Thoughts from the Writer’s Desk

By Maria Haskins I read a lot. Partly I read a lot because it’s part of my work as a writer, reviewer, and editor. But I also read a lot…

By Tricia Patras Finding inspiration as a writer isn’t always as romantic as it sounds. For many of us, the creative process can feel more like a frustrating tug-of-war than…

by Maria Haskins For the last few months, Ruadán Books has been open to novel and novella submissions. (We’re still open for submissions until August 31st, and if you have…

by Fendy S. Tulodo They said it was just a power cut. But I swear—when the lights blinked off that night, the blinking cursor on my screen started typing back….

By Maria Haskins I grew up in northern Sweden, and even though I’ve lived over half of my life in Canada by now, I still miss the summer nights up…

by P.H. Low When my father is a child in Malaysia, he walks into a bookstore. Or rather—I am not sure if it is a store, or a kind of…

by Maria Haskins If there is one thing I want you to take away from this list of reading recommendations for Pride Month, it’s that you should read queer all…

E. Catherine Tobler When 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…

by Maria Haskins Where 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…

By J.A.W. McCarthy Writing 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…

by Maria Haskins It’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…

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,…

by Maria Haskins, Sr. Columnist It’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…

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?’