Category: Interviews

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Archives Interviews Women in Horror Month

Interview with Valeska Griffiths of Grim Magazine and Anatomy of a Scream

Where did the idea to start Anatomy of a Scream come from?

I’ve always been pretty fascinated with the darker side of life. My mother loved horror, and I have vivid memories of both hiding from the films she used to watch and sneakily trying to see them for myself. I grew up obsessed with Stephen King novels, 90s teen horror and slashers, ghost stories, and the paranormal. AOAS began as just a quiet, personal blog, where I could practice non-academic writing and have an excuse to watch movies. It kind of grew from there, as I wanted to start featuring the work of other writers who could offer feminist takes on genre film, as well as highlighting the work of women in the industry. Another goal of mine is to promote Canadian film, so we tend to cover indie Canadian productions and filmmakers as well.

AOAS also launched during a low time in my life – I’d just graduated, was having trouble finding a job right away, and was in an unhealthy relationship that was taking a toll on my self-worth. Creative projects have always been a soothing balm for my soul at times like that – at all times, really. I’m not genuinely happy unless I’m working on something.

 

How long has the website been around for?

We’re coming up on the second anniversary of Anatomy of a Scream this May. For the first year or so, I was the sole writer for the site. I asked Suri Parmar and CC Stapleton to join the site last summer, and then added Michelle Swope to the roster. The solo blog became more of a team effort in terms of content, and I picked up the editing duties in addition to my writing. I also started accepting pitches from guest contributors. As we’ve added new writers and expanded the content, we’ve started to really build an audience, which is very exciting. It’s wonderful to know that there are horror fans looking for different voices and perspectives, who are seeking us out.

 

What are your plans for the future of the website?

I’d like for the site to continue to grow and to build up a community of readers who value the perspectives we offer. We actually just brought on two very talented new writers, Alejandra Gonzalez and Joe Lipsett. They’ve pitched a few intriguing ideas already. I’m excited to see how their involvement and contributions will shape the future of the site.

 

You also started Grim Magazine. I had the pleasure of reading an early edition of the first issue and enjoy where you’re taking it. What was the inspiration behind starting the magazine?
The way that I pitched it initially was the same way that I pitched Anatomy of a Scream; a cross between Bitch and Fangoria. I wanted to have a horror focus, but take a more critical, intersectional feminist approach to it. To that end, I made it a goal to seek out and feature a diverse group of voices and perspectives. I wanted to offer content that looked at horror in a way that differed from a lot of the mainstream horror coverage, giving space to viewpoints and opinions that aren’t often showcased.

I think that representation is really important. If some horror fans are able to find content in Grim that they’re able to really relate to and can’t find anywhere else, that’s wonderful. If others find content that makes them look at certain films, tropes, or even costuming choices in a new way and opens them up to new ideas, that’s also great.

I think another reason for starting Grim was the fact that I was too nervous to pitch pieces to magazines like Rue Morgue, so starting my own magazine seemed like the easier path! <laughs>

 

Can you tell us about some of the hardships that come with running a website/magazine that exists to put the emphasis onto Women, LGBTQ and People of Colour? I’ve done promotions and themed events in the past through this website and although they were well received by the general community, there was some backlash from people who felt they were being excluded.

Just this morning I was called racist and sexist by a man who believes that, by putting a focus on underrepresented voices, I’m promoting “segregation and alienation of half of the population”. He was angry because I declined to accept copies of his self-published book to review. (We actually don’t even review fiction in Grim, just film and horror theory texts. Ironically, our book reviewer is actually a white man.) There are always going to be people who feel entitled to space on every platform, because society has socialized them to believe that they belong everywhere. Generally, arguing with these people leads nowhere, particularly because many of the people espousing these views don’t actually respect women at all. I’m trying to develop a thicker skin and a certain level of insouciance when these situations come up.

 

One thing I enjoyed about Grim was the layout, as a web developer I can kind of understand the work and frustration that goes along with formatting and presenting something. How difficult was it to get everything looking the way you wanted?

