by Mark Matthews “Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.” —The Shining, Stephen King Horror is the genre where writers take…
by Xan van Rooyen As a lifelong music-lover, musician, and career music teacher, I admit that I can’t imagine a single day without music. I have multiple playlists, providing the…
by Brook Bhagat Editor’s note: Content warning for both pet and parental death. This is a powerful essay. We care about your mental health; please read responsibly. Zoot, once a…
By Christian Emecheta What does it cost to be a writer? I do not mean money, though that conversation will come. I mean the quieter currencies: the hours stolen from…
by Karen Heuler Imagine your books whispering to each other, shelf to shelf. Books do talk to each other, and they talk to you—because once you’ve read a book, it…
By Michael Barrington I am often asked how I get so many of my articles and short stories published: a dozen this year both in the USA and the UK….
By Lyndsie Manusos On a Discord that will remain anonymous for confidentiality purposes, authors–most of whom are already represented by agents–with books on submission, exchange editor ghosting stories. Response times…
by Adam T There’s a narrow street in Vienna where I like to walk when I’ve written myself into a corner. The stones are slick with rain, and the façades…
by Fendy S. Tulodo I used to think stories were like engines. You give them fuel, you push a button, and they start. But they’re not. They’re more like lungs….
by John Hug Dear doctor, this is (at least) the seventh first sentence for this article. Don’t worry, this is not going to be a recursive article about the process…
by S.L. Dove Cooper “Can I name a character Ieësalwin or Nieëske? Do I need to spell it Ysalwyn or Neeska or something like that so fantasy readers are more…
By K.C. Mead-Brewer For Creature I approach all my writing projects, this one included, as if I were creating a secret, seething garden. There is an immediate crackle of energy…
I hovered over the bio line, typed something, and erased it. “Is a writer who writes about food, short stories, and…” Delete. “Is a writer who explores cultural criticism and…
I have been writing for many years in the hush that follows noise, in those narrow hours between midnight and the faint first light of dawn. There, words reveal their…
By Nichole L. Lightner Short fiction is my favorite storytelling medium. While I love all kinds of short fiction, I work in the genre space; some of this advice might…
By Angela Slatter As a writer, you might feel a need for more guidance than workshops and classes provide. What you’re after is personalised attention from someone with more experience…
by Maria Haskins This month, my reading recommendations are all about us, Ruadán Books. We’ve been around for over a year now, and we have some excellent books for you…
By Kirstyn McDermott ‘When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich.’– attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1793 Horror on the screen has a deep and…
by Maria Haskins The very first ghost story that made an indelible impression on me was Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost, as read by famed Swedish actor Stig Järrel. This…
by Delia Lloyd In his famous book about craft, On Writing, Stephen King recommends that authors take a minimum of four to six weeks after finishing a manuscript before beginning…
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….