What Makes a Monster?
During an interview with the DIY MFA podcast, Jennifer McMahon discusses her horror novel, The Children on the Hill. During the episode, McMahon discusses:
Why...
Don’t Skimp on Your Paranormal Research
In an article for Writer's Digest, J. Fremont offers tips for avoiding clichés and bringing authenticity to your writing about ghosts and the supernatural....
The Case for an Elevated Horror
In an article for CrimeReads, Amber Cowie discusses how horror can be used as more than a jump scare, but as a narrative tool...
Can You Over-Explain the Unnatural?
In a post on the Nelson Agency's Pub Rants blog, Angie Hodapp says writers of speculative fiction need to find the right balance between...
Want to Write Great Horror? Be Ready to Cross the Line
For writers dipping their toes into the waters of horror fiction, finding moments that get under your reader's skin is an important skill. Without...
Joining a Cult is No Cliché
Cults are a fascinating topic in the real and fictional worlds: the Manson family, Heaven's Gate, Jonestown, The Handmaid's Tale, Under the Banner of...
Finding Originality in Horror
A few days after sharing 21 popular horror tropes, Writer's Digest shares advice from writer Richard Thomas about avoiding them. You can't win, can...
In Folk Horror, the Evil is Inside Us
In an essay for Lit Hub, Michelle Nijhuis explores folk horror. Not exactly a subgenre (yet), folk horror arises from a collection of concepts...
How Do We Write About the Monsters Inside Us?
Writers and readers both love stories about extra-fictional characters - beings that don't exist in our world. Hobbits, superheroes, sparkling vampires, talking animals, Jedi...
The Powerful Writing Lessons in Urban Legends
We've all heard the stories. The hook in the car handle. The man in the bathtub with no kidneys. Rod Stewart... never mind.
In an...
