Writers' Narrative eMagazine October 2023

EDITORIALTEAM

WendyH.Jones-EditorinChief-isalsoourExecutiveandFeaturesEditor.Sheisthemulti-awardwinning,best-sellingauthorofadultcrimethrillers andcozymysteries,children’spicturebooksand non-fictionbooksforwriters.Inaddition,sheisa writingcoach,partnerin Auscot Publishing and Retreats andhoststheWritingandMarketingShow podcast.

EditorinChief

SheenaMacleodisourdeputyeditor.Sheis authorof thehistoricalfictionnovels,ReignoftheMarionettesand TearsofStrathnaver,andco-authorofthenon-fictionbook So,YouSayICan’tVote!FrancesConnelly.

DeputyEditor

EileenRollandisourgraphicdesigner.Eileenwrites mainlycontemporarywomen’sfiction.Herworksincludethe ChrysalisTrilogyseriesand Isleof Somewhere.

GraphicDesigner

PaulineTaitmanagesoursubmissions.Paulineisaprolificnovelistandchildren’sauthor.Shewritesboth suspensefulromanceandchildren’spicturebooks for3to7years.

Submission Manager

AllisonSymesisourcopyeditor.Sheisanawardwinning,publishedflashfictionandshortstorywriter. Shealsowritesaweeklycolumnontopicsofinterest forwritersforonlinemagazine, Chandler's Ford To-

CopyEditor

MaressaMortimeroverseesourmarketingandoursocial mediaengagement.MaressaisauthoroftheElabi Chronicles, Burrowed and Sapphire Beach.

Marketingand Promotions Manager

InterviewedbyWendyH.Jones

InterviewwithMarkIveson byMaggieCobbett 12 The Wishing Pool byTananariveDue

ReviewedbyWendy H.Jones.

13 My Soul To Keep byTananariveDue

ReviewedbyStellaOni

28 Agnes Finnie: The ‘Witch’ of the Potterrow Port by MaryW.Craig

Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

29 Borders Witch Hunt byMaryW.Craig

Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

34 Ashes & Stones byAllysonShaw

ReviewedbyLouiseCameron

38 OnWritingHorror TheCampfireLegacy byConnerMcAleese

41 ChoosingSpookyBooksForChildren byMaressaMortimer

44 TheExorcistFilmTurns50 bySheenaMacleod

52 WritingChillingStoriesForYoungerReaders byVonnieWinslowCrist

56 HauntinglyGoodTale;WritingGhostStoriesThat ChillandEnthral byAngelaWatt

58 WritingHorror:TheTellingDetails byAllisonSymes

62 TheJoyOfWritingATrulyHorribleCharacter byRuthLeigh

64 TheDreadedDeadline byJennySanders

66 UsingHalloweenAsAMarketingTool byAllieMarie

50 AnAbecedarianPoem byLisMcDermott

MonthlyWritingPrompts

54 WritingPrompts byWendyH.Jones andTami.C. Brown

25 DesertSleuths byClaireA.Murray

35 WindsorLibrary byWendyH.Jones

47 WickedGoodBooks by Wendy.H.Jones

60 ResistStereotypingYourAnimalCharacters byPeterThomasandSophie

WriteinTime

63 EdgarAllanPoe

15 SubmissionGuidelines

66 MonthlyThemes

WelcometotheOctoberissueofWriters’Narrative,wherewetakeadeep diveintotheworldofwritinginthe HorrorGenre.Iamdelightedtobeinterviewing TananariveDue,thelongestpublishedblackhorrorauthor.Intheinterviewshegivessoundadviceandhintsandtipsforwritinghorror.

In How I learned to Love the Dark,BradfordTatum talksabouthowalifeinHollywoodledtohisnew careerasahorrorwriter.

KathleenSweeneygivesusadviceonhowtopromoteourhorrorbooks,in Unleash the Horror: Why Book Brush Is A Must-Have Tool for Marketing Horror Books.

In, On Writing Horror – The Campfire Legacy,ConnerMcAleesediscusseshisapproachtowriting shorthorrorstoriesandtheimportanceoftensioninthegenre.

Thisissueisjampackedwitharticlesnotonly onwritinghorror,butforanywriter,asthetechniquesdiscussedherecanbeusedbyusallto tightenupourwriting.

Don’tforgetourregularfeatures-bookshopof themonthandlibraryofthemonth-andno magazinewouldbecompletewithoutourregulararticlefromSophietheofficedog.

Asalways,therereallyissomethingforeveryone.

Wendy H. Jones Editor in Chief

Wendy H. Jones Author, Publisher, Writing Coach

Letterof theMonth

Dear Editor and Contributors,

I love the word ‘serendipity.’ It’s a word which sounds exactly as if it evokes its meaning of ‘happy coincidence’. It certainly seemed serendipitous to me that on the day when I received printed copies of my third novel ‘Vision of Light’, and the day after I finished Joanna Penn’s excellent ‘How To Market a Book’, I should open up the second edition of ‘Writer’s Narrative’ and find that not only was it focused on marketing, but Joanna Penn was also a contributor and ‘How To Market a Book’ was one of her books mentioned.

Marketing is more of a preoccupation for me with my third novel because I’ve learnt by experience that writing a novel is really only half the work involved. (I’m tempted to add ‘if that’, but don’t want to discourage myself or anyone else!). With 4 million books published a year, the crucial question really is: ‘How is anyone going to hear about my book?’

So I cannot say how much I appreciated this second edition of ‘Writers’ Narrative’, with its brilliant articles, challenge and encouragement to all of us who frankly prefer to write rather than to engage with marketing and publicity. As well as Joanna Penn’s articles, I devoured Wendy Jones’ featured interview with Kerry Barnum of New Shelves Books and was intrigued by Isabelle Knight’s insights into author branding.

Thank you so much for this excellent magazine. I am so grateful that I serendipitously downloaded it on that particular late August evening!

Gillian Poucher

Dear Editor,

The Writers' Narrative is that rare commodity that gives you great value at no cost. There is something of interest, to be learned, and expert advice in every article, with up to date guidance of getting the best from what is available, whether you are a seasoned author or a newbie writer just setting out.

The articles are written by people who are at the top of the literary league, offering professional insight into best practice, and the hints and tips from writers and authors who have found success in their field, gives you the boost you sometimes need. The honest and open reviews reveal the truth behind success; in the September issue, Keri Barnum's Bestseller Lists: The Inside Scoop, lays bare the truth behind the New York Times bestseller campaign, and whilst there is some science to the process, she reassuringly tells us there is another secret ingredient rarely discussed - luck!

It's the encouragement that really shines through, the underlying theme is always one of 'you can do it', and here's how.

Thank you to Wendy, Pauline, and the team for sharing their pearls of wisdom.

Sophia Mosely

Dear Editor,

An excellent issue. Regarding Stephen King's book On Writing. It eased me into the world of a writer with its ups and downs. More importantly, he said just write.

Of all the books on writing this was the most encouraging for an unpublished author.

Patricia Gitt

Every month, a £10 book token will be awarded to the selected letter of the month. Congratulations to this month’s winner.

FeaturedAuthorInterview TananariveDue

InterviewedbyWendyH.Jones

We are joined in this special edition by master of horror and film historian with expertise in black horror, Tananarive Due. Tananarive is an established American author, educator and producer. Amongst other awards, she won the American Book Award for her novel Living Blood, and nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel with The Between and the Bram Stoker Award for best Novel with My Soul to Keep. Here, Tananarive talks to our editor in chief, Wendy H. Jones, about her experiences of writing in the horror genre and shares with her some valuable insights.

I am delighted to welcome you to Writers’ Narrative and thank you for agreeing to join us.

What draws you to the horror genre as a writer, and what unique aspects of horror storytelling do you find most compelling?

Horroristhegenrethattriestoexplaintheinexplicable,whichisthefinalityofourownexistence. HorrorshowsusexampleafterexampleofcharacterswhostanduptosomeformofDeathandwin –or,iftheydon’twin,they’regreatexamplesof howtofightforsurvival.Ioftenhavefeltunpreparedforthehardshipsinlife,andIcreatecharacterswhoshowmehowtostandupinthefaceof theunthinkable.

Mylatemother,PatriciaStephensDue,lovedhorror,too,becauseitgaveherawaytoconfronther fearsaftergrowingupinJimCrowFloridaandher workfightingforcivilrightsinthe1960sandbeyond.SoIgrewupwatching“CreatureFeatures” withheronSaturdaymorningslike The Wolf Man and The Mole People.Shealsoboughtmemyfirst

StephenKingnovel, The Shining,whenIwas16.So Iwasdoomedtolovehorror.

Forsomeonelikeme,whocaneasilyimagine worstoutcomes,horrorisagreatoutletforanxiety aboutconfrontingreallifechallenges.Iunderstoodthefinalityoflifeatayoungage,whenI spentthenightinmygreat-grandmother’sroom listeningtoherbreatheonanoxygenmachinebecauseshehademphysema–andthatleftadeep impactonme,whichIexploredinmygraphicnovel The Keeper (withStevenBarnesandMarcoFinnegan).

How do you approach creating a chilling atmosphere and sense of dread in your horror stories? Are there specific techniques or elements you prioritize?

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the word out abouttheirbooks.

Manypeopleimagineasettingwhentheythinkof “dread,”butasettingisuselesswithouttheright charactertointeractwithit.Ahauntedhouseonly comestolifewhenthere’ssomeonetohaunt.So,

TananariveDue

forme,thekeytodreadisfindingtheprotagonistwhoseinteractionwiththesettingorsituationraisesthehighestemotionalstakes.For somecharacters,thedentist’sofficeisfullofhorroranddread–everysharpinstrumentcatches theireye.Anysettingcancreatedreadwiththe rightcharacterundertherightcircumstances.

Buthavingsaidthat,asahorrorcinemafan,I havenoticedhowoftenfilmmakersuseabandonedspacestocreatedread:darkbasements, clutteredroomswithcoveredfurniture,antiques.Theseareallevidenceofthepastlives whooccupiedthesespacesorheldtheseobjects,andunconsciouslyitpricksourfearofmortalityasareminderofhowquicklytimepasses andmakesusobsolete.

In horror fiction, building tension is crucial. Can you share your strategies for gradually increasing suspense and keeping readers on the edge of their seats?

Thekeytotensionispacing.Wemustallowcharacterstoliveandbreathebetweenmomentsof confrontationorfear.Anytimespentoncharacterdevelopmentandworldbuildingisinservice tothosemomentswhenthetensionwillbe ratchetedup.Inahorrormovie,it’ssaidthatthe firstdeepscareshouldcomewithinthefirst20 minutes–or,often,abookorfilmwillhavea horrificpreviewandthenslowdownthepaceto startbuildingtheconnectionbetweentheprologueandthestory’spromisedcorehorror.

Withoutaclearlinebetweenthepromisedhorrorandthecharacterdevelopment,tensioncan flag.That’swhywhenI’mplanningahorror scriptwithmycollaborator,StevenBarnes,we recentlyputupstorybeatsonaboardandinsertedbluecardstoshowthe“horror”moments. Thatgaveusaquickvisualguidetotrackhow longthestorygoesonwithoutanynewscares.

Youdefinitelywantthosebreaks–butwithtoo muchcomfortabletimefortheprotagonist,the

tensioncanflag.That’swhyIcombinetheprotagonist’spersonalanxietieswithwhateverthe externalthreatis,dancingbetweenthemtokeep thetensionhigh.

Many iconic horror stories explore deeply human fears and emotions. How do you develop complex and relatable characters while immersing them in terrifying situations?

Ilearnedtheimportanceofcharacterizationin horrorfromreadingStephenKingasateenager, sooneofmyproudestmomentswaswhenhe praisedmycharactersinhis(unabridged)blurb for My Soul To Keep. Isuspectthat,likemanywriters,mostofmycharactersaredifferentversions ofme–ifIwereinthecircumstancesthatshaped them.

Mytheoryofcharacterizationinhorrornoteshow traumaand/ortransgressionareoftenthedoorwaytosupernaturalorotherworldlyterrorinstorytelling.WeALLhavetrauma,secretshameand transgressions…soit’sreallyanamplificationof humanemotionasawayofshowinghowuniversalexperiencesfeeltous(horror).Watchingan elderageandnolongerrecognizeusmightfeel similartoapossessionorzombieoutbreak.Beinglostingriefcancreate“ghosts”thatfollowus. Ourchildhoodshauntus.

Thepointofthecharacter’sjourneyisnottorain terrorafterterroronthem,buttoforcethemto pulloninnerresourcestostanduptooverwhelmingforces–andsometimesevensurvive. Thetrue“story”isaboutthecharacter’sresponsestofearandhardshipandhowtheytrytomap aplanforsurvival.That’sallanyofuscandoin life.

Dialogue can reveal character traits and advance the plot in horror fiction. How do you craft realistic and engaging dialogue that enhances the sense of fear and unease?

Itellmywritingstudentsthattherearewaysin

whichcharactersdonottrulycometo“life”until theyareininteractionanddialoguewithother characters.Thisiswherewelearnhowtheypresentthemselvestofriendsandfamily,tocoworkers,totheoutsideworld.Howmuchoftheir authenticselvesdotheydisplayandhowmuch dotheyconceal?

Onekeytorealisticdialogueistopepperdialogue withinternalmonologuethatprovidescontextso thatthedialogueisconversationalandnotexpositionheavy.Ingenre,whenacharacterisoverexplaining,it’scalled“Infodump.”It’sclutteredand explanatoryratherthanhumanandspontaneous. Thoseinternalasidesalsogivereadersaglance intowhattheprotagonistisreallythinkingabout theothercharacter,orwhatisbeingsaid.Allof thatbroadensthereader’sunderstandingofwho thecharacteris.

Building on real-world anxieties can make horror stories feel more immediate. How do you draw inspiration from current societal or cultural issues to make your fiction resonate with readers?

Real-worldanxietiesarewhatmadeJordan Peele’s Get Out suchaprofoundsuccess–itwas sorelatableasawaytoexplaintheimpactof whitesupremacy.Astheexecutiveproducerof Horror Noire, Ibeganreflectingonmyownjourneytolovinghorror,andtheconnectionbetween mymother’sloveforhorrorandhertraumainthe civilrightsmovement.That’swhathelpedme morefullyunderstandhorror’sroleinmyownlife –asabalmagainsttrauma.

Horrorissuchaperfectmechanismtounpack socialills,justasGeorgeA.Romerotackledsocial turmoilandconsumerisminhisiconicfilms Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead,respectively.Horrorremovesthe“flinch”responsefrom true-lifetraumaandpresentsitinakindoffunhousemirrorthatisscaryinadifferentway–and amoreaccessibleway.Insteadoffeelingpreachy ortriggering,horrorfictionservesourfearbackto

usinadifferentformthatiseasiertochew.It bothvalidatesourtrue-lifehorrorsandoffersan escapefromthem.

Effective use of symbolism and metaphor can deepen the layers of horror in a story. Could you share examples of how you incorporate symbolic elements to enhance the thematic richness of your work?

Agoodexampleofsymbolismandmetaphorin horroris The Sunken Place in Get Out:it’sa mechanismforbodysnatchingwithinthestory, butitalsosymbolizeshowBlackandmarginalizedpeoplefeelhelplessunderwhitesupremacy anddiscrimination.Inmyownwork,Ihavea shortstorycalled Incident at Bear Creek Lodge withacreaturethatsymbolizesthetraumamy protagonist’sgrandmothersufferedasascreen starforcedto“coon”infilmsinthe1930s.

Horror stories often have twists or unexpected revelations. How do you create a balance between providing enough clues for readers to speculate while still delivering a satisfying surprise?

Sometimesatwistishiddenevenfromme–my agentgavemeagreatsuggestionforatwistin The Reformatory,andIfoundthatittookvery littlerewritingtocreatethetwist…almostasif I’dknownIwoulddoitallalong.Myhorror doesn’trelyagreatdealon“twists”asmuchas revelations,butIthinkthekeyingeneralisto playfairandwritewithrealism.Themoreplausibletheoriginalpremiseis,themoreshocking thetwistwillfeel.(Butthetwist,ofcourse,must alsobeplausible.)

Tell us about your own body of work within the horror genre.

Ihavebeenpublishinghorrorsince1995,which makesmeoneofthelongestpublishedBlack horrorwriters.Iwritenovels,shortstories,comicsandscreenplays.Mymostpopularbooksare

probably The Between,myAfricanImmortalsseries(My Soul to Keep, The Living Blood, Blood Colony and My Soul to Take), The Good House, Ghost Summer: Stories and The Wishing Pool & Other Stories.Myupcomingnovel, The Reformatory, tookmesevenyearstowriteandmightbemy bestworkinhorror.(ButI’mnotagoodjudge!)

May I ask, who are your favourite go to authors when it comes to reading horror stories?

I’vebeenthrilledtoobservetheriseofmarginalizedhorror,somylistisgrowingandchanging.I alsoreadoutsideofhorror.IgrewupreadingStephenKing,andstilldo,butIalsoloveVictorLaValle,AtticaLocke,OctaviaE.Butler,Steven Barnes(myhusband),StephenGrahamJones, GabinoIglesiasandnewcomerJohnnyCompton.

If you could go anywhere in the world to write, where would it be and why?

Myhomeoffice!Iammoreandmoreofahomebodyastimegoeson.Yes,Idolovetheromance ofacabin-stylehouseinthewoods–spendinga longweekendalonereallyhelpedmehavea breakthroughwith The Reformatory –buthome ismyfavoriteplacetobe.

If our readers were to start with one of your books, which would you recommend?

Myshortstorycollection The Wishing Pool isa greatstartingpointtoseetherangeoffictionI write.Afterthat,definitely The ReformatorywhichisoutOct.31.

Thank you once again and I am looking forward to reading some of your books.

TheWishingPoolandOtherStoriesbyTananariveDueReviewedby

WendyH.Jones

ForthefirsttimeIamreviewinganaudiobook.WhilstIdon’tusuallylistentofictionasaudiobooks,Ifelt boththeshortstoryformandthehorrorgenrelentthemselvesperfectlytothespokenratherthanthe writtenword.

AmericanBookAward-winningauthorTananarive Due'ssecondcollectionofstoriesrangesfromhorror tosciencefictiontosuspense.Fromthemysterious, magicaltownofGracetowntotheaftermathofa pandemictothereachesofthefarfuture,Due'sstoriesallshareasenseofdreadandfearbalancedwith heartandhope.Insomeofthesestories,themonsterisracismitself;othersaddressthemonsterwithin,orotheruniversalstrugglessetagainstthesupernaturalorsurreal.AllofthemarewrittenwithDue's trademarkattentiontodetailanddeepcharacterization.Inadditiontopreviouslypublishedwork,this collectioncontainsbrand-newstories,including "Rumpus Room,"asupernaturalhorrornoveletteset inFloridaaboutawoman'sstruggleagainstboth outerandinnerdemons.

Whilstthetermheartpoundingmaybeacliché,IamgoingtousethetermproudlyasIbelievethisis whatthisbookis.Thestoriestakeyouintoyourdeepestfearsandthenbeyond.Thecharactersareboth lovableandterrifying,thesettingsbeyondyourimaginationbutsobeautifullydescribeditturnsthefear levelupafewmorenotches.Ofcourse,onecannotreviewanaudiobookwithoutaddressingthenarration.Iampleasedtosaythenarrationisabsolutelyspoton,suitingthehorrorgenreperfectly.Thenarrators,JasminWalkerandWilliamDeMeritt,bringthestoriestolifeandeaseyouintotheheartofthem. Ofcourse,youarenotateaseforlongasyoucanwellimaginegiventhesubjectmatter.Itiseasytosee whyTananariveDueisthequeenofblackhorror,atitlethatiswelldeserved.Iamnotusuallyahorror fanbutDue’sworkhasconvincedmeIoughttobe.Iwilldefinitelybereadingmoreofherworkinthe future.

