  K.B. Goddard was born and raised in rural Derbyshire. She is a writer of traditional ghost stories and supernatural fiction. Her horror and folklore articles have appeared on The Spooky Isles, and her short stories have been produced as dramatic readings for the Wicked Library podcast. The episode of the Wicked Library featuring her story "Shadows" won the 2017 Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction Story: Small Cast (Short Form). She also penned the opening episode of season 2 of The Lift podcast "The Lost Library", Which was a finalist in the same category. Her work has appeared on Shadows at the Door and she was honoured to be one of the thirteen writers chosen to contribute to their first anthology. She is also one of the writers featured in The Lift's first written anthology. Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself? I think I’ve always known that I wanted to do something related to the arts. When I was 16 I went to college to study Performing Arts, which was a strange choice because I was painfully shy; really it was painful. In some ways it helped to build my confidence, or at least helped me to wear a mask that didn’t show the inner panic. I think I was drawn to the idea of pretending to be someone else for a while: it was more interesting than being me, after all. But it was obvious that I didn’t have the nerve of the stomach for all the travelling and auditioning that acting involves. It took me a long time before I got around to really trying my hand at writing, although I had dabbled and had it in the back of my mind for a while. When I eventually got stuck in I found it a much better fit than acting. Writing is kind of like acting on paper, only you get to be inside the head of all of the characters. Since then I’ve been lucky enough to be featured in anthologies and podcasts. What do you like to do when you're not writing? Until recently I was studying with the Open University and that occupied a lot of my time. For the last year or so I have been crocheting, which is not very in keeping with the horror vibe is it? But it’s very therapeutic. Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing? I’ve always been interested in myths and folklore. Some of my stories do have more of a mythical or folklore feel than a horror feel; there’s always a supernatural element though. Classic detective fiction holds an appeal to me too. I guess it’s something about trying to get to the bottom of a mystery to understand something unknown that appeals to me in all these things. 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 am often in two minds about whether to promote myself as a horror writer for this very reason. Say horror to people nowadays and they will usually think of blood, guts and gore, the slasher movies etc. It is as if the ghost story or traditional supernatural tale has been booted out of the genre altogether. I don’t know, perhaps it should have its own category but book shops and retailers still class it as a subgenre of horror. Personally, I have never really been in to the whole blood and guts type of horror. It has it’s place and its fans and that’s fine but mostly it’s just not for me. I have written stories with some physical violence but it always has a purpose; the violence itself isn’t the driving force of the story. I prefer the subtle chill, the air of slight, creeping unease. I’d like to see this element of the horror genre make a definite comeback. I think if we are going to show people that the horror genre is not all about the gore then we need to show them the alternatives, that horror can have a broad and varied meaning. 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? The increasing influence of technology will probably become more prevalent. I can see a technology-fuelled, dystopian type horror taking hold. Or people may become so disillusioned with the modern world that horror goes the opposite way and goes back to its supernatural roots as a reaction against modernity. Who knows? What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author? The ghost stories of M. R. James were a big influence on me, especially Oh, Whistle And I’ll Come To You, My Lad. The Sherlock Holmes stories also influenced me because it was through them that I found that I really loved the Victorian style of writing that inspired my stories; it was more formal but also more elegant in many ways. I just loved the way the language flowed. I know that style isn’t a hit with a lot of people now but it fascinated me as a 14 year old reading them for the first time. It’s perhaps because I was always fascinated by history too when I was growing up. The historical element added to the escapism, which is something I think I needed, and I think that’s something the best fiction does, takes you out of yourself for a while. I don’t think I’ve ever been heavily influenced by films. I don’t think I have a very visually-orientated imagination, although, my first Victorian ghost story was inspired in part by a film I saw once years ago, called The Asphyx, in which a scientist experimented with ways of storing the soul to prevent death. What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off? I must confess I’m not very good at keeping up with “the new”. By the time I read a book it’s probably been out for years. Ironically, while studying creative writing I had no time for reading anything other than my course materials! So, I have a lot of catching up to do. That said the other year I took part in an anthology project for Shadows at the Door and through that I met a lot of great authors, some more established than others. Likewise, podcasts such as The Wicked Library and The Lift are always showcasing upcoming authors so I’d say many of the authors contributing to those three projects are worth checking out. They are real melting pots for new talent. How would you describe your writing style? Old-fashioned or traditional. At the moment I am mostly writing Victorian-style ghost stories and supernatural tales. Some are traditionally spooky, some are just weird. I write them in a mock-Victorian, but hopefully still very readable, style. Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you? I try not to get hung up on negative reviews, which isn’t always easy. Luckily most people who have reviewed my work have been pretty gentle with me. I did get a 2 star rating once with no review and that was quite deflating because there was no way of knowing what went wrong: did my book fail totally or did I just not tick the boxes they were looking for? You can never please everyone and I am aware that I am writing in quite a niche style in an often overlooked subgenre. One reviewer did once suggest I might be a time traveller, which was a lovely way of saying that I had achieved the style I was going for. What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult? Coming up with new stories ideas and plots. Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? Well, never say never, but I can’t see me ever writing full on slasher fiction or erotic scenes. How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Usually I choose them depending on how they sound and whether I feel like they suit my characters. They also need to be period appropriate for my Victorian stories. Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years? Well, I feel like it’s still quite early days for me as I got off to a slow start and I’m quite a slow worker. I’ve been experimenting with different lengths of work: I wrote my first novella last year. Since then I’ve been studying and thinking in more detail about the use of the senses in creating the feel of a scene, which is hopefully something that will show through in my future work. Because I don’t think in a very visual way I want to explore the role of the other senses more to add depth to my work. After all. The best supernatural fiction is often about the unseen. What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers? It seems an obvious thing to say but primarily pen, paper and imagination. These days a computer is pretty essential, of course. Often, though, it can be easier to let your thoughts fly when writing by hand; you’re not so fixated on editing. You can always tweak it when you type it up. That way it hits the computer keyboard with the first edit done. I often like to draft an awkward scene by hand. I don’t know why but sometimes it feels more natural. With a pen and a notebook you can also easily write down a sudden spark of inspiration when it hits. What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing? Don’t give up. Getting your work noticed is one of the hardest things for a writer to achieve, how have you tried to approach this subject? I use Facebook and Twitter. I used to keep a blog too, but I’m taking a break from that; it wasn’t really something I excelled at and never got much traffic. I have probably gained more notice via submitting stories to podcasts and articles to a horror and folkore website. I have Goodreads too but I’m not a natural at promotion! It is certainly a challenge. To many writers, the characters they write become like children, who is your favourite child, and who is your least favourite to write for and why? As most of my stories so far have been shorts, I haven’t had chance to really bond with many characters. The character of Algernon Hunter has recurred in a few stories so he’s an obvious one. I gave him a wife who I would like to do more with; she has psychic powers but struggles with them, so I think I could have fun developing her and seeing who she is once she’s in control of her gift. I think a character I wrote who was an internet troll was kind of nasty to write because he was just such a horrible person. Likewise, the husband in my novella was a creepy character. What piece of your own work are you most proud of? Probably a short story I wrote called Reflections on a Malady. It was my first Victorian ghost story and it’s still one of my favourites. And are there any that you would like to forget about? I could not possibly comment. For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your books do you think best represents your work and why? Probably A Spirited Evening and Other Stories. It has one of my favourites in it. It was my first book and was written as a homage to the classic ghost story. I think it captures the feel of the old fashioned ghost story pretty well for the traditionalists out there. Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us? “She sighed and picked up her necklace from the dressing table and held it to her throat. The metal was cold against her skin, and she shivered as it touched her neck. The clasp was awkward, and she struggled for a few moments, becoming increasingly frustrated. She contemplated finding Maria or a maid to assist her. Suddenly her frustration gave way to terror. This time it was not the touch of metal that caused her to shiver but the touch of hands! Cold, invisible hands took the necklace from her and fastened the clasp. She sat motionless, too terrified even to scream, as she felt the phantom fingers move around her throat; she thought they meant to strangle her, but after a moment’s pressure they released their grip and moved downwards, coming to rest on her shoulders. She felt their evil caress and a sensation as of breath against her neck.” Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next? My last book was a Victorian, gothic novella called The Girl With The Roses: A Tale From The Haunted Auctions. It is about a young woman who is married off to a rich widower. She finds herself isolated and surrounded by strange things and starts asking herself what happened to this man’s first wife. I’ve also just had a story published as part of The Lift’s first written anthology; there are definitely some horror elements in my tale. As for upcoming projects, I’m planning for a new collection of ghost stories. If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice? The reliance on physical violence and the idea that if someone isn’t brutally murdered or tortured it isn’t horror. What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you? I’ve just read Carnacki The Ghost Finder. I really enjoyed that, a nice mix of horror and mystery. Not a horror book but The Watchmaker of Filigree Street gave me a very slight feeling of disappointment. It had some interesting ideas but ultimately I felt the premise actually played a tiny role in the story and it just petered out and didn’t really go anywhere, which was a shame. Still, I enjoyed reading it. What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do? And what would be the answer? Can we make your ghost stories into a series for Christmas on the BBC? My answer: Let’s talk! Please follow the links below for more information Twitter: www.twitter.com/kbgoddard Facebook: www.facebook.com/kbgoddard Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8514985.K_B_Goddard Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/kbgoddard  
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