On one hand, it was a labour of love, so I cherished every minute of it. On another hand — don’t get me started. I actually had to design the digital and print versions on two separate programs from scratch, because the proprietary software for the publishing site wouldn’t export high-quality PDFs. So, all of the work that you imagine went into the magazine? Multiply that by two. I was also a little limited by the fact that I’m not skilled at creating graphics from scratch, so the magazine had to do without the added flourishes of custom graphics. Instead, I tried to create a clean, pleasing aesthetic using the tools at my disposal: colour, spacing, fonts, and images. This goal would have been better reached if I’d been able to plan out the editorial content logistics a little bit better, but it’s a learning experience. I’m excited to continue building these skills in future issues.

 

What can we expect in future issues of Grim?

Well, our next issue is going to be slasher-themed, and I’ve already received (and accepted) a few pitches that I’m rather stoked about. You can expect us to continue featuring content that applies different gazes to the genre that we all love.

 

Any rituals or superstitions you have before you begin writing? Need a special chair? Can’t start until x amount of seconds into a certain song?

Obviously, there is the stereotypical writer ritual – the ever-present cup of coffee. I also really prefer a tidy workspace. Maybe it’s because I write better when not surrounded by clutter, or maybe I just enjoy the ten minutes of procrastination that I get from cleaning. Oh, and I always write while wearing Mark Duplass’s Peachfuzz mask from Creep. That’s important.

 

Any advice for our readers who may be thinking about starting their own horror website or magazine?

Yes!

  1. Focus on the things that you do best and outsource the things that you need to outsource. Bringing on Joe Lipsett as a copy editor for Grim was the smartest thing that I did, especially once I stopped pre-editing the pieces before sending them to him and just trusted him to do his thing. Not only did he do an amazing job, but it allowed me to focus on the billion other tasks that I had to do, like following up with sponsors and other writers, researching licence-free fonts, working on social media marketing, and the enormous task of layout.
  2. Research all vendors before committing. Don’t make the same mistake I did with the aforementioned design software. If you’re self-publishing, research the different avenues available. Research digital subscription services. Research hosting. Make sure that your bases are covered before you commit any amount of time or money.
  3. Network, network, network. Even if you have social anxiety.

 

Valeska Griffiths – Anatomy of a Scream and Grim Magazine

 

Valeska can be found on twitter here

Grim Magazine can be found on twitter here

Anatomy of a Scream can be found on twitter here

Categories
Articles Interviews

Interview with Author Baylea Hart

*How long have you been writing for?*

I’ve been writing since I was about seven years old. I remember being given an old computer with a word processor that I would spend hours typing on in my bedroom. Around that time I also created a little book, made with paper I stapled together, that I put on my classroom bookshelf. It was about a man who killed children on their birthdays, creatively titled The Birthday Man. I coloured it in myself and everything, though no one read it.

I can’t imagine why.

*How many rejections did you receive before you first became published
and how did you stay motivated?*

Before this novel, I mainly sent off for short story collections. I don’t remember how many rejections, but I know there were quite a few. Luckily, a lot of the feedback I got was to send in another story the next time I had something, which made me feel better even if it was just a canned response. It’s hard to stay motivated sometimes, and I go through periods of hating my work. I think the best thing to do it write for yourself. If you get published at the end? Hey, great! If not, you’ve written a whole story and that’s fantastic.

*Favorite Author and book when you were a child?*

My favourite author was Stephen King! My mother used to give me his books to read because I would read children’s books so fast. I think I must have been 11 when I started. Back then, my favourite was Dreamcatcher. The toilet scene made me afraid to use the bathroom for weeks.

*What music do you listen to when you write?*

Oh, all sorts! Before I start writing anything major I create a playlist specifically around the themes and characters of the work. Usually this is rock or some sort of dark, ambient music, but it can vary. For my novel The Log House the playlist had everything from Bjork to Phil Collins.

*Any superstitious rituals that you go through when beginning a new story?*

Not really, to be honest. I have practical things I like to do – like I mentioned before, I need to have a playlist set up before I can work on a novel, but no chanting beneath the moonlight with a bird skull in my hands. Maybe I’ll try that for the next one!

