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Articles Interviews Women in Horror Month

Interview – Colin Harker

How long have you been writing for?

I’ve been writing ever since I can remember. When I was a kid, I mostly wrote fantasy imitative of Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles and Susan Cooper’s Dark Is Rising series, then detective fiction when I became obsessed with Agatha Christie. I didn’t begin to seriously commit myself to horror until I turned 15 and read Lovecraft and Robert Bloch for the first time.

 

What is it about horror that made you think ‘This is the genre for me’?

When I was a kid, I was absurdly easy to terrify. Edgar Allan Poe’s tales and Roger Corman’s adaptations of them traumatized me for months on end. I read Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black in one night and wasn’t able to sleep, it haunted me so deeply. I was, in other words, ridiculously sensitive to even the slightest stimulant of terror.  Then I found an anthology with one of Robert Bloch’s stories — his blend of humor and horror really appealed to me and made the terror more palatable while not robbing it of its visceral strength. Lovecraft’s writing, both his fiction and his essay on the supernatural, was the final revolution of my metamorphoses. He articulated the genre’s philosophical and spiritual implications, its ability to open the reader up to the perception of eerie, alien phenomena outside the realm of ordinary experience, more clearly and eloquently than any writer since Edmund Burke in his transformative theory of sublime terror. All of a sudden, the genre’s power didn’t seem like something wholly chaotic: or if it was chaotic, there was a spiritual dimension to this terrifying yet somehow pleasurable chaos that I wanted to understand and harness. At the age of 15, I began to write stories that were basically pastiches of Lovecraftian horror and even though they weren’t very good, I think I learned a lot as a writer from these early experiments. After that, I began to mature into my own peculiar brand of horror, though I like to think that I still have a touch of these early influences.

 

Any tips for combating writer’s block? 

As someone who struggles with it quite a lot, especially during the editing stage, I am still working to find the most effective cure-all for this problem myself. However, I’ve found that it’s best to know when to quit the field with a project and try something different. There’s a lot to be said for returning to a frustrating project with fresh eyes rather than try and force it into submission. Another thing that I’ve found helpful is to channel your current obsessions or interests into a project: experiment with trying to write in the voice of a favorite writer, or capturing the atmosphere of a scene in a film that you enjoyed. It’s surprising how returning to early exercises in imitation that young writers engage in quite frequently can still be of invaluable use to maturer writers who have hit a creative roadblock.

 

Any rituals you have before starting a new story?

Besides, of course, making certain that I’m nicely caffeinated, I like to write a short blurb-like paragraph with the basic plot of the story so that I feel like I have something of a guideline. I don’t like to outline too much with short stories because that takes away the spirit of improvisation and can rob the process of its creative energy. Novels are a bit different — it’s good to have at least a skeletal outline of each chapter. Then, for both short stories and novels, I like to think of three or four distinct images or impressions that I want to depict in the story and write these down. I like to think of them as guiding nodes that allow me to remember vividly what kind of atmosphere I’m trying to generate. I have a very cinematic imagination, probably due to watching too many movies, and so usually for me these take the form of brief “scenes” or “stills” from an imagined production of my story. These nodes also allow me to vividly imagine my characters as physical beings inhabiting a particular world.

 

How do you handle character creation?

I find using Dungeons and Dragons character sheets helpful but it’s fun to see the many ways other people go about this.  I too find RPG manuals to be creatively stimulating! I love paging through my Call of Cthulhu guidebook for ideas on monsters and villains in particular. I find that my sources of inspiration tend to be varied: sometimes a particular actor will serve as the physical inspiration for a character’s movements and mannerisms, while a character in a novel will serve as an insight into a character’s psyche. I play “what if” a lot while I watch movies and read books and often I’ll see certain characters in fairly typical situations and wonder what that same type of character would do in a wholly unrelated situation. History, too, provides a wealth of inspiration. The villainous Judge Complin in my serial Gothic novel The Cost of a Rose, for instance, is loosely based on Thomas Burnet, an early 18th-century hanging judge and libertine, infamous for his sardonic and wittily blasphemous sense of humor.

