Category Archives: Author’s Perspective

I recently met with critically renowned horror writer Craig DiLouie to talk with him about his work. Craig candidly shares his thoughts in a two part interview. In tomorrow’s interview, he shares his ideas on delivering fear effectively.

I know you and I know you’re a really nice guy and a good person. Yet, people always wonder if horror writers are really weird or twisted inside. I mean, how can a nice person write such horrifying things?
[laughs] When I tell people I write horror, I sometimes get a confused look. Horror writers, you see, are like serial killers. People say, “He was such a nice, mannered guy. I never suspected he wrote horror.” What’s a guy like me doing in a genre like this? Well, it’s fun! That, and as a writer of horror, my imagination can truly soar. Good horror breaks boundaries, makes us uncomfortable, asks disturbing questions, makes readers sweat. It’s writing at the cutting edge of human nature. On top of that, after attending numerous horror conventions and being a member of the Horror Writers Association for years, I have to say horror writers are generally nice people. While my writing tastes go beyond horror, I’m proud to be part of that community.

It’s been said that readers want to become somebody else for hours and to face unimaginable terrors. Why do you think we want that experience?
People who seek out horror tend to thrive on exciting experiences. They want to step outside their comfort zone and the confines of their safe, mundane world to get an adrenaline rush by confronting their fears. It’s the same reason thrillers are so popular, why people rubber neck car crashes, why people go on roller coasters. People want to face death (voyeuristically) and experience the catharsis of survival, asking along the way, “What would I do in that situation?”

What are your deepest fears and do you write them into your work?
I write my greatest fears into all my horror work. At the root is my fear of death and my fear of something bad happening to my family. These are virtually universal fears.

Sometimes, they’re brought to the fore, as in my novel SUFFER THE CHILDREN (Simon & Schuster, 2014). In that novel, a strange disease claims the world’s children before bringing them back to ask for blood. If they receive a steady diet of blood, they can go on surviving. Unfortunately, there’s only so much blood. The children are vampires, but the monsters in the story are the parents who must decide how far they will go to keep their children alive. So this is a story where the operating theme is directly informed by a parent’s love and fears for his or her children. And it asks the reader, how far would you go?

Other times, these fears aren’t part of the operating theme but instead the fabric of the story, as in the case of my apocalyptic fiction. In my opinion, it’s what marks these stories as being emotionally resonant rather than simple entertainment.

Is there ever a point in your writing where you feel you’ve gone too far?
It’s strange that I’ve been asked that in interviews about SUFFER THE CHILDREN, which has very little gore and violence, but not my zombie fiction, which has plenty of gore and violence. What shocked people about that novel was that it forced them to confront uncomfortable truths about human nature and, in some cases, about themselves. Many parents say they’d put their arm in a shredder for their kids, but would they put somebody else’s arm in a shredder? Five people? A hundred? To do that idea justice, and because I was dealing with the subject of children dying, I made a conscious effort on every page not to overplay the sensationalism inherent in the plot for spectacle or cheap shock. Cheap shock and repulsion get attention but would have robbed this story of its authenticity. The story I wanted to tell was one that felt real to the reader. It’s horror, but it’s really a story about parental love the same way Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD isn’t a story about the apocalypse, but a father’s struggle to protect his son.

Otherwise, aside from my own sensibilities, I don’t really know what “going too far” means, as that kind of judgment is really up to each individual reader. I applaud any fiction that makes the effort, particularly in horror, as good horror pushes boundaries. If it does that internally rather than through cheap shock, by making the reader confront uncomfortable truths, so much the better. In my view, the best horror holds up a fractured mirror to the human soul.

Of the books you’ve written, which was the most challenging?
SUFFER THE CHILDREN, absolutely. I didn’t so much pour my heart into it as let the novel tear it out of me. I was proud to see it nominated for a Bram Stoker Award and Audie Award.

Who are your favorite characters in your books?
I love all of the characters in my books, and I tend to write the kind of books where a lot of these people suffer or die, so it’s hard to let them go. But in my fiction, their deaths mean something. They may suffer and die, but this either serves a principle or ensure the survival of other characters or the species as a whole.

