Thoughts from the Writer’s Desk

E. Catherine ToblerWhen my mother discovered that I wanted to be a writer, she told a friend at work. I do not know if she told this friend out of…

by Maria HaskinsWhere there are humans telling stories, there are monsters. From the very beginning, monsters have taken center stage in our myths, fairytales, and fiction.The vampire is one of…

By J.A.W. McCarthyWriting is a solitary art.We’ve all heard it. We’ve all lived it. It’s one of those things that can be true and false at the same time.When I…

by Maria HaskinsIt’s only natural that ecological horror, ecohorror, is so prevalent in popular culture. With Earth entering the Anthropocene, a time when humans are having a substantial impact on…

From: Yours to Tell – Dialogues on the Art & Practice of Writing“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”But if you are in Kansas, show us Kansas. Take us to Kansas, too.STEVE:…

by Maria Haskins, Sr. ColumnistIt’s March, AKA Women in Horror Month, and as always, my main recommendation for Women in Horror month is to read horror by women all year…

I’ll start this writing advice essay by pointing out that giving writing advice is an iffy proposition. What works for one person might be useless or even detrimental for another,…

I don’t typically swing an axe around my apartment while editing an anthology, but this time, I did. For my latest, 120 Murders: Dark Fiction Inspired by the Alternative Era, one…

Much has been made of Ernest Hemingway’s judgement that ‘the first draft of anything is shit’. But why? It’s such a crass truism, one that, thanks to the profanity of…

Without the right beginning, a successful creative piece is impossible. This may sound self-evident, and yet the process of working through a story or novel is such a chaotic and…

If you’re a writer, it’s the classic interview question (or even the one that just occurs in general everyday chat.) ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’