Welcome to my tilted world! Enter at your own risk!
When It Started For Me
When I was about 9 years old, my Dad changed my life. He was trying to sleep after a long night of work. I could not stop talking about some story I dreamed up. After many sleepless minutes, Daddy said, "Craig! Go write it down!" Simple words said by a man who just wanted some sleep. What I heard was a charge for my life. My passion for writing began that day. Though my father has passed on, I know I will always be supported and encouraged by my family. The love of my wife and son drive me to greater heights every day.
Why I Write This Way
I grew up on Twilight Zone, Stephen King, and the best cartoons the 80's had to offer. I consumed Pixie Stix, Fun Dip, and Mountain Dew to mind-altering excesses. In church, I learned about a God who drowned the wicked with a flood, changed staffs to snakes, and raised the dead. I believe in Jesus, ghosts, and aliens.
My therapist says I'm unstable. That's not a surprise, is it?
I was diagnosed with Type 2 bipolar disorder in my early thirties. That was when I understood why I could dance in the middle of a store with no music playing or break down in tears without any cause or reason. Those days I woke up hoping I had slept for three days and the world didn't notice. Those nights when I couldn't sleep with the whirling thoughts going through my head. It all had a name. Manic Depression.
At times, it's fun being me! Manic swings are amazing. Feeling divinely-gifted, ultra-charismatic, and sexy-all-to-be-damned. But that is one genie that has to stay in the bottle. Feeling too good becomes a world tilting out of control. Scaring those around me with gibberish rantings and paranoia. Feeling I can do anything I want can lead to me destroying everything I love. The genie doesn't control me any more, but he still lives. He and I have an understanding, now. I live my life without fear of ruin; he agrees to behave but needs an outlet. So, from time to time, I open a notebook and let the genie run wild on the pages. I let the genie contribute to these stories.
The reflection of the world in a broken mirror. Seeing life through blood-covered glasses. The truth of lies. The honest presentation of a horrible fabrication. The meeting point of Reality and Impossibility. When the world tilted, what fell off the sides landed on these pages for you to read.
Finding My Voice
I used to worry that I had no voice. My words had no sound, my ideas had no shape, and my hope had no future. I tried to force myself to think differently, but never succeeded on my own. I was voiceless, even though I felt like I had so much to say.
Then, in the graduate program I took for my masters I met my cohort. Before them, I've never met a more supportive and encouraging bunch of people that were not family. The men and women in that class are some of the best writers I've ever seen, Each with a special talent and something I could learn from them. The teachers in the program are successful writers who know what it is like to have something to say, but are afraid to say it. They all helped me hear my own voice, see my ideas, and give my hope strength. It was one of the best best experience of my life. Currently, I hold both a Bachelors in Computer Engineering and a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing. Through my formal education as well as life experience I've learned that I already knew that I was a good writer now I just had to share it with the world.
My Passion for Writing
I want to give you the opportunity to think for yourself. Society often binds us to rules and traditions that don't make sense. These ideals restrict our ability to enjoy creativity and imagination freely. I hope my writing helps people think and express with an open mind and a free spirit. Relish in what is, what could be, and explore the unimaginable anew. Take time to question what "everyone knows" and exchange it for your own thoughts and opinions. Delve into genres you love while exploring new ones as I mix and mingle many themes. Go on this trip into my tilted world with me. This is the passion that drives my writing.
My Other Passions
Outside of my writing, I work and I enjoy spending time with my family. I am husband and father. I am a technical trainer and software engineer. I enjoy watching a movies and sports with my family. Every time I travel, I try to pick up a coffee mug to add to my already substantial collection. My wife is slowly turning me into a foodie. She encourages me to try things I would not have thought to try on my own. My son is on the autism spectrum. He has taught me to be patient, slow down, and appreciate all that is around me. We have two dogs and three cats. One of the cats adopted me even though I've explained to him multiple times that I am a dog person. I love and am loved in a home where we allow for creativity, imagination, and as much fun as we can have.
I hope that you enjoy your journey into my tilted world.
-A. Craig Newman
When I was about 9 years old, my Dad changed my life. He was trying to sleep after a long night of work. I could not stop talking about some story I dreamed up. After many sleepless minutes, Daddy said, "Craig! Go write it down!" Simple words said by a man who just wanted some sleep. What I heard was a charge for my life. My passion for writing began that day. Though my father has passed on, I know I will always be supported and encouraged by my family. The love of my wife and son drive me to greater heights every day.
Why I Write This Way
I grew up on Twilight Zone, Stephen King, and the best cartoons the 80's had to offer. I consumed Pixie Stix, Fun Dip, and Mountain Dew to mind-altering excesses. In church, I learned about a God who drowned the wicked with a flood, changed staffs to snakes, and raised the dead. I believe in Jesus, ghosts, and aliens.