My

SoultoKeep

byTananariveDue—ReviewedbyStellaOni

BritishNigerianStellaOniistheauthorofDEADLYSACRIFICE,book1oftheToksAde Mysteryseries.Website:www.stellaonithewriter.com

Review

Itisgreattobeinthehandsofanadepttellerofstories,andthatisnot becauseTananarivegotagreatblurbfromStephenKing.Shehurtledus intoherworldwithskillandsetusonarunning start.

MySoultoKeepisasupernaturalmysterythrillerabouthusbandand wifeDavidandJessicaandtheirsensitivedaughterKira.Itbeginswitha mysteriousmanwalkingintoanursinghomewherehekillsadyingold womanwhowhispers''dad''ashetakesherlife.Davidishandsome, charismatic,intelligentandalovinghusbandandfather. Jessicaisadevotedwifeandmotherwhoworksasaninvestigativejournalistforalocalnewspaper.Sheisalsoatalentedwriterwhostartstochaseanew storyaboutabusesinnursinghomes.

AsviolentdeathsoccuraroundJessicaandDavid,we'reintroducedtoour3rdnarrator,animmortalbeing knownasDawit.Dawit'sstoryisdeepandold,takingusbackover400years.ItisthenrevealedthatDawit isDavid! DavidtellsusthathewaspartofanancientsectfromEthiopiawhopartookinabloodcovenant thatturnedthemintoimmortalbeings.David/Dawitthentravelstheworld,pickinguplanguageandmusicskills.Hehadalsoaccumulatedmoneythathecouldusetofuelhislifestyle.David/Dawithadbeen abletosustainmortalrelationshipsandoutlivedorleftthemwhenhissectinEthiopiarecalledhim. Butit wasdifferentwithJessica.HefoundthatwhenthesectdemandedhisreturntoEthiopiatoprotecttheir secret,hecouldnotbringhimselftodesertherandKira.Asthesectdecidedtoactbysendingmembers knownasSearcherstogetDavidbackordestroyhisfamily,hetriedtomakeJessicaandKiraimmortal. Tananarivetakesusthroughthiscomplex,layeredplotthatcoversmanythemeswithverve.Herwritingis asclearascrystals,withwordsshimmeringonthepages.Sheisalsodetailedinhernarrationwithdescriptionslike"themurkydepthofanicetea"thatwarnthereadersthatallwillnotbesoclearorrosy. Sheisambitiouswiththissupernaturalstorywithmysteryatitsheart,whichisalsohistorical,with Dawit'sbackstorytakingusthroughEthiopiancivilisationtoArabia,Spain,andtheAmericasduringslavery.Insomeareas,thestorysucceeded,butnotinothers.Forexample,shecouldhavemadeourintroductionofDawittoDavidseamless.

MySoultoKeepcouldbetwoorthreebooksinone.TananarivealsoalludedtoplacesinNigeriaandYorubadeities.IamNigerianandhaveadeepknowledgeofitsculture.Idon'tknowifthoseallusionswork. Nevertheless,mySoultoKeepisanessentialbookinthesupernaturalmysterygenre.Itisthefirsttime thatIhaveseenastorythatcentresAncientEthiopiainfictionorwhereblackmalesleadintheknowledge ofAfricancivilisation.Tananarivecouldwriteaprequelthatdelvesdeeperintothesectandthehistoryof thattime.Butmorethanthis,Iknowthatsheisamasterstoryteller.

HowILearnedToLoveTheDark

Bradford Tatum, actor and writer for film and television, shares what drew him to write horror.

Theimpulsetowriteahorrornovel,at leastasIhaveexperiencedit,rarelyhas anythingtodowiththehorrible.Infact, justtheoppositeistrue.

Whentheimpulseoverwhelmsme,andonlyan overwhelmingurgewillgetmewriting,IfindmyselfinvariablyfollowingtheadageIreadonthe bumperofadilapidated Nissan Sentra Ionce sawwhilestillinhighschool,cruisingpastthe New Varsity Theatre inPaloAlto.

“RealBeautyismyAim,”thebumpersticker read.TheattributionwasGandhi.

Theclarityofthesentimenthitmehard.But whatdidhemean?Surelyhewasn’treferringto somethingasstaidandtransitoryasthemerely pretty.Prettyisawordbestsuitedtoboxing,to aframeorasnapshot.

“The impulse to write a horror novel… rarely has anything to do with the horrible.”

Butbeauty?Beautyisanexception.The“other” thatrattlesusinsteadofsoothes.Asublimeraritythatmakesourteethitch.Orevenourskin crawl.Itsolicitsinuswhatthemid-centuryphotographerWilliamMortensencalled “thecommandtolook”.Itcompelsusnotbecauseitis truebutbecausebeautydistillsitsperfumefrom what could betrue.

Inveracity.Inamoonlitsisteroftruthwerecognizebutrarelyencounter.Itisthe“awe”in “awful.”Thedarkandthelightmarriedinour mindswithpassionandconsummatedonlyat twilight.

“It is the ‘awe’ in ‘awful’. The dark and the light married in our minds...”

Ihavewhatiscalledasaturninenature.Ilove theburntairofautumn.Thehotshadesofdead leavesthatneverrepeattheirfieryhues.Wool hugsandhotteasandcalmfiresthatsmolder deliciouslybeneathheavygrayskies.

Anoldandemptyhouseisanurseryofvaried historiestome.Whispersthatdelightasthey driftfromdustyeavesinthecandlelight.The darkonlyterrifiedmebeforeIhadthesenseto seeit.Tobeseenbyit.

‘An old and empty house is a nursery of varied histories to me.’

Andifattimesitrevealstheuncanny,theshocking,orthemorbid,itdoessoonlytoremindus thatwe,evenatourbest,arefilledandrounded

BradfordTatum

bysuchduskystuffs.Thephantasmagoricalisa gift.WhyelsedidM.R.Jamesonlyrecitehis ghoulishpearlsatChristmastime? ThefirstwriterIeverloved,evertrulyrecognized,wasPoe.Histalesneverterrifiedme.And asaboyIwaseasilyterrified.

IrememberoneCaliforniafallmyfatherenticed mewithamugofchalky,barelychocolatey, SwissMissInstantCocoaifonlyIwouldwatch thatevening’s Creature Feature withhim.The moviewastheoldblackandwhiteversionof The Picture of Dorian Gray withGeorgeSaunders. EverythingwasgoinggreatuntilIgotaglimpse ofthetechnicolormonstrosityofDorian’sguilty likenessattheend.Isleptwiththelightsonfor weeks.Goingtothebathroominthemiddleof thenightwasanordealworthyofDante.

“I slept with the lights on for weeks.”

Itwasonlybychance,pickingthroughthestacks atmyjuniorhighlibrary,thatIdiscovered E.A.’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination.Readthat again.Nomentionofhorrorin that title.

Mystery?Delightful.Imagination?Ihadboatloadsofthat.Ireadthewholething,coverto cover,overthreeconsecutivenights lookingup thewordsIdidn’tunderstandinourbeatupold Webster’s, plumbingitsdepths,delightingin time-bombheartsandscratchycoffinlids.I couldn’tgetenough.

“Fear was my friend.”

Ihadfoundafriend,atruebooncompanionthat madehighsummerofthedark,dry-walledcornersofmyroom.Ididmyfirstbookreporton The Pit and the Pendulum,sculptingadoomed littlemanoutofclayandstrappinghimtoabalsawoodtablewhilemymother’spizzacutter, suspendedonastringoverhischest,winkedhis fateasIrecitedthebestbitsofthestorytothe metronomeofmymom’seggtimer.Theclass wascaptivated.ItwasthefirsttimeIcould

speakinfrontofacrowdwithoutstuttering, withoutfear.Forfearwasmyfriend.AndsoI maderealfriends.Allthankstohim.

“Beauty is a lure that can be followed, its honey can be mined.”

JoanneWoodwardoncefamouslysaidthatactingislikesex.It’sbettertodoitthantalkabout it.AndIagreewithher,atleastinessence.Writinghorrorisimpossible.Andsoitisimpossible torelatehowitisdone.Atleastforaromantic likeme. Butbeautyisalurethatcanbefollowed,itshoneycanbemined.Andifwhatyou haveattheendofyourpagedrumsupdread withdelightthensomuchthebetter.Themost beautifulskiesarethoselitbylightning.

Bradford Tatum has worked as an actor and writer in both film and television. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. His first novel, Only the Dead Know Burbank was published by HarperCollins in 2016, followed by LO (Soft Moon Press) in 2022. Hot Berry Punch, his third novel, is scheduled for release by Soft Moon Press on November 14, 2023. Connect with Bradford at BradfordTatum.com.

WritingAWrong

Writing about true crime, particularly murder cases, presents authors with many obstacles and challenges. Best-selling author Mark Bridgeman discusses his approach to writing about true crime.

Writingabouttruecrime,particularly thecallouscrimeofmurder,isa uniquelydifficultundertaking.Itpresentstheauthorwithmanyseeminglyinsurmountableobstaclesandchallenges.Butbefore youevenbegintoleapthosehurdles,it’stimeto askyourselfaseriesofquestions–justlikeany detectiveworththeirsalt.

Firstly,isthestoryworthwritingatall?Hasit beencoveredextensivelybefore;canyoureally addanythingofinterest,ornewlydiscoveredto theknownversionofevents?Areyouqualifiedto evenattempttodoso;andmostimportantly,is yourstoryintriguingenoughtograbyourpotentialreader’sattention.

Sadly,virtuallyfromthemomentyoubeginto researchyourpotentialtruecrimestory,there aretwokeyelementsyouwillalmostcertainly discover–theyareseldomasinterestingas crimefiction,andtheyarerarelycompletestories.

WhatdoImean?Well,firstly,ageneration gorgedonHarlanCoben,Netflix,andHollywood serialkillers,expectnumeroussuspects,fiendishlyinterestingcharacters,andmultipleplot twists.Reallifemurderisrarelylikethat.Forthe mostpartitisdepressing,miredinmiseryand

thebasestofhumanemotions,andalmostalways,sadlypredictable.Unfortunately,ifyoudo stumbleacrossagenuinelyinterestingmurder case,youcanbetsomeoneelsehasbeatenyou toit.

Secondly,andIcanattesttothisfrompersonal experience,therearemanyhistoricmurdercases whichpossessallthequalitiesofapotentially interestingbook,shortstory,orarticle.Regretfully,however,theylackonecrucialelement–asatisfyingending.

Sadly,manyseeminglyinterestingstorieshave vitalevidencemissing.Perhapsthemurdererwas neveruncovered,ortheresultsofthetrialhave beenlostinthemistsoftime.Whateverthereason,theyinevitablylackanypaybackfortheinvestedreader;andproveultimatelyunsatisfying forboththewriterandtheiraudience.

Nevertheless,donotloseheart.Allisnotlost. Therearestillamultitudeofunsolved,gruesome, andfascinatingmurdersoutthere,justwaitingto

MarkBridgeman

bewrittenabout.Withover650,000murders committedworldwideeveryyear,truecrime writerswillneverbeshortofmaterial!Infact,in thetimeittakestoreadthisarticle,atleastten peoplewillhavemettheirdeathatthehandsof theirkiller.Andevenwithallthemoderncrimefightingtechniquesnowatourdisposal,unlike ourfavouritedetectiveshows,onlyhalfofall murdersareeversolved.

“True crime writers will never be short of material.”

Puttingthosedarkthoughtstoonesidefora moment,andsupposingthatyouhavelocateda story-worthycase,howdoyoubegintounearth thetalebehindthetragedy,andwhatrules shouldyoufollow?

Myprocessisastraightforwardone.Iseldom writeaboutrecentmurders,mostofmystories areVictorianortwentiethcentury.Thatway,at least,Iamlesslikelytooffendorcausedistress toafamilymember–animportantconsiderationwhenrakingthroughtheashesofsomeone else’smisery.

Ifyoudochoosetofocusonamorecontemporarycase,youmaywishtoconsiderconsulting thefamilyfirst.Theyareoftensurprisinglyhelpfulandwillingtoassist.InastoryIpennedabout amurderin1982,inwhichthevictim’schildren arestillalive,theythankedmeprofuselyforhonouringhismemoryandremindingpeopleofhis bravery.Itwasoneofmymostgratifyingmomentsasanauthor.

“Research is fascinating, but it is timeconsuming and can be costly.”

Nextcomestherabbitholedownwhichallnonfictionwritersdisappear(somenevertoreturn!) –research.

Assumingyourmurdermysteryisnotacontemporaryone,Irecommendnewspaperarchivesas yourfirststep.Thereareaselectionofonline newspaperarchivesnowavailable,intheUKand worldwide.Theyarecomprehensiveand,forthe mostpart,excellent.Thereisaskilltousing them,however,althoughthiswillimproveover timeandwithpractice.Thebroadstrokesof yourstoryarelikelytobecoveredhere,although newspaperarchivesarenot,unfortunately,free. Bepreparedtoputyourhandinyourpocket.

Researchisfascinating,butitistime-consuming andcanbecostly.Todelveanydeeperyouwill almostcertainlyneedtoremoveyourselffrom behindyourcomputerscreenandgetyour handsdirty(sometimesquiteliterally!).

Thereareavastnumberofpoorlywrittenand incompletetruecrimestoriesonthemarket,to differentiateyourselffromthem,it’stimeto wearoutsomeshoeleather.

“There are a vast number of poorly written and incomplete true crime stories on the market.”

Onceyou’vedecidedonthestoryyouwishto research,thereisnosubstituteforvisitingthe areaconcerned.Don’tforgetanotepadortwo,a camera,andaDictaphone.Trylocalmuseums, second-handbookshops,touristattractions,libraries,councilarchives,oreventhelocalpolice.Youmightevenstumbleacrossabookletor leafletalreadywrittenaboutthecrimeinquestion.Theseareinvaluableandyou’dprobably neverotherwiselocatethemonline.Thelocal parishchurchmightalsoholdsomerecords,especiallyifthevictimorperpetratorisburied there.I’llmentionchurchesagainattheendof thisarticle.

Wheretobegin?It’stimetotemporarilyditch yourauthor’shatandbecameajournalistand historianinstead.

Ialsocontactlocalhistoricalsocietiesandcommunitygroups,theyalwaysprovetobeapricelesstreasuretroveofinformation,stories,and localrumour.Ifyou’renotsureoftheirname,a oogleorFacebooksearchwillsoonlocatethem

they’reagreatplacetomarketyourcompleted booktoo!

Whichbringsmetoadvertisingyourintentions. Whynottryannouncingyourplantoresearch andwriteyourstoryonasuitablelocalFacebookgroup,atthelibrary,orothercommunity hub.Thisoftengarnerssurprisinglyinformative results–itcertainlyhasforme.

Armedwithallthisinformation,headspeedily home.It’salmosttimetostartplanningand writingyourpiece.Thefirstimportanttaskis cross-checking.Iamconstantlysurprised(and disappointed)todiscoverjusthowmanyerrors cropupinnewspaperreportsofanincident. Theseusuallytaketheformofmultipledateerrors,misspeltnamesandplacenames.Luckily, wecancheckmanyofthesewithGoogleMapsor anatlas.

Ifrequentlycross-referencethespellingofplacenamesagainstantiquemapsoroldtexts,as theseoftenchangeovertime.Forinstance,the etymologyofLondonhaschangedmanytimes overthecenturies,fromLondinium,through Lunden,Lundin,Londoun,andLonden,before becomingtheLondonweknowtoday.

Mypersonalpreferenceistobegintranscribing myfieldnotesasquicklyaspossible,andstart writingmystoryimmediately.Ihavelongsince givenuppretendingthatIcanrememberconversations,ordeciphernotesI’vemadeamonth ortwopreviously.Ilikethingstobefreshinmy mind.

“The first important task is cross-checking.”

Onceyouhavealogicalformatforyourstory,be confidentandputitdownonpaper.Ifthestory ishistoricinnature(asImentionedearlier,the majorityofmineareVictorianorfromthetwentiethcentury),Iprefertoweaveinsomesocial andhistoricalcontext;especiallyattheoutset. Wherethereanymajoreventsthatwouldhave

impactedonyourcharacters?Howmuchdida pintofbeercost?Werewomenexpectedtostay athome?Anythingthatengagesthereaderand bringstheeratolife.

Talkingofthecharactersinyourstory,it’shugelyimportanttoprovideasmuchdetailabout themaspossible.Wearefortunatenowtohave impressiveonlinearchivesandresearchtools availabletous,suchasancestry.comandfindmypast.Again,thesearenotfree,buttheycan assistinprovidingsomefamilybackground,locations,andcolour,whichisinvaluable.

Adetailedsearchcanalsoprovideananswerto aquestionnotresolvedatthetimeoftheoriginalcrime.Ithasdonesoformeonfrequentoccasions.Inaddition,themoreyouareableto getundertheskinofthepeopleinvolvedinyour story,themorelikelyyouaretounderstand howtheythoughtandbehaved.Thishelpsyou tomakeinformedguessesabouttheirdecisions andmotivations.

Trytofindauniqueanglefromwhichtoapproachyourstory,particularlyifit’sonewhich hasbeenwrittenaboutfor.Forexample,take thevictim’spointofview,orteaseaboutnewly uncoveredinformationintheinvestigation. Compareandcontrastyourmurderstorywith another.Aretheyconnected?Didyourprotagonistkillagain?

Therearemanywaystomakeyourstorystand outfromthemanyothersoutthere.Sympathy, compassion,andfocusonthevictim’sviewpointwillendearreadersandcriticsfarmorein thelong-term,thanbloodysensationalismwill dointheshort-term.

Ifthisallsoundsoverwhelming,don’tlose heart;remember,therearemanypoorlywritten,unsatisfying,andbadlyresearchedtrue crimestoriesfloatingaroundintheether.With timeandeffort,youcanmakeyourssomuch better.

Tofinish(remember,allwell-writtentruecrime shouldhaveasatisfyingbeginning,middle,and end),I’llleaveyouwithanimportanttipand somehopefullyhelpfulinspiration.

Firstly,thismightsoundmacabretosome,butit reallyisn’t.IfIcanlocatethegraveofthevictim concerned(orsometimesofthemurderer),Ifind ittobeanunusuallypoignantandconnecting moment.

Itmightalsohelpyoudiscoveranimportant partoftheirfamilystory.Asaresult,youwill oftenfindmespendingapeacefulafternoon ponderingman’scrueltytomaninthegraveyardofapicturesquecountrychurch.Itoften bringsextremelysatisfyingresultstoo.

AfterwritingthetruestoryofaScottishmurder from1870,Iwasabletolocatethevictim’sheadstoneinaremoteHighlandgraveyard.Thelocal ministerhadnoideathathisout-of-the-waykirk hadbeenthesceneofsuchaviolentkilling.It createdsubstantiallocalinterest.

Iwasalsoprivileged–aftermuchsearching–to locatethegraveofthepoetandfellowwriter SylviaPlathinaquietYorkshirechurchyard.Althoughnotthevictimofamurder,shediedaviolentandhorrificallyunhappydeath.Thegrave wasunkemptandovergrown.AsIkneltand carefullypulledasidetheweedsandundergrowth,Ican’tdenyitwasapowerfullypoignant

andresonatingmomentforawriter.

Finally,bywayofsomeinspirationforanybuddingtruecrimeauthors,I’llleaveyoutodigest mytwoproudestandmostsatisfyingmoments asawriter.In2020Iunmaskedtherealmurderer inagrislyandpreviouslyunsolvedYorkshire murdercasefrom1905.Thevictimwasayoung child.Althoughitwastoolatetoputthemurdererbehindbars,atleastIwasabletoaddsome closuretothestory.

