Blood Moon Writing

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine 

What is Blood Moon Writing? No, it has nothing to do with zombies or vampires rising. No, it's not a new book sub-genre, but I guess it could be...hum. It's my name for using unusual events to add flavor and intrigue to your writings.

This week the first Blood Moon in a series of four tetrads, over the next year occurred. Star gazers in parts of North and South America got a rare treat early on 4-15-14, a partial eclipse of the moon. Unfortunately, our area was cloudy, but I've seen incredible pictures. 

The science of the “blood moon” is basic and creates a full lunar eclipse. The occurrence happens when the Earth’s shadow covers the moon. The shadow refracts longer wavelengths light of red, orange and yellow, casting the huge moon in a blood like substance. It lasts around one hour and 18 minutes.

Passover 2014 began this week, at sundown on Monday, April 14th. Early on April 15th, IRS tax day in The United States, a blood moon occurred. Americans will have the opportunity to see further lunar eclipses on October 8, 2014, April 4, 2015, and again on September 28, 2015. Four blood moons all on Jewish Feast days within two years is very rare. In 2014-2015, four blood moons are scheduled to appear. There will not be any more blood moons for the next 100 years.

The Blood moon phenomena has happened 7 times since Jesus's birth. This set of blood moons will make the 8th. Two powerful verses speaking of blood moons appear in the Bible. Joel 2:31, "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come." Acts 2:20, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord.” Since these are unusual events, there is no wonder people are talking. Books have been published surrounding this event. However, a lot of these are books are fictional books speculating on the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy. 

This is not the type of writing I'm suggesting. Consider inserting a blood moon into your next chapter to give uniqueness to your scene. In your book what if the terrorist struck as the blood moon became visible? What if your protagonist was witness to a crime, and the blood moon glowed as a murder victim is found? What if a lesser character in a historical novel is terrified by the sight of the blood moon? Let your imagination run wild.

What blood moon writing can you image for your latest work in progress?