If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.
​
That’s the conventional wisdom, isn’t it? It could also be seen as a credo for author Sean M. Thompson, who recently kicked off the founding of his news publishing enterprise Nictitating Books with his own first full-length collection, Screaming Creatures.

Something of a small press veteran, Thompson’s work has been published by Eraserhead Press, Nightscape Press, Planet X Publications, Muzzleland Press, Grimscribe Press, Unnerving Magazine, and more. Now he’s taking everything he’s learned as the person being published and flipping the script to become the one doing the publishing. And with upcoming books by Paula D. Ashe and Maxwell Bauman already in the pipeline, Nictitating Books plans to push the boundaries of genre fiction with fresh voices.

Below, Sean M. Thompson fills The Ginger Nuts of Horror in on how Screaming Creatures compares to his earlier works, his reasons for starting a new publishing house, and what the heck “Nictitating” even means.

So, Screaming Features is your first full-length collection and the first release from your new press, Nictitating Books. Could you tell me a little why you decided to launch the press with this book?

Sean: Well, there’s the diplomatic answer, and then there’s the raw unfiltered answer. I will give you both.

The diplomatic answer is I’ve wanted to start a press for a long time. A number of years. I had self-published my short chapbook Too Late and my first novel TH3 D3M0N, so I knew I could put out my own material. I knew which artists to talk to, cover pricing, layout pricing, I had a friend who could do the interior formatting, things like that. So, I had this collection, my own material, and I figured if I’m going to do this press, I’d rather have the first book be something of mine, so if there are any issues, I’m not making another writer look bad.  I don’t mean this like I’m some spaceshot who has entirely fucked up his previous releases. I mean it like, there are a ton of things you don’t even think about when you release a book, right down to design aesthetic and reception of the material, so it also gives me a way of sort of seeing how people take my own work, and then I can apply that to releases going forward.

The raw answer is I attempted to sell this collection for 2 years, and no one was biting. And I would get rejection after rejection, and I’m aware writing is mostly rejection, but I’d be sitting around like I have this thing ready to go, it’s one of my best books to date, and for whatever reason I cannot get another press to put this out. I’ve heard collections are hard to sell, and man, after trying to shop Screaming Creatures, I totally believe it.

Now, full disclosure, I don’t cut myself off at the knees with my work. That is to say, there’s stuff in Screaming that is transgressive, that is hard to stomach. There’s drug addiction, abuse, murder, and many other elements that I can understand a horror press going “well, this isn’t really the type of horror we are looking for.” And I get that. Screaming isn’t like dark fantasy, or the sort of weird that’s been making the rounds. There’s definitely influences like Jack Ketchum, Irvine Welsh, and Chuck Palahniuk in the book. We’re not talking like Ed Lee or something, it doesn’t go that hard, but it does sort of go up to the line of good taste, and it sort of dangles a foot just over the line. So, that’s the raw answer: I couldn’t sell the collection, because it’s maybe a bit too over the top for some of the other horror presses. And so I thought screw it, why not have this be the one to start Nictitating Books with. It will set the tone.

As you mentioned, you did put out a chapbook-sized story collection a few years back, Too Late. Is there any reason you wanted to wait to put out a full-length collection?

The truth is Too Late, was originally supposed to be about 10 stories. But, I was never happy with 5 of them. And since I had decided to put out Too Late myself through McManbeast Books (essentially an in joke, it used to be my AOL instant messenger screenname) I knew I could make it only 5 stories, and I had the freedom to try doing a book that short. And people seemed to like Too Late even though yes, there were some people complaining it was too short. The thing to understand about Too Late is in a way, it’s like an early works book. “Stranded in the Storm,” the second story in the book, is 1 of I think the first 10 stories I ever wrote. And, yes, is that a totally backwards way to do things, having your “early works,” be your first book, of course. But, the plan was always to keep going, so now you can read Screaming then go back and read Too Late and see how I started, and the early stuff, and the themes that survived from then to now.

I push myself to put out the best material I can. I’m sure in the eyes of some I don’t always succeed. But, I listen to my gut. And my gut usually feels right when it comes to which stories to use, and which not to use. So Screaming is a full length, because it allowed me many years of writing stories, so I could go okay, using this, and this, but this one I’m very iffy on, so it won’t go in. And again, doing this all myself, it gives me that freedom. Putting out your own material has its issues, I’m not trying to say self-publishing or starting a press is this magical process so far above traditional publishing. Putting out your own work has issues just like more traditional publishing has its issues. One of those issues is not creative freedom.

In terms of style and where are you now as an author, how would you describe the material included in Screaming Creatures in comparison to the material from Too Late?

Better? No, but seriously, let’s see, how would I compare the two? Well, for one the stories in Screaming are informed by who I have become as a writer. That means I’m stretching my style a bit, experimenting way more. I’m not afraid to try things now, whereas with the stuff in “Too Late,” it is at times a bit more reserved. I’m also dealing with things that aren’t always the more classic horror inspired fare found in Too Late. Too Late was very much an earlier writer going “what would my take on a werewolf story be?” or “what would my take on demons be?” I’m still doing that to an extent in Screaming but the approach is much more on the style and structure of the story.

You write a wide variety of material, both in terms of style and length. There's the bizarro novella Hate from the Sky, the intense psychology and supernaturalism of Farmington Correctional, the sleek techno-horror of TH3 D3M0N, and short stories ranging from Thomas Ligotti-esque weird fiction to slasher-esque splatterpunk. Is this diversity of styles something you've strived for intentionally or a natural consequence of your own interests?

Oh, it’s all the ghost writers, they can never keep everything straight.

No, God, I’m sorry, bad joke. No, the diversity is very much intentional. And it’s also not intentional. Let me explain, I have ADHD, so to keep myself writing and engaged often I do have to try new things. But it is more than just the desire to keep myself entertained. The writers I really admire, Gwendolyn Kiste, Stephen Graham Jones, Clive Barker, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Laird Barron, Brian Evenson, writers like that, they also try a lot of new things. And I’m really drawn to writers who are pushing themselves not only in style and form but in themes and even genre.

Genre is a great classification tool, but for a writer it can be stifling. There are times when even though I consider myself a “horror,” writer, I’m not writing horror. I’ve written westerns, and sci-fi stuff, what you might call weird, and then supernatural horror, psychological horror, bizarro. The only real through line is it’s a Sean M. Thompson story. And I like that. It might not be the best direction to try to gain an audience and get my career going, but I’d rather be on my death bed knowing I tried as much as I could, and have the career go slower.

On a related note, having written novels, novellas, and short stories, is there any one format that appeals to you above the others? What do you find are the advantages and disadvantages of each? And specifically talking about short stories, how do you think their advantages are reflected in the content of Screaming Creatures?

Well, what you have to understand is I actually started as a screenwriter. My first long-form writing was a 60 page script, and a year later, a 90 page script. So before I’d sat down and done my first short story, I’d written most of my first script. And it’s basically a part of my writing style I’ve never entirely been able to get rid of, for good or ill.

I mean, I’d love to get better at novels. I feel like I might be a half-way decent novelist if I could get my shit together. I’m getting there—halfway through my second novel—but novels are a marathon, and what I have practice in is sprinting.

I would say right now I consider myself a very good novella-ist. I like that length from about 10 to 30 thousand words. It’s like if you’re good at short story writing you can be good at a novella, but then it’s also sort of practice for novels.

The advantage of short story writing, for me, is you can really experiment, and if it flops, well, you’ve only spent maybe a month or so trying it. If you try experimenting even with a novelette, you might be washing 3 months down the drain. And a novel, forget it. My first unpublished novel, as in the first novel I wrote, I tried this experimentation, and largely it failed. And that was more or less 2 years gone. So, the benefit of shorter stuff is the ability to try more things. However, novels, there is something about them that hits harder. You get to live with the characters. And, I can go pretty epic with them.

As for the advantage of short stories reflected in Screaming Creatures, I think it’s that for the first time all in one book you can see me hopping around from genre to genre, trying to flex my style a bit. I would compare it to something like “Entropy in Bloom,” from Jeremy Robert Johnson, an excellent book. I’m not trying to say it’s as good as “Entropy in Bloom,” that’s not for me to say, but it does have that sort of spirit to it.

We talked earlier about Screaming Creatures being the first release from your new press, Nictitating Books. I have to ask, why did you choose the name Nictitating?