Secondly,thefollowingyear,aftermanyhundredsofhoursspentresearching The Nearly Man, Iwasfinallyabletotrackdowntheonlyperson stillalivetohavespokentoandactuallymetthe protagonistofmystory.Itwasasupremelyfulfillingmomentwhich–Ifelt–gavemetheimpetusandauthoritytofinishwritingthebook.

“Well-written true crime should have a satisfying beginning, middle, and end.”

Noteveryreal-lifemurderstorywillhaveanendingassatisfyingforthereaderasthosetwoexamplesdidforme.Ifyourplannedbookends withanunresolvedmystery,thenatleastmake thatthestrengthofyourstory,notaweakness. Yourreadermightevenfindthemselvesinspired tobecomethenextSherlockHolmesorAgatha Christie,andsolvethecrimeforthemselves. Afterall,thatiswhyweallloveagoodmurder mystery!

Mark Bridgeman is a true crime writer and historian based in Scotland. Mark has written several true crime collections, including Waterstones best-sellers Perthshire’s Pound of Flesh and Blood Across The Water, and has appeared on BBC television and radio, ITV, Channel 5, and in several newspapers and magazines. If you would like further, more detailed information or advice regarding true crime research, Mark is more than happy to assist, and can be contacted via his website www.markbridgemanauthor.co.uk

HorrorFictionThroughtheAges

WendyH.Joneslooksatthehistoryofhorror fiction,highlightingherlandmarkbooksand authors.

HorrorisnotsomethingIgenerallyread, orwrite,butIamfascinatedbyitshistoryandthewaysinwhichithaschanged throughouttheyears.

Asagenreitfirstemergedaspartofthegothic pre-romanticerawhereliteraturefirststartedto explorefear.Thefirstgothicnoveliswidelyconsideredtobe The Castle of Otranto byHorace Walpole,pennedin1765.

With Dracula,BramStoker broughtusanotherhorror legend.

DespitesayingitisnotsomethingIusuallyread,Ihave,of course,read,MaryShelley’s Frankenstein, whichwaspublishedin1818.

ShelleycameupwiththeideaforFrankenstein whenstayingwithfamilyfriendsinDundee,my hometown.Personally,Dundeedoesn’tmakeme thinkofhorror,buttheworldisgladitmade Shelleythinkofit.Shewascreditedasbeingthe firstwritertobringscienceintothehorrorgenre.

Ofcourse,onecannotdiscussthegenrewithout mentioningEdgarAllanPoe,whoraisedthegenretoawholenewlevel.

Thisfascinationwithhorror,broughttous throughthegothicnovel,hascontinued throughoutthecenturiesleadingthewayfor iconicwriterssuchasStephenKingandDean Coontz.

IconsiderKing’s Misery tobe oneofthemostchillingbooks Ihaveeverread.

WendyH.Jones

Onewouldthinkthathorrorbooksforchildren wouldnotbeathing,yetVonnieWinslowCrist’s Shivers, Scares and, Goosebumps doesjustthat. Eachoftheseshortstoriesisperfecttobereadtoa child.Theyhavejusttherightleveloffearfactor thatentertainsandenthrals.Theyallowthechildto skirtoftheedgeoffearwithinasafeenvironment. Tobehonest,ifoneconsiderstheoriginalGrimms’ FairyTales,thesewereactuallyfartoohorrificfor kids.Onecouldarguetheywereexamplesofthe horrorgenre.

Ifoneislookingforafreshvoiceinthehorror genrein2023,thenLauraPurcellisseenasbeing onewhotakesthegenretoanewlevel.

Itisobvioustoseethegenreisnotgoinganywheresoonandthereadingpublic’sloveforit continues,258yearsafteritsbeginnings. Maybe itistimetotryahorrorbookortwoandexpand yourreadinghorizons.Ifyouarealreadyahorror fan,whynottrysomethingdifferentItmayalso betimetotrywritingahorrorstory.Icertainly intendtoexploreit.

Throughouttheyearsshort storieshavebeenapopular formforhorrorwriters.TananariveDue,ourfeatured authorthismonth,isconsideredoneoftheleadinginnovatorsinblackhorrorincluding shortstories.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and nonfiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, editor in chief of Writers’ Narrative, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

SC Skillman, who writes modern gothic mysteries, looks at the impact horror books and films have had and shares what she thinks makes it work.

IknowhorrorissomethingIcannotescape from.EverypublisherwholistsGothicin theircatalogueincorporatesitunderthe headingofHorror.Sothisis,tome,somethingI feeldrawnintoformybigblackscenenearthe endofanovel.That’sbecauseIwritemodern gothicmystery.

Therulesofclassicstorystructurerequireasceneneartheendofthestorywheretheherohas hisorherBlackMoment,whenallseemslost. Everythingisatitsveryworse.Manyofthequestionstheauthorraisedearlierwhichkeptthe readerturningthepages,maybeansweredhere. Theanswershavetodefeatthereader’sexpectations.Andthechoicestheauthormakesatthis pointaredeterminedbythegenre.

Theheromustalwayshaveahardtime,inevery genre.Intheearlystagesofagothicmystery novelmanyquestionsareraisedaboutwhatis goingon,whatdarktruthliesbehindthemystifyingevents,andhowdeeplytheherowillget involved,andwhethertheywillsurvive,either mentally,psychologicallyorphysically.

“The hero has his or her Black Moment, when all seems lost.”

Sothefinalrevelation,theopeningoutofanswerstothesequestions,hastobenotmerely surprising,butshocking.Itmustbedarker, worse,morehorrificthanthereadercouldever haveanticipated.

Ifoundmyselffallingintohorrorneartheendof mysecondpublishednovel A Passionate Spirit.

Iamfascinatedbypsychologicalstates:weare constantlylearningnewthingsaboutthehuman brain.Idon’tbelieveweareanywherenearfathomingthemysteriesofthat.Theinterfacebetweenhumanpsychology,thesupernatural,and gothichorroriscomplexandintimate.

‘So the final revelation… has to be not merely surprising but shocking.’

TheBlackSceneneedstobeterrifying.Myhero isnowinasituationwhereshenotonlyhasto somehowsurvive,physicallyandspiritually,but shealsohassoleresponsibilityforthelifeof someoneveryvulnerable,whoisbeingdirectly threatenedinthemostdisturbingwaypossible. Allthistakesplaceinalocationthatmanymight considersacred–butnotmyvillain. Sowhat happenshastobeworse,beyondwhatthereadermayhaveguessedat.Andthethreattothe herohastobetrulyhorrific.

SCSkillman

Thisleadsmeintotherealmsofthesupernatural,intotheprimitive,primevalquestionofwhat maybeharnessingpowerbeyondwhathumans currentlyconsider‘believable’or‘possible’or ‘feasible.’Thisistheveryessenceofthesupernaturalanditsuseinacontemporarysetting: howitinteractswith21st centuryhumanconsciousnesswhichconsidersitselfsuperiortoall thathasgonebeforeinhumanhistory,inour ageofscience,information,hightechnologyand artificialintelligence,alongwithoursenseofintellectualinvincibility.

Iloveinterweavingpsychologywiththesupernaturalandplayingintothemodernreader’s cynicism,disbelief,lackoffaith,andstrong awarenessofthepowerofdeception.Introducingthesupernaturalinacompellingwaywhich canbeappliedalsototheworkingsofhuman psychologyfascinatesme.UltimatelyIliketo leavethereaderwonderingwhethertointerpret theoutcomeassomekindofpsychologicaldeception–ornot,asthecasemaybe.Iliketoplay withtheboundariesofwhatmodernpeoplemay considerbelievable.

“ I love interweaving psychology with the supernatural.”

Probablymyfavouritenovelinthehorrorgenre isOscarWilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.Itcan bedescribedasaphilosophicalnovel,butIlove thewayitblendsprofoundculturalcriticism, psychologyandthesupernatural.The2009film ofthenovelfeaturingBenBarnesasDorian,culminatedinasceneneartheendwhichwastruly horrific.Theincreasingmalevolenceoftheportrait,contrastedwithDorian’syouthfulbeauty andcorruptbehaviour,andtheterribleoutcome forthepoorartist,takesacompellingholdon ourimagination.Tomethisisthemostskilful andsubtleuseofthegenreofhorror.

“Introducing the supernatural in a compelling way which can be applied also to the workings of human psychology fascinates me.”

Oneofthemostoutstandingwritersinthisgenre isHPLovecraft,knownasthe‘fatherofcosmic horror’.

Myviewofhorrorandmyabilitytotakeit,and theextentorintensityofthehorrorIcancope with,variesbetweenfilmsandbooks.Films,of course,addlightingandmusictothemix.Ican takemuchmoreontheprintedpagethanIcan onscreen,visually,infrontofme,fullyrealised. Thiswasthecasewiththenovel Hannibal by ThomasHarris.Ireadthenovelfollowing Silence of the Lambs andtowardstheendthereisasadisticscenedevisedbyHannibal’santagonist, calculatedasavilerevengeonthepsychopathic killer,foradreadfulwrongwhichHannibalhad previouslymetedouttohim.

“My view of horror …., and the extent or intensity of the horror I can cope with, varies between films and books.”

ThedetailsoftheplantomakeHannibalsuffer areindeedatrocious.Icouldreadthemonthe pagebecauseIwasinthehandsofanaccomplishedstory-teller.ButIchosenottowatchthe film Hannibal.Ididn’tthinkIcouldcopewith seeingthatenactedformeonthebigscreen–thatis,withoutbeinghauntedbynightmaresfor weeksafterwards.Yearslater,Iread Carrie by StephenKing,andfinallysawthemovie,andto bequitefrank,thesceneofthehandalsofailed initsimpact.IspentmostofthebookfeelingreallysorryforCarrie,andtotallyonherside.

“I can take much more on the printed page than I can on screen.”

WhenIwasinmyteensandatuniversityIloveda horrorfilm. Atuniversitythestudentswould gatherintheJuniorCommonRoomat10pmto watchthelatenighthorrormovie.Itwasour nightlytreat:themoregraphicthehorror,the better.Surroundedbyfellowstudentsyoucould enjoysneeringandlaughingattheeventson screen,assumingofcoursethatyoucansee

throughtheartificialityandpredictabilityofthe film-making.

IalwaysrememberthefirsttimeIsawthefilm Psycho.Iwasinastudentlecturetheatre.The showersceneapproached. Itsimplyfailedto haveanimpactonme.Why?Becauseofmyfellowstudentslaughingandjeeringatthemusic andthefilmictechniquesused.

Ihavetosaythatallmysubsequentviewingsof Psycho havebeencolouredbythatexperience. Nothingreallymakesupfortheremovalofthe initialshockfactoronyourveryfirstviewingofa filmlikethat,nothingcaneverreplacetheloss oftheimpactthatsceneshouldhavemadeon you,theviewer.

BacktoHPLovecraft.IcametohimthinkingI shouldreadtheFatherofCosmicHorror.Imust admitIwasn’tkeen.Hismonstersandcreatures didn’treallyimpactuponme;Ithoughtthey wereoverdoneandgratuitous.Theirviolence andgrotesquenesswaswastedonme.Tome therehastobeapowerfulpsychologicalforceat work:subtle,creepinguneaseismuchstronger than‘in-your-face’horror.

IreadandadmiredSilviaMoreno-Garcia’snovel Mexican Gothic,andformostofthenovelIwasin familiarterritory,withallthetropes:innocent ingenueheroineapproachesisolatedsinister mansionofillreputeinhabitedbyweirddysfunctionalfamily,herpurposebeingtorescue herdearfriendwhoistrappedthere,indistress, andapparentlyinimminentdangeroflosingher sanityifnotherlife.

Sofar,sofamiliar,withalltheclassicgothic tropes. Butasthenovelprogresses,withanextremelyunpleasantandsinisterheadofthe householdwhoisheavilyintoEugenics,we begintosensethatthisisgoinginamuchnastierdirectionthanwehadanticipated.

Ourherodiscoversthatthisisasickhouse,emanatingatoxicatmospherewhichseepsintoand distortsherownthoughtsanddesires.Thisisa verypowerfulthemeforhorror,especiallyasit

relatestoreallifeparanormalcasesweknowof inourownworld.Itisanarea,too,whereour understandingisweak:thereismuchevidence forthephenomenonbutinsufficientunderstandingofthemechanicsofhowthismayhappen.Ifwedidn’tbelieveit,wewouldn’tdestroy houseswhereserialmurderershavecarriedout chillingcrimes,sothatwemayreplacethem withmemorialgardens,asifinexpiationofthe wickednessandtheblood-lustassociatedwith thisplace.

Mexican Gothic weavesanintense,compelling atmospherewhichexplodesinaphantasmagoriaofgothichorrorwhich,personally,Ifound over-the-topandunconvincing.However,readers’tastesareastonishinglydiverse;foranyone wholovesthegothicgenre,theywillfindmuch toabsorbthemhere,butwithanextremelevel ofvisceralhorrorneartheend.

Toconclude,thelevelofhorrorwemaychoose toemploy,whichwillhavegreatestimpacton ourreaders,isultimatelycontrolledbytheblend ofgenresrepresentedinourfiction–whichin itselfcanbeasnebulousasthecomplexityofthe humanmind–andofcourse,thefinaldeciding factorisinthemindsofthosewhochooseto publishit!

Sheila writes psychological, paranormal and mystery fiction and non-fiction under the pen-name SC Skillman. Her non-fiction books are published by Amberley and include ‘Paranormal Warwickshire’ and ‘Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire’; her next book, ‘A-Z of Warwick’, will be released in November 2023. Her modern gothic novel is with publishers, and she’s working on the sequel. She studied English Literature at Lancaster University, and her first permanent job was as a production secretary with the BBC. She lived for nearly five years in Australia before returning to the UK.

ingasthevoiceforexcellence,andachieving diversityincrimewriting.

DesertSleuthsservesthegreaterPhoenixMetropolitanareaandbeyondwithmonthlyprograms,anewsletterandwebsite,annual Write

Inclusiveandopentoall,ourmembersrange fromreadersandfanstoaspiring,emerging, andaward

Our2023anthology, leasedon9/22/23andisavailableinpaperback andonKindleatAmazon.com.

Checkusoutat

Claire A. Murray writes in multiple genres and has 14 published short stories. She is working on a suspense fantasy, a trilogy, and releasing a short story re Dealt. Claire hosts ins for aspiring and experienced authors, participates in critique groups, and is Lead

WritingNarrativeNon Fiction:BringingHistoryToLife

Writer and historian Mary Craig discusses how she brings history to life in her narrative nonfiction, which is also known as creative nonfiction.

Iwriteaboutthepersecutionofwomenand menwhowereclassedas‘witches’inScotlandinthe17th century.Therearemanyvery fineacademictextbooksandarticleswrittenon thissubjectsowhydoIwriteaboutthisinthe narrativenon-fictionform?

Narrativenonfiction,alsoknownascreative nonfictionorliterarynonfiction,isusuallydefinedasnonfictionthatusesthetechniquesand styleoffiction(characters,plot,conflict,scenesetting)totellatruestory.SowhydoIchoose thisformtowrite?Ibelievethattheword‘story’ isinhistoryforareason.Itisthestoryofhuman behaviour.Itisthestoryofhowwehavelived.I couldwriteabookfullofthefactsofthepersecutionmetedoutinthe17th centurywithagrand overarchinganalysisoftheeventsorIcould writethe‘life’storyoftheaccusedandtheaccuser.

Tome,historyisabridgetothepastandlikeall bridgesitmustbeonethatenticesyoutowant towalkacross.Thestoryofthe‘witch’persecutionsisadarkonebutbywritingitinthenarrativeformIhopethatcreatesanencouraging bridgethatwillallowpeopletounderstandthe past.

Thebestfictionbooksalwaystellastory.You mayliketheprotagonistornot,youmayagree withtheirdecisionsornotbuttheyhavetobe realisticallybelievable.Writingaboutthe ‘witch’ persecutionasnarrativenon-fictionshoulddo thesame.ThemenoftheKirkofScotlandcreatedandsustainedawaveofterrorabouttheDevilthatcostthousandsofwomenandmentheir

lives.Whydidtheydoso?Womeninvillagesand townsacrossScotlandaccusedtheirneighbours ofterriblecrimes.Whywouldtheydoso?Mensat injudgementoftheirfriendsandneighboursand foundthemguiltyofwitchcraft.Whyshouldthey doso?

Theinterestingquestioninhistoryisalwayswhy. Thetime,theplace.themethodisallverywell butlikeanygooddetectivethrillerweallwantto knowwhy.Thetensionbuilds,thedetectivehas hisprimesuspectinhissights,theinterrogation begins:why!Narrativenon-fictionshouldgive thereaderthesameexcitement.Whydidthe menofGod,goodChristianswhofollowedthe commandments:thoushaltnotkillandlovethey neighbour,fallpreytoreligiousdelusionand frenzythatsawsomanywomenandmenworriet (strangled)todeathandtheirbodiesburnedat thestake?

Thequiet,sleepyScottishBordershadoneofthe highestlevelsof‘witch’persecutionacrossScotland.Pullingtogetherthevariousthreadsthat ledtothatpersecutionpresentedahugewriting challengebutusingthenarrativenon-fiction formallowedthedifferentthreadstobefirstuntangledandthenwoventogetheranewtocreate

MaryCraig

thefullpicture.Itallowedthatpicturetobecreatedtocoverthestartofthepersecutions,the various‘panics’thatoccurredacrossthecentury andthefinaltrialintheBordersin1700when pooroldMegLawsonofSelkirkwasexecuted.

WhenIwrotethestoryofAgnesFinniethe ‘witch’ ofthePotterrowthestorybecamemuchmore thanjustAgnes’biography.Agnes’worldwasthe worldofmid-17th centuryEdinburgh:itssights, soundsandsmells.Theexcitementanddangerof theCovenantersandRoyaliststhatstalkedthe RoyalMile.Thehustleandbustleofthetraders cominginandoutatthePotterrowPort.Life amongthetenementsofthepoorandthefine chamberswherethePrivyCouncilsat.Allgave colourtoAgnes’storyandhowshecametostand incourtaccusedoftwentycountsofwitchcraft. Narrativenon-fictionmustberelevanttothe reader.Whyshouldanyonetodayreadaboutthe persecutionofwomenandmenas‘witches’?Becausethefearanddesperationthatdrovethat persecutionarestillaroundtoday,womenand menarestillmurderedas‘witches’aroundthe world. Narrativenon-fictionmustinterestthe reader.Whyreadaboutpersecutionwhenthere

aremanyotherlesschallenginghistoriesout there? Becausethestoryilluminatesthehuman conditionandholdseternaltruthsaboutwhywe dowhatwedo.Writingaboutthe‘witches’ofScotlandrequiresmetobasemystorywithinthefacts; narrativenon-fictiongivesmethescopetobring tolifethepeopleandeventsIamwritingabout allowingthereadertoimmersethemselvesinthe storywithinthehistory.

Towritenarrativenon-fictionhistoryistotake yourreaderonajourneythroughrealevents.Itis thewriter’sjobtomakethatjourneyasexcitingas possible.Itistofindandbringoutthe‘story’that isheldwithinourhistory.

Mary W. Craig is a writer and historian living and working in Scotland. She is a former Carnegie scholar and a graduate of the University of Glasgow. She researches and writes extensively about various aspects of the history of northern Europe and has a particular interest in the women and men accused as witches in 17th century Scotland. When not reading or writing about history, Mary is blethering about it on her podcast Borders bletherings. https://bordersbletherings.uk/

AgnesFinnie:The Witch ofthePotterrowPortbyMaryW.Craig

Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

AsthisistheHorrorissue,Ijusthadtoincludeabookaboutwitches.Infact,thisisthefirstoftwo.In Scotlandwehaveashamefulhistoryoftreatingwomenaswitches,butMaryW.Craigisdoingsterling workinsettingthestorystraight.Thefirstoneisaboutasingularwitch,AgnesFinney.Findoutmoreof herstory.

