What My Short Story, 'Virtual Voodoo', Is and Isn't

Credit: Pixabay

I've lately been working on the last of my revisions for "Virtual Voodoo", one of the short stories to be included in my upcoming collection, "Bad Apps". I had rewritten the ending a while back which I presented to my writer’s critique group last Tuesday evening. Some people told me to make changes apparently forgetting what genre the story falls within. "Virtual Voodoo" is a science fiction horror story about a teenager who, with help from an app, abuses the Voodoo religion. 

What ‘Virtual Voodoo’ Isn’t 

Some of the critique group’s comments were basically calling for the story to be written in other genres. One such comment was that the Voodoo was misrepresented. I had researched the religion and went through extra means to clarify in the story that the religion was being misused by a disturbed youth who is motivated by Hollywood horror myths and stereotypes. Still, I was basically told that I the author was portraying the religion using those myths and stereotypes. 

“Virtual Voodoo” is not a sociological or anthropological article. I can't be overly politically or scientifically correct in portraying elements of a religion that have become part of the horror genre like many Christian elements in the vampire and demon possession sub-genres have. If I did, the story would no longer be horror. 

Another comment I received about “Virtual Voodoo” is that, because the protagonist commits crimes, he should be shown getting prosecuted and thrown into the penitentiary. This story isn’t crime fiction. It’s not about the protagonist getting sought out for criminal activity and then prosecuted for it. That would be not only a totally different genre but maybe even a totally different story! 

What ‘Virtual Voodoo’ Is

So, what is "Virtual Voodoo" and what is it about? "Virtual Voodoo", as I've already said, is a science fiction horror story. It's about a teenager who learns how dangerous his hunger for vengeance, one inspired by Hollywood’s misrepresentation of the Voodoo religion, can become when using a technology he knows very little about. The hunger for vengeance becomes dangerous because the technology itself is based on that misrepresentation. 

For more of an inside look on my short stories such as "Virtual Voodoo", subscribe to my free author's newsletter, "Night Creatures' Call"! The next edition will be coming out as soon as I can finish the new blog background so I can do a reveal of it in there. That’s another reason to subscribe: you’ll get to see the new background first!

Until next time . . .