Dark and Mysterious Blog
Hello and welcome to the Dark and Mysterious Blog. I am John McCool, author of the McCool Mythos and other works of literary fiction. Come along with me as I delve through the endless worlds of the dark, mysterious, and intriguing.
My Latest Posts
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- Telling a StoryThere’s so many different ways to tell a story. Although I am a writer, that just doesn’t cut it for me. If you really think about it, a writer does… Read more: Telling a Story
- Future ProjectHey Readers! I hope everyone has been keeping up with their reading goals this year! I haven’t… but that’s okay! Those books aren’t going anywhere, and will always be around… Read more: Future Project
- Life Update April 2025Hey Readers! Just a real quick update. Me and my wife welcomed our third child into the world, prompting me to take a bit of a break from the writing… Read more: Life Update April 2025
- Starbound Ascension Lore: MoneyThe Universe of Starbound Ascension Lore Money, money, money. With the universe of Starbound Ascension in its publication infancy, I think it would be cool to showcase some of the… Read more: Starbound Ascension Lore: Money
- How To Avoid Writer’s BlockThere’s nothing worse than sitting down at your laptop after a long day at work expecting to write down all the great ideas that swirled in your head all day,… Read more: How To Avoid Writer’s Block
- New Year, New Writing“Echoes From A Distant Star” was officially released a few weeks ago, and it’s been a long, crazy ride! It’s been one of my biggest projects to date, and the… Read more: New Year, New Writing
- Chapter Titles Archaic?Hey Readers! Been a while since I posted here on the Dark and Mysterious blog. Life has been super crazy for me raising two kids and running the BEST coffee… Read more: Chapter Titles Archaic?
- There Came A Knocking Post Launch UpdateMan, what a thrilling adventure it is being an indie author. When I conceived the idea to make the jump from being a short story anthology author to a full… Read more: There Came A Knocking Post Launch Update
- Get “There Came A Knocking” FREE!Merry Christmas everyone one! From now until December 26th my book There Came A Knocking is FREE on Kindle! Spook up your holiday with this 80s inspired slasher tale that… Read more: Get “There Came A Knocking” FREE!
- Resurrection of Audio Dramas“Radio affects most intimately, person-to-person, offering a world of unspoken communication between writer, the speaker, and the listener.” Marshall McLuhan Since I was pretty little I always had such a… Read more: Resurrection of Audio Dramas
- There Came A Knocking Publishes Tomorrow!Tomorrow is publication day for my new novel “There Came A Knocking”! I’m so excited to finally get this awesome work out to all of you incredible readers. I’ve put… Read more: There Came A Knocking Publishes Tomorrow!
- Could Ai be the future of table top storytelling?Dungeons and Dragons has been a creative outlet by so many over the course of its long existence. Many authors such as myself have used it as an exercise to better… Read more: Could Ai be the future of table top storytelling?
- Minneapolis’s Hidden BookstoreRecently I undertook a journey to the land of a thousand lakes for a work trip to Cafe Imports and Mill City Roaster. Oh yes, I’m talking about the land… Read more: Minneapolis’s Hidden Bookstore
- Does anyone actually read screenplays?This is the question I’ve been asking myself over the past year. So, a little backstory on me. I actually began my writing journey as a screenplay writer back in… Read more: Does anyone actually read screenplays?
- Current Novel WIP UpdateHey Reader! This is just a little update on my current work in progress. I have been writing “There Came A Knocking” every day since the beginning of January of… Read more: Current Novel WIP Update
- ReedsyWhen I began my writing journey I often wondered where was the best place to start. I remember sending in the library of the community college I was going to… Read more: Reedsy
- Similar Story Devices In Anime and WrestlingThere’s a little exercise I like to do when I am consuming any type of fictional media. It’s very rare these days that I get a break long enough to… Read more: Similar Story Devices In Anime and Wrestling
- Are Chapters Getting Shorter?Has anyone noticed an interesting trend in literary fiction lately, or am I going crazy? On a routine supply run to a local chain grocery store for the coffee shops… Read more: Are Chapters Getting Shorter?
- Writing With Limited TimeOne thing that seems to turn off would be authors is a lack of time, or at least a perception that they have no time to write. This couldn’t be… Read more: Writing With Limited Time
- Book Announcement: The RuseI’m pleased to announce my new release: The Ruse! So, what is this piece of fiction? The Ruse is actually a print version of my most successful screenplay to date… Read more: Book Announcement: The Ruse
- Wicked Ones Released!McCool Mythos: Wicked Ones is the next tome in the dark multi-verse of the McCool Mythos. Wicked Ones is the result of a long year of labor and love. It… Read more: Wicked Ones Released!
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John McCool 