AgnesFinnie:The‘Witch’ofthePotterrowPortbyMaryW. Craig

ISBN-10: 1804250198

ISBN-13: 978-1804250198

Publisher : LuathPressLtd;FirstEdition(2023)

Blurb

Witchcraftholdsacontinuedfascinationforreadersaroundthe world,andtheScottishwitchhuntshaverecentlyreceivedrenewedmediaattention,especiallywiththeBBC2showLucyWorsleyInvestigates,bringingattentiontoEdinburgh’switches.

ExpertMaryCraigexplorestheunusualstoryofAgnesFinnie,a middleclassshopkeeperwholivedinthetenementsofEdinburgh. Afterarrest,mostwitchesweretriedwithinamatterofdaysbut notAgnes.Herunusualcasetookmonthswithweeksofdeliberationofthejury.Maryexplainswhyandgivesherexpertinsightinto thepoliticalandreligioustensionsthatledtoherburning.

Review

Thisbookisextremelywellresearched,engrossing,andfascinating.ItisapparentCraighasadeepgrasp, andindeedlove,of17th CenturyScottishHistory.ShenotonlybringsAgnes’storytolifebutalsothereligiousandpoliticalsituationofthetimeintostarkreality.TheholdtheCovenantershadinScotlandisdescribedinvividdetail.

ThestoryofAgnesherselfplaysoutagainstthisbackgroundandthesettingofthePotterrowPort.Inthis poverty-strickenareaofEdinburgh,thepooranddowntroddenlived.Agnes,ashopkeeperandmoney lender,wasnotwellliked,andtobehonest,I’msurprisedsomeonedidn’tslitherthroat.Butdidshedeservethehandthatfatedealther,beingaccusedandcondemnedasawitch?

IwasthoroughlyengrossedinthebookandlearntmuchaboutEdinburgh’sshamefulpast.Thebookis writtensothatitisaccessibletoallreadersandiswellworthreading.Craighasdeliveredapowerfultale thatwillbeenjoyedbymany.

BordersWitchHuntbyMaryW.Craig

Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

ThesecondofourtwobooksaboutScottishWitchestakesustothebordersanddigsdeeperwhilsttakingawiderviewoftheScottishWitchcraftTrials. The Borders Witch Hunt: The Story of the 17th Century Witchcraft Trials in the Scottish Borderstakesustospecificarea,thebordersbetweenScotlandandEngland.

Borders Witch Hunt: The Story of the 17th Century Witchcraft Trials in the Scottish Borders byMary

W.Craig

ISBN-10: 1804250090

ISBN-13: 978-1804250099

Publisher : LuathPressLtd;2ndedition (2022

Blurb

Thebookprovidesanoverviewandanalysisofthewitchtrialsin theScottishBordersinthe17thcentury.The17thcenturywasa timeofupheavalinScottishandBritishhistory,withacivilwar, theabolitionofthemonarchy,theplagueandthereformation allinfluencingthesocialcontextatthetime.Thisbookexplores thesocial,political,geographical,religiousandlegalstructures thatledtotheincreasedamountofwitchtrialsandexecutions intheScottishBorders.Aswellaslookingatspecifictrialsthe bookalsoexplorestheroleofwomen,bothasaccuserandas accused.

Review

ThedepthofCraig’sknowledgeisobviousinthisbook.Sheavoidsthepitfallofmanyexperts,whowrite booksthataresoacademicallyfocussedtheyareinaccessibletotheaveragereader.Thisbookiswellresearchedandbeautifullywrittensweepingthereaderalonginthestoriesofordinarywomenwhowere, forvariousdifferentreasons,accusedofwitchcraft.Itishorrifyingthatitwasoftenwomenreportingotherwomenforthecrime.ItwasatimewhenScotlandwasinturmoil,andonecouldnottrustanyone.It wasalsoatimewhenthechurchheldswayandfearofthedevilseepedintoeveryhomeandheart.Craig bringsthistolifeinherowninimitableway.Sheisfastpositioningherselfasoneoftheforemostexperts ontheScottishWitchcraftTrials–deservedlyso.

UnleashtheHorror:WhyBookBrushisaMust HaveToolfor MarketingHorrorBooks

Manager of Operations and Marketing Director at Book Brush, Kathleen Sweeney, shares her expert advice on horror book marketing.

Intheever-chillingworldofhorrorbookmarketing,authorsfacespine-tinglingchallenges. Theirmission?Tounleashdreadandcaptivatereadersfromtheveryfirstglimpse.Enter BookBrush theultimateweaponintheirarsenal,poisedtohelpauthorstransformhorrorbook promotion.WhyisBookBrushtheheartpoundingsecretsauceforauthorseagerto spreadterroreffectively?Readon!

Eye-CatchingGraphics

Oneofthekeyelementsofmarketingbooksis grabbingyourpotentialreaders'attentionfrom theget-go.BookBrushistheweaponofchoicefor horrorauthorswhowanttocreatejaw-dropping bookadsandgraphicsthatscreamhorror.Our user-friendlydesignplatformcomesequipped withalibraryofhorror-themedtemplatesand searchableimages.Youcaneasilycustomizeany templatetosuityourbook'suniquestyleensuring yourimagesembodytheessenceofyoursinister tales.

Socialmediaisapowerfultoolforbookpromotion,andatBookBrush,weunderstandthiswell andweprovidethetoolsmakingitquickandeasy forauthorstocraftengagingandshareablesocial mediapostseffortlessly.Whetherit'sagripping teaser,acountdowntoyourbook'srelease,ora spookyquotefromyourstory,BookBrush'scommunitytemplatesandinstantmockupshelpyou connectwithyouraudienceandbuildanticipationaroundyourhorrorbook.

Forhorrorauthors,theimportanceofeyecatchinggraphicsgoesfarbeyondaesthetics;it's aspine-tinglingnecessity.Herearefivebloodcurdlingreasonswhystrikingvisualsarecrucial intheeerierealmofhorrorliterature:

EvokeFearandIntrigue:Horrorisallabout sendingshiversdownthespineandmaking heartsrace.Eye-catchingpromographicsare yourgatewaytoinstantlyinstillfearandcuriosity inpotentialreaders.Achillingbookcover,asinistersocialmediapost,orahauntingwebsitebannercanleaveanindeliblemark,compellingreaderstodelveintoyourmacabreworld.

SettheDarkTone:Intheworldofhorror,toneis everything.Yourvisualsshouldtelegraphtheatmosphereofdread,mystery,andimpending doomthatawaitswithinyourpages.Awellcraftedgraphiccanpreparereadersfortheeerie journeythey'reabouttoembarkon,heightening theiranticipation.

BrandofTerror:Asahorrorauthor,you'recraftingyourbrandofterror,andyourvisualsareyour signature.Consistencyinvisualelements,suchas

KathleenSweeney

yourchoiceofcolors,imagery,andfonts(we’ll talkmoreaboutfontslater),helpsestablisha memorablebrandidentity.Thisuniquebrandwill keepreaderscomingbackformoreterrifyingtales.

HauntedMarketing:Marketinghorrorbooksrequiresanextradoseofcreativityandvisualflair. Eye-catchinggraphicsmakeyourmarketingcampaignsmoreeffective.Theydrawreadersin, promptthemtoshareyourspine-tinglingcontent,andensureyourworkhauntsthecollective consciousnessofyourtargetaudience.

StirtheImagination:Horrorthrivesontheunknownandthemysterious.Eye-catchinggraphics canserveasaportaltothereader'simagination. Acrypticbookcover,aspectralsocialmediateaser,orashadowyemailcampaigncanallignite readers'curiosity,urgingthemtounearththe darksecretshiddenwithinyournarrative.

Withtherightvisuals,youcanensurethatyour horrorstorieslingerinthemindsofyouraudiencelongafterthey'veturnedthefinalpage, leavingthemforeverhauntedbyyourchillingtales.

HerearesamplehorizontalimagesforFacebook:

HerearesamplesquareimagesforInstagram:

HerearesampleverticalimagesforPinterest:

Let’sTalkAboutFonts

Fontsareoneofthebestwaystoconveygenre toyourreaders.Intherealmofhorrorwriting, fontselectionisnotjustadesignchoice;it'sa powerfultoolthatcanamplifytheimpactofyour storytelling,ensuringthatyourreadersarespellboundbythefearyouweaveoneverypage. Chooseyourfontswisely,fortheyholdthekeys tothedarkestcornersofyournarrative.

ReadabilityintheShadows:Justasdarkness canobscuredetails,thewrongfontcanobscure yourwords.Choosingafontforyourgraphics thatenhancesreadabilityisvital,ensuringthat yourspine-chillinggraphicsareclearandeasyto devour,eveninthedarkestofnights.

VisualDread:Fontsaremorethanletters; they'rebrushstrokesofterroronyourcanvasof horror.Therightfontcaninvokefear,unease,or evenasenseofforeboding,settingthestagefor readerstobuyyourterrifyingnarrativeandintensifyingthereader'sexperience.

EmotionalHaunt:Horrorstoriesthriveonemotions,andfontscanbeyouremotionalpuppeteers.Theycaninjectyourtextwithadoseoffear, suspense,ordread,makingthereader'sheart raceandskincrawl,ensuringthatyourstorylingersintheirnightmares.

ClearCriesofTerror:Intheworldofhorror,clarityisthedifferencebetweenaspine-chillingclimaxandamuddledmess.Therightfontchoice ensuresthatyourterrifyingtwistsandmacabre revelationsarecommunicatedwithchillingprecision,leavingreadershauntedbyyournarrative.

BrandofDarkness:Justasbrandshaveidentities,yourhorrorwritingcarriesitsowndark brand.Consistentfontusageacrossyourpromotionalgraphicshelpsestablisharecognizable brandidentity,makingiteasierforyourfansto spotyourtalesofterrorinthehauntedforestof literature.

Tohelpyoubesuretoselectfontsthatwillsend shiversdownareader’sspine,wehavegenrespecificfontpairingstoshare.Thefontpairingsbelowfeatureonedecorativefont+asimplerserif orsansseriffont,eitherfromGoogleFontsor availableforcommercial-freepurposesoffanothersite,like1001fonts.com.

ConsistencyinBranding

Establishingaconsistentbrandimageiscrucial forauthors,especiallyinthehorrorgenre.Consistencyinbrandidentityismorethanmarketing;it'sasupernaturalpactthatbindsyouto yourreaders.It'stheessenceofyourdarktales, theunseenbondoftrust,andthelegacyof dreadyouleavebehind.BookBrushallowsyou tomaintainacohesivebrandidentityacrossall yourmarketingmaterials,empoweringyouto craftabrandthatwillhauntthenightmaresof readersforgenerationstocome.

EmailMarketingCampaigns

It’snosecretthatauthorsemailreadersinordertosellbooks.Emailmarketingisapowerful toolforbookpromotion.BookBrushassists horrorauthorsincreatingattention-grabbing emailcampaignswiththeabilitytocreate amazingemailheadertemplatesthatevokea senseofhorrorandsuspense.Fromtheminute thereaderopenstheemail,theyareimmersed inyourchillingworld.

BookTrailers

Booktrailersareanincreasinglypopularmarketingtool,andthey'reespeciallyeffectivefor horrorbooks.BookBrushsimplifiestheprocess ofcreatingattention-grabbingbooktrailerswith twooptions.

DoItYourself:Hopintoouruser-friendlyTrailer Creatortocombineimages,animation,text,and musictocreateabone-chillingvideothatleaves potentialreaderseagertodelveintoyourdark narrative.

We’llDoItForYou:OurtalentedHourlyConceptsdesignersturnyourstoryintoavisual masterpiecethatsparkscuriosityandexcitement.We'llcapturetheessenceofyourbookin anelectrifyingtrailerthatreaderswon'tbeable toresist.

Inconclusion,BookBrushisagame-changing toolforauthorsinthehorrorgenre.Itsversatile featuresempowerwriterstocreatecaptivating visuals,engagewithreaders,andbuildastrong brandpresence.WithBookBrush,marketing yourhorrorbooksbecomesanimmersiveand chillingexperience,ensuringthatyourspinetinglingtalesreachthewidestpossibleaudience.EmbracethepowerofBookBrush,and watchyourhorrorbookshauntthenightmares ofreadersaroundtheworld.

AnimatedBookCovers

What'smoreterrifyingthanastaticbookcover?

Ananimatedone!Beyondthedo-it-yourselfoptions,BookBrushalsooffersHourlyConcepts, whereyoucanhireBookBrushasyourdigital designertocreatethosestunning“extras”for yourbookmarketingneeds.

Animatedbookcoversthataddanextralayerof intriguetoyourmarketingefforts.Withspinechillinganimationslikeflickeringcandles, creepingshadows,blinkingeyesorominous fog,youcanenticepotentialreadersbyoffering themaglimpseoftheeerieworldwithinyour book.

Kathleen Sweeney is the Manager of Operations and Marketing Director at Book Brush. She has over 20 years of client service and business assurance experience. She has presented to over 250 author groups and thoroughly enjoys working with authors and helping them create eyecatching images. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, three active boys and the two most handsome cats on the planet. Her hobbies include eating tacos and turning socks right side out.

AshesandStones–AScottishJourney:InSearchofWitchesand WitnessbyAllysonShaw

Reviewed

byLouiseCannon

LouiseMichelleCannonlivesinCentral Scotland.Shewritesa blog–Bookmarksand Stages,reviewing books,theatre,festivalsandconductsthe occasionalQ&Asessions.

Publisher–Sceptre(31Aug.2023)

ISBN-10 : 1529395496

ISBN-13 : 978-1529395495

Blurb

Amovingandpersonaljourney,alongrugged coastsandthroughremotevillagesandcities,in searchofthetracesofthoseaccusedofwitchcraftinseventeenth-centuryScotland.

InAshesandStoneswevisitmodernmemorials andstandingstones,androamamongforests andhedgemazes,folkloreandpoliticalfantasies. Fromfairyhillstoforgottencaves,weexplorea spellboundlandscape.

AllysonShawuntanglesthemythofwitchcraft andgivesvoicetothoseerasedbyit.Herelegant andlucidproseweavestogetherthreadsofhistoryandfeministreclamationtocreateavibrant memorial.Thisistheuntoldstoryofthewitches' monumentsofScotlandandthewomen'slives theymark.AshesandStonesisatroveoffolklore linkingthelivesofcontemporarywomentothe horrorsofthepast,arecordofresilienceanda calltochooseandrememberourancestors.

Review

Besweptawayintimetowhencertainwomen werebrandedwitches.Shawtellsafascinating historyandemotionalstoriesofwomennamed aswitches,whoshehasdiscoveredinScotland, fromthenorth,theislands,totheCentralBeltto thesouth.

Thereisatmosphereandsenseofplaceamongst thefacts.Shealsooccasionallyilluminatesreadersaboutherownchallenginglifeandfeminism, bringingthebooktopresenttimes.This,coupledwiththeprocessofhuntingdowndocumentsandgraves,createsafascinating,moving read.

Endearingly,eachchapterbeginswithawitchthemedquote.Intriguingly,folkloreisalso weavedintosomepassages,withsomereferencestoworksbyRobertBurns,RobertLouis Stevensonandmore,whichbringsafamiliarity andsetseachscene.

It’saninterestingbookforHalloweenforthose wantingtosupplementtheirspookyreading withabookthatisbothcompellingandfactual, thatharkstothepastandpresentday.

LibraryoftheMonth

WindsorLibrary

OurlibraryofthemonthisWindsorLibraryin SuffolkVirginia.EditorinChief,WendyH.Jones, stoppedoffforavisitandtotakepartinauthor eventswiththreeotherwritersduringher2023 USAbooktour.

Although,foramagazinepublishedinthe UK,onewouldexpectWindsorLibraryto bethatlocaltotheRoyalFamily,this month’slibraryisactuallylocatedintheUSA, whereourEditorinChiefiscurrentlyonabook tour.

Thislittlelibraryisatourdeforceinthebook world,notonlyinbringingbookstothecommunitybutalsohostingbooksigningsbylocaland internationalauthors.Septembersawfourauthors,AllieMarie(Virginia,USA),WendyH.Jones (Scotland),MartiM.McNair(Scotland)andPolly Holmes(Australia),hostedforafuneventwhere eachtalkedabouttheirbooksandsignedthem forreaders,whoreallytooktheseauthorstotheir hearts.

Ofcourse,nolibrarycanexistwithoutthehard workanddedicationofthelibrarians,whoare picturedhere.Theheadlibrarian,LaurenLombard,toldusaboutthehistoryofthelibrary.

TheWindsorBranchopeneditsdoorstopatrons inJanuary1995.ThelibrarywasbuiltbystudentsatthePrudenCenterinSuffolk,Virginia. ThelibraryhasaveryactiveFriendsGroupwhich wasinstrumentalinbringingthelibrarytothe TownofWindsor.Awonderfulchildren’sroom wasaddedtothelibraryin1999andacommunityroomin2007.Thelibrarysitsintheheartof townandoffersawelcomingenvironmentforall.

TheWindsorBookClubformedintheearly2000s andhasbeenavitalforceinlocalliteracy. Inrecentyears,ithasbeeninstrumentalinbringing localandinternationalauthorstoourlibrary.We areproudtohavehadbothadultandchildren’s authorssharetheirworkwiththepeopleinour community.

Thisiscertainlyalibrarywhichispunching aboveitsweight,arelaxingandencouraging placeforbothreadersandauthorsalike.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and nonfiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

WendyH.Jones(farright)withAliMarie(far left)andlibrarianscentre.

AnInterviewwithMarkIvesonbyMaggieCobbett

Pleasetellmesomethingaboutyourbackgroundandwhatfirstdrewyoutowriting.

MyfamilyislargelyfromtheNorth-East,althoughmymotherwasborninGermany.We movedfromGatesheadtoLondonwhenIwas about5andbackagainwhenIwas16.I’vebeen hereeversince.

EnglishlanguageandArtweremybestsubjects atschool,withbadmintonbeingtheonlysportI wasanygoodat.Ilovedreadinghorrorstories, especiallybyRobertBlochandRichardMatheson,andstartedwritingmyowninsimilarvein.

Whatisitabouttheclassic‘horror’genre thatparticularlyattractedyou?

Thecinema,goingrightbacktobeingtakento see‘Bambi’,hasbeenabigpartofmylife.My heroisthelate,greatPeterCushing,whomI firstrememberseeingontelevisionin‘DrWho andtheDaleks’.MyintroductiontoVincent PricewaswhenheplayedthepartofEggheadin ‘Batman’.Itwasashortstepfromtheretobecomingahorrormoviefan,enjoyingbeingboth scaredandentertained.TheHorrorDoubleBill, screenedeverySaturdaynightonBBC2, broughttomyattentionsuchluminariesasBorisKarloff,ChristopherLee,PeterLorre,Bela LugosiandlesserknownfacessuchasMichael RipperandRobertQuarry.

Whatwasyourfirstpublishingsuccess?How didyoubuildonthat?

Aregularcinemagoerinthelate ‘80s,Iwas askedtowritefilmreviewsforaworksmagazineandcarriedonfromthere.Akeenmusician myself,playingbassguitarinarockband,Ialso wroteregularconcertreviews. HearingthatVincentPricehaddiedgavemetheideaforabook

andmixingwithmoreexperiencedwritersat Swanwick(theSwanwickWriters’Summer School)gavemethedirectionIneeded.

Istartedtowritearticlesandreviewsformagazinesotherthanworksperiodicalsandfinallyhit mystridewiththemoviewebmagShadowlocked’,towhichIcontributedover30articles andreviews.Myfirstbook,‘Cursed Horror Stars’(TelosPublishing)cameoutin2015.

Howdoyoumarketyourwork?