My therapist says I'm unstable. That's not a surprise, is it?
I was diagnosed with Type 2 bipolar disorder in my early thirties. That was when I understood why I could dance in the middle of a store with no music playing or break down in tears without any cause or reason. Those days I woke up hoping I had slept for three days and the world didn't notice. Those nights when I couldn't sleep with the whirling thoughts going through my head. It all had a name. Manic Depression.
At times, it's fun being me! Manic swings are amazing. Feeling divinely-gifted, ultra-charismatic, and sexy-all-to-be-damned. But that is one genie that has to stay in the bottle. Feeling too good becomes a world tilting out of control. Scaring those around me with gibberish rantings and paranoia. Feeling I can do anything I want can lead to me destroying everything I love. The genie doesn't control me any more, but he still lives. He and I have an understanding, now. I live my life without fear of ruin; he agrees to behave but needs an outlet. So, from time to time, I open a notebook and let the genie run wild on the pages. I let the genie contribute to these stories.
The reflection of the world in a broken mirror. Seeing life through blood-covered glasses. The truth of lies. The honest presentation of a horrible fabrication. The meeting point of Reality and Impossibility. When the world tilted, what fell off the sides landed on these pages for you to read.
Finding My Voice
I used to worry that I had no voice. My words had no sound, my ideas had no shape, and my hope had no future. I tried to force myself to think differently, but never succeeded on my own. I was voiceless, even though I felt like I had so much to say.
Then, in the graduate program I took for my masters I met my cohort. Before them, I've never met a more supportive and encouraging bunch of people that were not family. The men and women in that class are some of the best writers I've ever seen, Each with a special talent and something I could learn from them. The teachers in the program are successful writers who know what it is like to have something to say, but are afraid to say it. They all helped me hear my own voice, see my ideas, and give my hope strength. It was one of the best best experience of my life. Currently, I hold both a Bachelors in Computer Engineering and a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing. Through my formal education as well as life experience I've learned that I already knew that I was a good writer now I just had to share it with the world.
My Passion for Writing
I want to give you the opportunity to think for yourself. Society often binds us to rules and traditions that don't make sense. These ideals restrict our ability to enjoy creativity and imagination freely. I hope my writing helps people think and express with an open mind and a free spirit. Relish in what is, what could be, and explore the unimaginable anew. Take time to question what "everyone knows" and exchange it for your own thoughts and opinions. Delve into genres you love while exploring new ones as I mix and mingle many themes. Go on this trip into my tilted world with me. This is the passion that drives my writing.
My Other Passions
Outside of my writing, I work and I enjoy spending time with my family. I am husband and father. I am a technical trainer and software engineer. I enjoy watching a movies and sports with my family. Every time I travel, I try to pick up a coffee mug to add to my already substantial collection. My wife is slowly turning me into a foodie. She encourages me to try things I would not have thought to try on my own. My son is on the autism spectrum. He has taught me to be patient, slow down, and appreciate all that is around me. We have two dogs and three cats. One of the cats adopted me even though I've explained to him multiple times that I am a dog person. I love and am loved in a home where we allow for creativity, imagination, and as much fun as we can have.
I hope that you enjoy your journey into my tilted world.
-A. Craig Newman
Publications Credits
- "Manic Depression" - Poetry published in an anthology "Celebrate! Poet's Speak Out" Fall 2004
- "Archer Nash" - Short Story published in Nibbler Magazine Fall 2004
- "Circe's Music Shop" - 1. Short Story podcasted by HorrorAddicts.net April 2009; 2. Short Story published in "Crescendo of Darkness" May 2018
- Assisted in writing "Defective" - Screenplay produced by Rockout 13 Productions
- "A Moment in an Elevator" - A screenplay adapted into "Mary, Full of Grace" by Rockout 13 Productions
- "Wages of Sin" - Short Story published on Amazon March 2016; 2. Rerelease October 2021
- "Modern Myths and Fairy Tales" - Short Story published on Smashwords March 2016 (currently uncirculated)
- "Burn" - Short Story published on Smashwords May 2016 (currently uncirculated)
- "Randall's Visit" - Short Story podcasted by HorrorAddicts.net June 2016
- "Communion Day - Short Story Released October 2021
- "Souls of the Black Leaf Forest" - Novel Released October 2021
*To be alerted when currently uncirculated items are rereleased sign up for the email newsletter or join the Craig's Crowd Facebook fan group. Links to both on the Home Page.
As long as I live, I hope I never forget these quotes:
"Embrace your destiny to be a writer of erotic horror." - Mike Lennon.
"Trim the Fat and Cut the Crap." A blend of advice by Jan Quackenbush & Taylor Polites.
"When I'm writing, pretend I'm in South America." - Norman Mailer
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