*Favorite book released in the last year?*

Damn, I’m not sure if it counts but I really enjoyed The Last Days of Jack Sparks. I love stories with questionable protagonists, and I love how Jason Arnopp created a genuinely scary story that includes modern technology. It seemed fresh and different.

*Favorite quote from a book that is not your own?*

“‘[W]hen you find yourself face to face with [a Bondsmage], you bow and scrape and mind your ‘sirs’ and ‘madams.'”
…
‘Nice bird, asshole,’ said Locke.”

The Lies of Locke Lamora is my favourite fantasy novel, and I recommend it to anyone who likes the idea of a smug conman in a fantasy style Venice.

*Favorite quote from one of your own works?*

Oh, Christ. I don’t have one! I love my work as a whole, but it’s hard for me to pick out an individual line. Maybe something like –

“When she had given birth to her son, the elders told her how lucky she was. How she would never have to go through anything as painful as that again.

The elders had been wrong.”

*Do you play any table top RPGS?

Yes, but not as often any more. I used to play Pathfinder, but I currently play games more like Arkham Horror and Call of Cthulhu.

*Tell us about your favorite character from those games.

My favourite character is a dwarf named Gret. He didn’t roll very well for charisma or intelligence, but he made up for it with insane violence and an amazing critical hit rate. He was the team’s meat shield – think a short, drunken hulk.

*Advice for new writers who are struggling with character creation?*

Steal from people you know! Obviously you can’t just put a carbon copy of your aunt in your zombie slasher novel, but if she has a habit of collecting teacups -use it! Everyone has weird quirks, and interesting parts of their personality. It’s fun to take pieces of that and craft someone new. I also find songs can help me with character motivation.

*E-Reader or Physical copy?

At a push, I would say physical, but I love both. I commute a lot, so ebooks are super handy for me, but I love the feeling of snuggling up with a slightly worn paperback.

*Favorite genre to read?

Besides horror? Fantasy. Horror will always be my favourite, but when I feel like something different, I love to read dark fantasy novels. I always find that there’s something I can learn, technically, from fantasy novels. If you want to learn how to craft a magic system, The Mistborn Trilogy is where it’s at!

*What first inspired you to become a writer?

Honestly, I don’t remember. I’ve been writing since I was so small that it’s just this thing that has always been with me. I love creating stories and characters, and I even remember wanting to be an author when I was a child. I guess it’s a calling!

*Tell us your favorite joke.*

This is the best one I’ve heard recently, courtesy of Reddit-

A man walks into a pet shop and says to the owner. “Ok I want to buy a pet, but I don’t want a boring normal pet. No cats, or dogs or budgies – I want something different.”

The pet shop owner informs him that he has a talking centipede. “Really?” Says the man, “How much?”

The owner informs him that the talking centipede is £50. Happy with the unusual offering the man pays the money and takes his new pet home.

On getting home he lays the match box with the centipede in it on the table, opens it and says – “Hello Mr Centipede, fancy going to the pub for a few drinks?” The centipede says nothing.

Figuring it must be tired from the journey he decides to leave it for an hour and try again later.

An hour later he opens the match box and says – “Hello Mr Centipede, fancy going to the pub for a few drinks?” The centipede again says nothing. Starting to get suspicious the man decides he will give it one more hour, and if the centipede doesn’t talk he will take it back to the shop for a refund.

An hour later the man opens the match box and says – “Hello Mr Centipede, fancy going to the pub for a few drinks?”

The centipede replies – “I heard you the first time you moron! I’m putting my shoes on!”

 

Baylea Hart can be found on Twitter

Her debut novel, the Log House can be ordered on:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon Canada

Baylea’s story The Drain can be found in our anthology Dreams of Desolation

Her personal website can be found at bayleahart.com

Categories
Articles Interviews

Interview with author Augie Peterson

*How long have you been writing for?*

I typically say I started when I was 10, but in reality, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I wrote two books when I was younger, one about the secret life of a pet dog and another about a family of talking jaguars. I also wrote poetry when I was younger and filled about three notebooks with half- written stories because I hated to end them

*How many rejections did you receive before you first became published
and how did you stay motivated?*

None! I decided to do my own thing and self-publish my first book. The nerve-wracking part was waiting for reviews to come in since I didn’t publish my first book the “right” way. I just kinda did it and waited to see what people thought. I stayed motivated by including my best friend in the process. He was a huge inspiration to me as I kept writing and he also did the cover art, so I didn’t want his talents to be wasted.

