My Instagram

My Instagram is a space for me to share what motivates me: my favorite quotes about writing, images from my sources of inspiration. I share updates about my novel, excerpts, and the occasional random musing. Peruse my latest posts below, and follow me @stephan.maldonado.

#TheGodsWillRise is the official hashtag for my debut novel, to be released later this year.

View fullsize
View fullsize I grew up hearing my aunt Emily’s stories about her travels around the world—the adventures she’d go on, the people she’d meet. One of my most vivid memories is the story she’d tell about the tulips in Amsterdam; she&rsq
View fullsize Until I see you again, Titi. RIP 🖤💔 You were another grandmother to me. You were part of the glue that held our family together. You taught me kindness, compassion, grace, and more about my heritage than I can possibly measure or thank you for. You
View fullsize Throwing it all the way back to the sentence that started this whole crazy journey. I can’t share any new excerpts because, at this point, every word is a spoiler. This last chapter has certainly been a struggle, but it is THE LAST chapter, and
View fullsize Getting closer... • • • • #thegodswillrise #theendisnear #amwriting #amediting #indieauthor #writer #writersofinstagram #writerscommunity #authorsofinstagram #authorssupportingauthors #writerslife #horrorwriter
View fullsize Day 2 of my writer’s staycation proved to be another success. If I keep this up I might just start setting dates for things... • • #thegodswillrise #theendisnear #amwriting #amediting #indieauthor #writer #writersofinstagram #writersc
View fullsize I still won’t make the mistake of putting a timeline on myself, but somebody here just finished his fourth to last chapter....the “final battle” is about to begin. Stay tuned, friends. • • #thegodswillrise #theendisnear #a
View fullsize When you’re writing a book, it’s amazing how your own characters surprise you sometimes. I’ve never been one to not develop a character, but there’s one in particular that I’ve been spending a lot of time with lately&mda
View fullsize DAY 31: ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968; Dir. Roman Polanski) — Here it is, my Number 1 horror movie. I love every movie I’ve listed this month, and not always in the order I’ve listed them. But, while sometimes I prefer The Devil&rsquo
View fullsize DAY 27: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (this is a literally perfect movie; I challenge anyone to tell me otherwise, and then I call them a liar) — DAY 28: THE SHINING (I was too young to appreciate this movie when I first saw it, but a few years ago,
View fullsize DAY 23: THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (probably the most artful grind house movie ever made, this movie still captivates me even to this day) — DAY 24: THE OMEN (I’ve always been obsessed with apocalyptic fiction, and anyone who’s re
View fullsize I got very lazy, and it is very hard to post every day for 31 days straight. Here’s a round up of Days 19-22. — DAY 19: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: THE DREAM WARRIORS (best sequel of the franchise) — DAY 20: BRAM STOKER’S DRA
View fullsize Day 18: CANDYMAN (1992; Dir. Bernard Rose). — — Candyman never really got his due in the canon of horror icons. He’s a uniquely tragic figure, brought to life by both Tony Todd’s performance and Clive Barker’s writing (t
View fullsize Day 17: THE EXORCIST III (1990; Dir. William Peter Blatty) — — I feel like this movie is better received these days than it was when it first debuted, which I’m glad for, because it’s actually a very smart, creepy, sand surpri
View fullsize Day 16: THE LORDS OF SALEM (2013; Dir. Rob Zombie) — Without a doubt, this is Rob Zombie’s most divisive film; you either love it or aggressively hate it. I, for one, love the risks he took in scaling back his typical aesthetic and choosi
View fullsize Day 15: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968; Dir. George Romero) — I really, really don’t like zombies or zombie movies. But I remember this one scaring the hell out of me in the middle of the afternoon, watching with my mom when I was 12, so,
View fullsize Day 14: NEAR DARK (1987; Dir. Kathryn Bigelow) — — This is one of the darkest and most unique vampire movies of the 1980’s; it strips the vampires down to their most primal level and throws them into the desert for a bleak, yet beau
View fullsize Day 13: HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986; Dir. John McNaughton) — This is a hard movie to find “enjoyable”, and I wouldn’t even say I like it—but that’s the point. It’s deeply disturbing and feels alm
View fullsize Day 12: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008; Dir. Tomas Alfredson) — This is one of the chilling and most human vampire films I’ve ever seen—I think it’s so effective because it is so human, so heartbreaking. The book is a masterpiece,
View fullsize Day 10: SAW (2004; Dir. James Wan) — The ending of the original SAW, to this day, is one of the most shocking twists I’ve ever seen. It left me breathless in the theater and still gives me chills. Say what you want about these movies&mdas