Well, I hope you're all suitably recovered from the frights, delights and alcohol (or caffeine) poisoning of Monday evening. The pace was fast and furious – the vibe (I thought) fun and friendly. In other words – a cracking start, and one we can hopefully build on.

We've sifted and filtered through your suggestions for our next t-t-tale of terror and have decided in favour of Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows" (selected by the very wicked Niall Munnelly).

As short stories go it is, admittedly, a bit on the long side but the small bit of extra effort is well worth it. No less a personage than (the dark lord) H. P. Lovecraft described it as "the single finest weird tale in literature", so its spooky (and dread-filled) credentials are impeccable.

There are plenty of e-texts floating around in the online ether but the ones linked to at the bottom of this post are probably the easiest on the eyes. Shall we say next Thursday, 20th March, at 8.00 pm for our second DT Story Club meeting? Merely a provisional suggestion – if it's awkward or unsuitable just holler (or shriek).

One slight change to proceedings we'd like to suggest. Though the quick-fire comment deluge on Monday was frantic fun of the highest order, we thought it might benefit the discussions to have a few "points" or "observations" to focus on. So what we're suggesting is this – read the story, make your notes in the margins, have a quick think, and email me (see sidebar) or Sinéad with a brief point/observation you feel is worth observing and discussing on the night.

These should be no more than a sentence or two (the shorter, the better) and can be as casual or enigmatic as you like. They'll be listed (and numbered) in next Thursday's post and are merely intended to give us something to refer to as we chat (as in "RE: Point 2 – I think that…" etc). Hope that meets with your approval (any questions, suggestions or queries – just pop them in the comments section below).

By the way, I'm making a note of every suggested story and we'll (hopefully) work our way through them all over time.

Story: "The Willows" (pdf), (pdf), (html), (html)

Meeting: Thursday, March 20, 8.00 p.m. (GMT).

I say:

Come, dear friends. Come and pull your chairs, stools and (noncombustible) beanbags closer to our fire – for tonight we will have much need of its warmth.

But wait! Was that a gnarled face I saw flash at the window pane? Listen! Can you hear a distant (but heavy) panting?

Frightened yet? I didn't think so. But you will be. You will be…

*Cough*…By all that, of course, I mean hello and thanks for showing up. The fact that you're reading these words on this bleak Monday night (a night heavily pregnant with menace) means that you've foolishly joined the accursed thing we like to call – The Dreadful Thoughts Story Club. Sinéad and I (your hosts) bid you welcome.

Last Wednesday we set the group its homework for today, in the shape of M. R. James' fantastically creepy "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad".

Now let's uncork those bottles of blood-red wine, light a few candles, steel our ragged nerves, and get this party started. Over to you Sinéad.

Sinéad says:

My unswerving grá for the ghost story goes back to when I was probably too young to be reading them. It was on my parents' book shelf that I discovered a cache of Alfred Hitchcock-edited ghost story collections. One was Bar The Doors, another, with a fantastically eerie/trippy cover was Ghostly Gallery. Next to those were several books linked by subject and geography: Irish/Scottish/English Tales of Terror full of inexplicable happenings in small towns and castles, of banshees, corpses and witches.

Why do we love scary stories? Perhaps because of what Edith Wharton called their "thermometrical quality". By which she meant "if it sends a cold shiver down one's spine, it has done its job and done it well". As a huge fan of the short story in its broadest sense, I love that so many writers you wouldn't expect to have written ghost stories, have attempted a spooky tale. Writers like Paul Bowles, Elizabeth Bowen, A. S. Byatt, Somerset Maugham, Nadine Gordimer, Graham Greene, V. S. Pritchett, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Fay Weldon. But we start our first Dreadful Thoughts discussion with the undisputed champion of the supernatural story: M.R. James. I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts and suggestions for upcoming tales to discuss.

Me again:

Just to re-emphasise – the club is intended as a pace for informal conversation/discussion about selected short horror tales.

It's all about interaction so please don't hesitate to pop any and every casual/random/bonkers thought you have about tonight's story into the comments section below.

This is (we promise)Note: Promise not legally binding! a social and friendly environment where the only thing you need fear is a nocturnal visit from an entity whose face is composed of crumpled linen. Aaaaarrrghh!

The Dreadful Thoughts project begins (like a cauldron of hot blood) to bubble and fizz most satisfactorily – with my comrade Sinéad rallying the troops over at The Sigla Blog.

For the first of the reborn (Hallelujah!) Story Club's homework assignments we're returning to the previously discussed (though not discussed much) M. R. James. Given that James is probably deserving of a club devoted exclusively to his supernatural tales – this is not remotely a bad thing.

Sinéad's choice of story is one of his very best/creepiest – the frequently anthologised "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" (1904). Links to online texts are given below.

That, then, is your assignment Dreadful Thinkers (or should that be Thought-ers?). You have until this coming Monday (the 10th) to read and ponder it. Return here at 8.00 p.m. on that date when a shiny new post for all related chitter and chatter will be waiting for you.