Igaveseveraltalkspriortofilmscreeningsatthe CastleKeepinNewcastle.Anadvertisement in localgigmagazineTheCrackintroducedmeto mylatefriendandmentorChrisPhipps,whogot meinvolvedwiththeNewcastleBookFestival andtheWhitleyBayFilmFestival. When‘Vincent Price The British Connection’cameout,myfriend LucyDawlishandIhadalotoffunwithacombinedbooklaunchandexhibitionthatwecalled ‘MeettheAuthor,MeettheArtist’.

LastyearIverymuchenjoyedtakingpartinthe firstMorpethBookFestival. ThroughmyinvolvementwithTelosPublishing,Ialsoattendedabig HalloweenFestivalinHull,andlaterabigSFX

MarkIveson CursedHorrorStars 2015

weekender.ThereIwasinterviewedonmywritingcareeraswellasdoingatalkonVincent Priceinfrontof300+people.Highlightsofthe eventformewereinterviewingactressMadeline SmithandmeetingbothBrianBlessedandMichaelJayston.

Ifyoucouldspendadaywithoneofthehorrorstarsyouwriteabout,whichwoulditbe andwhy?

That’sdifficult,asmanyofthemwouldhave greatstoriestotell.IthinkVincentPrice,gourmetandartexpert,wouldbethemostfun,but I’dlovetoknowmoreaboutRobertQuarryand thefamousriftbetweenthetwomen.

Whatareyouworkingonatthemoment?

I’mworkingonathirdbook,butnotgivingtoo muchaway.

Anylongtermplansforthefuture?

Iwanttokeepwriting,continuetotakepartin eventsandgivetalks.Givingseriousconsiderationtopartialretirementfrommycivilservice jobtofacilitate this.

Whatdoyoulikemostaboutbeinganauthor?

Therealsenseofachievementwhenmybooks arepublished.Meetingwonderfulpeoplewho appreciatewhatI’vedone.I’mgratefultomy publishersDavidHoweandStephenWalkerfor enablingmetofollowmydream. ThisyearIwas inGreatYarmouthagainforaspecialscreening oftheclassicchillers‘TheatreofBlood’and‘The WickerMan’.MaddySmithwastheretooandit wasfabulousthatsherememberedme.Ialso metactressesPaulinePeartandBrittEkland, bothverylovelyladies.

Doyouhaveaspecificroutineand/orspacefor writing?

Iliveinatwo-bedroomflat,andmysecondbedroomismyoffice,completewithdesk,bookshelvesandwineattheready.Ihaveacouchthat pullsoutasabedincaseanyonestopsover,but noonedoesthesedays!BecauseIworkandhave someeveningstuffIdo,IjusttrytowritewhenI can.It’smostlyatweekendswhenIputinafull dayafteramorningtriptothegym.Isetmyword countandItakeitfromthere.

Whatadvicewouldyougivetootherwriters?

It’sacliché,butmyadviceisnevergiveupon yourdream.It’snevertoolatetobecomeapublishedauthor;Iwas50whenmyfirstbookwas published.RJEllorywrote22novelsbeforehis 23rd waspublished.Nowthat’sdedicationand determinationrolledintoone!Ittookyearsforit tohappenand,lookingback,thefeelingofhavingapublishedbooktomynamewilllivewith meforever.

Whatdoyouliketodowhenyou’renotwriting orplanningyournextproject?

AsIsaidbefore,musicisabigthingforme.Iplay guitarandIperformatvariousbuskers’nights aroundNewcastleandGateshead.Irunmyown buskers’nightinGateshead,whichisalotoffun, exceptwhenyouhearmesing!IalsolikecheckingoutthelivemusicsceneinNewcastle.Ihavea loveofblues,country,folkandassortedAmericanamusic.

Thankyouforyourtime,Mark.

Thankyou,Maggie,ithasbeenarealpleasure.

Writer, Maggie Cobbett has seven published fiction and non-fiction books. She regularly contributes short stories, articles and ‘fillers’, and occasional poem, to a wide range of publications.

OnWritingHorror TheCampfireLegacy

WhilesittingintheUniversityofDundee’sDalhousiebuilding,afriend offeredpraiseforashortstoryIhad written.Theproblemwas,Icouldn’tremember writingit.Moreso,Ipromisedthemthattheir praisewasnotforme,andbelongedtosome other“ConnerMcAleese”outthere(nodoubt spelled‘Connor’or‘Macalese’).There’snothing strangeaboutforgettingapieceofwork,especiallywhenyouhavebeenwritingforawhile,but whatniggledawayatmewasthatitsoundedlike somethingI would write.

WhenIaskedthemtoexplainthepremiseofthe story,awomanreceivingphotographstohermobilephonefromanunknownsender,Ibecame moreconvincedthatthisstorycouldeasilyhave slippedintomyportfolio.Whentheycontinued toexplainhowthestoryprogressed,Ibecame graduallymoreinfuriated.Ididnotwritethat story,butIwishIhad.SomuchsothatIstopped whatIwasdoingandgoogledmyownnameand theroughtitlemyfriendremembered.Andthere, wouldn’tyouknowit,wasthestory.AndIhad writtenit.Anditwasgood.

Thereasonmygreenbellyhadbeguntohangout wasthatIrecognisedapatterninhowmyfriend describedthestoryunfoldingassimilartomy ownstyleofwriting:tension,tension,tension, TWIST!Toseethatitwasmyownworkwasgratifying,torealiseIhadasignaturestyleinhowI approachedwritinghorrorwasmomentous.I hadastyle!

DespitenotknowingthatIapproachedwriting shorthorrorstoriesinthisfashion,Iinstantlyrecogniseditinsomeoneelse’sdescription.Newto thehorrorgenrewhenIwrotethestory(Iwould haveswornbeforeajurythatIhadn’twrittena horrorstoryuntiltheyear after)Iestablishedin thatfirststorythepatternsthatwoulddictate howIapproachedshorthorrorfictionfromthen on.Establisheeriescene,focusoncrazycharacter,plotcreepytension,andthenBAM!hitthe readerwithatwistbeforeendingthestory.

“I established in that first story the patterns that would dictate how I approached short horror fiction.”

Writinginanygenreisatumultuousbeast.Yet, onceyoufindtheheartofwhatyouwanttosay, genreoftenplayssecondfiddletovoice.Of course,allofthisisoneperson’sopinionand yourownmaydiffer–itshould!There’snosecret towritinghorror,youcanonlywritewhatscares you,totryandguesswhatscaressomeoneelseis

ConnerMcAleese

Conner McAleese discusses his approach to writing short horror stories and the importance of tension in this genre.

afolly.Thetroubleisyoumaywriteaboutagreat UniversalFear,yet,completelymissthehumanity thatpredatesfearandisessentialtoitsconstruction.

“You can only write what scares you, to try and guess what scares someone else is a folly.”

That’snottosaytherearenotipstobeshared!So hereareafewthatworkforme.Fortunately,I havealreadyofferedmystructureabove.Establisheeriescene,focusoncrazycharacter,plot creepytension,andthenBAM!hitthereaderwith atwistbeforeendingthestory.

TheCampfireLegacy

Thehorrorthatscaresmemostisrootedintelling scarystoriesaroundacampfire.Sittingaround theheatofacracklingflame,sippingwinefroma flask,andcajolingyourfriendsintowhispering urbanlegendsandghoststoriesoutintothecold aironwispsofbreath,stolenbythedarkaround youall.IknewIlovedhorrorwhenIheardtheurbanlegendaboutthegirlbeingchasedinhercar byamanfromthegasstation.Creepedoutby him,shedesperatelytriestoflee,onlytorealise thathewaswarningher,nottryingtohurther. Thekillerwasonthebackseatallalong. Andthat,tomymind,makesahugelysuccessful short horrorstory.

EstablishanEerieScene

Thisiskey.Letthereaderintoyourcharacter’s world.Thereare,ofcourse,theGothicarchetypes youcandrawfrom.StatelyhomethatneedsTLC, spookycastle,mentalasylum,thelistgoeson.All ofthesearewonderfulchoices.However,horroris oftenmoreinsidiouswhenit’scentredarounda placeyourreaderisfamiliarwith.Thehomeinvasionorhauntingspringstomind,butthatdoesn’t meanithastobeafour-beddetachedhomein Kent.AtenementblockinGlasgow?AcouncilestateinEaling?Or,better,yet,justanytenement buildingorcouncilestate,leavethegeographyto thereadertoplasteralocationfromthedepthsof theirownimagination.

Inmyownshortstory,‘I Live Alone’,Ichoseaflat similartotheoneIwasrentinginDundee.Aone bed,topfloorflatonacobbledstreetinDundee’s westend.Therewasnoreasoningbehinditother thanIlivedthere,andIwantedtospookmyself out.Itendedupbeingcentraltotheplot.My maincharacterlikedtolookinthewindowsof thoseflatsattheothersideoftheroad,and, whatprovedpivotal,theycouldseeintohisflat, too.

CrazyCharacter

Therearenocriteriathatyourcharacterhastobe crazy,yet,anunreliablenarratorworkswellfor settingupasplendidtwist.Writefromtheheart. Writefromtheshiversdownyourspine.Often,it worksbesttowriteaneverymancharacterthat audiencescanprojecttheirownrealityupon. Thatisnottosaythattheycanbeemptyvessels waitingforyourreadertodoallthework,asalways,theymustbevibrant,well-written,andbelievable.

“Write from the heart. Write from the shivers down your spine.”

IthinktoShirleyJackson’sshortstory‘The Lottery’ whenIthinkofcharacterslikethis.Justone fromacrowd.Anormalwomantowhomhorrific thingscanhappen.Anormalchaptowhomthe creepycaninflictitselfupon.Relatabilityiskey. Writeapal.Writeyourself.Justwritethemasindividuals.It’sfarmorechillingthatway.

PlotCreepyTension

Horrorcangetawaywithalot,aslongastheplot istenseandterrifying.Someofthebesthorror novelshaveamediocrecastofcharactersanda predictablebackdropforthemtoactupon,but theplot?Ohboy,thatpacksapunch.

“Horror

comes in all shapes and sizes.”

Horrorcomesinallshapesandsizes.Fromthe macabre,tothegory,tofantasticallyeerie,and allworkwell,aslongasyouhaveanideawhat

fearyou’retappinginto.Often,andIusethisone frequentlymyself,thesimpleactofbeing watchedwithoutconsentisenoughtosenda readerscurryingtoswitchontheBigLightand double,triplechecktheirdoorsarelocked.

Thetrickistochooseonefeartoplaywithin yourshortstory,andletitbuild.Scaredof heights?Well,youbetterbelievealargeportion ofthisstorywillbethecharacterclimbinga wholelotofstairs.Scaredofthedark?Those lightswillbeflickeringbythesecondorthird paragraph.Promiseascareintheopeninglines ofyourshortstoryandcrankthetensionup slowlylikealobsterinapotforafewhundredto athousandwords.

“Promise a scare in the opening lines of your short story and crank the tension up slowly.”

BAM!PlotTwist

Welcometomysecretsauce,myelevenherbs andspices.Agoodtwist,aplayonwhathas comebeforethatmakesthereaderre-evaluate allthattheyhaveread,isagreatpayofffora readerwhohasstuckwithyourshortstoryfrom beginningtoend.Itcanalsoservetomakeyour ownworkstandoutwithinananthology,which isoftenwhereshorthorrorstoriesendup.It’s alsotheportionofthehorrorstorythat’struly scary.

“The key to a good plot twist is its plausibility.”

Thekeytoagoodplottwistisitsplausibility. Yourmanwho’sscaredofheights,marchingup allthosestairs,terrifiedaboutwhat’satthetop? Boom!Stepoutintosomeone’sgarden–he’s beenundergroundtheentiretime.

That’satriteexample,butyougetmygist.Feel freetoaddanotherlayer.Hestepsoutontothe grassofsomeone’sgarden,sunlightburninghis eyes,andwhatdoeshehearfrombehind?“Who saidyoucouldleave?”Hasthemanjustescaped fromakidnapperwithabunkerinhisgarden?

Hasheescapedablackopsfacility?Youcantemperyourtwistwithwhateverconnotationsfeel rightforyou.Justpepperinsomeplausibility alongtheway.

FinalComments

Horror,ofcourse,canthriveinlongform,but thesearesomesimpletoolstobuildaneffective shorthorrorstory.Whetheryou’redippingyour toeinthegenre,oryou’reanoldhat,thesetools mayhelpyourworkfindnewandfertileground, andpotentiallysuccessinsubmittingtoanthologies.

Mypartingwordsarewritewhatscares you. You’dbesurprisedhowmanyothersoutthere shareyourfearsand,perhaps,havenevereven realised.That’soneofthegreatesthonoursof beingawriter,offeringpeoplewordstofeelings theycouldn’tnamethemselvesandgivingthem avoice.

Conner McAleese is finishing his PhD in contemporary horror literature at the University of Dundee. His first academic chapter was published this year in Future Folk Horror. His short horror stories have been published with Eerie River Publishing, Haunted Publishing, and Blood Rites Horror. He claims to be working on his first horror novel.

ComingNextMonth….

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November2023

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JamesL’Etoile

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ChoosingSpookyBooksforChildren

Maressa Mortimer talks about books that are there to be enjoyed by children who don’t like to be frightened during the spooky season, or at any other time.

Octoberisthemonthforspookystories, scarysnacksandalotofhair-raising stuffgoingon.Thereareplentyofrecommendationsforthecreepiestmasks,coolest robesaswellasthemostmonstrousbooks.What ifyourchildrendonotenjoyanyofit?Myoldest doesn’tlikeanythingthatmakesherimagination shudder.Nostoriesthataretoographic,creepy, toodescriptive,orthatsoundsgruesomeor bloodthirsty.Oh,andnothingthatinvolves witchcraftoranythingevil.ForOctober,that doesn’tleaveherverymuchtoread,watchoreat asyoucanimagine.

Ithastaughtmesomethingaboutscarybooksor stories.Youneedtobeabletostepbackinyour mindandreassureyourselfthatit’sjustastory, it’sjustforfun.Mydaughterstrugglestodetach herselffromincomingthoughts,sotheyarethere tostayandkeepherawakeatnight.Beingvery fairwhenitcomestoequalitybetweensiblings, shedoesenjoyHorridHenry,asit’ssomethingfor hertotakeapart:Itwasn’tHenrythatwashorrid, hisbrothertriedtogethimintotrouble.Itmight notbeyourusualHalloweenreading,butthere aresomefunHorridHenrystoriesthatmightinvolvemasks,pumpkinsandsweets.

Myotherdaughter,however,quiteenjoysgruesomeandcreepy.Wedon’tusuallylether though,asherabilitytodistinguishbetween screenfunandreallifeisnotsomethingthatis gettingheranytrophies.Havingwatchedsomethingunpleasant,forseveralweeksshewillact outthecharacters.Sheenjoysreal-lifebloodfilleddramas,likeYorkshireVet,soifyouhavea reality-lover,thatonecomeshighlyrecommended.She’snotswimminginsympathyforhelpless victimsthough,asshe’sagirlwithstrongfeelings

andmanysolutionstoawkwardsituations.Magic isnotherthing,assheprefershercharactersto usetheirwitstogetthroughtrouble.Oneofher favouritestoriesisOliverTwist,preferablyreadin semi-darkness,withplentyofhotchocolateand marshmallows,andlashingsofspookyvoices.

Mysonsdon’tlikespookyorcreepyeither,but seeingsomeonegettheircomeuppanceisjust right.Myyoungestdoesn’tdosuddeneventsin stories;nothingshouldbesprungontheunsuspectingreader.Astorythatissetonadark,autumnalnight,wherethingsmightgowrongis great.Aspookystorythatisspookywithoutforcingthecreepinessisjustright.Oranystorysetin thedark,withenoughvoiceeffectstodrawthem in,wouldbeperfect.Theydon’tenjoymagiceither,butaneasySherlockHolmes,AgathaChristieorFatherBrownwouldsatisfythemand stretchtheirmindsandvocabularyatthesame time,somethingthatisimportantformythirteenyear-old,ashelovesnewwordsandriddles.

It’shardtoavoidthespookinessandgruesome treats,butdon’tfeelyourchildwillhavetomiss out. Thereareplentyofbookstoenjoyandiflike mine,theyarebattlingrealfears,simplycuddling upwithahotdrinkwithoutbleedingsnackswill createperfectmemoriesthatwillhelpovercome fearsorseparateimaginationfromreal-life events.Justdon’tmissoutonthemarshmallows.

Maressa’sbooksareavailablefromherwebsite, www.vicarioushome.com,Amazonorlocal bookshops.

MaressaMortimer

WritingBookoftheMonth

Reviewed by Sheena Macleod

— TheDreamWeaverSeries

BookoneintheDreamWeaverSeries

WhereNightmaresComeFrom:TheArtofStorytellinginthe HorrorGenre -TheDreamWeaverBooksonWritingFiction

Book1.EditedbyJoeMynhardtandEugeneJohnson.

ASIN : B0776MT1LY

Publisher : CrystalLakePublishing(Nov.2017)

Blurb

Book one in Crystal Lake Publishing’s The Dream Weaver series.

Where Nightmares Come From focusesontheartofstorytelling intheHorrorgenre,takinganideafromconceptiontocompletion whetheryouprefershortstories,novels,films,orcomics.

Featuringin-deptharticlesandinterviewsbyJoeR.Lansdale(Hap&Leonardseries),CliveBarker(Booksof Blood),JohnConnolly(CharlieParkerseries),RamseyCampbell,StephenKing(IT),ChristopherGolden (Ararat),CharlaineHarris(Midnight,Texas),JonathanMaberry(JoeLedgerseries),KevinJ.Anderson(Tales ofDune),CraigEngler(ZNation),andmanymore. IncludesanintroductionbyWilliamF.Nolan.

Review

Thisanthologyfitsrightinwiththismonth’shorrorthemeandisabooktotreasure,regardlessofthe genreyouwritein.Eachessay,articleandinterviewcoversadifferentaspectofwritinghorror.From bringinganideatolifetoanA-Zofhorrorthereissomethingwithinthesepagesforeverywriter-whether aneworestablishedfiction,screenorstagewriter.

Iwashookedfromtheveryfirstchapterandfoundthecontentinspiring.Thisfascinatingcollectionof essaysandarticles,frommanyofthebesthorrorwriters,providesaninsightintodifferentaspectsof writinginthisgenreandgavemeplentytothinkabout.Thecontentisdeliveredinareadableandengaging,oftenhumorous,way.ThisisabookIwillbedippingbackinandoutof.

ThisBramStokerawardnominatedbookisthefirstinaseriesoftwobooksfocussingonlearningthe craftofwritinginordertotakeastoryfromconcepttocompletion. Where Nightmares Come From focussesontheartofstorytellingandisaperfectadditiontoanywriter’slibrary.Iwouldhighlyrecommend thisbookseries.

Book 2: It’s Alive: Bringing Your Nightmares to Life

Bram Stoker Award-winner for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction.

Nightmares come to life in this comprehensive howto guide for new and established authors.

Edited by Joe Mynhardt and Eugene Johnson.

Book 2 in the Crystal Lake Publishing’s The Dream Weaver Series.

ASIN: B07L3XX2QY

Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing (December 2018) WithanintroductionbyRichardChizmar.

BooktwointheCrystalLakePublishing’sThe DreamWeaverseriespicksupwheretheBram StokerAward-nominated Where Nightmares Come From leftoff. It’s Alive focusesonlearningthecraft inordertotakeyourstoryfromconcepttocompletion.

TalesfromtheDarkestDepths Nightmarescometolifeinthiscomprehensivehow-toguidefornew andestablishedauthors.

Acollectionofessays,articlesandinterviewsfromthebesthorrorwritersfocusingontheartandcraftof writinghorror.