The nictitating membrane is found in certain predators. It is a film that rolls over the eye to protect it during an attack on prey. I had originally, God, back in say 2011 or 12, written a poem called “Nictitating Membrane,” which was about this weird sort of undiscovered genus of shark. I’m a big shark nerd, and great whites have a very prominent nictitating membrane. I decided on the name because I thought it was a very creepy name, and thematically a lot of my work does deal with the predator and prey dynamic. The title of the collection Screaming Creatures is actually a somewhat flippant description of human beings. We pretend we aren’t animals, but guess what? Look outside today at people refusing to wear masks for no logical reason, beating their chests and hooting. Yeah… we’re fucking animals. So, the press name reflects my love of animals, and the sort of work I’m attracted to.

Also, I knew a creepy eye with a film over it would make a cool logo.

You've published with multiple independent presses over the years, and also self-published at times. What made you want to start Nictitating Books? What's your goal with this press?

Fucking cash money, homie. Tryin’ to make this paper, ya feel me?

No, uh… jfc where was I going with this…

My goal with Nictitating is to not only have a steady platform to put out my own material, but to find writers I think deserve to be more widely read, and to put out books by them. If you want a press to put out another book by an already well-established writer, that’s cool… but that’s not Nictitating. Yes, I will probably work with well-established writers eventually, but my primary intent is to take the newer writers who I find a story from or a novella or novel, and just get so hyped on, and to take them and try to put out new material from them. That’s what excites me. Finding someone I’ve never heard of and just being like god damn, that was great, I need to talk to them immediately.

Could you tell me a little about some of the things Nictitating has in the works for the future? You've already announced upcoming releases from Paula D. Ashe and Maxwell Bauman. Could you tell me a bit about those, and if you have any other projects in the pipeline?

I don’t want to spoil things, so for Paula D. Ashe, let’s just leave it at she is putting together a collection, and it is dark, and raw, and beautiful, and I cannot wait for it to be done sometime in 2021 (hopefully). As for Maxwell Bauman, he has a novella lined up, a haunted house/ body horror story which I’m also so fucking excited for.

I don’t mind admitting (again, since it’s my material) that I’m currently writing a new novella set in my Whispering Pines universe dealing with aliens and time travel, and this will most likely be an ebook only release for the fall 2020 season, and if it happens to do well I can always make a print book a little later on.

And I do have a mini antho with about 6 writers or so (including myself, yeet) aimed at maybe a late 2021 release, which I won’t say the theme of, because y’all ain’t stealing my shit. But I’ve talked to a few writes I’ve yet to work with, and I’m also very excited for it.

And probably in Janurary of 2021 I’ll open up subs for a month or so, and perhaps try an ebook only thing with something from that, but that is very much an up in the air thing. But, in the past I’ve been critical of invite only presses, so rest assured, there will be open subs with Nictitating, and I will absolutely consider anything subbed, albeit with the caveat it may be ebook only initially.

These projects you've got in the pipeline, how do you feel they tie back to the goals of Nictitating Books that we discussed earlier?

Writers like Bauman and Ashe are relatively new, and there is a quality to their work that is often transgressive. I love that. To me, horror fiction is at its best when it is challenging what you are used to. Horror often deals with death, and death is one of the more transgressive things we as a society can choose to be honest about, both in the grieving process and in the fear of it we all have. In any case, the writers and projects I gravitate towards, what draws me to them is this quality of not sugar-coating things, of not turning away when something awful is happening. I just find them to be very exciting writers.

Running a press is a lot of work and I know it can get stressful, time-consuming, and expensive. How are you finding it so far? Are there any things you're keeping in mind to try to make the process is a little easier on yourself? Any philosophies that help keep things in perspective?

One major thing, and as much as I’d love to do it I just can’t, is the trend to have a ton of books come out each year. I not only don’t have the budget for that, but I don’t think I have the patience to do more than maybe 3 big releases a year, and maybe 1 or 2 ebook only releases.

I do plan to crowd-fund, but my thing from the beginning has been to see it as an added bonus, but to in no one expect it to come through. I want these books to be something that can and will happen, whether or not it’s crowd fund assisted, or just me going out of pocket. (But please, for the love of all that is holy, donate some money if you can, I’m a broke person).

I think the general philosophy that is going to keep me sane is slow and steady. I want to be able to really give writers a good edit, content and proofing wise, and to really allow writers the time to work on new material, and to edit up the existing.

So far, I’m starting to feel like some sexy lady because I keep getting randos like “Hey,” “Hey, can we talk?” “Sup”? Lulz. I’m not trying to dig on anyone, it’s just sorta funny. Trust me everyone, I’ve done plenty of that type of stuff my damn self.

Well, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to The Ginger Nuts of Horror Again. Is there anything else you'd like to say about Screaming Creatures or Nictitating Books? How can readers keep up with your work and Nictitating's releases?

I plan to do a Linktree soon, and to have an Instagram and Facebook page, Twitter page. There is currently a press email, but I’m not planning to make that public knowledge until the sub period.

I’m planning an Indiegogo and Patreon for the press, but I’m very much not ever EVER doing a Kickstarter. I‘d have a fucking heart attack.

Other than that, Screaming Creatures is currently up on Amazon, and in the coming weeks I’m planning to do some writer interviews on my Sean M. Thompson YouTube channel, and all other sorts of fun stuff. So keep your eyes peeled.

And thanks again. Later.

Piper Mejia is an advocate for New Zealand writers and literature and is a co-founder of Young NZ Writers - a non-profit dedicated to providing opportunities for young NZ writers. Her short fiction has appeared in a range of publications including Babyteeth, Conclave, Spec-Fic Short Cuts, Short Cuts Track 1, Te Korero Ahi Ka and Tricksters Treats 3.  A collection of her short stories, The Better Sister, will be published by Breach in July 2020. As a child, Piper stayed up late laughing at horror films. As an adult, she spends a lot of time being disappointed by plot holes and yet somehow she has never lost her love for Science Fiction and Horror; two genres that continue to ask the question “What if …”

​Find out more about Piper here 
https://authors.org.nz/author/pmejia/

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?
 
A major influence on my writing are my students, whose lives are often beyond belief, and yet they get up each day, get dressed and come to school. They are amazingly resilient and when they decide to be honest sometimes you wish they weren’t.
 
The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

To me, at its core, horror reveals the extent people are willing to be cruel to each other, how far they are willing to go, what excuses they use to justify their madness. Good horror is honest, a metaphor for the continuing atrocities committed every day, in every walk of life.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?
 
There are a range of reasons for reading horror, sometimes it reminds us of how lucky we are, that we are safe, that our world is kind. Sometimes we read horror to remind ourselves to our humanity. Sometimes we read horror to vent the darkness inside of ourselves, rather than to let the darkness take over us. I read horror for all three of these reasons.

In the past authors were able to write about almost anything with a far lesser degree of the fear of backlash, but this has all changed in recent years.  These days authors must be more aware of representation an the depiction of things such as race and gender in their works, how aware are you of these things and what steps have you taken to ensure that your writing can’t be viewed as being offensive to a minority group? 
 
When you say ‘almost anything’, the default was white and male. Instead of ‘backlash’ perhaps it should be viewed as a cry for representation, of what society actually looks like. At the same time, I am not so sure I agree that we shouldn’t be offensive. Slavery is offensive. Poverty is offensive. Assault is offensive. I think it is important to be challenged as a writer and as a reader, not to fall into lazy stereotypes, to take opportunities to explore abuse of power and how it impacts of a range of groups in society. I like to write feminist horror in which my protagonists are more often women, from a range of cultures (of which I am familiar). Sometimes I am told that my stories are not ‘real’ horror, but to me they are, as being trapped by gender is an all too real experience for women, trapped by our religion, our culture, our traditions, our families, our lack of education and opportunities for economic freedom, even simply the freedom over our own bodies.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?
 
Each year I try to challenge myself to read authors I have never read before. One year it was ‘classic horror’, another year it was ‘an author from every country in the world’ – which was impossible, but I gave it a good shot. Currently, I am concentrating on POC, in particular from, NZ, Australia and Pacific Islands. Lee Murray is a favorite and she has a new anthology of Asian writers called Black Cranes.

For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your books do you think best represents your work and why?
 
