I was sitting in the doctor’s office, with one foot bouncing, waiting to hear if I needed surgery. In the reception area with me, at least a dozen people were apprehensive over the same news. My watch—more sophisticated than it had any right to be—beeped at me, telling me that I was stressed and needed to breathe. Before this, I didn’t even know this was a feature of the watch; it had never done that before. It was then that I realized I was scared, indescribably terrified in a way I hadn’t been for quite a while. A split second...
From the Acquisitions Manager: On Cover Letters
It’s Hannah here, your friendly Acquisitions Manager, social media person, general contact girl, newsletter writer, and generally just here to help as needed. Today, I’m here to talk about work stuff. Which is either fun or not fun, according to your tastes, but it’s something I feel the need to address. What’s the subject? Cover letters and biographies. I know, I know. Cover letters, biographies, and blurbs are the bane of everyone’s existence. But they’re also incredibly important! You see, a good cover letter/biography can make or break your story with us before we’ve ever opened your document. How, you ask?...
Influences by Guest Author J C Lee
For as long as I can recall, my favourite writer of ghost stories has been M.R. James. He was a very Edwardian figure - a bachelor, an Oxford don and, later, Provost of Eton, the most prestigious private school in the UK. His stories, like his life, were almost entirely focused around male characters steeped in knowledge of arcane medieval manuscripts and Christian superstition. He was deeply conservative and many of his stories focus around the lure of forbidden knowledge and the dangers that lie therein. He was almost certainly a suppressed homosexual and a deep fear of sexuality is...
What is Your Horror? by Guest Author Re Gwaltney
Author Re Gwaltney gives these tips to help you dig into the meat of what you love about horror and how to pull it into your own writing.
Brainstorming: A Dialogue With My Muse by Guest Author Michael Barron
Author Michael Barron gives us a sneak-peek at a conversation with his muse. Michael’s “Rage and Redemption” will appear in “Soul” (available October 11, 2024).
The Origin of the Penny Dreadful
Talking about the origin of the penny dreadful! Early horror in the Victorian era that proved humans have always been this into the macabre.
What Do We Mean When We Say “Horror”?
It’s an easy mistake to make thinking that all horror ought to scare you…