 

Any projects coming up (or currently out) you’d like to share with us?

I’m currently working on editing a final draft of a Gothic horror novel set in 17th century Scotland called The Feast of the Innocents. It involves grisly, ritualistic murders; a sinister, social-climbing chimney-sweeper; and a young hero with a mysterious past, on the run from a bloodthirsty assassin-torturer. I’m also, of course, continuing my serial Gothic thriller The Cost of a Rose on my blog, which features a young servant falsely accused of murder and tormented and pursued by his arch-enemy, the sadistic Judge Complin. It’s all very Sadean — something like the adult, Gothic version of A Series of Unfortunate Events. I am also working on several short stories — one, a reimagining of Jonathan Harker’s encounter with Dracula’s brides and the other a dystopian sci-fi horror tale.

 

How can we support your work?

Visit my blog  and leave a comment if you enjoy what you read — reader encouragement truly means so much. Of course, if you’re an agent or know an agent who would be interested in a 17th century Gothic horror tale with large doses of folk horror, grisly terror, and brooding atmosphere, do let me know!

 

I’ve noticed quite a few Silent Hill nods in your writing; do you have a favourite game in the series?

Well, firstly, thank you for saying so as that’s quite a compliment. I’ve always admired the atmosphere and masterful blend of supernatural and psychological horror in that franchise. If I had to choose a favorite game, well, that’s a bit difficult. I’ve only played through Silent Hill 3 myself, though I’ve watched playthroughs of the other games. I guess that 2 & 3 hold a special place in my heart: I love the Dantean horror of Silent Hill 2 as each character confronts some manifestation of their past guilts and traumas, but I also love the Lovecraftian horror of Silent Hill 3 which has a stronger emphasis on the sinister cult at the heart of the town’s history.

 

What about ‘gothic horror’ drew you in so much? You’re one of my favourite authors currently dealing with truly gothic tales.

Thank you so much! As you probably guessed from my Silent Hill reply, I am very drawn to horror that has a strong emphasis on atmosphere — that is, the texture of a particular setting. I think that the Gothic, with its emphasis on history, landscape, and larger-than-life characters really foregrounds atmosphere and gives it a symbolic and emotional resonance. Castles, for instance, aren’t just dwellings in Gothic novels — they’re symbolic of a dark past, of the character of their past and present owners, and of some sinister and inescapable power. Indeed, everything in the Gothic is alive with some kind of malignant power and meaning and mystery. As a kid, I was always drawn to the paperback Gothic romances that I would find in used bookstores, as well as the Gothic writings of Poe and Hawthorne. As I grew older and read the British Gothic novels of Matthew Lewis, Ann Radcliffe, William Godwin, and Charles Robert Maturin, my love for the genre was confirmed. Moreover, I’ve always been drawn to historical settings, particularly 17th and 18th century Britain, and my love for setting horror tales in the past makes the Gothic a natural habitation for me. There is a stylistic attraction as well: my novel The Cost of a Rose could, of course, be set in modern times with a few tweaks and adjustments, but it would be a bit trickier to have those same grandiose flourishes of language and setting — and I think the Gothic, with its love for exuberance, gives me an opportunity to really play with prose as poetry.

 

Any advice to people just starting out in their writing careers?

Keep trying and don’t be too hard on yourself if there are times in your life when inspiration runs dry. I know that common wisdom often dictates that a writer should write every day, but sometimes due to other responsibilities or the fickleness of the Muse, that’s simply not possible. Just do the best you can and remember that there’s more to writing than getting words down. Reading history and literature, listening to inspirational and evocative music, communing with kindred spirits, is essential as well. No great writer ever writes in a vacuum.