Writing is such a reflective pursuit, constantly trying to decide ‘what kind of writer’ you want to be: who is your audience, what is your purpose. For me, I focus on the lives of women, young women, girls, old women; women from different walks of life, age and stage. Even in what I read I want to read about women, in the past, in the future, fact and fiction. The way we accept, or don’t accept, our lives is where the horror aspect of my writing comes in, often it is subtle, because I don’t think women act in haste.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My collection of short stories – The Better Sister – published by Breach, is coming out at the end of July, 2020. This collection of stories explores the complexity of the sister-trio relationship in worlds where women struggle for a voice, a place to stand; and peace in themselves. 
 
I am currently working on two more collections of short horror, one aimed at secondary students and the other at adults. The first looks at the hidden lives of young women and the second looks at how women become invisible as they grow older.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Well, I’m just an average guy, nothing special. There is nothing too interesting about me. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Mexican/American, and lived in New York City for a while. I like both the outdoors and the Big City life.

I love video production/filmmaking, and everything I’ve written has come from a screenplay rather than an actual premise/outline for a novel. But unless you’re an oligarch or elitist, making films is very expensive endeavor. Regardless, being creative ultimately is what’s keeping me alive, so I guess that’s a good thing. And Seeds of the Dead is a great take on the awesome zombie genre in my humble opinion.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

Well, from Seeds of the Dead, I would say Jake. He’s one of those annoying, self-righteous hipster type dudes – you know the kind. He would feel right at home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, glaring at you condescendingly as he sips his kombucha tea. But ultimately, even Jake has some redeeming qualities, so read the book and find out. (Wink-wink)  

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

METAL! I love metal, in particular Thrash, Doom, Death, and Black metal. The dark imagery it paints in your mind, just wonderful! If you love horror but don’t listen to metal, you are missing out. As a matter of fact, I wrote a majority of Seeds of the Dead to the awesome blasts beats of the death metal band Nile.
 
The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

Honestly, I don’t think we need to break past any assumptions – let people assume what they want. Horror, whether books, comics, or films - or any other artistic medium for that matter - is the most diverse of any genre. That is if you are willing to take the time to dive in with an open mind and discover the plethora of awesome material out there. Not everyone can be an outstanding writer or storyteller like Ray Bradbury and Mary Shelley, but there are a lot of creative voices yet to be heard, and horror can lead the way.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

I think it’s always good for horror to expand its horizons. There is nothing wrong with exploring social commentary, and interweaving that into the reality of the story you are telling. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t work. I mean with “Seeds of the Dead” I touch on genetically modified food and corporate monopolies. But my story doesn’t center on that, the story centers around the characters and their relationships, their conflicts both internal and external. The social commentary is just icing on the cake. It’s what’s under the icing that really matters.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?

It’s a release for many people, like the aforementioned Metal music. It allows us to tap our deepest, darkest fears. It can also be alluring and highly emotional, in its raw and stark, and at times violent beauty. And sometimes, it's just good, gory fun! It just depends on what you are looking for - like any genre - it truly has something for everyone if you look long and hard enough.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

Honestly, nothing I can think of is missing, because horror touches all. In one way or the other.…

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?

Wayne Kyle Spitzer is cranking some great stuff horror genre, namely in the Dinosaur apocalypse type stories, namely Flashback. I also personally know him, and he is a great writer, so you won’t be disappointed. 

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

Nope, none that I can think of off-hand. But the night is still young….

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Good question. Probably just sitting down and finding your flow, the valve to creativity that you can turn on like a faucet and write. When you can’t find it, you challenge yourself to write anyway, even if it’s just a little at a time and complete crap, because eventually, you’ll find what you are looking for - eventually. It can be a challenge.  

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

No. Nor should any author limit himself or herself, especially in the horror genre. I mean, it’s always a safe bet to write what you know, but for everything else, well, that’s what Google is for, so use it! It’s free even! 
 
Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

Again, you just find the time , everyday if you can, even if just a little, and get some writing done. Most of my stories are adapted from screenplays I’ve written. Would I love to make them into movies someday?  Well yeah! But that’s my outline and treatment, and I develop it from there. I am not a traditional writer, nor do I want to be. But you do you, and find your own way to develop your skills and routine.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

Just do it, man! And writing is rewriting. And rewriting some more, and some more….
 
Which of your characters is your favorite?

Well, from Seeds of the Dead, I would say Alex. He’s wheelchair-bound, but that doesn’t stop him from meeting the threat - the conflict - head-on. He is also a part of Anonymous, a smart kid with a lot of guts, and an even bigger heart. 

Which of your books best represents you?

For now, that would be Seeds of the Dead for its wicked sense of humor. It was really a fun script, and an even more fun book to write.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?

I don’t know if it’s my favorite, but the line - “Eat the fruit, motherf**ker—Now!”- Cracks me up. Especially when you know WHAT that fruit will do to you if you do eat it!
 
Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My last book was titled Day Crosser - which highlights a poor migrant farming family from Mexico looking to escape the ruthless violence of the drug cartels. Not horror per say, but very intense, and a harsh look at the evils of racism and the beauty of empathy.

The next book that I’m going to personally tackle, is titled The Pit - As genetically engineered Were Beast Gladiators (shapeshifting human-animal hybrids) fight to the death in the Pit, a young man amongst them leads a revolution against the evil Corporate Empire that created them all.

It’s dystopian science fiction/action with elements of horror mixed in.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

I wouldn’t, not even the bad ones! I’m not into erasing (or cancelling) tropes and clichés. If you want t use it, that’s fine with me.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

The last great book I read was the Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore from Forgotten Realms. As far as disappointments, uh, I’ll just humbly keep that to myself.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?

Do you like to eat sardines? And the answer is “Hell Yes I do! Guts and all!”

When his evil superiors create a new strain of genetically modified food (GMO) that transforms ordinary people into ravenous, bloodthirsty zombies, a disillusioned scientist turns whistle-blower and becomes their next target....

Seeds Of The Dead is a story about a man at a crossroads, one
which will, in turn, jeopardize the very fate of humankind. On one
hand, this man supports the creation of GMO (genetically modified
organisms) to help feed the world. But to do so he must align himself
with a nefarious corporation and the corrupt elitists who control it.

Set against a zombie-apocalypse pandemic in small-town America,
the story’s hero is Peter Malik, a promising young scientist employed by the
dubious Moonstar Foods INC. When Peter learns the treachery his
corporation is set to unleash upon the unsuspecting masses, he
threatens to expose their dark secrets by becoming a “whistleblower”.

The corporation retaliates, contaminating Peter’s hometown with the zombie
virus through infected food. Can Peter save his hometown, his parents, and the
woman he adores, plus warn the entire planet of the impending doom?
Seeds Of The Dead explores controversial issues with elements of horror
and gallows humor in this page-turning action and suspense novel!

You are what you eat, and it may just eat you back! ​

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a 40 year old dyke, relatively new to writing in the genre. I live in the UK with my wife and kids, and in between daydreaming about sea monsters and dystopian hellscapes, I run a consultancy - copywriting is a big part of my day job. Before that, I was briefly an academic and researcher.    
 
Why horror?  What is appeal of the genre to you as both a fan and as a writer?

Part of it I think is the imaginative freedom the genre gives you. Unlike, say, literary fiction or romcom, horror (and associated genres like sci-fi and fantasy) give you licence to imagine other worlds, other possibilities, other futures – dystopian or otherwise.
 
But some of the best horror, for me, isn’t pure horror – but rather the stuff that straddles multiple genres and draws on horrific imagery and horrifying narrative devices and constructions to tell a fuller, more compelling story.   

As LBGTQ+ fan and writer of horror, how did you when you first became immersed in the genre and found that representation that you could identify was few and far between?
 
I must have been 10 or 11 when I came across Stephen King, who was my first introduction to the genre. I have very vivid memories of staying up all night reading ‘Salem’s Lot, absolutely terrified but completely unable to stop.  
 
I was a big reader as a kid – aren’t most people who write? – and I was certainly aware that there wasn’t much of what we’d think of these days as positive representation in the genre. (The murdered gay men in It were as good as it got, from memory). But it wasn’t restricted to horror: I read my local library dry, and there was very little across the board for a gay kid in the Midlands to fix on, the way there is now. Armistead Maupin’s Tales Of The City were a bit of a revelation, though obviously not enormously horrific. And one particular story in Clive Barker’s Books of Blood – In The Hills, The Cities – put a male couple front and centre, albeit in a bit of a bleak way. There’s certainly wasn’t a relationship you’d aspire to!
 