It'd be great if all interested parties could be online simultaneously, but (as Sinéad suggests) "if you can’t make the designated time, you can always post your thoughts afterward". There's no time limit on how long the discussion can run for (the comments section will remain ever open).

Now but one question remains unanswered: What's a good (reasonably priced) red wine to accompany talk of g-g-ghosts and ghost stories?

Story: "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" (pdf), (html)

Meeting: Monday, March 10, 8.00 p.m. (GMT).

P.S. By the way, the new issue of The Irish Book Review features my not entirely complimentary take on Roddy Doyle's The Deportees.

Right. Time to spit on the hands (my own and those of others), roll up the sleeves and slap the dozy Dreadful Thoughts project back into something approaching life. Necromancy, Ho!

After speaking to (hat-trick girl) Sinéad last night, it's become clear that (due to my waffling and love of long posts) the exact workings of the project weren't made…er…clear enough.

So instead of me reeling off further reams of text on its goals and aims I'll recap by making a few points in as punchy and concise a manner as I can (i.e. probably not very punchy and concise at all).

1) Dreadful Thoughts was/is intended to have two (fairly straightforward) components.

The first sets a challenge to this blog's readers, friends, and casual acquaintances (plus anyone else with a thirst for the macabre). That challenge being the creation of a horror short story (interpreting "horror" however you wish) of no more than 500 words (to be submitted to me and published here).

The second requires us to choose, at regular intervals, an interesting horror short story available online that we can all pop off and read/ponder before returning at a set time to chew over and discuss. In other words, it's a short story version of a "book club".

2) The writing side of things isn't something I expect to get up and running quickly. There's an obvious time commitment involved on writers' parts and (probably) an understandable reluctance to be the guinea piglet that goes first (that task may fall to me).

3) The "Story Club", however, is something I'd like to shove onto its feet as soon as possible. It'll work (just to recap again) like this -

a) Once the story is decided upon I'll put up a short post with links to sites where it can be found/read.

b) In that post a time to reconvene will be suggested.

c) At the appointed hour you'll all trudge your weary ways back here where a new post (with the heading "Dreadful Thoughts Story Club") will await you. The comments section of that post will be our meeting place – and all chatter about the chosen story will go there.

Unlike the regular posts on this blog which are, essentially, about me and my tastes, inclinations and opinions – I want Dreadful Thoughts to be collaborative and interactive. This blog provides the space for the "club" to meet, that is all. Its "members" dictate the content and operation.

4) I don't want (and I can't stress this enough) people to feel that the Story Club discussions are supposed to be scholarly, academic or any of that scary jazz. The atmosphere/vibe we want is an amicable, chatty, comfortable, welcoming and fun one. Think "friends in a room with a few bottles of wine" discussing unspeakable horrors. That's the ticket.

I'll finish by returning to where I came in and welcome Sinéad on board. We've decided to become co-conspirators and co-ringleaders on this one and thus the first Sigla/fustar.info crossover is born (with a giant mutant head…arrggh). With the mighty Ms. Gleeson as a partner in horror we'll soon get this terrible thing rockin' and rollin'.

The next Dreadful Thoughts post will be along shortly – setting you your homework (and telling you when to return).

Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions? Spells?

P.S: If it's any incitement to join in, I'll make club badges! Ones that are wicked instead of fluffy.

Like most sensible people I loathe and abhor Mondays. Mondays take my weekend jauntiness and kick it in the face – before setting fire to it and throwing it down the cellar stairs. By way of tribute (or, actually, whatever the opposite of "tribute" is) to this rank and foul day I'm here to set you all some homework.

On a recent Saturday (now there's a good day) Ms. Sinéad Gleeson was kind enough to say nice things about Dreadful Thoughts – this blog's new horror writing and horror reading project.¹ Though I took the liberty of choosing the first offering for the "Story Club" (Fitz-James O'Brien's "What Was it?") Sinéad was quick off the mark in suggesting who/what the focus of story number two should be:

Given my obsession with those BBC Ghost stories, my suggestion will have to be something by MR James.

As I always say (or, at least, say in very specific circumstances…like now) you can't go wrong with M. R. James. As Sinéád didn't specify a particular James story I'll take a further liberty and pick one out of the hat myself.

2) "Casting The Runes" (pdf), (html)

It's a favourite of mine (for reasons that will become obvious later) and it's now your assignment for the week. Read it, enjoy it, think about it, and let's meet back here on Thursday the 14th at 8 p.m. (ish) to chew it over.²

P.S: fustar.info has survived the recent Blog Awards cull and now finds itself "short listed" (the lists are still quite long) in "Best Blog", "Best Blog Post" (for this one), and "Best Popculture Blog". My humble thanks to all those who gave me their upturned thumbs.

1. For details of what it's all about see here. [back]
2. Oh and keep the suggestions coming. [back]