You can find Colin on twitter here

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Articles Interviews Women in Horror Month

Interview – Jackie Perez

You’re working on an adaptation of Beachworld, what can you tell us about it?

Beachworld is one of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies, stories he grants students and emerging filmmakers film options to in order to “try their hands” at one of his works. He is my favorite author (Flannery O’Connor is a close second) and I grew up reading his books and loving scary stories and horror movies.  Beachworld is a sci-fi/horror story that delves into the psyche of a woman named Shapiro who crash lands on a desolate planet of sand dunes, and whose companion Rand is going insane. The look of the film is retro 2001 A Space Odyssey meets surreal Burning Man.  King fans will find that my adaptation is very different from King’s original. One obvious change is that my version has women and King’s does not.  It’s so important to have representation on screen so I made some of the characters, including the lead, female and I’m really excited to cast their roles.  The other big change is that I completely changed the ending.  The original ended on much too happy a note for me, so I added some dark twists and more blood.  You can never have too much in a horror film!  Whether you’ve read the original or not, you’ll be in for a surprise.
Why this story specifically?
It’s definitely not the easiest story to shoot but living in LA, we’re just a few hours from the Imperial Sand Dunes which are the largest dunes in the state of California. I couldn’t pass up the amazing setting!  Besides having the perfect location for this story, I was really drawn to the theme of isolation. I used to be in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer and know what it’s like to be in the middle of the ocean with no other vessels in sight or on radar. It’s a little scary even when you’re on a ship with 300 other people.  There’s no quick rescue if something goes wrong. In all the stories I write, I love exploring the types of people we become when shit hits the fan. No matter who much we’ve trained or prepared, in emergencies some people step up and others shut down. I took this story and explored what it would be like for someone who is stranded with no rescue in sight.  What type of person do they become faced with that situation?
You’ve mentioned to me that the crew will be 50% female on the project. We love this idea. Why was this important?
Women are 51% of the world’s population and yet sorely underrepresented both on screen and behind the camera in our industry.  I’m a huge believer in the phrase “if you can see it you can be it” and for way too long, women have been relegated to the back seat while men take the wheel.  It all started back in the late 1920’s when sound was introduced to films, and movies started becoming a legitimate money making industry.  Hollywood went from a town full of female powerhouses like Francis Marian, Lois Weber, and June Mathis to the female filmmaking desert we see even today.  That’s not to say the talent and experience isn’t out there.  There’s so many amazing, talented women who are great at their jobs but not enough people give them a chance to show off their skills.  I want my team to reflect the world we live in, inclusive of as many voices as possible because good ideas come from a diverse set of experiences.  We’ve spent way too long living in a world where our voices and opinions are less important, and I want to do what I can as a story creator and job creator to push the scale towards a more equal future.