Beyond books, TV shows like Buffy and Dark Angel were pretty important in my very late teens and early 20s, as well as movies like Bound.
 
Even now, though – when queer representation in other media proliferates by comparison – I struggle to think of many mainstream horror lit voices that do lesbian women and female relationships consistently well.      

How did you discover authors that wrote about characters that you could relate to?

For the most part, I’m still looking! For lesbians, I think – and again this is a little depressing – fan fiction is, right now, the better imaginative playground, and there’s some absolutely fantastic writing in there if you have a dig around.  

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

As a genre, crime fiction – I write crime thrillers under another name (TC Parker is a pseudonym reserved for the darker stuff), and they’re heavily influenced by people like Val McDermid and Ruth Ware.
 
I love Neil Gaiman, and China Mieville, and Terry Pratchett – all the usual fantasy suspects.
 
But regardless, I love a plot twist – something you absolutely didn’t see coming. Whether it’s straight horror or sci-fi or bodice-ripping romance I’m reading – if it manages to blindside me, I’m sold.  
 
The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?
 
I think it’s useful shorthand to have some sort of generic categorization, if only for navigation purposes. But “horror” is such a broad church. I wonder if one way to break down some of the assumptions around what horror is and isn’t is to help people understand that fiction not typically categorized as horror – say, something like Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, or even The Handmaid’s Tale – can have some absolutely horrific elements while still being ‘literary’ fiction (for a given value of ‘literary’), while horror can be as lyrical as a prose-poem or as well-plotted as a really good bit of detective fiction.
 
Fortunately, I think readers are a lot more receptive now than they were to the idea of genre hybridity.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

Horror’s always been political, hasn’t it? Whether you’re talking about Caligari and the Weimar Republic, or 50s B-movie body horror and the Cold War, or 80s slashers and Reaganism. So I’d be very surprised, given Trump and Covid and climate crisis and the manifold other horrors we’re seeing play out at the moment, if there weren’t more overtly political dystopian narratives flying around.
 
It’s very difficult, right now, to write something that isn’t political. And when people say they don’t do politics in their writing – well, even that is a political position, isn’t it? It’s active disengagement. And something you can only afford to do if you’re coming at writing from a position where your identity and place in the world isn’t already contested.
 
LGBT+ and BIPOC people don’t have that privilege, unfortunately.

What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author?


Off the top of my head:

• Any of Stephen King’s short story collections (though I’ve got a soft spot for Skeleton Crew and Everything’s Eventual)
• Jeremy Dyson’s Never Trust A Rabbit – another short story collection, and just wonderful
• China Mieville’s The City & The City
• Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho – incredibly problematic, but I loved it when I was younger
• Val McDermid’s Wire In The Blood
• Pretty much anything Discworld, but especially the Witches books

There’s also a lot of academic stuff that’s influenced the way I think about the world, which logically has influenced the way I write – but I’m not sure anyone wants to hear me bang on about Foucault.

In recent years there has been a slow but gradual diversification within the genre, which new LBGTQ+ writers do you think we should be paying attention to? 
 
I read Sara Tantlinger’s To Be Devoured recently, and was hugely impressed. Would love to read more of her stuff.

How would you describe your writing style?

Plot-heavy and digressive. There are a lot of stylistic tics I need to police!

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

I’m new to horror writing, so… not yet. Though I’m sure I’ll cry myself to sleep over them at some point, if and when they roll in.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Finding the time to do it at all. I have two kids and work more than full-time hours – so time to write is very much at a premium.

Are there any subjects that you would never write about?

Nothing I can think of…
 
Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?


I feel very much like I’m just getting started – so you might need to ask me that 5 years from now!

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?


Two things:

1. Write for an audience, not just for yourself. If you want people to read – and ideally enjoy – what you’ve produced, you have to have their needs in mind as well as your own
2. Always have an idea of what you’re trying to say before you say it. Writing is a hell of a lot easier – and writer’s block a hell of a lot easier to dodge – when you have a sense of the point you’re trying to make with each sentence, paragraph, chapter

 
 
Getting your worked noticed is one of the hardest things for a writer to achieve, how have you attempted to break through the barriers that are so often in place against LBGTQ+ writers?

I don’t know that I have yet! But I’m very aware that I’m coming at this from a privileged position. I’m not young, or just out of university; I have an established career already, and write more or less for a living anyway, which won’t change regardless of how well or how poorly my books perform. So to some extent, getting noticed is a bonus rather than a necessity. I want people to read what I write, but not out of material necessity.
 
That’s just me, though. There are many, many LGBTQ+ and BIPOC writers – writers far more talented than me – who are young, who aren’t established, who do desperately need material support. And for these writers, the old barriers and gatekeepers are still very firmly in place, at least when it comes to traditional publishing.
 
The good news, I guess, is that indie publishing means that these writers aren’t dependent in the way they would have been, say, 20 years ago on getting an agent and a Big 5 book deal.
 
The bad news is that they are dependent on recognition – on people knowing they’re out there, and paying for (not just reading) their work.
 
So, if you have a platform: promote them, however you can!
    
Many CIS white male authors use LGBTQ+ characters in their works, what’s the mistake that they make when trying to portray these characters?

I’m reluctant to criticize, because so many straight, cis, white male writers now are trying – they’re well-intentioned in their constructions of queer characters, and they’re not just using them as props, or worse. Nobody who remembers the 80s and 90s will need me to tell them this, but we’ve come very, very far in terms of representation.
 
That said: it would be good if authors, and media producers more generally, stopped killing lesbians in their fiction, or at least killed fewer of them. Characters dying off is inevitable in the context of a lot of horror narratives – but lesbians have been killed off in epic numbers across multiple genres for a lot of years now, and we’ve got a lot of ground to make up!
 
So, if any cis white male authors are listening: maybe sometimes let your lesbians be the last ones standing at the end?   

Moving on to getting your work read, what do you think ins the biggest misconception about LGBTQ+ fiction?

It used to be: that every story was a coming out story, in one way or another. And unfortunately there was some truth to that.
 
Now, though… I’m really not sure. There are so many LGBTQ+ stories being told across platforms, and so many more people identifying as queer in public, that it feels less now than it did that LGBTQ+ identity is a monolith.
 
There are as number of presses dedicated to LGBTQ+ fiction, do you view these as a good thing, or do you think they help to perpetuate the ongoing exclusion from mainstream presses?

A good thing, definitely. Assimilation can be a very good and positive thing – but we need our indie presses, queer and otherwise!

Do you agree with movements like this and things such as Women in Horror Month?  If so how would you like to see sites such as Ginger Nuts of Horror tackle diversity? 

I agree 100%. It’s not about promoting women above men, in that instance – it’s about addressing a long-standing imbalance, in the same way that (say) Black Lives Matter or Trans Lives Matter exist as movements because some people, historically, have believed that they don’t matter, and this needs to be dragged into public view, dissected and rectified.
 
As to what Ginger Nuts of Horror can do – the fact you’re doing interviews like this and asking these questions suggests you’ve already got a handle on it!

The most common phrase you hear when people object to active movements to encourage all forms of diversity is “I don’t care about the sexuality, gender, color etc etc of the writer I only care about good stories” what would you like to say to these people?

That diversity of background, identity and experience is what contributes in many cases to diversity of thought and imagination. So if you want new, interesting stories and fresh perspectives on existing tropes, it’s probably worth listening to people (BIPOC, queer and otherwise historically marginalized people) who haven’t had much of a voice in your genre previously.

To many writers, the characters they write become like children, who is your favorite child, and who is your least favorite to write for and why?

I like them all! Some of them are appalling human beings, but as long as they’re interesting, I’m interested in them.

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?

There’s room for improvement in all of it. But anything that’s out in the public sphere I’m generally happy with.

For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your books do you think best represents your work and why?

Saltblood is my first horror novel – so it would have to be that one.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?
 
It feels a bit narcissistic to quote myself, so I’m reluctant. But there’s a very mild allusion to TS Eliot’s Marina in Saltblood, so I’ll go with the opening lines of that instead: “What seas what shores what grey rocks and what islands/what water lapping the bow/and scent of pine and the woodthrush singing through the fog/what images return/O my daughter.”
 