*Favorite Author and book when you were a child?*

I have two, first, Shel Silverstein. I loved his weird style of writing and limerick poetry that brought lightheartedness into the realm of the weird. Second is Lemony Snickett. His Series of Unfortunate Events taught me that not all stories need to have happy endings.

*What music do you listen to when you write?*

I try not to listen to music when I write, I find it really distracting. However, when my mind can’t keep up with all the ideas buzzing around up there, I listen to instrumental Irish music.

*Any superstitious rituals that you go through when beginning a new
story?*

Not unless procrastination to the point of insanity can be considered superstitious.

*Favorite book released in the last year?*

I write more than I read, so I haven’t had a lot of time (or the brain capacity) to sit through a new book. However, I have a signed copy of Turtles All the Way Down by John Green sitting on my shelf that I can’t wait to dive into. DFTBA!

*Do you play any table top RPGS?*

I dabble in D&D though I’ve never played a campaign all the way through. I love being able to create characters and play them through their own stories.

*If so, tell us about your favorite character that you’ve used.*

My favorite character is actually based on a character I wrote a half-book about when I was in high school. Her name is Kai. She’s an Elf Rogue 3/ Ranger 1. I played her through my last game which was hosted online by an expert GM. She’s a super secretive girl with crasy high dexterity that fancies slashing throats with a kukri rather than shooting arrows. She came from wealth in a town known for trading. Her family was killed by pirates when she was younger, and to keep her quiet, they crudely sewed her mouth shut, tied her up, and left her to rot. She was soon rescued and taken in by neighbors.

As an adult, she wore a scarf around her mouth so no one could see her terrible scars. During game play, my troupe met up with a spirit trapped in a cave named Mayana. She and Kai were long distant relatives and Mayana had unfinished business to attend to (i.e. she had to kill 100 orcs to avenge her family) so Kai decided to help her and now she has a kind of split personality with Mayana travelling along in her head. In the end, Kai decided to lay Mayana’s bones to rest near where her parents died and wrapped Mayana’s bones in the scarf she used to hide her face.

*Advice for new writers who are struggling with character creation?*

Take inspiration from those around you. Find personality traits you admire about them and put them into one character. Once the story gets going, they’ll pretty much write themselves into your world. Start basic and create different roadblocks for them to overcome in your story so you and the reader can get to know them better!

*E-Reader or Physical copy?

Personally, I like reading a physical copy of a book over an ereader. While it’s nice not to have to worry about finding tiny batteries for your book light, I would much rather turn pages than tap a screen to keep the story going.

*Favorite genre to read?*

Dystopian fiction. The Giver is one of my all-time favorite books to read over and over so I look for other books that are similar and run with it. I love seeing the world through others’ eyes, even if that world is a little bit off.

*What first inspired you to become a writer?*

You know, I don’t actually know. I’m fairly certain I have an attention disorder, so when my brain gets too full and my creative juices are flowing, my default method of dealing with it is to write it all down.

*Tell us your favorite joke.*

A man is in a terrible car accident and during his life saving operation, one of his eyes needs to be removed. During the healing process, the doctor tells the man he might want to invest in a false eye. The man is presented with different kinds of eyes, but the only one that fits into his budget is made of wood.

After some time, the man begins to feel more confident in his appearance. The scars from the accident are slowly healing and he’s growing used to his new false eye. One night, he decides to go to his favorite bar and grab a drink for himself.

With his newfound confidence, he scans the room from his seat at the bar and notices a woman sitting alone at a table. She’s blonde, has brown eyes, and a nose that looks a bit too big for her face. He slicks back his hair and walks over to her table. “Hi there” he says. “Hello” she responds with a warm smile. “I couldn’t help but notice you from the bar over there. Are you alone?”