You were a nuclear engineer before you became a screenwriter, I have no question about it I just think that’s really friggin’ cool.
I got to yell things like “Scram the reactor!”
You won Screamfest LA’s Best Un-Produced Screenplay. How long after the transition from Engineer to Screenwriter did that happen? I imagine that must have been validation that you made the right choice?
It was a huge validation! I actually found out about my win while I was in New Zealand on my Honeymoon.  I came out to LA right after the Navy wanting to stretch my creative side but not sure what I was going to be.  I could never think outside the box in nuclear engineering which is why I wanted a change.  I loved watching movies (especially horror) and finally recognized that it was a business and people made movies as a career.  That had never really clicked for me as I headed into undergrad at MIT, but I made several short films there after hearing Eli Roth speak at a Hostel Q&A and him telling someone to just go out and do it, film school isn’t a necessity. So I took his advice and wrote my own scripts, wrangled friends to act, and shot some shorts!
Once I made it to LA, I spent two years working in development learning the business side of the industry before I started falling in love with screenwriting.  I took a foundational screenwriting class for military veterans through the Writers Guild Foundation and decided to pursue a Masters to build my craft. I worked towards my MFA in a low-residency program via Stephens College and worked at a production company concurrently to keep learning the biz. My winning script U-666 was written during my final school year under the mentorship of writer/director Gus Krieger who taught me so much about writing horror.  It was just over 4 years from my career 180 from nuclear engineer to screenwriter that I won at Screamfest. Now I can’t imagine myself doing anything else!  That being said, I am still in the Navy Reserve and do Science and Engineering outreach as the Navy’s West Coast City Outreach Officer.  I am also the Director of Grants for Veterans in Media and Entertainment.  So while I consider myself first and foremost a screenwriter, I have a lot of things going on!  I love directing when I can, seeing my vision through to the very end but screenwriting I can do anywhere, anytime as long as I have a pen and paper.  The creative freedom is really freeing.
What can you tell us about the people on the crew for Beachworld?
I have such an amazing team!  We are all huge Stephen King fans and so excited to bring his story to life.  There are a lot of military veterans working on this, including our Producer Brian Campeau, and Executive Producers Karen Kraft and Rebecca Murga.  They have decades of experience between the three of them from producing for Discovery (Karen) to shadowing in the Ryan Murphy HALF Foundation and Disney/ABC Directing program (Rebecca).  Needless to say, I’m really thrilled to have their support!  I met our visionary Cinematographer Gareth Taylor at a Film Independent mixer and we hit it off over our love for King.  Lenny Vallone is another one of our producers at OneNinth and has been tremendous nailing down our budget.  Our inventive production designer Kaeleigh Morrison just came off of Glow and Criminal Minds and is a whiz with social media too!  My best friend Erin Feller is going to help capture all the crazy behind the scenes moments and unit stills, and my husband Jon Paris is a pro at problem solving, jumping in wherever he can help.  We haven’t locked in cast yet but we have started talking with some amazing actors and will be posting our cast and crew updates on our Facebook page!

What advice can you give to other people who are thinking of getting started in screenwriting?
Try it out!  Take a class or certificate program.  If you are LA-based there are so many programs you can enroll in and if you are outside of LA, there is a wealth of resources online.  Read books about screenwriting.  I have two shelfs dedicated reference books on screenwriting and directing.  I also have library cards with the LA, Burbank, and San Diego public library systems!  I’m currently reading William Goldman’s Adventures in the Screen Trade. Not only is he one of the greatest screenwriters ever, he holds a special place in my heart because he wrote the screenplay for Stephen King’s Misery!  It’s my favorite King adaptation.  Read screenplays, watch movies, and write.  William Faulkner gave the best writing advice when he said “Don’t be a writer, be writing.”  I have that on a sticky above my desk.

We love what you’re planning for Beachworld and think it’s fantastic that you’re so keen on having so many women on your crew. What advice can you give to other women who want to make the leap to horror?  
The horror community is really supportive, which I love.  Make friends in person or through social media with women (and men!) working in horror and support their work.  When you make the leap, remember that you can help create a more inclusive industry by how you write your characters or hire your crew.  You have a lot of power!  Wield it fiercely and unapologetically.  And remember, no one knows anything and there’s no such thing as too much blood.
You can get Beachworld updates at www.facebook.com/beachworldfilm and follow Jackie Perez on twitter at @jackierageperez
Categories
Articles Interviews Women in Horror Month

Interview – Kaitlin Statz

One of the things I enjoy most about The White Vault is the variety
of characters. The fact that they’re all from diverse backgrounds adds a
level of realism to a research team. How did you go about coming up with this concept?

I didn’t feel as though I was creating something new when I decided upon the characters and their backgrounds. I created the characters required to tell the story and weave an intricate story of found-footage and missing information. Similarly to your statement, I feel it is far more fictional to believe a research team on Svalbard would be filled with nothing but broody Americans!

When I was doing my graduate research, the people in the lab and the fellow students next to me in seminars hailed from around the world. Research and scientific pursuits are not limited to English-speaking countries or single-minded academic Lonely Hearts with a dark romantic past.