Chaptersinclude TheHorrorWritersUltimateToolbox, BuildingSuspense,ConveyingHorror,Editing ThroughFear,OnResearch,WorldBuilding,Zombies,GhostsandVampires, TheManyFacesofHorror, WritingForABetterWorld,GivingMeaningtotheMacabreandmuchmore.

ContributorsincludeCliveBarker,StephenKing,JohnConnolly,ChuckPalahniuk,RayBradbury,CharlaineHarris,JonathanMaberry,PeterStraub,DeanKoontz,RichardMatheson, RamseyCampbell,GrahamMasterton, LisaMorton,JoeR.Lansdaleandmanymore.

Sheena Macleod lives in the east coast of Scotland. She lectured at the University of Dundee where she gained her PhD. Although Sheena mainly writes historical fact and fiction she is currently working on a thriller featuring crime reporter, Mackenzie Malone.

TheExorcistFilmTurns50

bySheenaMacleod

Fifty years ago The Exorcist film was released, terrifying millions of viewers throughout the USA and then around the world. Sheena Macleod shares her experience of watching the film and discusses the hype and controversy surrounding the movie, the book behind the film and the true events that inspired William Peter Blatty to write The Exorcist.

Ifinditdifficulttobelievethatfiftyyearshave passedsincethemostterrifyingandunsettlinghorrorfilmI’veeverwatchedwasreleasedincinemas.AndIamnotaloneinhaving beenspookedbywatchingthemovie.Bythe timethefilmwasshownintheUK,thefollowing year,1974, The Exorcist hadshockedandfrightenedmillionsofviewersthroughouttheU.S.A. andthiswasrepeatedtheworldoverwherever thefilmwasshown.

Thisclassicfilmchangedthewayhorrormovies weremadeandpavedthewayforevenmore horrificimagestobeshownonscreen.Despite theterroritevokedinmanyviewers,multiple millionsoffilmgoers,includingmyself,linedup outsidecinemastosee The Exorcist.

“This classic film changed the way horror movies were made .”

Thefilmbrokeboxofficerecords,wasnominatedfor10AcademyAwards,andbecamethefirst horrorfilmevertobenominatedfor‘BestPicture’ raisingtheregardforhorrorfilmsinthe process.

Whatwassodifferentabout The Exorcist comparedtoearlierhorrorfilms,andwhywereso manynon-horrorfansqueuinguptowatchthe filmincinemasaroundtheglobe?

Itisperhapsdifficulttounderstandthesedays thataudiencesintheearly’70shadneverseen anythinglikethisfilmbefore,bothincontent andinthespecialeffects.Thestorylinedeals withthedemonicpossessionofatwelve-yearoldgirl.AccordingtoWilliamPeterBlatty,who wrotethebookbehindthefilm,hewasexploring auniversalfearandusingthethemeofgoodversusevil.

So,whydidsomanypeopleturnouttowatch The Exorcist?Forme,andmanyothersatthat time,theelementsofhorrorinplaywerenotjust tobefoundwithinthefilmbutsurroundingthe filmtoo.Onitsrelease,The Exorcist createda greatdealofcontroversyandanevenmoresignificantdegreeofhype.Inthedaysbeforesocial mediaandinstantmessaging,thismeantcommunicatingaboutthefilmwaslimitedtoface-tofaceconversations,televisionandnewspaper reports,mailandtheuseoflandlines.

Andtherewereplentyofunnervingstoriescirculating,someinmanywaysscarierthanthefilm; fromthesuddenoraccidentaldeathsorinjuries

ofpeopleinvolvedinthemakingofthefilm,to viewersscreaming,fainting,vomitingorrunning terror-strickenfromcinemas.Itwasheadystuff, andpeoplewhohadneverviewedanythinglike thisbeforecouldn’tgetenoughofit.Eventhe hardiestcorehorrorfansmusthavewondered whattheywerelettingthemselvesinforasthey waitedinlinetoview The Exorcist.

The Exorcist revolvesaroundtwelve-year-oldReganMacNeil.Hermother,Chris,anactress,believesReganhasbeenpossessedbyanancient demonafterplayingaboutwithaOuijaboard.

Ivividlyremembermyownexperienceofgoingto seethefilmwiththreeofmyfellownursingstudents.Wewereworkingandlivingatthetimeina large,remote,oldbuildingrunbynuns.You couldn’thavemadeitup.Onreflection,itwasn’t oneofmybrightestideastowatchafilmabout demonicpossessionwhilstworkingandlivingin abuildingwherecrucifixes,religiousstatuesand otherartefactslinedthewallsandhalls,and whereeveryfootstepandsoundmadeoutside the6’high,thinpartitionsseparatingmycubicle fromtheothersintheroomcouldbeheard. Sufficetosay,Ididn'tsleepawinkonreturning fromthecinemathatnight.

EvenbeforeIhadsettledintomyseat,andbefore thefirstchordsof Tubular Bells byMikeOldfield rangouttoheraldtheopeningofthefilm,Ifelta growingsenseofunease.TheuniformedfirstaidersI’dheard aboutdidn’tseemtobeinattendance,eitherinthefoyerorintheaisles,butsome protestershadgatheredoutsidethecinema.I can’trecallifanyonescreamed,vomitedorfled inpanicduringtheviewingofthefilm,butIdo rememberpeoplewalkingout.

Manyofthefilm’sspecialeffectswereusedfor theveryfirsttimewithinscenes,creating disturbingvisualimagesthatterrifiedandhorrified muchoftheaudience,includingme.Thekey thingsIrecallare,Reganlevitatingfromthebed, herice-coldbreathasshespokeLatinandcursed

inademonicmalevoice,herheadrotatingafull 360degrees,thepea-soupprojectilevomitand thecrucifixscene.Interestingly,Ididn’tseeRegan’sspider-likewalkdownthestairs.Thisscene wasremovedpriortoreleaseandaddedbackin atamuchlaterdate.

“The Exorcist is still regarded by many as one of the scariest horror movies ever made.”

Whilethefilm,directedbyRichardWilliamFriedkin,isnowregardedasdated,andwhywouldit notbeafter50years, The Exorcist isstillregarded bymanyasoneofthescariesthorrormoviesevermade.AndIhavetoagree.Thefilmwasunavailableformanyyearstoviewonvideointhe UK,followingitsreleaseincinemas,creatingan evenstrongersensethat‘something’aboutthe filmwasjustnot‘quiteright.’

The Book Behind the Film

The Exorcist isbasedonthebookofthesame namebyWilliamPeterBlatty,publishedin1971, andmadebyhimintoanAcademyAwardwinningscreenplay.

InJanuary1968,Blattystartedwritinganovel aboutdemonicpossessionthathe’dbeenmullingoverforyears.Theresultwas The Exorcist.

TheExorcistfilmstayedcloselytothestoryline andcharactersfromBlatty’sbook.Whena younggirl,ReganMacNeil,beginstoexhibit strangebehaviour,andmedicaltestsfailtouncoverwhysheisbehavingthisway,Regan’s mother,Chris,callsinFatherDamienKarras,a Jesuitpriesttohelp.Ademonicpresencehas possiblypossessedReganand,accordingtoRegan’smother,exorcismseemstobetheonly answer.

The Real-Life Cases That Inspired The Book

WilliamPeterBlatty’snovelTheExorcistwas inspiredbyreallifecases.Whileastudentat GeorgetownUniversity,Blattyattendedalectureonexorcismswherea1949exorcismofa youngboythathadbeenreportedinthenewspaperswasreferencedalongwithadiaryabout itwrittenbyoneofthepriests.Othercases,includingthe1634Loudenexorcismsofagroup ofnunswhothoughttheywerepossessedby evilspirits,werealsodiscussed.

TheExorcistBeliever

BasedonthecharacterscreatedbyWilliamPeter Blatty,intheoriginal1973film,thefirstofthree new The Exorcist films, The Exorcist: Believer, takesplaceinthepresentday,andisscheduled forreleaseintheUnitedStatesonOctober13, 2023,tocommemorate50yearssincethefilm’s initialrelease.

Conclusion

Inconclusion,thisclassichorrorfilmleftalasting impressiononmeandmanyothers.Ithadallthe elementsofa‘good’horrormoviebothwithin andsurroundingit.Thesubjectmatter,thehype precedingitsrelease,andtheinnovativegraphic effects,allheightenedthefearIexperienced whilstwatchingthefilm.

Lookingback,watching The Exorcist wasnotan enjoyableexperienceforme.Ithadspookedme. Butafterviewingitforasecondtime,whilepayingcloseattentiontotheeffectsandimagery usedtofrightentheaudience,Ifeltsomuchbetteraboutthefilm.

The1949caseinvolvedafourteen-year-oldboy, referredtoasRolandDoetoprotecthisidentity,whowasfromCottageCity,Maryland.Like Regan,in The Exorcist,RolandDoehadplayed withaOuijaboardpriortodisplayingoddbehaviour,accompaniedbyparanormalevents aroundthehouse suchaslevitationandflying objects.

Whenscratchmarksappearingonthemattress begantoappearonRoland’sbodyintheform ofwords,hisfamilycalledinprieststoperform anexorcism.Duringthis,RolandspokeLatinin adeepadultvoice,vomited,urinatedandspat atthepriests.

TheexorcismprovedsuccessfulandRoland Doeleadalong,normalandproductivelife thereafter.

Andyes,Iwasoneofthemanywhoboughta copyof Tubular Bells byMikeOldfieldasadirect resultofhearingthesoundtrackof The Exorcist.

Sheena Macleod lives in the east coast of Scotland. She lectured at the University of Dundee where she gained her PhD. Although Sheena mainly writes historical fact and fiction she is currently working on a thriller featuring crime reporter, Mackenzie Malone.

“William Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcist was inspired by real life cases.”

WickedGoodBooksbyWendyH

Our independent book shop of the month for this special horror edition is Wicked Good Books in Salem, Massachusetts. Wendy. H Jones tells us a bit about the bookshop and its spooky, secret past.

ForanissueonHorrorWritingwhereelse couldwesourceourbookshopofthe monthbutSalemMassachusetts.Salem lendsitselftoahorrorvibeasitembracesithistoryofwitchesandhauntingswithawholetouristindustrybuiltonthis.Fromwitchtourstoa hauntedpubtourthisisatownwhichbringsits historytolife–itcouldbeconsideredthespookiestcityinAmerica.

Rightinthemiddleofthisisitsonlyindependentbookstore,WickedGoodBooks.Howcan youresistabookshopwithpossiblythecoolest nameforabookshopever.

However,thebookshopalsohasasecretpast. Whilstitwasbeingrenovated,aftertheowner boughtoutthepreviousbookshop,asystemof tunnelswasdiscoveredleadingtoalargewarehouse.Itisthoughtthesewereusedtotransport peopleandgoodsaswellasillegalliquorduring prohibition.

Itmayalsohavebeenusedasasecretrailroad helpingslavestoescapetofreedom.Inaddition rumoursaboundtheycouldhavebeenusedas speakeasysandtherewasevenevidenceofhumanremainsfoundinthetunnels.Whocouldthis possiblybeandwhyweretheythere?

Oh,didImentionhauntings.Yes,thetunnelsare reputedtobehaunted.Infact,thishaseverything youcouldpossiblywantinabookshopinthe spookiesttowninAmerica.

Ofcourse,italsohasawiderangeofbooksand souvenirs.Fromspine-tinglinghorrorandsuspensetothelatestreleasesWickedGoodBooks hasitall.It’satreasuretroveforreaderswhether localorvisitor.NovisittoSalemwouldbecompletewithoutdroppingin.

RecentReleases

101 Horror Books To Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann

ISBN-10 : 164567780X

ISBN-13 : 978-1645677802

Publisher : PageStreetPublishingCo.(Sept.2023)

Discover101ofthegreatest,mostunderratedbooksthatthe horrorgenrehastoofferfromthelast20years.TheUltimate ListofMust-ReadHorrorCuriousreadersandfansofmonsters andthemacabre,getreadytobulkupyourTBRpiles!Sadie Hartmannhascuratedthebestselectionofmodernhorror books,includingplentyofdeepcuts.Indulgeyourheart’s darkestdesirestobeterrified,unsettled,disgusted,andheartbrokenwithstoriesthatspaneverythingfromparanormal hauntingsandcreepydeathcultstosmall-townterrorsand apocalypticdisasters. FeaturingaforewordbyNewYork TimesbestsellingauthorJoshMalermanandfivebrand-new essaysfromrisingvoicesinthegenre,thisillustratedreader’s guideisperfectforanyonewhodarestodelveintothedark.

Holly

by Stephen King

ISBN-10 : 1399712918

ISBN-13 : 978-1399712910

Publisher : Hodder&Stoughton;1stEdition(Sept.2023)

HollyGibney,oneofStephenKing'smostcompellingandingeniouslyresourcefulcharacters,returnsinthisthrillingnovel tosolvethegruesometruthbehindmultipledisappearancesin aMidwesterntown.ReadershavewitnessedHolly'sgradual transformationfromashy(butalsobraveandethical)recluse inMrMercedestoBillHodges'spartnerinFindersKeeperstoa full-fledged,smart,andoccasionallytoughprivatedetectivein TheOutsider.InKing'snewnovel,Hollyisonherown,andup againstapairofunimaginablydepravedandbrilliantlydisguisedadversaries.

“I could never let Holly Gibney go. She was supposed to be a walk-on character in Mr Mercedes and she just kind of stole the book and stole my heart. Holly is all her.” STEPHENKING

Title:FriiightNight(GoosebumpsSlappyWorld-19)

byR.L. Stine

ISBN-10: 1338752235

ISBN-13: 978-1338752236

ReadingAge: 8-12years

Publisher : ScholasticPaperbacks(July2023)

KellyCrosbyisthenewkidinschool.Sofar,it'snotgoingso well.He'salreadygottenlost,hadtroublemakingfriends,and annoyedthemonsterthatlivesintheschoolbasement.

That'sright.

Thisnewschoolhasamonster.Everyyear,atapartycalled FriiightNight,one(un)luckykidischosentobethemonster's specialguestofhonor.Guesswhoseluckisabouttorunout?

Title:DeadlyDeep:Book4(DreadWood)

byJenniferKillick

ISBN-10 : 0008538573

ISBN-13 : 978-0008538576

Publisher : Farshore(Aug.2023)

A funny, scary, sci-fi thriller. Perfect for kids aged 9-12 years.

It’ssummertermandtimeforaschooltripwithadifference! Year8areonaboatoffthecoastofFrance,learningabout oceanlife.ButthingsareabouttogetWEIRD...Whoisthe creepymanonboardtheship?AndwhatISthevast,shadowy creatureseenlurkingatthebottomoftheocean?

WhentheshipissunkClubLoserrealisethattheyaretheonly oneswhocansavetheday,andtheirclassmates.Canthey outwitanddefeatagiant,deadlyseamonsterfromthe depths?It’safightforsurvivalandiftheyfail,ClubLoserwill findthemselvesinawaterygrave...

AnAbecedarianPoem

The Abecedarian is a type of acrostic poem, written in alphabetical order, in the language you use. Poet, Lis McDermott, discusses this in relation to her poem, Halloween.

I’msuremanyofyourememberwriting Acrosticpoemsatschool.Thepoemswhere thefirstletterofeachlineformsahidden messageorword.Theyareaneasyintroduction towritingpoetry,andmostchildrenwillbesuccessfulinwritingthese.

Sunshines

Upinthesky

Nighttimeitsleeps.

TheAbecedarianisatypeofacrosticpoem.Itis writteninthealphabeticalorder,inthelanguageyouuse,whichinEnglish,meansthepoemhas26lines.

Oneofthebiggestproblemsiscertainletters don’thavemanywordsyoucanuse,depending onyoursubject.However,Xisaparticularproblemastherearen’tmanyusefulwordsstarting withthatletter. Youoftenendupwithx-ray,Xerox,xenophile,orxylophone.

Theformisanancientpoeticform,goingbackto BiblicaltimesandseveralappearintheHebrew Bible.

Thepoemscanbeanarrative,ortheycan rhyme.Mypoemforthismonth,isanarrative version.

Ifcomposingarhymingversion,youcoulduse rhymingschemes.

ThisisanexampleofanAABBrhymingscheme.

Animalscomeinvariousshapesandsizes Bewareifbuyingapet,doasthevetadvises. Catswillnotbeseentocondescend Dogsaredefinitely,man’sbestfriend. Elephantswearetold,neverforget Frogsweexpecttofeelverywet

Andsoon….

Oneofmyfavouritepoets,RogerMcGoughhas twoAbecedarianpoemsinhislatestbook, “SafetyinNumbers”.

‘AtticSalt’and‘Quodlibets’–thelatter,hereversesthealphabet.RogerMcGoughhasagreat senseofhumour,asyouwillseeifyoufindthese poems.

LisMcDermott

Halloween

AllHallowsEve,anightfullofsoundsunknown. Beatingwingsechoindarknightskies,as creaturesemergefromhiddendepths. Distortingourtruths,creepingintoourminds, Evil,thisnightisabroad. Fromdeepwithin,ourgreatestfearsmaterialize. Ghostsofthedeadappear,apparitionsofthepast, Hypnotizedwearefrozeninhorror,andanxiety invadesourthoughts.Theslightestsoundmakesyou jumpoutofyourskin,yourheart-beating,filledwithdread. Knowledgethatitisn’treal,isnocomfort.Youlieinyourbed, listeningtoeverycreakandcrackwithinthehouse.Imagining monstersunderthebed,asyouhidebeneaththesheets. Nocturnalnightmaresinterruptyourwakinghours,and overwhelmedyougiveintoyourpanic. Prepareyourself,dressedinadarklymenacingcostume,you quietlycreepoutofthehouse, readytoscareallyoumeet. Sanityandrealityhasabandonedyourneighbourhood. Trickandtreatersareallaround,knockingondoors, Unworldlyspectres,ofphantoms,ghouls,bothlargeandsmall. Vampirestryingtoglamoureveryonetheymeet, Werewolves,witches,Frankenstein,evenSupermanwithhis X-rayeyes.It’sthesameeveryyear,greatHalloweenFun,until youlookaroundandnotice,fartooscarytobepretendZombies,freshbloodrunningfromtheirgroaningmouths...

 Acrosticpoem -Poemwhere thefirstletterofeachline formsahiddenmessageor word.

 TheAbecedarianisatypeof acrosticpoem.Itiswrittenin thealphabeticalorder,inthe languageyouuse,whichin English,meansthepoemhas 26lines.

 Theformisanancientpoetic form,goingbacktoBiblical times

 Thepoemscanbeanarrative,ortheycanrhyme.

Lis McDermott is a multi-genre author, poet and writing mentor. Visit Lis’ website: https://lismcdermottauthor.co.uk

TheAbecedarianPoem

WritingChillingStoriesforYoungerReaders

VonnieWinslowCristshareswaystocreate chillingstoriesforyoungerreaderswhilestill respectingboundaries.

Likeallfiction,horrorstoriesareafunway toescapetherealworld.Creatingchilling storiesforyoungerreaders,requiresawritertorespectboundarieswhilestillmakingthe talescary,entertaining,andabletoholdtheinterestofteensandpreteens.Butwheretobegin?

First,createamaincharacter(protagonist) youngerreaderscareaboutandcanrelateto.A kid,teen,orevenananimalisthebestchoicefor theprotagonist.Let’suseGretelintheBrothers Grimmfairytaleasanexample.Then,choosefirst -personorthird-personpointofviewtokeepthe readerclosetotheactionandawareofthemain character’sthoughts.Next,makethestakeshigh. InthecaseofGretel,shenotonlyhastosaveherselffrombeingeatenbyawitch,butalsosaveher brother.So,sheismotivatedbybothsurvivaland protectionofalovedone.

