Horses were once very important in our economy. People depended upon them for transportation. Since they were once our mode of transportation, there were also people who sold horses to make a living.

It is fun to create a culture, one where you decide the rules and the way of life. Just be careful not to get so caught up in creating your culture that you forget about your story, the reason for creating this culture in the first place.

Every character starts out with a blank slate, kind of like a baby. What he or she is like is formed through the hardships faced, the ways he thinks, the way he reacts, the way he gets what he wants.

A plot consists of every part of the storyline - the people, the conflicts, the world it takes place in. An important thing to remember - no plot is ever set in stone until the story is published. It can be changed as you write the story, not just one time but several times.

Darkfall, by Dean Koontz, is an edge-of-your-seat masterpiece. It begins with a 2-part prologue.

The Magic Hour, by James S. Crowley, opens with nine-year-old twin brothers Eddie and Brian preparing to spend their first night alone outside in their tree house. Their friend, Tad, has loaned them a story that he says they must listen to.

Agatha Christie was a master of deception and one of the world’s most famous mystery writers. At the time of year associated with ghosts, witches and murder, it is only fitting to turn to a book by the queen of mysteries.

The Halloween Tree was written by Ray Bradbury, a master of fantasy and science fiction. First published in 1972, it is a classic tale to be enjoyed by young and old alike.

Icebound by Dean Koontz is a book that will send chills up your spine in more ways than one. Its setting, the Arctic, is extremely cold and reading about the intense coldness tends to make one shiver, even if it is hot outside.

Dictionary.com defines writer's block as a usually temporary psychological inability to begin or continue work on a piece of writing. Scary thought, huh? For a writer, not being able to write can shatter an ego and become a nightmare.