I attempted to create the people I’ve met, worked with, befriended, and hated.  Wonderful people all their own who would have a reason to go home, wherever that home may be.

 

Do you have a process for character creation? I personally use
Dungeons and Dragons character sheets, it’s a trick I stole from an
author friend (Charity Langley) and find it allows me to think of things
I normally wouldn’t.
 

Though I do play D&D and love the process of character creation there, I take a very different track for my writing pursuits. I have a booklet where each person is given a page, starting with simple information, and then I look at the same questions people are told to ask about their own lives.

-What are their goals?

-What are their favorite things?

-What do they want out of this stage of their life?

-What have they learned recently that will influence future choices?

I do leave some things unwritten, as I never know when I’ll need to weave in a new memory or reaction, and because I can never write down everything.

 

I love the sense of isolation and dread that the show evokes, the
episodes are always a perfect length and I usually have to stop working
(Sorry boss) when I’m listening to the episodes. Is isolation something
that personally scares you?

There are certain people I would never wish to be isolated from, and I feel less frightened of isolation than I do imprisonment. I’ve always enjoyed exploration, hiking, seeing the world, and I draw much of my inspiration from my travels. I don’t mind hiking through the woods with two or three other people, cutting us off from others and used to enjoy long solitary walks home through Swedish forests in the winter. What I fear is the bunker, the prison it creates in the storm. The idea that this may be the last place I’d ever get to see. That’s terrifying for me.

 

Do you have any special routines when you write? Certain music you
have to listen to? A special room?

Tea and quiet. A hot pot of tea on my desk or side table is the sign I’m about to sit down to write.

If I am going to work for hours at a time writing page after page, I only remember to get up and stretch when I go to pour another cup and nothing comes out.

I’m also a very heavy researcher, so I’ll try to have all my information up and ready before I begin. If I take a moment to Google a bit of information, I don’t know how long I’ll be stuck in the abyss of the Internet.

 

You also write for Liberty, which is a Science-Fiction podcast. Do you
have a preference between Sci-Fi and horror when it comes to writing?

I prefer writing horror, but I’ve written a few pieces in several genres. My preference for writing horror is why we started the Liberty: Tales from the Tower series, where I get to blend our sci-fi world with it’s own mythos of terror.  Liberty: Critical Research has some scary elements here and there, but it is far more a tale of survival and understanding.

Writing horror feels more visceral. I want to wiggle my words under my listeners’ skin, have them thinking about it while cooking dinner or when they’re stepping out of the shower on a dark night. That’s a goal, and I’ll strive to reach it. Just as a comedian wants people to laugh.

 

What is your favorite genre to read?

Horror.

To be a writer, you have to write.

To be a good writer, you have to read, write, and practice.

I read horrors, new and old, short stories to novels, and when I’m working or driving I’ll listen to horror audiobooks and horror podcasts. I’m a consumer storytelling.

But, when it dawns on me that I should take a break from horror, I tend to enjoy high fantasy.

 

Are there any tropes you actively look to avoid in your writing?

I try to avoid a collection of tropes I lump together as the ‘idiotic characters’.

It’s okay to create someone who is naïve, someone with a healthy amount of disbelief, but when faced with changes to their life they should react accordingly.
If your friend comes screaming down the hill saying something attacked her, she’s bleeding and wide-eyed, I don’t care if she’s drunk or high, you don’t wander into the woods looking for the thing. You drive her to a hospital, or lock yourself in the car until you are sober enough to drive.

When I’m writing and I think to myself ‘Why are they doing this? This is idiotic’, I have to assess if this is their only option. The circumstances have to reach extremes before intelligent adults make poor choices and I prefer to write intelligent characters.

 

Do you have any projects coming up we should be on the lookout for?

