Brian J. Cummings
@brianjcummings.bsky.social
Author of occult fantasy rooted in supernatural horror. Metal musician. Reluctant psychic. Host of the fiction/paranormal podcast, Dark Concepts.
Pinned
I will never not steer a conversation towards the paranormal.
A win: Today I overcame a significant amount of anxiety and submitted a short story after months of not doing so.
I hope it does well. 🥹
I hope it does well. 🥹
November 30, 2025 at 9:56 PM
A win: Today I overcame a significant amount of anxiety and submitted a short story after months of not doing so.
I hope it does well. 🥹
I hope it does well. 🥹
Just had a conversation at work about how writing for me isn’t just about doing my best to tell a good story, but conveying an experience so well that the person reading doesn’t realize their doing so, achieving as close to telepathy as possible.
And, you know… just having fun.
And, you know… just having fun.
November 25, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Just had a conversation at work about how writing for me isn’t just about doing my best to tell a good story, but conveying an experience so well that the person reading doesn’t realize their doing so, achieving as close to telepathy as possible.
And, you know… just having fun.
And, you know… just having fun.
I didn’t know I needed to write a cosmic horror story from a cat’s perspective, but here we are.
November 19, 2025 at 1:28 PM
I didn’t know I needed to write a cosmic horror story from a cat’s perspective, but here we are.
Being autumny and stuff, trying to keep Yuletide at bay just a little while longer… 🍂💀
November 16, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Being autumny and stuff, trying to keep Yuletide at bay just a little while longer… 🍂💀
Y’all, my brain just hit a fucking WALL. It’s frustrating because my novel soooo damn close to being where I want it to be.
a fluffy cat is sitting on a wooden table and looking at the camera .
ALT: a fluffy cat is sitting on a wooden table and looking at the camera .
media.tenor.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Y’all, my brain just hit a fucking WALL. It’s frustrating because my novel soooo damn close to being where I want it to be.
It’s just nice to wake up with enough time to light some candles and write spooky shit.
November 13, 2025 at 9:24 AM
It’s just nice to wake up with enough time to light some candles and write spooky shit.
“But sometimes, light seems to find its way into the nooks and crannies of the darkest of places.
And when light manages that, things can grow.”
And when light manages that, things can grow.”
November 13, 2025 at 12:08 AM
“But sometimes, light seems to find its way into the nooks and crannies of the darkest of places.
And when light manages that, things can grow.”
And when light manages that, things can grow.”
Seventeen years ago, I took this cool lady out to breakfast the morning after a gig and we’ve been together ever since. ❤️
November 9, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Seventeen years ago, I took this cool lady out to breakfast the morning after a gig and we’ve been together ever since. ❤️
Home today because my current affliction don’t mix well with a dusty job site. (Hell, it’s probably partially caused from it…)
Time to edit the hell out of this novel. 👊🏼
Time to edit the hell out of this novel. 👊🏼
November 7, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Home today because my current affliction don’t mix well with a dusty job site. (Hell, it’s probably partially caused from it…)
Time to edit the hell out of this novel. 👊🏼
Time to edit the hell out of this novel. 👊🏼
Outlining on my break. This book has my brain tied in knots. LOTS of moving parts. 😵💫😵💫😵💫
Besides being completely borked, I’m really happy with how it’s turning out.
Besides being completely borked, I’m really happy with how it’s turning out.
November 6, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Outlining on my break. This book has my brain tied in knots. LOTS of moving parts. 😵💫😵💫😵💫
Besides being completely borked, I’m really happy with how it’s turning out.
Besides being completely borked, I’m really happy with how it’s turning out.
In Thornwillow, my main character ends up finding out by accident that he can slip into the realm of the dead. The artwork of Polish artist, Zdzisław Beksiński, inspired a good deal of the how that realm looks and feels. Also, a good deal of his work just creeps me tf out. 😅
November 3, 2025 at 10:16 PM
In Thornwillow, my main character ends up finding out by accident that he can slip into the realm of the dead. The artwork of Polish artist, Zdzisław Beksiński, inspired a good deal of the how that realm looks and feels. Also, a good deal of his work just creeps me tf out. 😅
Did an adventure today. Some much needed naturing before the grind starts anew. 🍄🟫🍂
November 2, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Did an adventure today. Some much needed naturing before the grind starts anew. 🍄🟫🍂
Today I started the revisions of Thornwillow, the novel I finished writing a few weeks ago. The premise is a hidden society of mages navigating as best they can the eminent collapse of civilization and possibly the end of consciousness as we know it.