“I am, indeed” she says “Well I’d love to have you come join me, maybe you’d be interested in some dinner and a few drinks?” The woman’s face lights up into a brilliant smile and she says “Would I!?” excitedly.

The man’s expression immediately changes and before he storms off he angrily shouts “BIG NOSE!” and leaves the bar.

 

 

Augie has a book of short stories called Night Vision which you can purchase from Amazon here

Augie can be found on twitter here

Categories
Interviews

My interview with Bo Chappell

  • What is the first book that made you cry?

Hmm. There is undoubtedly something I’m forgetting, but the one that popped in my head was Watchmen by Alan Moore. The unexpected connection to the isolation and dissociation Dr. Manhattan was feeling as he was losing his connection to humanity to the point of longing to abandon everyone on Earth…that hit me dead center at the time of reading it. Dealing with depression, life can too easily lose its magic.

And the hauntingly beautiful way in which Moore described, without cynicism, that dwindling interest for the miraculous incalculability of individuality spoke directly to me at one of the dark times in my life. I was very cynical of life and occasionally still find myself there against my own wishes. It’s tough thing to wrestle with, and reading how a happy man unwillingly turned into a god describe the transition to a startling yet deceptive viewpoint on his loss, it was tear-jerking.

  • Does writing energize or exhaust you?

It can do both. The thrill of a good idea spilling evenly onto the page can keep you continuously pouring. But that can quickly drain you. (pun…Intended) I often find myself write huge chunks of material, then have long periods of recuperation before heading back in, all because I was just too thrilled to get a concept out of my head. But if I couldn’t get it all out in that session, that encourages me to return sooner than later. I tend to operate that way instead of pacing myself. I save the pacing for editing. Never force the creative part.

  • What is your writing Kryptonite?

The interwebs. The greatest tool is also the greatest distraction. I can be looking up something and find myself watching some weird ass animation completely unrelated to my topic. Knowledge is power, but abundance is distracting.

  • What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?

I can’t say I’ve had that happen to be honest. I don’t get to read as often as I want these days, and everything I read is a special commitment.

But I have had the opposite happen. One that comes to mind is Frank Miller. He had a particular grit about him coming up as a writer that served him well, but then it felt like he was feeding off his own material and got Mad Frank’s Disease. Now all his writing just comes off as brutal shock value, and the characters lose themselves to his own ego about twisting them into darkness for no reason.

  • What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Again, I’ll let my brain pop call this one and say Marvel 1985 by Mark Millar. I wish it would get turned into a movie badly. Imagine Stranger Things set in the Marvel Universe.

  • What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I research EVERYTHING as much as humanly possible before and during. I’ve even encountered new things during research that changed my story drastically.

There’s that word that should be VERY important to all writers.

Verisimilitude.

I remember watching a documentary about the making of the Richard Donner Superman movie a long time ago and learning that word. An audience doesn’t have to believe a man can fly in real life, but can you make them believe one can presented in his own universe to the point they never question it?

So doing a lot of research about everything can help you flesh out those things you or a reader would question. For example, in my book Year 47, I bet no one cares how much research I did on sewer layouts, elevator engineering, and making a makeshift torch. But I did. Even though it couldn’t be more fiction, I wanted to make sure nothing seemed implausible​ because if the reader slips out of the story, it’s hard to get them back.

  • What period of your life do you find you write about most often? (child, teenager, young adult)

I have to be cliche, but I focus on the younger years and their impact on who a character turns out to be. There’s so much constant calculation and adjustments going on growing up, finding out who you are is just naturally more interesting. And when you’re well defined, people want to know how you got there. That’s why superhero origins and adventure tales with kids are so damn fascinating.

  • Do you Google yourself?

Yes. With both my writing and my art, I love looking to see where my stuff travels and how people are connecting to it. I don’t consider it vain to want to find your real self by sifting through the definitions of all the pieces of your soul you have the courage to share. To quote Leonard from Memento, “We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I’m no different.”

  • What is your favorite childhood book?

The Five Chinese Brothers. My favorite part was when you had to turn the book sideways for the two page illustration of the one brother stretching his legs to the ocean floor so as not to drown. Anything that can pull you in and show you there are no rules for how storytelling or anything else can work is magic.