Your website contains some great reviews. What’s on your current reading list?
I’m currently reading TOUCH by Elmore Leonard, an author I love and who has a secret sauce for dialog and character I’m trying to understand better from a technical point of view. Otherwise, as you can imagine, I tend to read a lot of horror fiction, though I’ve stuffed myself with so much of it in recent years I’ve gotten a bit jaded. One horror novel I read recently I completely enjoyed was KIN by Kealan Patrick Burke. It basically tells the story of a young woman who escapes a rural farm occupied by a family of cannibals and what it’s like for her in the aftermath. It reads like a sequel to THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. The story has plenty of sensationalism but it’s told with realism and genuine emotional depth. Otherwise, if you’re interested in good horror and apocalyptic stuff, my blog, www.craigdilouie.com, has tons of reviews not only of books but also short films and movies.

Craig DiLouie is the author of nine novels, notably SUFFER THE CHILDREN, THE RETREAT, THE INFECTION, THE KILLING FLOOR and TOOTH AND NAIL. He has also contributed short fiction to a number of anthologies. Learn more about Craig’s fiction at CraigDiLouie.com.

My Muse is Dead

October 6, 2015

Guy Anthony De Marco

I’ve been facing an empty page, the character prompt flashing like a tiny rusted pin wielded by a sadistic acupuncture dropout, jabbing my impotent writing ego over and over.

There is nothing to write about. Well, nothing horror-related, which means the same thing to me. My haunted laptop taunts me, the keys pale and slick, letters worn to the point where they remind me of Celtic tombstones – still around to remind us of the glorious departed, but insufficient to read the names of the dead carved upon the monument.

I decide to take a break from the self-torture, tired from the creaking springs in my chair pushing against my spine. One of these days, I won’t be able to get out, and they’ll find me with the coils twisted around my ribs and through my vitals, flailing around like a spring-loaded clown doll.

My wife made a juicy, still-oozing steak, and left it by the crazy stove. I hate that stove; I’ve found it turned on in the middle of the night, belching flames and a curious brimstone odor. Our cat disappeared that night too, an odd coincidence.

The steak looks inviting, lying next to the garlic cloves and in a ring of mashed potatoes that acts as a dam to hold in the blood and juices. No fork for some reason, only a silver-handled knife embedded in the meat. I don’t mind. Even though I yell at my kids when they feast on flesh using their fingers, I personally like the feel of blood running down my arms as my teeth rip apart the muscle fibers.

After devouring the steak, I poke my head into the fridge, moving aside several random opaque containers my wife uses to store things. One of these days I need to look in them – no telling what she’s been up to. Behind the carton of thick nightcrawlers, some of which escaped into the strawberry pudding yesterday, there’s a jar of thick brownish liquid with a couple of round objects drifting around the bottom. I can’t make out what they are, but I get a flash of blue-green, perhaps hazel, when I swirl the container. Maybe it’s a leftover from some past dinner, who knows. Further digging reveals a container of cherry lemonade, which I chug right out of the pitcher. If my wife caught me, she’d embed a cleaver in my neck.

My hunger sated, thirst quenched, I head back to my little nest, surrounded by ancient whispering books and papers. The chair springs welcome my old bones, the laptop slides over like a glowing coffin lid, and I’m back to this damn torture of having my eyeballs assaulted by the stark, veil-colored blank page, the cursor blinking ghost-like, playing hide-and-seek with my consciousness. I wish I could think of something to write.

You know, if only my muse was undead, I’d have something to write about.

About the Author:

Guy Anthony De Marco is a speculative fiction author; a Graphic Novel Bram Stoker Award^®; winner of the HWA Silver Hammer Award; a prolific short story and flash fiction crafter; a novelist; an invisible man with superhero powers; a game writer (Sojourner Tales modules, Interface Zero 2.0 core team, D&D modules); and a coffee addict. One of these is false.

A writer since 1977, Guy is a member of the following organizations: SFWA, WWA, SFPA, IAMTW, ASCAP, RMFW, NCW, HWA. He hopes to collect the rest of the letters of the alphabet one day. Additional information can be found at Wikipedia and GuyAnthonyDeMarco.com.