Yes and no. Season 2 of The White Vault is going to release in October of 2018. Also, we have a mini-series spin-off for The White Vault called ‘Artifact’ that will release to patrons and supporters in a few months.

As the writer for Fool and Scholar Productions, I can say that we are working on several new ideas, but they are still mysterious, lurking in the shadows until the time is right.

 

You can find Kaitlin on Twitter here

You can find The White Vault on twitter here

You can support Kaitlin’s work through Patreon here

 

Categories
Articles Interviews Women in Horror Month

Interview – Lou Yardley

How long have you been writing for?

On and off for as long as I could read and write, but in 2016 I decided to make a proper go of it. I’d taken part in NaNoWriMo a couple of times in the years before that (with varying levels success), but I hadn’t written anything that I thought I’d could share with someone else. By the time 2016 rolled around, I’d completed a 4 year degree and found myself in desperate need of a project. The novel I began writing in that year’s NaNoWriMo became that project. Wow, that wasn’t a straightforward answer, was it?

What is it about horror that made you think ‘This is the genre for me’?

I’ve always been drawn to the darker things in life. I don’t think I’m evil or anything like that, but when I first watched Star Wars, I rooted for Darth Vader and when I watched He-Man, I wanted Skeletor to win. The baddies just always seemed so much more interesting than the good guys. It’s like the goodies were bound by a set of rules, while the baddies were free to do as they pleased. There’s a song by Greensky Bluegrass called “Burn Them” that goes “What a relief from the pressure to just be hated / And learn that being bad ain’t nothing but a pleasure”. There’s something in that idea that’s rather appealing.

Anyway, when I discovered horror (largely through this dude called Stephen King…. I wonder if anyone’s ever heard of him?), I was able to really embrace this darkness. BUT, rather than rooting for the baddies, I discovered characters. King’s characters are rarely completely good or completely bad (I mean, Pennywise is just a being that has to feed, right? Everybody’s gotta eat…), they just make decisions that can be perceived as being good or bad. Horror, for me, is not about the body count or the blood, guts and gore (although I do like those things to feature heavily in the stories I read and write), it’s about human beings. It’s about being human. It’s about how fear can either drive us to being extremely heroic or can see us running to the hills. Whenever I read a horror story or watch a movie, I ask myself what I would do in that situation. Sometimes I’d do what the character is doing, others I wouldn’t. I’d love to say that I’d always fight against the big baddie, but, more often than not, I’d probably just end up hiding in a cupboard or something.

Any tips for combatting writer’s block?

HIT IT WITH A SPOON!

I have two ways of combating writer’s block: Stop writing or keep writing. That seems like the least helpful answer in the world, but trust me.

If I’m really stuck and I have other things I can do, I’ll stop writing. I’ll go for a walk, or read a book or talk to my cats about their plans for world domination. Then, the next day, I’ll go back to it and find that the words are miraculously there. It’s some kind of witchcraft… I don’t know how it works… maybe I sold my soul to Skeletor when I was a child…

The second option is to just power through it and keep writing no matter what. Even if it’s complete gibberish about how much a character likes spaghetti (maybe it reminds them of our lord and saviour Cthulu? Mmm… tentacles… )…. it usually serves to wake up the creative muscles again. Fair enough, you do have to delete a load of words afterwards, but it does work.

Any rituals you have before starting a new story?

This is disappointingly boring, but… No. Sorry!

How do you handle character creation? I find using Dungeons and Dragons character sheets helpful but it’s fun to see the many ways other people go about this.

I’m not sure if this makes sense, but my characters already tend to be pretty full in my head before I start writing. Sure, I find out things about them along the way, but I usually have a good idea of what they look like and how they act straightaway. Most of the time this is the bit that’s clearest in my head… I’m one of those people who tends to make it up as they go along when it comes to plot (I know how I want it to end, I just haven’t planned out the journey yet), so my stories are character and situation driven. I often find that new characters crop up along the way and, when that happens, I’ll start with a name and the character will develop around that.