It’s just beautiful – the imagery and the lyricism, but also the feeling of the syllables, even when you’re not reading it aloud.   
 
Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My last book before Saltblood was a crime thriller novel written and published under a different name. My next one is a sequel to that.
 
But after that one, I’m hoping to get stuck into another bit of dystopian horror – a near-future detective thing about extreme body modification and sensory overload. I’ve got a couple of fragment chapters knocking around the hard drive, so we’ll see how they play out when I get to them.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?
 
If I get all the way through a book, chances are I’ve enjoyed it. The last thing I read – in fact, re-read – was George R R Martin’s The Skin Trade, which was as good as I remember it being. (I’m not a fan of Game of Thrones, or epic fantasy more generally, but that guy writes bloody good horror).
 
The last thing I abandoned was Caroline Kepnes’s You. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, exactly – I just didn’t feel like the target audience for it. If I’d read it at 20, I’d probably have felt differently.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?
 
“Where’s the best place to leave a review?”

Tabatha Wood lives in New Zealand and writes weird, dark fiction and uplifting poetry. Despite her obsession with the strange and unusual, she considers herself mostly harmless.
 
A former English teacher and library manager, Tabatha now teaches from home while writing in her spare time. She released her debut collection, “Dark Winds Over Wellington: Chilling Tales of the Weird & the Strange” in March 2019. Since then she has had short stories published in a number of antipodean horror magazines.
 
Tabatha is the lead editor in a team of twelve for the “Black Dogs, Black Tales” anthology. The collection aims to raise money and awareness for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand and will be published by ’Things In The Well Press’ in May 2020. 
 
You can read more of her writing on her website https://tabathawood.com and her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tlwood.wordweaver/ ​

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?
 
I like weird arty stuff, disturbing and creepy horror and the worst trash on TV. I cry at almost everything we watch. I cried at that Eurovision film, that’s how bad I am. I kind of go for a ‘psychedelic flapper’ look and I belong to a fun group called The British Bizarro Community. It’s like a support group who send memes to each other.
 
I live in Essex and I’m married to a talented artist, musician and graphic designer, Bill Purnell. We don’t have a cat yet but I’m working on it.

To get the ball rolling and get everyone relaxed, here is a hopefully lighthearted question to break the ice, which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life and have them complain at you about they way you treated them in your work.

Margie in The C Word (you can hear it on the Other Stories podcast) will be very miffed. Her biggest fear is facing up to reality and I forced her to do that.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?
 
Surrealism, bizarro fiction, DADA, silent films, the frothy artistic culture of the 1920s, weird films. Also I watched Beetlejuice every day for a year when I was nine and I’m honestly not exaggerating.
 
The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

I think it’s up to people to seek it out. If it puts people enough not to explore it, they probably wouldn’t enjoy it anyway. If someone is curious, though, we should offer a cup of tea and a biscuit (the UK kind, not those weird scones).

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

I think exploring the darker sides, especially if science fiction is mixed in somewhere, can show the depths we can reach and hopefully serve as a warning, or at least a mirror. I think it will continue along those lines.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?
 
Sometimes it’s to focus on troubles that aren’t your own. Or, if it’s unrealistic/supernatural, it’s pure escapism. My favourite is a quiet, creeping dread. The Little Stranger (book version, definitely not film) and Lake Mungo are perfect examples. Sometimes, though, I find I need catharsis. I want to really feel how terrible everything is, so I’ll read something like The Teratologist By Edward Lee and Wrath James White.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?
 
Honestly, that’s a difficult one, but I’ll probably go with appreciation of the smaller, weirder stuff. It’s less mainstream, it’s odd, it’s uncomfortable, but it’s most definitely there.

In the past authors were able to write about almost anything with a far lesser degree of the fear of backlash, but this has all changed in recent years.  These days authors must be more aware of representation an the depiction of things such as race and gender in their works, how aware are you of these things and what steps have you taken to ensure that your writing can’t be viewed as being offensive to a minority group? 


I think all people want is well researched or non-stereotypical characters, so I’ll do my best with that. It’s also good to make sure it passes through the eyes of others before it meets its audience as well.

Does horror fiction perpetuate it’s own ghettoization?
 
Sections of it might, certainly the 80s/slasher horror fans. I’d never see that as a bad thing, I find it heart-warming when people love something like that, but I think their main goal is to find like-minded people and perhaps not worry too much about outsiders, which is cool.
 
Otherwise I think there’s such variety that if others are intrigued, they’ll seek it out. I went from horror and gothic literature to cult authors to bizarro, all fuelled by a need to get weirder and weirder. Not that everything I do is necessarily weird, but I do love a good Russian Absurdist like Daniil Kharms.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?  
 
Julia Platz Halter, Leza Cantoral, Jayaprakash Satyamurthy, Luciana Williams, Brendan Vidito, Monique Quintana, Amy Vaughn and everyone in The British Bizarro Community of course (see our twitter). That’s off the top of my head, there’s so many more.

What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author?
 
Ok, here we go. It’s something of a list…
 
Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice, Haruki Murukami’s short story collection, early Terry Gilliam (Baron Munchausen was a close second after Beetlejuice on watch time), Monty Python, comedies like Spaced and The Young Ones, Sorry to Bother You (it’s new but wow!), M (Fritz Lang), Within Our Gates, The Haunting (the film), Ringu, the short stories of Robert Aickman, Hansel and Gretel (2007 film version), Junky/Naked Lunch by William Burroughs, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, the short stories of Dorothy Parker, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, the short stories of Leonora Carrington, Out of the Unknown (British sci fi anthology doing adaptations of the best short stories. Oh my God you have to see it), The Palm Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola and this French animation I saw as a small child called The King and the Mockingbird. It was intensely strange, frightening and surreal for my tiny brain and I recommend it even today.
 
That’s not everything but it’s starting to look unwieldy.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

I think Matthew Revert saying I could take a seat at a table with Kafka, Kharms and Gogol will forever blow my tiny mind.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Sitting in a chair. Honestly, that sounds like a joke, but I have chronic pain and it gets a bit frustrating.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?
 
I wouldn’t like to say I’d never write something because you never really know.

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?
 
Honestly sometimes I just google ‘names’ and pick out ones I like haha!
 
Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

I think my writing has got a bit deeper, or at least I hope it has. I want to put more of my innards in it, if that doesn’t sound too gross, my fears and hopes.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

I’m only improving (hopefully) because I was daft enough not to stop. You won’t be good at first unless you were born amazing, you have to keep doing it.

To many writers, the characters they write become like children, who is your favorite child, and who is your least favorite to write for and why?


I really like the character in an upcoming novella. It’s a weird mystery set in a 1920s New York that you won’t recognise. I don’t want to say too much more though.

For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your books do you think best represents your work and why?
 
Fortune Box. The interconnected stories were such fun to write and are truly what happens when I sit at the computer and let my brain fall out.


Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?
 
“Tell me doctor, when can I start applying for managerial positions?”
 
“I really wouldn’t apply for anything above a clerk until you’ve been toilet trained, Albert.”
 

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?
 
My last book was Fortune Box, a series of stories in which characters are sent strange gifts from Tower Limited Surprise Packages.
 
I have a novella coming really soon  The Vine That Ate The Starlet and it's out with Filthy Loot,  It’s a 1920s mystery with a bit of a difference.
 
Also the British Bizarro Community put out The Bumper Book of British Bizarro, an anthology with all the proceeds going to Mermaids, the charity for gender diverse and trans young people and their families. There are so many new and exciting word weirdos that I can’t wait for people to read.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

Jump scares. They’re OK occasionally but they’re really annoying.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?
 
I always go on about Who Cares Nothing Matters by Julia Platz Halter. It’s weird, it made me laugh, it’s kind of gross, I recommend it.
 
I get disappointed by a fair amount of books published by the big ones. However I think most recently was After by Anna Todd, the Harry Styles inspired romance. I want to make it clear that I wasn’t expecting it to be good and, to be fair, I had a good time for most of it. It was unintentionally funny and quite silly. Then, suddenly, something happened and it took it too far. I stopped reading. Actually, I made a video if you’re interested:
 

​

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?
 
