My Writer’s Block or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Plot
by Tim Lees How can you write for years—and I mean years—and still miss one of the key components of the craft? I don’t know, but I did it. And…
Surviving the Sea of Writing Resources
by Xan van Rooyen From Stephen King’s frequently cited On Writing to that random author on TikTok giving a 15-second “why you should never start with a prologue” spiel, it’s…
What Floats Between: On Writing Fiction, Nonfiction and Back Again
by Leanna Renee Hieber When I began my fiction publishing career in 2009, I was writing gaslamp fantasy fiction; cross-genre books with various Gothic, horror, suspense, and romance elements. If…
Everything I Know About Writing I Learned by Publishing a Zine
by Jeff Somers Aside from a relatively brief period in my childhood when I wanted to be a brain surgeon,1 I’ve always wanted to be a writer, creating stories and…
An Editor on Generative AI: The Tool That Blunts the User
by Lauren Elise Daniels Over the past eighteen months, an increasing number of people using generative AI have requested my editing services to support their attempts at creative writing. By…
Every Moment, Every Breath: Writing Theatrically
by Nick Mamatas There comes a time in every semi-successful novelist’s life, usually about twenty-five years in or so, or when they make one of two whimsical decisions: I should…
“Just Take a Walk in the Woods”: The Shared Path of Mental Health and Horror
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…
Mus(e)ical Writing: the Soundscape of a WIP
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…
Making “Magic Chai”
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…
The Darkness Was Already Familiar: On Writing Horror from a Place That Knows It
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…
Waving Across the Book Divide
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…
A Regimen for Growth as a Writer
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….
The New Art of Ghosting
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…
The Villain Within: Revising the Stories We Tell About Ourselves
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…
How to Kill a Story Before It Breathes
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….
Supernatural at the Doctor: Comparing The Exorcist and The Shining
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…
Yes, You Get To Do That
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…
The Eleventh Ghost
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…
So, What Kind of Writer Are You? Notes on Bio Line and Everything that Doesn’t Fit
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…
The Night as a Womb: How Dark Writing Teaches Me to See the World Clearly
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…
Eat a Stick of Butter Immediately: Rules for Submitting Genre Fiction
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…
Mentors and Where to Find Them
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…
What to Read – The Ruadán Books Edition
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…
When ‘EAT THE RICH’ Is Not Enough: Horror Meets Late-Stage Capitalism
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…