Getting the Most Out of Group

August 19, 2015

Nathan Barra

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Writers NEED people who are willing to provide them with honest and actionable criticism. Without them, our stories and skills will be bound by our own limited perspective and experiences. This is fundamentally why editors are critical to the publishing process. They have the skills, the knowledge, and the experience to dig into a work and uncover the flaws.

However, not everyone is ready to be picked up by a publisher or pay a freelance editor to comb through their work. So, what then? Writing groups.

As it turns out, most writers are willing to share their works with a peer group and trade for feedback. Over the years I’ve had many critique groups. Some were just circles of alpha and beta readers, friends and family I trusted to be honest with me. Others were formalized circles of peers in writing classes. Yet more were collectives of like minds who walked the same path for a while. Though fundamentally different, each taught me something important about my writing.

“But Nathan!” you may say, “I don’t live in a place with writers willing and able to meet with me on a regular basis.” That’s not necessary at all. In fact, my current writing group is rather small, just myself and two others. We also happen to occupy three different time zones. Through the power of the Internet, we are able to meet once a week and spend four to six hours working through our writing with one another.

No matter what format though, I’ve found that all writing groups tend to work best when they follow 10 basic guidelines.

1) Check Your Ego at the Door
One of the most significant steps on any writer’s journey towards becoming a professional is learning to set your ego aside when receiving feedback. It’s hard. After all, we spend months or years working on a single story. It is perfectly natural to become personally invested. HOWEVER, it is your story that is being critiqued, not you. Don’t take it personal.

2) Writing Group is Business Serious
I get it. We all have lives out of group. We’re all busy. However, that’s no excuse for missing a group deadline. If your group is flexible, you’ll be able to work around life commitments, but if you say you are going to get a chapter to the group on Tuesday, it better happen. Not only are you respecting everyone else’s time, but practicing keeping a deadline is important.

3) Giving Criticism Means Acknowledging the Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent
I’ve known plenty of writers/editors/agents who believe that the only way to improve someone’s writing is brutal honesty. I partially agree. Whenever I hand a manuscript over to a beta reader or a writing group, I ask them to tell me what I did poorly (so I can fix it), what I did well (so I don’t break that stuff while fixing the bad), and what didn’t engage them (so I can cut the fat or make them care). Focusing only on the bad will discourage just about anybody, so take the time for a few kind words when they are deserved. Cut to the heart of the issue and be honest, but brutal may not be as necessary as you may think.

4) Silence is Golden, but Duct Tape is Silver
You cannot talk and listen at the same time. Nor can you contemplate a witty retort and listen. Writing groups are neither a thesis defense, nor a debate. They are an opportunity to listen to the opinions of others. If you have trouble holding your tongue, I find that duct tape works wonders. I’m not being facetious. In fact, one of my writing groups held a role in reserve for certain members at each meeting. The exception to this rule is to ask for examples or clarification. In that particular group, we made signs that read “Please elaborate on what you just said,” or “Can you please provide an example of what you mean?” It worked wonders for our productivity.

5) Just Because You Listen Doesn’t Mean You Weren’t Right
In the end it’s your name that’ll be on the cover of the book. Writing groups are made of people, and people sometimes give bad advice. It’s important to consider your group’s feedback, but don’t accept it blindly. However, you do owe your writing group an open mind. Listen. Consider. Decide for yourself what to accept and reject.

6) Set a Structure, but Don’t Fear Change
Though artists tend to be free spirits, business people need order to thrive. An author needs to be both in order to be successful. Your writing time is your own, but writing group is about the business of making your books better. During the first meetings, establish rules and enforce them.

However, the whole point of a writing group is to get better. By necessity, your changing skill will alter what you need from the group. Take the time every so often to evaluate what y’all are doing as a group and make adjustments where necessary. The group is there to see to your collective needs. If it isn’t doing that, it needs to be changed.