Hi, I’m Gray Williams and I’m the author of two supernatural thrillers, The End of the Line and its sequel Strange Ways. Both are set in the real world with one crucial difference, magic is real, widespread and illegal in the UK. My books follow heist-artist, Amanda Coleman, as she deals with terrible demons, magic-wielding criminals, warded cops and hex-dealing politicians. I live and work in East London and I’m a big fan of horror, fantasy and SF in all its forms. And I’m happy to be here!

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real?

That’s an easy one. Reeves, the demon in my first novel, The End of the Line. Even in chains he’s horrifying. When I set out writing him I had one central concept ‘what if Hannibal Lector had psychic powers that he could use from within his glass cell?’ Safe to say the answer was terrifying. I loved writing him, with his mocking, uncaring malevolence and I relished coming up with gruesome outcomes for those who crossed his path but in real life I’d hate to think of how quickly he’d go through a lot of people. Unsurprisingly, mind control related deaths aren’t actually at the top of my bucket list.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?
 
I’m a huge fan of crime fiction. I’ve been reading mysteries, procedurals, thrillers and whodunnits for as long as I can remember. There’s so much fun in the ‘detective with a case to solve’ model of story telling. The world starts with something wrong and our hero seeks to follow the clues to bring criminals to justice and order to chaos. It’s a great and satisfying frame work for a plot and detectives get to travel through all walks of life from penthouses to slums. Though, of course, when I started writing my books, I wanted to focus on the other side of the divide. Literature already has its Harry Dresdens, Peter Grants and Felix Castors, I wanted to write about the people who give those characters headaches. I wanted to write about the criminals who cause the chaos.
 
The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?


Horror is like every other genre, there are great examples, there are terrible examples and there are different flavours for a variety of moods. There are horrors we go to for a proper scare, some we go to because they make us think and others because we want to sit back and have a laugh at the dodgy acting and the visible strings.
 
Horror, for me, is all of those things and they all have their place. But the great ones, the ones that stick with me, are the ones that externalize a human struggle. Whether its grief, racism, greed, whatever, when they’re done right, the writing is top-notch, the acting, the atmosphere, wow.

But that said, during virus lockdown here in London, my wife and I have taken to having a drink of a Saturday night where we sit back and watch some of the most recent Nicholas Cage films (his ongoing post-2017 ‘I need the money, I’ll do anything’ period). They might not be perfect but isn’t that the point? They make us smile!
 
There are those who dismiss horror, who dismiss it all as crass, and when they think of it, they only see Nick Cage and splatter gore. How do we break past their assumptions? I say to hell with those people. We don’t need to please them. Even when a work comes out that does impress those people, they turn it around and say ‘well if I like it, it must not be horror’. They just appropriate it into another genre they do like. Who has time for that kind of snobbery? Horror is about reflecting the world back on itself and about having a good time and it doesn’t necessarily have to do both simultaneously. Every horror writer out there should just do their best and make the art they want to see in the world. Let the haters hate. Why do we want their approval anyway?

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?
 
There are a few facets of today’s societies that I think we’ll be seeing more of (and I’ll be fully welcoming). We’re having more horror that looks at racism, Get Out was great, Lovecraft Country is on the way to HBO and the trailer looks incredible, and I think that’s a good thing. Though not all writers of colour should feel the need to write about racism, those who do are a valuable voice and their perspectives should be welcomed.
 
There’s the poverty gap and privilege. I think we’ll be seeing more interest in the wealthy and the way they look to the rest of us as disposable. That dehumanizing we’re seeing from them is already terrifying to witness on the news (‘human capital stock’, anyone?). We love to see rich people be naughty, now, with their forcing people to go out and work during a pandemic to protect their bottom line, I think people will want to explore this mentality of sacrificing the many for the sake of the few.
 
Also, cults. We’ve seen a lot of groups in the news and on social media who ignore rigorous scientific evidence and who whole-heartedly throw themselves into conspiracies about 5G, vaccinations, the flat earth and Deep State. I think we’ll be seeing more of that in horror. Protagonists facing villains or groups who cannot change, or refuse to, despite our efforts, and evidence, continue down destructive paths, blinkered to the consequences.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?
 
Because stories, if they are anything, are playgrounds. They allow us to explore hypotheticals without any real danger. Lots of people are picking up Stephen King’s The Stand again because they want to inhabit the idea of what the world might look like if a virus outbreak hit biblical proportions and consider how they themselves might react. Isn’t that why The Walking Dead was so successful? Haven’t we all had that conversation about what we would do, where would we go, if zombies happened?

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?
 
As I said earlier, we need more writers from different backgrounds, whether that’s in regards to race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, neurodiversity or anything else. There are whole facets of the human experience that have only been written about at several steps removal. There are whole panoplies of folktales, myths and legends we know little about or are misinformed on, having re-interpreted them through Western viewpoints. I’d love to start seeing more stories with other ways of looking at the world from people who have grown up immersed in those cultures or experiences.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?
 
I’ve just enjoyed Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I’d loved her previous book, Gods of Jade and Shadow. Mexican Gothic is set in 1950s Mexico where a young woman must visit a secluded mansion to investigate the poisoning of her best friend. The prose was immaculate and the settings and themes were great. It was a book that I could really sink into and a great addition to gothic fiction. I also recently discovered P. Djèlí Clark and his story A Dead Djinn in Cairo and I’m super intrigued. Steampunk, supernatural, Egyptian noir? Sign. Me. Up.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

I try to avoid reading reviews. The crushing disappointment I feel at a bad review is always far worse than the elation of a good one. So I try to stay away from it altogether.
 
What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?


That’s a tough one. The elements I take the longest over are human responses, I think. When I’m dropping a character into a situation, revealing some devastating new piece of information to them, I always have to give their reaction serious thought. I try to think about their background, their upbringing, how they see the world and how their experiences have shaped them. Then I try to apply that looong thread to the present moment. Would they be angry? Tearful? Shocked? Suspicious? And how would they deal with those emotions? Would they hide them? Deflect? Let them show? Humans are complex creatures and getting that reflected on the page is a delicate operation, but when you get it right, it pays dividends with the reader.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?


Sexual violence. Just no.
 
 
Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?


There were years when I was writing and only I and a few close friends were reading my work. That was when I developed my voice, my style and decided what subjects and themes I wanted to write about. Then I met my agent, who is a narrative genius, and she helped hone my stories to make my tales into novels. She helped teach me how to better bring out my ideas and make them better understood, more compelling and more entertaining for readers. Now I’m a published author and I’m starting to see for myself how readers react to stories in a new light. They’re a harder bunch to please then you think! So I’m still learning and developing.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?


Just try your best to describe the picture you see in your head. Do that well and you’re almost there.
 
Which of your characters is your favourite?


I like writing my main character, Amanda. She gets to say things and react in ways that I don’t have the nerve to do in real life. Plus, planning a job or a con for her to get involved with is fun.


Which of your books best represents you?


I’ve no idea! I’d probably say my latest, Strange Ways. In some small ways it has its feet set more firmly in what’s going on in the world today and holds a bit more of my feelings toward them.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?


Strange Ways follows on after The End of the Line. I decided that if I was writing about criminals in a world filled with magic, it was only fair to explore the idea of sending them to wizard prison. This book starts with Amanda in regular prison having been caught during a botched bank job. She’s quickly blackmailed by someone on the outside who has evidence about her involvement in the events of the previous book. To assuage them, Amanda must get herself sent to Coldwater, the notorious island prison for magic-users, in order to assassinate one of the inmates. It’s a proper thriller and there’s a lot of weird magic and action from start to finish.
 
I’m playing with a few ideas for my next project, but I imagine it’ll be a while before you see the results! Let’s just say I’m writing a scene with a very interesting monster rampage at the moment.
 
If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

Characters splitting up or wandering off alone. I’ve played so many RPGs with friends and I’ve never had a party split up when things get scary. There’s strength in numbers, people! You got some other pressing engagement you need to be at? If something bad happened to me, if I needed to visit a haunted house or something, I’m bringing my closest twenty or thirty friends. Who, especially when they’re scared, would let themselves be alone?

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?


I’ve already talked briefly about Mexican Gothic. I also really enjoyed The Fisherman by John Logan. It was a very American tall-tale, and the novel said and did so much in so few pages. Gorgeously weird, it tapped into some great elements of horror. It’s about two fishermen who go to a secluded creek that, rumour has it, puts people in touch with the dead. Weird things happen. It was great. Loved it.
 