November 1, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Today I started the revisions of Thornwillow, the novel I finished writing a few weeks ago. The premise is a hidden society of mages navigating as best they can the eminent collapse of civilization and possibly the end of consciousness as we know it.
Happy Halloween! Night on the town. 👻🎃🕯️
November 1, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Happy Halloween! Night on the town. 👻🎃🕯️
Halloween memory: probably five years old watching Night on Bald Mountain on a Disney Halloween special after trick or treating. Simultaneously terrified and enchanted. Those ghosts still get me. 👻🎃
October 31, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Halloween memory: probably five years old watching Night on Bald Mountain on a Disney Halloween special after trick or treating. Simultaneously terrified and enchanted. Those ghosts still get me. 👻🎃
It can’t rain all the time.
October 30, 2025 at 2:59 PM
It can’t rain all the time.
I was surprised to see some of the Northern Weird Project novellas at The Twisted Spine when I went, so I had to get a couple. 👻
October 28, 2025 at 9:47 PM
I was surprised to see some of the Northern Weird Project novellas at The Twisted Spine when I went, so I had to get a couple. 👻
Writing in my car on my work break and watched a squirrel climb down out of a tree with a whole ass bagel. I have so many questions.
October 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Writing in my car on my work break and watched a squirrel climb down out of a tree with a whole ass bagel. I have so many questions.
This past Friday was fucking great. I didn’t take many photos, but I did get a few shots of the cookies... Thanks to Neil and Cassandra for hanging out, and everyone I got a chance to meet for all the encouraging words after finishing my first book.
October 27, 2025 at 9:37 PM
This past Friday was fucking great. I didn’t take many photos, but I did get a few shots of the cookies... Thanks to Neil and Cassandra for hanging out, and everyone I got a chance to meet for all the encouraging words after finishing my first book.
One good thing about lit candles at my writing space: while summoning entities I can warm my hands too. It’s a win-win. 🕯️😈
October 26, 2025 at 11:54 AM
One good thing about lit candles at my writing space: while summoning entities I can warm my hands too. It’s a win-win. 🕯️😈
Back home from Brooklyn and soooo tired. More detailed posts incoming, (with a bunch of books) but I just wanted to say how grateful I am for the folks in the horror community. Y’all helped make my usual fight with social anxiety much less of one. 🖤
October 25, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Back home from Brooklyn and soooo tired. More detailed posts incoming, (with a bunch of books) but I just wanted to say how grateful I am for the folks in the horror community. Y’all helped make my usual fight with social anxiety much less of one. 🖤
There is no Brian, only caffeine. 👻☕️
October 23, 2025 at 10:06 AM
There is no Brian, only caffeine. 👻☕️
I did it. I finished my first novel.
Thornwillow, a story about mages hidden among society trying to prevent the end of the world, took me ten years, and that sounds like a long time, but given what’s happened in the last ten years and the subject matter, it makes sense.
Thornwillow, a story about mages hidden among society trying to prevent the end of the world, took me ten years, and that sounds like a long time, but given what’s happened in the last ten years and the subject matter, it makes sense.
October 20, 2025 at 7:59 PM
I did it. I finished my first novel.
Thornwillow, a story about mages hidden among society trying to prevent the end of the world, took me ten years, and that sounds like a long time, but given what’s happened in the last ten years and the subject matter, it makes sense.
Thornwillow, a story about mages hidden among society trying to prevent the end of the world, took me ten years, and that sounds like a long time, but given what’s happened in the last ten years and the subject matter, it makes sense.
1. The books I got this past week. Sooo many more I wanted and so many more awesome folks I wanted to speak to/hang out with at the Merrimack Halloween Book Festival yesterday. I had a very limited bandwidth and did my best!
October 19, 2025 at 10:34 PM
1. The books I got this past week. Sooo many more I wanted and so many more awesome folks I wanted to speak to/hang out with at the Merrimack Halloween Book Festival yesterday. I had a very limited bandwidth and did my best!
3 AM writing vibes. 🕯️🔮☕️
October 17, 2025 at 9:53 AM
3 AM writing vibes. 🕯️🔮☕️