7) Meet in Person Whenever You Can
I’ve tried forum based writing groups and they never worked. My theory is that there is more accountability involved in seeing someone’s face and talking to them. Furthermore, there’s a great deal of communication that passes between the words. That’s why my current writing group uses Google Talk or Skype for our meetings. It’s worked out really well for us so far!

8) Find a Group of Peers…
For a writing group to be effective, everyone must get something out of the time. If one member is significantly behind or ahead of the rest of the group, frustration and wasted hours will ensue. Better to find a group of people who have similar levels of skill, but much to teach each other. As an example, a non-fiction writer may not have a place in a SF&F writing group.

9) … But Avoid Group Think
Often, a group that is together a long time will all begin to write the same way. DANGER! The point of the group is to make each individual better, not to form the literary Borg.

This is often best avoided by having diversity in your group. Make sure you have both men and women in your group, as well as individuals from multiple racial or socio-economic classes. Do you aim at an audience of one or many? Why then, would you only have one kind of reader?

Secondly, find group members who write in similar, but different genres. An entirely sword and sorcery fantasy group won’t be as productive a group with one science fantasy writer, one classic fantasy writer and one writer with science fiction, literary fiction, and poetry leanings.

Based on your needs, be willing to mix the genre balance even more. Each genre has its own skills and lessons to teach. If you find that the group’s romance subplots are lacking, find a romance writer willing to join the group. Ultimately, I go to group to absorb the strengths of my group mates as well as share my own experience and skills.

10) Finally, Know When to Say Goodbye
There are two sides to this tip. On the one hand, sometimes a writing group member needs to be asked to leave for the good of the group. I had one group where one member was harsh to the point where others were afraid to submit to group lest they have their confidence and story torn apart. It would have been best for this individual to leave the group, but instead the group disbanded.

On the other hand, there will come a time where it might be best for you to leave a group. You know the time has come when the group stops being useful or is outright detrimental to your writing, when the group’s assignments feel like busy work, or the group has descended into unproductive bickering. Be polite in excusing yourself, but find another group. There’s nothing more to learn there.

About the Author:
Though Nathan Barra is an engineer by profession, training and temperament, he is a storyteller by nature and at heart. Fascinated with the byplay of magic and technology, Nathan is drawn to science fantasy in both his reading and writing. He has been known, however, to wander off into other genres for “funzies.” Visit him at his webpage or Facebook Author Page.

You Are Not Alone: One-Star Reviews for Everyone!

August 10, 2015

Kristin Luna

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When a writer friend or fellow Fictorian tells me they just got a one-star review on Goodreads or Amazon, my teeth clinch and I wince. Getting a one-star review isn’t quite like being hit in the stomach with a baseball bat, but more so pounded in the chest with a meat tenderizer.

There is one glimmer of respite: you’re not alone in that ridiculous one-star review that didn’t even get the name of your characters right. You’re not the only one who asked yourself if the reviewer actually saw the words on the page, because it says right there on page 13 that Mary’s mother was an ex-CIA agent bomb specialist, hinting that she could have prior knowledge of how to deactivate bombs. Just saying. It’s on page 13. Not even 20 pages into the book. But, you know, maybe the reviewer couldn’t see words.

Even veteran writers get one-star reviews that are ridiculous or extremely rude, or both (it’s like a crap sandwich).

WARNING: Language. These authors use language.

And more:

WARNING: Language. These authors use more language.

But Children’s books. Those are safe, right?

And if you think there are still some sacred texts free from scathing reviews, I’d urge you to look up reviews for The Holy Bible. “Badly edited, poor continuity and internal consistency. Authors seem to change between books. Plot is cliched and thin, with virtually no character development save for Judas Iscariot,” says one reviewer. While some of these reviews are clearly written in jest, just remember, no work is safe from other people’s opinions.

But you as the author can past these scathing reviews by reminding yourself that you aren’t alone. Rant to your friends if you must, but keep it private. Don’t add any fuel to the fire. Your friends and other writers can help you through some of the personal attacks, and help bolster you up against the attacks on your book. Remember, what you see online are opinions. Everyone’s got them, and they don’t really matter. But your happiness DOES matter. Protect it, and keep close friends nearby who also want you to be happy.

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