I’m afraid I don’t talk about the books I don’t like. I certainly wouldn’t like it if someone did it to me, so I don’t do it to other people.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?
 
Can I buy your book in both ebook and audio?
 
The answer, friends, is yes.

No magician has ever escaped Coldwater Prison.But that is exactly where Amanda Coleman, heist artist and Abra-killer, must go.
​
Somewhere in London, a mysterious blackmailer has enough evidence to put Amanda’s head in a noose and ensure her only remaining daughter, Michaela, is right alongside her when it happens.

To save Michaela, Amanda must assassinate one of Coldwater’s most infamous residents. But the only way in is as an inmate.
But a notorious Abra-killer like Amanda can expect a few old enemies in a prison full of mages, and they have their own plans…

A fast-paced thriller filled with magic and suspense, perfect for fans of Lauren Beukes and James Oswald.

Praise for Strange Ways‘Strange Ways is a thrilling ride into a world full of dangerous magic that feels all too real. Williams is truly a master of story-telling’s darkest arts’ Mike Shackle, author of We Are the Dead

‘Different and cunning, fast-paced and thrilling, a hugely entertaining story from start to finish’ Edward Cox, author of the Relic Guild trilogy

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m married. I’m a father. I have a degree in Economics and an Advanced Diploma of Proficiency in Internal Communication. I work full time in internal communication. Writing fiction is my first love. Writing, recording and performing songs is a close second—they kind of trample over each other. And horror is my favourite genre. Obviously.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life and have them complain at you about they way you treated them in your work.

I think it would have to be Carl, the nuisance neighbour in my novelette, The Forest is Hungry. Carl believes the rest of the world exists to serve him. He doesn’t care for social norms or for thinking things through. I’m sure he would test my patience very quickly in a work environment.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?
 
I’ve lost track of the number of people over the years who’ve said there’s music in my writing. I don’t whether that’s true – or if it’s still true – but I suppose it comes from the amount of time I’ve spent writing songs. Perhaps I have an ear for rhythm. I don’t know.
 
I discovered flash fiction (stories under 1,000 words) when I joined my writers group, Bath Company of Writers, and that’s been a big deal. Partly because after the twins were born, I had neither the time nor the energy to write anything longer, and partly because there are so many great opportunities to publish flash in this increasingly digital world.
 
The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

I know of horror writers who are uncomfortable talking about what they do. I think the conversation usually goes something like: “What do you do?” I’m a writer. “Cool! And what do you write?” Erm…
 
I try not to worry about it. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Haunting of Hill House, The Turn of the Screw—horror has a place in literary history that no one can take away.
 
I also think we have a duty to keep championing the excellent work being done by current and emerging horror writers—while at the same time, promoting diverse voices—and accept that until the world bothers to pay attention, we’re the lucky ones.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

I’m sitting at my desk in the fourteenth week of lockdown and I honestly wouldn’t want to make any predictions for the state of the world next week, let alone in the next few years.
 
I suppose we might see the emergence of a niche genre in the form of ‘lockdown horror’, as I suspect writers will be tempted to adopt and explore the lockdown setting, even if the story isn’t founded on a global pandemic. We might see a rise in apocalyptic fiction. And perhaps we’ll see a few more stories, like Jaws, where politics and science collide.
 
At the same time, I think there’s still plenty of room for horror to explore tensions around race relations, sexuality and gender, wealth inequality, religious and state oppression, and our impact on the environment. These topics aren’t going away.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?
 
People enjoy horror because it’s great! I think people read horror because they want to escape, they want to see their fears borne out in a way they can control (it’s always possible to put a book down, even if we don’t want to), and because they want to know they’re not alone in their fears. A lot of horror is also thrilling—it’s immediate and visceral, like a roller-coaster for grown-ups.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?
 
As with most things, the horror genre needs more diversity. To keep horror rich and alive (or undead, at least), we need to hear the best of voices from around the world and from all corners of society. I wouldn’t say it’s missing from the genre, but I certainly wouldn’t take it off the agenda.
 
In the past authors were able to write about almost anything with a far lesser degree of the fear of backlash, but this has all changed in recent years.  These days authors must be more aware of representation an the depiction of things such as race and gender in their works, how aware are you of these things and what steps have you taken to ensure that your writing can’t be viewed as being offensive to a minority group?
 
This is a terrific question, which taps into one of my greatest fears as a writer. I want the characters in my stories to be diverse. I want to test them—to put them in risky, challenging and uncomfortable situations, to find out how they respond. And I want to avoid stereotypes. But…this is easier said than done.
 
Writers have blind spots – that’s why we can read the same typo a hundred times and not see it. Sometimes we make mistakes. This is why it’s so important to have beta readers and editors who are at the top of their game, and why we need to listen to their feedback.


Does horror fiction perpetuate its own ghettoization?
 
Labels, like ‘horror’, are useful in steering readers towards the books they’re most likely to enjoy, but they also encourage readers to neglect other genres. In this sense, does horror fiction perpetuate its own ghettoization more than, say, romance or science fiction? My answer to that would be…possibly.
 
I used to run a club for people who were afraid of public speaking. The first rule of ‘Talk Club’ was that you have to talk. Lots of people experience a fear of public speaking and lots of people signed up to attend to the club…but not many came along. I think we have to accept that a lot of smart and rational people will steer clear of things that frighten them, and that’s what the horror genre is famous for.
 
What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?
 
I started reading horror again about five years ago, so I’ve had the joy of discovering many fantastic authors who are new to me…but I doubt they’ll be new to horror fans.
 
That said, I read Lucy McKnight Hardy’s Water Shall Refuse Them and Andrew Cull’s Remains last year and both novels are written with such skill and assuredness, I’m excited to see what they publish next.
 
Also last year, I was asked to provide a blurb for Nial Giacomelli’s debut, The Therapist—a haunting and exquisitely-written story about—you guessed it—a mysterious epidemic sweeping the globe. As a horror fan, I can honestly say I was gripped by every page.

What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author?

So many books, so many films—where do I start? Danielewski’s House of Leaves was the book that made me want to be a horror writer, more so than any book I’ve read before or since (although King’s The Shining is a close second). I don’t think either book defines me, but they certainly got under my skin and inspired me.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

The writing community is tremendously supportive, especially for a relative newcomer like me. The last review I read was for my debut novelette, The Forest is Hungry, in Kendall Reviews. The opening paragraph was “Demain Publishing has put out so many stunning releases with their stellar Short! Sharp! Shocks! series that you’d be hard pressed to pick out an absolute best. Saying that – what I read with ‘The Forest is Hungry’ would be a strong contender in that category.” This sort of feedback makes it all worthwhile.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Everything after the first draft. Developing the characters, choosing the locations, creating the plot, crafting the language—it all seems impossible until it’s finished, and when is a story ever really finished? The first draft is the easiest thing to write, and it’s also the least satisfying.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

Semolina. I read a horror story about semolina as a child and I’ve never eaten it again since. I wouldn’t do that to anyone else.

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?

I tend to throw in any old names when I write the first draft and then change them all to something completely different in the final draft, so the story feels fresh. It’s a great way of creating distance, which helps me be more objective when I review the story.
 
What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?


The best advice I’ve had wasn’t specifically in connection with my writing but it certainly helped. And it’s simple: always try to be better.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?
 
I’m lucky in that people often quote lines of my stories back to me when they’ve read them, and it’s always a pleasure to see what lines have captured their imaginations.
 
I don’t have a favourite line or passage but, back in May, I finished fifth in the latest Molotov Cocktail contest with a story called ‘After the Ghosts’. If you don’t mind, I’ll quote a line from that:
 
“In horror stories, we’re taught that ghosts are anomalies—lost and lonely, limping down dimly lit corridors, scraping nails across chalkboard walls, faces twisted in pain, mortal wounds visible for all to see. In reality, they were young and vital—friends and families restored to their prime.”
 
The rest of the story is available to read for free here.
 
Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?
 
The Lamppost Huggers and Other Wretched Tales was published by The Arcanist on 1 June 2020. It’s a collection of my darkest and weirdest flash fiction stories from the past five years, including several competition winners. Flash fiction is a fantastic vehicle for horror because it’s possible to play with all-kinds of ideas that perhaps couldn’t be sustained in the longer form.
 