  • What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

The one thing you have to give up already. Time. Though, it would be cool to skip increments of practice and trade a couple years off to be better. It might be foolish, but I’d be tempted.

Thanks for having me on your blog. Anyone reading can find Year 47 available on Amazon.

Want to know more about the writer. Follow her at https://podteenn.wixsite.com/website

Categories
Interviews Podcast Reviews

My interview with The Alexandria Archives

What are the 3 best things about working on The Alexandria Archives?
1. We all three work jobs that can be pretty stressful and not exactly what you’d call creatively stimulating. The podcast gives us a chance to exercise our creative roots.
2. We have an excuse to regularly collaborate with each other.
3. We get to be a part of the podcasting community, which is one of the most gracious and friendly groups imaginable. Seriously, everyone has been so great! We’ve gotten to meet some really awesome people.
What is your favorite thing about being a podcaster according to you?
Suddenly, ideas that were just concepts, characters that were just scribbles on a page, are gaining voices, the world is being created more and more every week, and what’s more– whereas before these ideas were shared and giggled about between a few friends– now thousands of people are hearing them every episode. That’s pretty cool.
How did you stumble into the world of podcasting?
We wrote a game module for a tabletop game that took place in Alexandria, where one of the mechanics was the local radio host, Morning Wood, explained what weird stuff was happening on campus as it was happening. After that, the three of us joked about making a podcast based on that so much that it eventually happened.
What was the first podcast you listened to?
Uri: Maybe Hardcore History or Numenera: The Signal
Nicole: PopStuff by HowStuffWorks
Aaron: Coast to Coast AM with art bell
What is your writing process?
First, we decide on an episode theme. One of us will do the bulk of the scripting while the others weigh in. Generally the rule of thumb is one of us is writing the story, one of the others takes point on the script. Once the script and story are completed to satisfaction, recording can start!
What was the inspiration for The Alexandria Archives?
The setting is a world that was developed originally by Nicole. Eventually, she let us in on a little piece of that sweet pie, and now our fingers are covered in rhubarb.
What do you like about audio drama as a medium?
We’re all big audiobook fans. The thing about audio is that it forces you to listen. It forces you to be in the moment, to be engaged because it divorces you from the benefit of being able to see what the characters are doing. So we use sound effects, dialogue, exposition, to infer the situation. It means the listener has a certain amount of interaction because without their imagination, it’s just sounds coming out of their speakers.
How does getting the script made into an actual audio drama work?
Since we’re all in separate states we start by gathering the individual pieces of audio. Then whoever is doing the editing will take time by reading the script and familiarizing themselves with the flow of the scene. Since our podcast is half audiodrama taking place inside a radio station, and half fiction reading, the episode is often split into two parts: the radio and the story. For the radio, what’s most important is the timing. Making sure the cuts sound natural, like everything was recorded in the same room, even though it’s all separate pieces of audio.
The next piece is the story, which has less piecing together to do, but has the added process of deciding appropriate sound effects and ambient music that fits with the story. Sound effects can make or break the story if they come in too soon, they’ll make it hard to hear the narration, too late and the scene will have moved on. They have to strike a balance so as to less take away from the story as underline the important aspects and pull our listeners deeper into the narrative. Same goes for the ambience music which can convey tension, fear, movement, anger, depression, etc. It’s a pretty involved process.
How do you go about getting others involved? Particularly if they’re far away?
We ask them nicely. We love working with other podcasters, they’re always eager to help because they know the headache of trying to find people. Networking is important, as long as you remember that friendship isn’t a one-way street– we’re always happy to help our fellow podcasters where we can.

Could you tell us a bit about the process to turn a script into a finished audio drama. Which part do you enjoy the most? 

Seeing it going from an idea on the page to hearing it all come together is pretty surreal. Hearing the story narrated for the first time is a personal favorite – there’s something about putting a piece you’ve seen come together from a first draft into someone else’s hands to hear what they do with it that’s just awesome.

 

 

Want to know more about the writer. Follow her at https://podteenn.wixsite.com/website