Second,selectalocation(setting).Writerssometimestakeadvantageofanalreadyspookyplace fortheirchillingtales.Examplesincludeabandonedhospitals,cemeteries,hauntedhouses,isolatedcabins,closedbusinesses,ordenseforests. Ortheychoosetosettheirstoriesinplaceswhere thereaderwouldexpectthemaincharactertobe safe.Examplesincludeschool,home,thecircus,a party,apicnic,orarelative’shouse.AsforGretel, sheandHanselweresentintoadarkwood.

Third,writethestory(narrative).Butwhereto findinspiration?Fairytales,folklore,urbanlegends,ghoststories,andevenfamilylorearegood placestolookforinspiration.Orthinkbackto

whenyouwereachild.Whatfrightenedyou? Yourlistcouldincludeheights,someoneknockingatthedoor,openorclosedspaces,spiders, dolls,deepwater,orthedark.

Horrorexcitestheimagination.So,monsters,supernaturalencounters,ghosts,goblins,andzombiesareallgreatadditionstoabone-chillingtale. Butremember,SUSPENSEisthenameofthe game.Useyoursenses(sounds,sights,smells, tastes,touches)toaddtothesuspense.Creaking floorboards,spiderwebsagainstyourcheeks,the stenchofrottingflesh,andthelastflickerofa candlearemoreevocativethanwriting,“Gretel wasscared.”

Anoteonmonsters:don’trevealthemonsteruntilasneartotheendofthestoryaspossible.The heartofaspookytaleisn’tthemonster.Instead, itis:Whereisthemonster?Whatdoesitlooklike? Whatwillitdotothemaincharacter?Canitbe defeated?Theunknownismoreterrifyingthan theknown.Oncethemonsterisrevealed,thefear andsuspensediminish.

Today’syoungreadersaresmart.Writersneedto keepupwiththeirworld.Videogamesandsocial mediaarefastpaced.So,astoryneedstograb theirattentionfromthestart.Therefore,it’sa goodideatobeginyourtalewithactionora

VonnieWinslowCrist

question,creepysituation,orcuriousstatement thatwillpiqueareader’sinterest.Then,delivera compellingstory.

Afewstorylines(plots)toconsiderincludehidingfromamonster,savingafriendorfamily member,searchingforamissingitem,escaping fromascarysituationorunfamiliarenvironment,anadventuregonewrong,investigatinga strangesightorsound,orbeinglostandneeding tofindsafety.Butnomattertheplot,theprotagonistshouldbeinrealorimaginedjeopardy. Gretelwas.

Theendingofachillingstoryoftenoffersaform ofjustice.Ifacharactermakesabaddecision, ignoresawarning,orbreakstherules,they mightbeseverelypunishedornotsurvive.Even iftheywerehungry,HanselandGretelshouldn’t haveeatenthewitch’shome.Beingcaptured, caged,andheadedforthestewpotwasthejust rewardforthievery.ButGretelstepsforwardasa smartherowhothinkssheandherbrotherwere trickedintobadbehavior.

“The ending of a chilling story often offers a form of justice.”

Youngreadersbelievetheyareintelligent,moral, strong,andthattheywouldsurvivethetale’s dangers.Findingthemselvesinthesamesituationastheprotagonist,theythinkthey’dknow thecorrectpathtofollowortherightanswerto themystery.Youngreadersliketobelievethey arethebraveherowhowilldefeatevil.

Afewwordsaboutboundaries.Therearetwo approaches.One,writeyourhorrorstoryforall ages,thentrimbackthethingswhichareinappropriateforyoungerreaderslikebadlanguage, on-pageviolence,sex,drugs,alcohol,etc.Two, edittheinappropriatecontentoutasyouwrite.

Someauthorsfinditeasiertocreateastorywith theboundariesinplace.Doingsoallowsthemto skillfullydevelopsceneswheretheviolenceoccursoff-page.Remember,hearingthesoundof teethgrindingbonesismoreunsettlingthan dumpinggorealloveryourstory.

Anotherboundaryisreallife.Thegoalofhorroris toentertainyoungreadersandgivethemgoosebumps.ItisNOTtoupsetthem.Makesurereaderscantellyourstoryisfictionandthatthemonstersinyourtaleareimaginary.Whenbuildinga scarystoryforyoungerreaders,itisimportantto avoidreallifehorrorslikeabuse,torture,starvation,beingunloved,orlosingaparent.

“The goal of horror is to entertain young readers and give them goosebumps.”

Lastly,don’tforgetlaughs!Ifastoryismeantto bereadaloudaroundacampfireoratasleepover,enditwith“Boo!”or“Gotcha!”Somelistenersmightscreamorjump.Thenervouslaughter whichfollowsajump-scareisatensionrelease. Anotherlaughableadditiontohorrorisasilly, “ew,gross”description.Forexample,ratherthan write“Gretelthoughtthewitchhadanuglyface,” anauthormighttype:“Gretelnoticedbelowher threebulgingeyes,thewitch’sslimyskinwascoveredwithwarts,soresdrippingstringsofgreen pus,andtinyspiders.”Mostyoungreaderswill groan,“Ew,gross,”thenlaugh.

Horror,likeallfiction,ismeanttoofferanentertainingescapefromtheworkadayworld.Writing chillingtalesforkidsandteenswhilekeeping boundariesinmindischallenging.Butcreatinga shivery,scary,attention-grabbingstoryfor youngerreadersisworthawriter’stimeand effort.

VonnieWinslowCrist,MSProfessionalWriting,istheaward-winningauthorof Shivers, Scares, and Goosebumps; Beneath Raven’s Wing; The Enchanted Dagger; Dragon Rain; Owl Light; The Greener Forest; and otherbooks.Believingtheworldisstillfilledwithmystery,miracles,andmagic,shestrivestocelebrate thepowerofmythinherYoungAdult-friendlystories,poems,andillustrations.https:// www.vonniewinslowcrist.com

Writing Prompts

MonthlyWritingPrompts

Wendy H. Jones and Tami C. Brown set this month’s writing prompts. Reflecting Halloween and our special theme of horror, they hope you enjoy them. With plenty of options to choose from - words, music and images - why not give it a go ?

OurmonthlywritingpromptsinOctober must,ofcourse,haveahorrortheme. We’vescouredthehighwaysandbywaystobringyouthebestprompts.Well,Tami didwithheramazingphotographs.Wendy merelyscouredthedarkestreachesofherimaginationwhichisnotaplaceanyonewantstobe.

Words

Thevanishingreflection.Yourreflectioninthe mirrorslowlyfadesanddisappears.

YouarelookingatadazzlingHalloweendisplay.Butthoseskeletonsaredefinitelyclimbingdownfromtheroof.

Thefullmoongetsabadrep.Still,those howls…

Music

Listentothefollowingtrackstogetyouinthe mood.

Objects In The Rear-view Mirror May Be Closer Than They Are,byMeatloaf.

Thriller byMichaelJackson

Images

Photographicimages1-3byTamiC.Brown

WendyH.Jones TamiC.Brown

The Phantom of the Opera Overture byAndrew LloydWebber

Editor in chief, Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award -winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

Tami C. Brown loves to have her camera ready to snap beauty wherever she goes. Her family and friends, affectionately known as the Queenies, are well prepared for random stops along the journey to have a photo op. She’s grateful for all photography opportunities and the adventures that come along with it.

Image2

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AHauntinglyGoodTale:WritingGhostStoriesthatChill andEnthral

Author and Freelance writer Angela Watt shares her experiences of writing ghost stories and looks at the importance of setting .

It’sthattimeofyearwhenthoughtsturnto Halloweenandthingsthatgobumpinthe night.Manyofusenjoythethrillofbeing scared.Remembertheanticipationofridingthe ghosttrainornotwantingtoturnoffthelight afterreadingaghoststory?Octoberistheperfect monthforcraftingacreepytale,buthowdoyou createthepace,tensionandatmospherethat sendsshiversupyourreader’sspineandhas themlookingovertheirshoulder?

Ifyou’veeverspentaneveningsharingghoststorieswithfriends,there’softenapointwhentales turntopersonalexperiences.Youmightfind yourselfontheedgeofyourseatasyoulurkin theshadowofthestoryteller,listeningtodetails ofwhathappened,tryingtomakesenseofthings orprovideanexplanation.Youmightevenshare someofthephysicalreactions–heartracingas thestorybuildstoafinalscare.Perhapsyouhave asimilaryarntoinspirewritingyourownghost story.

“There’s often a point when tales turn to personal experiences.”

Ifyoudon’thaveanyideas,thinkaboutwhat frightensyou.Jotdownthosefears.Onceyou’ve scribbleddownthingsthatcomeinstantlyto mind,canyougodeeper?Istheresomethingthat genuinelyunsettlesyouandcouldunsettleothers?Howmightyourghostusethisfeartohaunt yourcharacter?

Thestaroftheshowisyourghost,yetyourreaderstillwantsamaincharactertheycangetbehind.Whatchallengeswilltheyhavetoovercome?Willtheybechangedbecauseofwhat theygothrough,andcanyourreaderidentify?

Butbacktoyourghost.Howwilltheyshowup? Ifyou’reanavidreaderofghoststories,think backtowhethertheghostwasdescribedorimplied.Didthemaincharactercomefacetoface withthespiritinallitsterrifyingglory,ordid somethinghappentoimplyasupernatural event?Inoneofthebest-knownghoststories,A Christmas Carol byCharlesDickens,theghosts aredescribed,givingusasenseofwhotheyare andwhattheylooklike.

Similarly,wegetaglanceattheterrifyingspectrein Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad by MRJames.Inotherstories,theghost’spresence isimpliedbyobjectsmovingmysteriously,temperaturechanges,unexplainedsounds,orthe feelingofnotbeingalone.Often,bothapproachesareused,slowlybuildingtoasightingsothe readeriscompelledtokeepturningthepageto revealtheapparition.

Aswellasdecidingwhethertodescribeyour

AngelaWatt

ghost,you’llalsoneedtoconsideritsmotivation andwhyithauntsyourcharacter.Isitfriendlyor malevolent?What’sitspurposeorintention? Doesithaveamessagetodeliver?Orunfinished business?Isitforevertrappedinoneplaceor simplyseekingrevenge?

InDickens’sclassictale,theinitiallyunlikeable Scroogeisforcedtofaceuptowhohehasbecomeandhasachanceforredemptionafterbeingvisitedbythespirits,butnotallghostsare equal.Notallshowuptoaidacharacter’swellbeing!

Thesettingisalsoimportant,especiallyifyour ghostisplacedthereforareason.Hauntedhousesandgothicmansionsarestaplesinthisgenre ofwriting.Butasettingshouldbemorethanjust background.Itimpactsyourcharacterandtheir actions,forcingthemtoreacttotheirenvironment.

Somewhereremoteorwhereacharacteris trappedandalonecanmakeforanunsettling readanddrawonfearsofisolation.SusanHill’s novel, The Woman in Black, doesthisexceptionallywell,trappingArthurKippsinEelMarshHouse, aplaceonlyreachedbyacauseway,leavingArthuraloneovernightwithawrongedspirit. MichellePaveralsocreatesastunninglyspooky settinginherbook, Dark Matter,placingtheprotagonistonthenortheastcoastofSvalbard. Here,isolation,adverseweatherconditionsand warningsnottostaycreateanunnervingghost storythatstayswithyoulongafterreading.

“Asettingshouldbemorethanjustbackground.Itimpactsyourcharacterandtheir actions.”

alone,evenwhenyouthoughtthattobethe case.

Andfinally,howcanyoubuildastrongsenseof dreadanddeveloptension?Perhapsyouhavea protagonistwhodoesn’tbelieveinghosts.Slowly,youcaneatawayatthosebeliefs.Setthings uptohappenthatmakethecharacterquestion theirbeliefsorstability.Asthewriter,youarein control.Youcanbuildtoaclimaxordropina jumpscare.Startwithsomethingsmall.Andthen addlayers.Writeusingallthesensestoadd depth.Forexample,startwithoneroomina housewhereyourcharacterfeelsuneasy.Isthe roomunusuallycold,ordoesithaveaparticular smell,somethingunpleasantordecaying?Describethespace-thelight,theshadows,thefurnishings,andwallcoverings.Isitinastateofdisrepair?

Continuetobuild.Doesyourcharacterfindsomethingunexpectedintheroom-anobjectthat shouldn’tbethereorsomethingthatwasinanotherroomearlier?Ormaybeyourcharacter wakesintheroomwithnoexplanationofhow theygotthere?Andwhatmightyourcharacter hear?Alullabybeingsung,adoorslamming, footsteps.Showtheslowclimbtotheroom–the turningstaircase,theunlitcorridor,andthephysicalreactionstofindingthelockeddoorswinging open.

Ghoststoriesunnerveandplayonourmindsbecausetheytakeusplacesweusuallytrytoavoid. Tellingthereaderyourcharacterisafraidisnot enough.Thereaderwantstofeelit.Letyourimaginationrunwild;readlotsofghoststoriesto seehowit'sdone,andmostofall,experiment andhavefun.

Althoughboththesebooksaresetpre-WorldWar I,youmaydecidetowriteamodern-daystory andplaceyourcharacterinacontemporarysettingsuchasacarpark,shoppingmallorrecently builthotel.Ghostsdon’talwayswanttohangout indecayingmansions.Perhapsyoucanthinkofa placeyou’vefeltuncomfortable,watched,ornot

Angela is working on her debut crime novel, ‘Pretty Head’ and likes to dabble in Micro Fiction, winning the Retreat West competition with her piece – The Lost Art of Origami. She is also an HR Consultant and Coach with 30+ years experience. She lives in Cheshire with her husband and a very demanding cat, loves to read Gothic fiction and is obsessed with notebooks.

WritingHorror:TheTellingDetails

Allison Symes shares how selecting the right telling details can make a huge impact on your horror story.

Withmostfiction,selectingtheright tellingdetailstoincludeinyourstory makesahugedifferencetoitsimpact onreaders.Thisisespeciallytrueforhorror whereifyoudon’tscarethereadersomehow, yourstoryhasfailed.

Therearedifferentwaysofscaringthereader. Whowillbethe“stars”inyourstories?Somethinghuman?Somethingdefinitelynotfromthis world?Willyouletyourreadersseethe“stars” immediatelyorwillyourevealwhothesearebit bybit?Thelattercanbeagreatwayofincreasing tensionthroughoutthestory.

“If you don’t scare the reader somehow, your story has failed.”

Sometimesnotrevealingwhothe“star”iscanbe agreatwayofscaringthereadersimplybecause theyhavetousetheirimaginationtoworkout whatitcouldbe.

I’vewrittenghoststories.Onehasacharacter whowascreepyinlifeandsimplycarriedonbeingcreepyaftertheirdemise.Anotherstoryis whereIhavethemonsternarratethestoryand revealthey’reabouttovisitourplanet.Itwasn’t goingtobeonagoodwillvisitbytheway.Bothof thesewereflashfictiontalessoitispossibleto bescaryinasmallwordcount.

Forthelongerstories,you’vegotmoreroomto

decidewhetherornotyou’regoingtorevealthe monster.Butthereshouldbeenoughcluesfora readertobeabletoimaginewhatthecreature fromthebackofbeyondcouldlooklike. Readersneedtoalsosympathisewithyourhero/ heroine/whoeverisunderthreatherebecause theywillthenwanttofindoutifthosecharacters escapeanastyfate.

Whereyou’reusinghuman“monsters”,these shouldnotbecardboardcutouts.Thereneedsto beanunderstandablemotivationbehindwhat they’redoing.Nobodyhastoagreewiththatmotivation(andIwouldhopetheywouldn’t!).

Thepointhereisareadercanseewhythemonster,inwhateverform,isdoingwhattheyare. It (a)raisesthestakesforthepotentialvictim(s) andwillmakethereadercaremoreabout them and(b)itmakesthemonstermorebelievable. Thatcaninturnmakethemonstermorescary. ThinkaboutHannibalLecterin The Silence of The Lambs. Hedidn’tlikerudepeople.NeitherdoI. Hismethodofdealingwiththemisgruesomebut you’llbegladtoknowmineisnot!

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the word out abouttheirbooks.

Allison Symes

Usingwhatscaresyouasastartingpointisa goodidea.Itcangiveyouawayintocreating your“horrorstar”.Youwouldn’tbetheonlyone scaredbythesethings.IoftenusesimplecharactertemplatestohelpmeworkoutwhyIshould bewritingaboutthischaracterandwhatmakes themtick.Thiswouldworkwellforhorror.What doesmakeyourcreationhorrific?Whyisitscary?

Apreydriveisunderstandableandbasicbutif yourmonster/humanmonsterhasadeepermotivationthanthat(asLecterdoes)thenreaders arelikelytokeepreadingtofindoutwhatitis yourmonsterreallywantsandcananything/ anyonestopthem?

Yourhorrificcharacterhastobeaswellrounded andthoughtoutasyourgoodguys.Knowing what,who,andwhyyourmonsteristhewaythey aremeansyouwillknowwhatyourothercharacterswillhavetodotodefeatit,assumingthatis goingtohappen.

Bearinmindifyouwantyourmonsterto“win”, thatcouldbeadepressingoutcomeratherthan ascaryone.Inallstoriessomethinghasto change.Soinahorrorstory,ifyourmonsterison therampageandnothingisstoppingit,whereis thechange?Whereisthehopeevilherecouldbe defeated?

“Your horrific character has to be as well rounded and thought out as your good guys.”

AstorywheremonsterdoesX,Y,andZbecause, fillingoodreasonhere,butcanbestoppedby anothercharacterdoingA,B,orCbecause,fillin goodreasonhere,willkeepyourreaderracingto theendtofindoutwhathappens.

Alsoyourcharacter’sreasonsforactingasthey arehavetomakesensetothem.Theywill not believethey’rebeingunreasonable.Thiscan makethemmorescarytoo.Weknowwhatfanaticismcanleadto-youareonsimilarlineshere.It alsoexplainstoareaderwhythemonsterwill notstopunlesstheyareforciblystopped.

Wedohavetofindoutwhathappens.Thatisthe pointofanystory.

Tappingintothebasicneedsofhumansisanothergoodwaytoturnupthehorrorasitwill tapintobasichumanfearstoo.Ifyourmonsteris threateningfoodsuppliesforexample(aswellas possiblytryingtomakehumans their foodsupply!),thenareaderisgoingtoknow something willhavetobedonetostopit.Theywillwantto findoutwhatthatsomethingis.

Workoutastoryoutline.Workoutwhatisgoing tobescaryandwhy.Thenstartfillinginthestory.Byyourknowingthewhysbeforeyoudraft yourstory,youwillwriteitwithmoreconfidence.Youknowyourhorrorstarisdoingthis because…Youknowtheyaregoingtobe stoppedbecauseXdoesYtomakethatstop happen.Thenitisacaseoffillinginthegapsand workingoutwheretoputthosemomentswhere thetensionincreases.

“Work out what is going to be scary and why.”

Dothinkaboutfilmsyou’veseenhere.Thetensionratchetsatcertainpoints.Docheckout Duel, whichwasStephenSpielberg’sdirectorialdebut.Itisasimplepremiseandatrulyscarystory. Oneoftheleadcharactersisneverseeninthis buttheydominatethefilm.Asmentionedabove, youdon’tnecessarilyneedtorevealyourmonster.Scarydoesnothavetomeancomplicated, farfromit.Butusethewayfilmsusetensionand thendothesamewithyourtale.

Happyscarywriting!

Allison Symes is a flash fiction/short story writer, blogger and editor based in Hampshire. She runs writing workshops, judges competitions, and writes weekly for writers for Chandler’s Ford Today. She has two flash fiction collections published (Chapeltown Books) with a third in the pipeline.

