zero gore), I'm all over them.

    Remember the movie JAWS? One of the most horrific scenes is the first attack of the young, skinny-dipping hippie chick. No blood, no gushing gore--but you knew instinctively that she was being eaten alive. You just didn't get to see it.

    As far as the "good guy" always coming out on top? Well, my views are mixed there. Life can be cruel, and often times the nice guy finishes last.

    Thanks for the conversation, Phyllis, and the review. I respect your opinion, my friend.
reply by Phyllis Stewart on 09-Mar-2014
    Yes, Alien was all fear and tension. It's not just blood and gore that turns me off, mostly it is the tension. I can't take it. You and my hubby enjoy it. We are just different, and that's fine.

    Do I remember JAWS? LOL! You can't seriously think I would SEE a movie like that, can you? NO FREAKIN WAY I saw it... didn't even listen to friends discussing it... would leave the room. I'm the wimpiest wimp there is. :)
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2014
    SMILING
    :}
Comment from patsypats
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Wow what a unique write, with such talented use of imagination. Your word choices are intense and effective in reeling in the readers attention. Good entry for the contest, you really took this to a whole new level of thinking. The music adds a lot of character to your work. Nice touch:)

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 09-Mar-2014
    I appreciate that you like the musical addition, P. Many don't, and often chastise me for doing it. However, everyone has their own unique way of expressing themselves, especially when it comes to writing. This PICTAPOEM series I created are all accompanied by music and/or sounds. It's just my different approach of poetic expression.

    Thanks so much again!
Comment from Ric Myworld
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I have often wondered why horror is my favorite genre. Why I find gross, down right sickening, or sudden shock so thrilling. You have answered my question. Because it's everywhere, or just waiting to happen. Thanks for another great poem.

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 09-Mar-2014
    I thank you for reading it and sharing your thoughts with me, Ric. Always a pleasure.
Comment from ennahanid
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A stunning acrostic here with its conversational side filled with the whys and the wherefores of why you personally write this way. I agree that your writing is certainly one of a kind but then this reader can close her eyes, bite her lip or just not read it or read it, gulp a bit and with maybe a shudder or two and move on unharmed by your words - real life is so very much worse and it scares the bejeebahs out of me and you don't.

Enjoyed immensely - Dinah

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 09-Mar-2014
    Hah, well, I'm glad you're far more afraid of real life than me or my writings, Dinah. To be around me, one would have no idea such thoughts are dredged up from my mind. Except my pastor. He reads my postings because they hit Facebook. During services, he'll just give me that "look", shake his head, and smile.

    Thanks so much for your kind comments and review.
Comment from Kingsland
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I liked that joke in your notes. I also liked this piece of poetic artistry.it Is well written with very good poetic devices. I was entertained by reading this excellent piece of poetic thoughts... John

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 09-Mar-2014
    Thanks very much, John, Entertaining your readers and making them "feel", that's what it's all about. I know it's why I write.

    I'm very grateful for the review, my friend!
Comment from c_lucas
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Fanstory's Wordsmithing only has the boundaries set by Tom. This is very well written with a smooth flow of words, making for a very dark read. Good job.

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 09-Mar-2014
    Thanks you for your encouraging words, Charlie. Much obliged.
reply by c_lucas on 09-Mar-2014
    You're welcome, Dean charlie
Comment from Robin Gilmor
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Quite enjoyable and certainly truthful in telling it like it is. Horror writers must capture the words that set the mind in motion to become part of the horror.
Well done with good author notes. Smiles, Robin :)

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 09-Mar-2014
    Thanks, Robin, I appreciate that. You're right, we write about what "normal" folks don't even want to think about, LOL.

    I appreciate your awesome comments.
reply by Robin Gilmor on 11-Mar-2014
    They may not want to think about it, but truly enjoy the
    feel of the moment, the suspense and the terror! :)
Comment from Cycler
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Yeah, you would! This is you ... your you. I know I try to write like others, but the same things comes through ... not horror, but some sort of truth. Maybe it is not embraced, but it is what I come back to. And the same would be of you. That is the mystery, the lovely, the ecstasy of life and loving to write.

I like this acoustic - you wrote it very well. And the visuals are wonderful, too. Thanks for your notes ... it is nice to be able to converse about what you just said ... or attempted to say. I can't resist giving you my last six ... and the week is still young!

Great job ...

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 09-Mar-2014
    I will humbly accept that last six, garcon, my friend, with immense gratitude. I'm very glad you enjoyed this one. Thanks for an outstanding and thoughtful review.
Comment from Patrick G Cox
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Hi Dean Kuch,

The horror genre can be very erntertaining and it sometimes can make one's flesh crawl. Not being a Stephen King fan (or any other horror authors') I'd not come across his statement before. I must confess I agree with him - how else can you explain the way someone normally quite calm can be driven to violence by some situations?

Good acrostic, it certainly explains your rationale.

Patrick

 Comment Written 09-Mar-2014


reply by the author on 10-Mar-2014
    Thanks, Patrick, I appreciate and respect your views on the topic. Where you write about worlds in a far off galaxy rife with interesting human characters and alien races, I write about the monsters lurking deep down inside each and every human being. Whether we like to admit it, or not, we are a predatory species. But we are capable of love and compassion. That's one of the main things that separates us from the animals.

    Thanks for an insight review, and sharing your thoughts with me.
reply by Patrick G Cox on 10-Mar-2014
    True Dean, but if yoiu have lived with animals, studied their behaviour and their responses to a wide range of experiences, I'm not sure I agree they don't experience love or compassion. I think they do, just that they have a very different way of showing both and the more I watch and consider the behaviour of my two dogs, the more I realise we often make assumptions which simply don't hold up to observation. As you say, we are a predatory species, and in recent years we seem to have suspended our ability to be compassionate when it comes to dealing with animals in a wide range of activities. Our treatment of animals as 'objects' to be born, raised to slaughter age and then killed hardly speaks of our showing "compassion" - and I say that as someone who eats meat!

    Patrick
reply by the author on 10-Mar-2014
    Hah, point well taken, Patrick. We have three small breed dogs who are like members of our family. We love them like our children.