I’ve just started writing my first novel—a horror novel—although it’s way too soon to say much about it yet. I’m aiming to have a first draft completed towards the end of the year, but who knows whether the world will last that long...?
 
I’ve also had a mini-collection of short stories accepted by Demain Publishing—I can’t say any more about this at the moment, except there will be announcement in due course.


What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

I’ve read some fantastic books this year but I think A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay and Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley top the list. I’ve also been enjoying Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year series.
 
I’m not going to talk about disappointing books—everyone has their own tastes, and it’s so damned hard to get anything published, authors deserve support and encouragement.

Steve Dillon is the publisher of Things in the Well – an indie Australian press that produces charity anthologies and single-author collections. Steve has been publishing since 2014. Things in the Well is the latest imprint and has produced close to 30 books with many of them, and their individual stories, nominated for and winning awards; it’s a small press doing big things. Award nominations in 2020 have comprised multiple Bram Stoker Awards, Aurealis Awards, Australasian Shadows Awards and a Shirley Jackson award, with the latter being for Steve Dillon’s novella, ‘Deeper, Darker Things.’  

Steve’s anthologies have included stories by world-renowned horror writers such as Ramsey Campbell and Clive Barker. It’s not unknown either for a Lovecraft, Poe or Shelley story to have slipped into one of the earlier collections.

Louise Zedda-Sampson and Geneve Flynn talk to Steve Dillon about Things in the Well. Thanks, Steve, for talking with us.

How many authors do you think you’ve published?

Steve: Hundreds, certainly, but the great thing is I’ve read even more. Each submission call often attracts hundreds of stories, mostly from authors I’ve never read before, some of whom have had successes with me or elsewhere, and others who I hope will achieve their successes one day. I try to give the right feedback where I can, offering suggestions or encouragement even with my rejections (when I have time) and have hopefully given a leg up here and there.

One of the most memorable was when I published a Charles Dickens story in Between the Tracks. Dickens’s ‘The Signalman’ was out of copyright, but I tracked down and emailed his great, great, great granddaughter, who graciously replied to thank me because I’d asked her blessing to publish it. That was a real ‘lump-in-the-throat’ moment for me, and publishing gives me many of those moments.

Things in the Well is also known to encourage and nurture new authors. How has your vision for Things in the Well grown as you’ve filled out your publishing catalogue?

Steve: After having some success pulling together a book dedicated to Clive Barker’s Nightbreed/Cabal Cut (The Book of the Tribes, 2014), I was confident (and audacious) enough to aim for the highest quality right at the outset, which led to my publishing The Refuge Collection books (36 interwoven stories) between 2015–2017. I’d approached Ramsey Campbell first, then Clive Barker’s folks. I was allowed the use and modification of a Ramsey story, setting it in the fictitious shared world of Refuge, and also allowed to use and modify the Hellraiser LeMarchand box design, thanks to the original designer, the late Simon Sayce. I also incorporated aspects of the Hellraiser mythos into the Refuge story arc. Additional support flowed in from established and emerging authors, all recognising the value of the cause (to aid refugees).

Things in the Well was a natural extension, the first idea being to create a railway-themed anthology (Between the Tracks, 2017) which again garnered the support of Ramsey Campbell and Clive Barker. Christopher Golden joined the ghost train, which just kept rolling from themed book to themed book, eventually forming anthologies in the first series, and many more since. The vision hasn’t really changed. I want to unearth older stories (and their authors), and present these alongside more recent stories (and less well-known authors) to both new and established readers of dark fiction.

Things in the Well have an impressive list of award nominations and wins—congratulations!

Steve: Of course, awards are fantastic; even to be nominated or shortlisted is a huge kind of validation that we’re doing something right as an author or editor or publisher. I’m proud of all the folks who’ve lifted the trophies, or come close to it, whether they’re for a Things in the Well publication or others. But as Jesse Owen said, ‘Gold will tarnish and the ink will fade, but what matters are the dear and good friends you make along the way’—and I’m delighted to say I’ve met some wonderful people who support me or my little crazy publishing company. Thanks to every one of my tribe for that support!

And you know, when people come to me with a story they’d like me to publish, or a collection, or ideas for an anthology, (like you did with Burning Love and Bleeding Hearts, Louise!) or even asking me to co-edit with them, I’m always thrilled and flattered, although lately I’ve had to start turning opportunities away, which is regretful, but I’ve had to do it because I’m feeling like Bilbo Baggins at times, when he said he felt like butter that had been spread too thinly… 

You’ve produced many anthologies that support important charities. What led to this decision? How do you choose which charities to support?

Steve: The Refuge Collection (2015–2017) was in response to the tragedy of the global refugee crisis, and was an attempt to help in some small way, and the books (with the help of 40 contributors and collaborators!) led to Sanctuary Australia Foundation being able to financially support the reunification of three refugee families from war-torn and famine-ridden countries, showing that we could use fictional horror stories to help those living real-world horror stories. Since then the charities have been chosen based on urgency, the latest being to support the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand and the Save the Children Coronavirus Response. Then there’s Trickster’s Treats #4 coming up, of course, which will be for another cause, the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, and that great cause was chosen by the editors.

When the coronavirus restrictions hit Australia around March, your reaction was to create an anthology to support the Save the Children Coronavirus Response.  This submission call, only open for two weeks, turned into a two-volume set—Infected #1, Tales to Read at Home and Infected #2: Tales to Read Alone—because of the number of submissions received. At the time, you were also working with Tabatha Wood on the anthology Black Dogs, Black Tales.  How did you find the time, and why was this important for you to do?

Steve: Pulling a book together over several months is a huge amount of work. Doing two at once from my sickbed during the great pandemic was a bit over-zealous, but in retrospect I think they will be the books that people will most remember. I feel they’ve really captured a moment in our lives when mortality encroached on us all. When we all felt we might die as one collective race. I think when bad news hits, it’s important to find a way through that, and helping others is a proven way to do that. Otherwise, I think I might have curled up into a ball of depression, to be honest.

What is in progress at the moment and what open calls do you have?

Steve: I'm compiling my third (perhaps final?) collection of short stories and poems called Unholy Beginnings and Unhappy Endings which is a hotchpotch of styles, themes, story lengths, ideas, and so on. Some are reprints, many are newly imagined. All are dark. It's actually ready to go but I'm waiting to hear back on a few stories that have been submitted elsewhere to decide if they will be included. I'm also helping Eugene Johnson with Tales of the Lost 2, which is an invitation-only anthology and includes several internationally renowned modern Masters of Horror as well as some homegrown talent from Australia and elsewhere. There's also Lee Murray's seminal collection Grotesque Monster Stories, which is fabulous and includes a new Taine McKenna adventure among other great stories. I'm really proud that Lee chose Things in the Well to publish this one.

I'm putting together what might be my last edited anthology, Outback Horrors, which comprises solely of stories from some of the best writers in Australia and New Zealand.
And, of course, there will be a fourth outing for the Trickster in October!

What’s next for Things in the Well?

I think after this rather exhausting year I might be closing the book on Things in the Well. It's been a dark ride on a ghost train through scary places I never knew existed. But now I need to find something that energises me. Be that focusing on my own writing and painting, or poetry, or just reading, swimming, sightseeing, and generally enjoying life, I'm not sure yet. Who knows, I might squeeze out something next year, but if I do it will be very different to anything I've been involved with to date. 

Thanks, Steve, for taking time to chat with us. You’ve done some great things in your writing, editing and publishing career and we look forward to seeing what you (and the Trickster in you!) get up to next.

Submission details for Trickster’s Treats #4: Coming, Buried or Not! below.

Submissions
Submissions open 15 July and close 31 July AEST. Tricksters Treats #4: Coming, Buried or Not! will be edited by Louise Zedda-Sampson and Geneve Flynn. For this call, we’re looking for things that have been buried, should be buried, could be buried or need to be buried. Undead or barely living? Sure! Buried treasure or buried secret? We want to see it. Whatever it is, dig it up or tamp it down. An element of your story must include the ‘buried’ theme. Scare us with frights, blights, wights, or anything that bites. It is, after all, for Halloween.

You can find the submission requirements at https://thingsinthewell.wordpress.com/open-submissions/