Any projects coming up (or currently out) you’d like to share with us?

I do!

I have a series called “The Others” that currently has two novels in it (“The Other’s Voice” and “The Others: A Bleak Reflection”). A third and final installment will be along within the next year or so. I also have a novella called “Jingle Bells” and a short story called “Lydia”. Oh, and there’s a piece of flash fiction called “Wasted Time” that’s lurking out there on the internet somewhere.

But, the project I’m most excited about is called “Hellhound”. I’m in the editing phase of it at the moment and I’m hoping to publish it later this year. I’ve had a great time writing it, so I hope it’s as much fun to read as it was to write.

How can we support your work?

My stories are available digitally from loads of places, including Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, etc. Just go to your favourite store and search for “Lou Yardley”. If I’m not there, let me know! Print books are currently only available from Amazon, louyardley.com and CreateSpace. I’m planning to try a different distribution method with “Hellhound” as it would be wonderful to see it in some bricks and mortar stores.

If you don’t want to buy a book yet (or if you have them already – if so, thank you!) then it would be great if you could follow me on Twitter (I’m @LouciferSpeaks) or give me a ‘like’ on Facebook – http://facebook.com/louyardley. Shares and retweets are always appreciated. Plus, reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and other eBook retailers are fab!

Any advice to people just starting out in their writing careers?

 

I’m still starting out myself, so I’m by no means an expert. But, I would say this:

 

  1. Give it a go, you’ll probably surprise yourself.
  2. Be active on social media, but not TOO active. You need time to write!
  3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Pretty much every author I’ve communicated with online has been amazing.
  4. If people do help you, remember to thank them.
  5. Be excellent to each other.

 

Categories
Articles Interviews Women in Horror Month

Interview – Jennifer McCarthy

How did you get the idea for Final Girl Designs?

I have always loved horror. The concept of the final girl has always resonated with me. I recently wrote a blog about it which you can find here https://finalgirldesigns.wordpress.com/.

I have been making jewellery for over 20years. My love for horror was reignited when I started going to the Rock and Shock convention in Worcester, MA. Things kind of clicked into place for me and it just  made sense to bring my two passions together.

Do you have a favourite piece that you’ve made?

I don’t have a specific favorite piece. But, I love to incorporate vintage materials into my work. My favorite thing to do is breathe new life into old broken and neglected jewellery.

I love the aesthetic behind your pieces, how do you go about crafting your designs?

Thank you! My work is assemblage, I find cool things and put them together to make other cool things. I source my materials from around the world and make my designs based on what I find. A lot of what is on the site now has a weaponry theme.That was the first place my mind went when thinking of a final girl jewellery concept.But, spooky things in general make me happy so I make what speaks to me. The important thing to me is that I make original things. You can get Jason mask stuff anywhere. My designs have a distinct style that you will not find just anywhere.

How can we support your work?

Please visit my website and my blog

How long does it take to make each piece?

The actual assemblage doesn’t really take that long. But, if I have a design in mind and I need a specific element for it I will search high and low until I find exactly what I want. That can take hours and hours. I have a specific bracelet design right now that needs a certain finishing touch that I have been searching for for months.

Any special products coming out in the next little while our readers should be aware of?

I am working on putting together some cameo necklaces that will be out after my Halloween collection comes down.

I also wanted to mention that the Movie Crypt podcast with Adam Green and Joe Lynch has played a huge role in my current creative path. Hearing the struggles and successes of other artists has been very motivating. I recently had the opportunity to donate to their Save a Yorkie charity podcast they did in December. They held a silent auction. It was an honor just to see my jewellery on the auction site with Hatchet props and all the other cool movie memorabilia and other stuff. Adam and Joe were gracious enough to give me a special thank you in episode 241 where they interview MJ Bassett. To be able to connect with artists you respect and look up to and have them appreciate your work is the most amazing feeling in the world.