ResistStereotypingYourAnimalCharacters

Sophie, ably assisted by Peter Thomas, shares what humans get wrong when portraying animal characters and how these mistakes can be avoided

AstheOfficeDog,Ifeelobligedtocallout threecommonmistakeswhichundoubtedlygetthegoatsofanimalreaders whenauthorstrytocreatenon-humancharacters.Thefirstisdumbingdownbygivingtheir creaturestaskswhichareunworthyoftheiractualabilities.Anobviousexampleisthewritingof Scooby-Doowhichinsultinglyportraysthemost intelligentmemberoftheteamasthemostclueless.

Thesecondproblemariseswhenauthorsanthropomorphisetheiranimals.Wedon’twant creaturespretendingtobehumans –wewant thembehavingaccordingtotheirspecies.

“We don’t want creatures pretending to be humans – we want them behaving according to their species.”

Butperhapsthegreatestsinagainstanycharacterisstereotyping.Itisjustlazytopopulatea storywithstockcharacterswhojustreflectclichésandprejudices:thedamselindistress,the knightinshiningarmour,thedeviouslighthouse keeper,orequallytheadorablepuppywhois onlytheretoprovidefurcandy,cuteness,and cuddliness,butwhomakesnoothercontributiontothenarrative.

Writersshouldacknowledgethateverycharacter,animalorhuman,isauniqueindividual. Avoidtypecasting.Myroyalpythonhalf-cousin Zeushasaskedmetopointoutthatnotall snakesaretreacherousorspeakwithforked

tongues.Theboundlessenthusiasmofbeaversis overstated.Slothsaredefinitelynotlugubrious–theyjustseenoreasontorusharound.Mulesare notsomuchstubbornassingle-minded.Most skunksareteetotallers.Notallfoxesaresly.Elephantsdosometimesforget.Somemiceareexceedinglynoisy.

Peoplesaythateverydog’sfavouritebookis “How To Win Friends and Influence People” whereascatsprefer“The Art of War”.Everybody knowsthatdogshavefamiliesandcatsonly havestaff.Yetthesearemisleadinggeneralisations.Mytabbyhalf-cousinCousCousisnotin theleastfierceoraloof–sheisthemostaffectionateandcuddlyofcats.Mindyou,shedoes shareherhousewithtendogs.ButCousCous demonstratesthatallcatsaredifferent–don’t pigeonhole.

Authorspresumethatalldogslovewater.Swimmingintheseaismyveryfavouritething,butmy cousinRaymondhatesthewater.WhenIam teachinghimtoswim.hecomplainsthatwhileI amonlydippingmypawsthewavesarelapping

Sophie

uphisnose.Ifyouwantyourherotodoggypaddleouttoadrowninghumanwithalifebelt, selectaSpanielandnotaDachshund.

“Nobody is interested in flat characters or runof-the-mill animals.”

Donotoversimplifyyouranimals.Everyspecies hastheirownlanguageandeverybreedtheir owndialect.Werewolvesdonotbarkoryap–Spanielsdonothowl.Everycharacterisanindividual.Explorethefullnessofthepersonalitiesof eachone.Inhabittheirlives.MytrueMum,Poppy,lovesourhumanmummy’ssoapoperas.I preferourdaddy’sdocumentariesonspaceexplorationinthe24th Century.There,profilingalienspeciescouldleadtointergalacticwar.Notall Vulcansarewithoutemotion.SomeKlingonspursuepeaceratherthanviolentdeath.Thereare exceptionalFerengiwhoaremotivatedbyhigher thingsthanprofit.

Nobodyisinterestedinflatcharactersorrun-ofthe-millanimals.Themostcompellingstories canbecraftedwhentheplayersbehavecontrary totheirstereotypeinwayswhichcatchthereaderbysurprise.

Rev Peter Thomas has published three non-fiction books and is delighted now to assist Sophie in her creative writing projects. Originally a teacher and author in the fields of chemistry and computing, Peter retired in 2023 after 36 years as a Minister of local Baptist Churches. He continues to add to his blog and videos of more than a thousand sermons and reflections found at www.pbthomas.com

TheJoyOfWritingATrulyHorribleCharacter

Novelist and freelance writer Ruth Leigh is the author of the Isabella M Smugge series, contemporary humorous page-turners with heart. She also has a published a collection of Pride and Prejudice short stories. Here, Ruth talks about creating ‘horrible’ fictional characters .

MywritingcareerstartedoutintheChristian charity sector. I found myself interviewing inspirational, altruistic, and truly good people. Occasionally, I’d come acrossa reformed bank robber turned vicar, but overall, my life was full of characters glowing with radiant goodness.

So when I started my fiction writing career in the summer of 2020, I seized the chance to make up someone nasty with great eagerness. My first book, The Diary of Isabella M Smugge, contains the justly loathed Johnnie Smugge, successful hedge fund manager with double helpings of charm, sapphire blue eyes and cheeks you could slice an Iberico ham on. Readers began to express theirdislikeofhimearlyon,spottingthathewasa coercivecontrol freak,selfishand two-faced.Over the course of three books, he hasn’t changed a bit. He talks the talk, but the walk remains the same.

I added in the waspish Lavinia Harcourt, trashy journosupremo,queenofthebitchyheadlineand a past master at character assassination. Where did these frightful people come from? Was it that I’d spent so long writing heart-warming articles about unsung heroes that my writer’s brain desperately needed to balance things up? Maybe. I dug around in the recesses of my memory for character traits I’d observed in colleagues, exfriends and random acquaintances over the

course of a long and eventful life. Johnnie was a compositeofthemanyCityBoysI’dknownduring my career in London. Many of them hid their real selves (misogynistic, selfish, sneaky) behind a veneer of charm. Lavinia was the girl who leaves childhood believing that nobody loves her and thattheonlywayshe’llevergetDaddy’sattention isbybeingthenastiestpersonintheroom.

However, I hadn’t created anyone truly horrific until I started writing my collection of short storiesbased onminor charactersinPride and Prejudice, A Great Deal of Ingenuity. There are two tiny references to Nicholls the cook at Netherfield Park in the novel, and in a flurry of muslin gowns, giggling teenage girls and doughty Meryton matrons, I thought to myself, ‘We really need a bad persontobalancethisoneout.’

Andso,AnneNichollswasborn.Sheisbitter,hard -hearted,seethingwithrageandanaccomplished blackmailer. Born to a teenage kitchen maid raped by a gentleman, she learns how to conceal her cunning behind a smiling countenance. Over the course ofher career, she’s ferreted out quite a few nasty secrets and she’s making their owners pay. Some of the things she says make my readers’bloodruncold.

RuthLeigh

Her aunt and she pick herbs to sell and help to supply the local abortionist with what she needs. Desperate young girls who find themselves in troublereceivenosympathyfromher.

‘Poor fools that young girls are, beguiled by the seductive whisperings of their sweethearts into losing their most precious possession. Many a maiden who spent her childhood by the bluebell wood is now robbed of her innocence and will never smell the blooms again without a shudder. Lord, how it makes me rock with silent laughter whenIthinkofit!’

The entire narrative of ‘The Cook’s Tale’ is composed of Mrs Nicholls speaking to one of her victims, the gentleman more of fashion than of fortune,MrBingley’sbrother-in-lawMrHurst.Hehas been foolish enough to put himself into her grasping hands and is now paying the price. In the Regency period, servants were expected to knowtheir place and anyone speakingout ofturn to an employer, or a member of the gentry was in dangeroflosingtheirposition.Therewasnosafety net, and our evil cook knows that. She is busy weaving her own, a web of intrigue made up of overheard whispers, shame, guilt and the fear of discovery.

Mrs Nicholls is a truly horrible person, all the more so because she wears a smiling face which conceals her real personality. Readers have described her character as ‘chilling’, ‘horrific’ and ‘shocking.’ This makes me very happy as I’ve obviouslydonemyjobright.

Over the years, I’ve read many books which send a shiver up my spine. The Turn of the Screw, The Woman in Black, My Cousin Rachel, The Talented Mr Ripley. All contain characters who curdle the bloodwithfear.

Who’syourfavourite?

You can find Ruth on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter at ruthleighwrites and at her website, www.ruthleighwrites.co.uk.

WriteinTime

EdgarAllanPoe 1809-1849

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”

EdgarAllanPoe, A Dream Within A Dream

“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”

―EdgarAllanPoe, The Raven

BorninBoston,Massachusetts,Poelivedwith fosterparentsfromtheageoftwo,afterhisfatherabandonedthefamilyandhismotherdied fromTB.

Novelist,shortstorywriter,poetandliterarycritic,PoewasthefirstAmericantoearnaliving fromhiswriting.Hisbest-knownfictionworksare gothichorror. Thecauseofhisdeathattheage of40remainsamystery.

Pseudonym HenriLeRennet

Selected works

Completed Novels

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket Harper,NewYork.1838

Collections

Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesques published intwovolumes. 1839

Short Stories

Metzengerstein.1832

The Fall of The House of Usher.1839

The Pit and The Pendulum.1842

The Masque of the Red Death.1842

Poems

The Raven.1845

A Dream Within A Dream. 1849

TheDreadedDeadline

Writer, speaker and mentor Jenny Sanders. discusses writing to deadlines.

Peoplereactasdifferentlytodeadlinesas theydotothenewsthatanewiteration oftheirphonehasjustbeenreleased. Somerushdowntotheirnearestoutlet,queue roundtheblockallnightforthethrillofbeing oneofthefirsttoownthisnewpocketwonder. Othersdecidetowaitprudentlyuntiltherush hasdieddownbeforeventuringintoaworldof tweakedtechnology,hopingthattheglitches willhavebeensortedout.Andthen,there’sthe demographicwhoresolutelyturntheirfaces awayfromthecircusofpublicity,comforting themselveswiththefamiliarityofthephone they’vehadforever,andwhohopethebuzzwill soondiedownandgoawayquietlybeforeyet anotherevenmoreimprovedmodelisreleased.

Suchpracticeseachcarrymeritintheirway,but thefactisthat,unlikepotentiallypurchasing yournewphonemodel,thedeadlineisasinevitableasthedawnandcannotbepermanently ignored.Formostofus,thateithermeans:awell -plannedrunwaytocompletionofourWIP, probablyaccompaniedbycolour-codedsticky notesorplanners;aflurryofinelegantlate-night activity,whilelastminutepandemoniumreigns supreme;orperhapsamorerestrainedbut steadyplodtothefinishingline.Regardlessof your modus operandi thehorrifyingtruthis,that likethemostpersistentzombie,vampireorunfortunateundead,yourdeadlinewillneverstop chasingyoudown.Thisisonerelentlesspursuer whocanneverbeoutwitted.

Theostrichputstheirheadinthesandandpretendsthereisnoimminentdanger;flustered birdscansquawkinalarmyetdoverylittle,but you,myfellowwriter,willsoonbefeelingthe

breathofthatdreadeddeadlineonyourneck. Trustme,it’snotpleasant.

Enoughwithoverstretchedsimiles;canyoufind yourself,orsomeonelikeyouanywhereinthat metaphormix?

BynatureIfindmyselffirmlyinthemethodical camp.Yes,Iwasthegirlwhoalwaystriedtodo herhomeworkonthedaywhenitwasset,and handitinattheearliestopportunity.Thiswas not(contrarytoanyrumoursthatmayhave reachedyou)becauseIwasanover-keen,academically-attuned,teacher’s-petswot;butratherthatIalwayswantedtogetsuchstressful assignmentsoutofthewayassoonaspossible. TohaveassignmentshangingovermelikeaLondonsmogwasnevermyideaofagoodtime.I neverwantedtobelyingawayatstupido’clock, withaheightenedheartrateandanxietycramps, worryingmyselftodistraction.Life,asIsawit–andindeedstilldo–providedmewithquite enoughstressasitwas;Istillhaveabsolutelyno desiretoaddtoit.

Infact,itdoesn’tmatterwhichapproachyou claimasyourown.Theimportantthingisthat youarenotonlyawareofthedeadlineyou’ve beengiven,oreventhatyougiveyourself,but thatyousticktoit.Noagent,editororpublisher

JennySanders

islikelytogivetoomuchgracewhereadeadline ismissed,especiallyifitthreatenstobecomea habit.Theytooareworkingunderpressurewith deadlinesoftheirown,anarrayofprojectsto juggle,andpeoplewhogetontheirshredded nerves;don’tbeoneofthem.Youdon’twantto bethestrawthatbreakstheproverbialcamel’s back.Itwillnothelpyourfutureattemptsat pitchingifyouhappentobetheunfortunate writerwhotipsthemovertheedgeandis promptlyblack-listed.

Atthesametime,itmayhelptorememberthat notallpressureisbad.It’sthat,afterall,which turnsunsightlycoalintosparklingdiamonds, albeitoverseveralmillennia.Youalmostcertainlydon’thavethatlongtoextractliterary goldfromthatjumbleofnoteseitheronyour phoneorinawell-wornnotebook.

Deadlinescanbeaterrificmotivationtoknuckle downtothepieceofworkyou’vehadsittingina folderforthelastxnumberofweeks.Ihaveseveralfriendswhoproducefantasticworkatwhat,

tome,feelslikeapulse-racing,asthma-inducing, last-minutenightmare.

Formyself,I’llbestickingtomymoreleisurely pace,allowingtimetoletthecocktailofwords marinadeonthepagewhileIgoanddosomethingelse.I’velearntthewisdomofneversendingsomethingoffonthedayIfinishit,buttolet itrestawhilebeforecomingbacktoitfornecessarytweakingbeforehittingthe‘send’button.

Withthatinmind,andhavingallowedanumber ofdaystoslippastmeasIattendedtoother things,Ibettergetthissentoffbeforethemaniacallaughterofanotherghoulishdeadlineoverwhelmsmetoo.

Jenny Sanders writes in different genres. Spiritual Feasting is her faith-based exploration of authentic living in tough times. Her collection of humorous children’s stories, The Magnificent Moustache and other stories is out now. Charlie Peach’s Pumpkins will be published in summer 2023.

UsingHalloweenasaMarketingTool

AllieMarieshareswithuswhyshelikesthis timeofyearsomuchanddiscusseshowwriterscanusetheHalloweencelebrationsas partoftheirapproachtobookmarketing.

Wehavereachedthebeginningofmy favoritetimeofyear,andI’mexcited tocontributemusingsandinsights intowhyIlikeitsomuchinthismonth’sedition of Writers’ Narrative eMagazine.

Asautumnapproaches,treeleavesstartto changetofiftyshadesofbrownandorange,a coolcrispnesssettlesintheair,andeverything pumpkinflavoredseemstohittheshelves. ThenthemonthofOctoberarrives,andwithit thecelebrationknownasHalloween,oneofthe oldestholidaysintheworld.Datingbacktothe 2000-year-oldCelticfêteknownasSamhain,the Celtswouldcelebratetheendofharvestandbeginningofthe“darkseason”ofwinterwithfestivitiesandbonfires.TheCeltsalsobelievedthis tobeatimewhenthebarrierbetweenthephysicalworldandthespiritworldcouldbe breached,enablingthedeadtoreturntothe world.Livingbeingsthoughtittoalsobeatime tocommunicatewiththeirdeaddepartedloved onesatAllHallows’Eve.Overthecenturiesthe eventhastransformedintowhatwenowknow asthemodernHalloween.

Activitiesvaryfromcountrytocountry,butpresent-daytraditionsincludewearingcostumes (originallythoughttowardoffevilspirits).Inthe medievaldays,JackO’Lanternswerecarvedout ofturnips,butpumpkinsaretoday’sharvest choice.

Itisnotsurprisingthatthefestivitieshavefound theirwayintothehomesandenvironsofthose whoenjoythishauntinglyfunseason.Whether theseHalloweencharactersandsymbolsoriginate fromthepensofwriters,thelensofaphotographerorfilmmaker,orthevividimaginationofa craftyhomemaker,theyheightenthesensesfor thosewhoenjoyOctober31asaholiday.Homeownersmaydecoratetheiryardstolooklikea cemetery,afarmlandwithcornstalks,pumpkins, andscarecrows,oracreepyhauntedforestfullof ghoulsandghastlyinhabitants.

Candy,costumes,spookylighting,anddecorations rangefromthefunnytothemacabre.Ghosts,skeletons,ghouls,goblins,andwitchesrepresentthe fantasiesoftheDruidtimes,whilefamiliarhorror characterssuchasFrankensteinandDraculamay beeasilyrecognizedfromtheirearlyHollywood depictions,orbythemaskscharacterizingtheantagonistsoftrulyshockingslasherfilms.Nothing,

AllieMariewithherhusband

however,iscuterthanawide-eyedlittlekid dressedasacuddlyanimal,aprincess,orafairy. Moreseasonedtrick-or-treatersmaydressasa favoriteactionfigure,apopstar,oraNinja(the turtlekindorthewarrior).

Asanauthorofparanormalhistoricalmysteries (ghostsandtimetravelersabound)Ihavefound Octobertobemysecondmostactivebook month,withDecemberthefirst.Iamfortunateto holdanumberofsigningseveryautumn,whichI callmy“HauntedReadsBookTour.”Theghosts wanderinginmybooksaremostoftenrestless spiritswhohaveunresolvedissuesthatprevent themfromhavingpeace.

Everyyear,Idecoratemytableorboothwiththe spiritof well,thespirits.Ihavemanyanimated props,includingatypewriteroperatedbyskeletalfingers,ablackcandelabraintheclutchesofa bonyhand,aleatherboundbook(okay,it’sfake butlooksreal)thatopenstosqueaksandgroans. Nighttimewillfindmeunderpurpleororange lights,withaspiderortwocaughtinthecobwebs.Ioftenwearacostumetoreflectaninterestingfeatureinoneofthebooks.Lastyear,the skeletoncostumehintedatalong-deadsecret. Thisyear’scostumethemeistheRoaringTwentiesandtheProhibitionErainAmerica.Afterall mynewseriesdoestakeplaceinahaunted breweryanddistillery.

So,ifyoulikethistimeofyear,takeadvantageof thespiritoftheseason.Raidthetrunksin Grandma’sattic,findavestandapairofbellbottomjeansinthecloset,orawhitecoatina thriftshop.Withalittleingenuityandafewmore

props,youcancreateaprincessfromanoldprom dress,aflower-childhippie,oramadscientist.

Andwhenyoupassanauthor’stableatHalloween, lookalittlecloser.Youneverknowwhatlurksbetweenthepages!

Happyhaunting!

Staytunedforafuturearticleaboutanotherspirit theChristmasSpirit,thatis.

You can find Allie Marie’s books at: https:// books2read.com/apngpzGgAllie-Marie

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Tonominate yourwritinggroup, locallibrary orbookshop tobefeatured in futureissues and for anyqueries including advertising with us email writersnarrative@gmail.com subject headed for the attention of EditorinChief.

Whilethereisamonthlythemeandfocus,thiswillnotbetheonlytopicforthemagazine.General articlescanalsobesubmittedforpublication.

Themesfor2023

Month Theme

August General–introductorymagazine

September Marketingyourbooks–thiswillbeoutintimefortheChristmasbookbuyingspree.

October WritingHorror –Ofcourse.It’sHalloween

November WritingNovels –TiesinwithNationalNovelWritingMonth

December FinishingStrong –wrappingupyourbookwithendingsthatsatisfy.Tying uplooseends.Leavingyour readersatisfied.

Themesfor2024

Month Theme

January Newbeginnings –settingthescenefortheyearahead

February RomanceWriting –whatelseinFebruary

March WritingforChildren–TiesinwithWorldBookDay

April Editing –selfediting,workingwithaneditoretc.

May WritingMemoir–It’sNationalMemoirMonth

June WritingPoetry

July WritingNon-Fiction

August WritingHistoricalFiction

September ScienceFictionandFantasyit’sNationalScienceFictionMonth

October Worldbuilding

November WritingCozyMysteries

December WritingHabits.

ComingNextMonth….Theme:Novels

November2023

FeaturedAuthor—CrimeWriter JamesL’Etoile

WritingForMiddleGradeandYA

BookReviews andmuchmore….