Stephanie M. Wytovich

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About Stephanie M. Wytovich
Stephanie M. Wytovich is an American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her work has been showcased in numerous magazines and anthologies such as Weird Tales, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Year's Best Hardcore Horror: Volume 2, The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 8, as well as many others.
Wytovich is the Poetry Editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press, an adjunct at Western Connecticut State University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Point Park University, and a mentor with Crystal Lake Publishing. She is a recipient of the 2021 Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant and has received the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for non-fiction writing.
Wytovich is a member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association, an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and a graduate of Seton Hill University’s MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction. Her Bram Stoker Award-winning poetry collection, Brothel, earned a home with Raw Dog Screaming Press alongside Hysteria: A Collection of Madness, Mourning Jewelry, An Exorcism of Angels, Sheet Music to My Acoustic Nightmare, and most recently, The Apocalyptic Mannequin. Her debut novel, The Eighth, is published with Dark Regions Press.
Follow Wytovich at http://stephaniewytovich.blogspot.com/ and on Twitter and Instagram @SWytovich and @thehauntedbookshelf. You can also find her essays, nonfiction, and class offerings on LitReactor.
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Hello Friends and Fiends—
Well, it’s July.
It’s hard to write from a place of happiness right now considering everything that’s going on in the country, and I’ve certainly spent my share of time crying and staring blankly at the walls these past couple of days. Collectively, I feel like we’re all just so overwhelmed and mentally tapped, and it seems like there’s something new every day to panic over (and I’m not being hyperbolic–I litera15 hours ago Read more -
Blog postHello Friends and Fiends--
Today in The Madhouse we're focusing on collaboration, specifically so with Stephanie Ellis and Cindy O'Quinn and their recent poetry collection Foundlings. Now I've worked with and been published alongside Ellis and O'Quinn before, so I knew this was going to be a book of powerhouse talent, and needless to say, I was not wrong. One of the first lines that grabbed when as I started reading was: "a frozen gift of dead flowers,/broken like her neck.&3 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postHello Friends and Fiends—
First off, Happy Pride!
May was a somewhat strange and beautiful month. I’m writing to you while listening to the soundtrack to Nightmare Alley and it has me more reflective than usual if I’m being honest.
Yesterday we buried my grandmother, and I’ve spent a good portion of my morning today building her and my pap’s altar, doing smoke/egg cleanses, and creating a simmer pot from her funeral bouquets. The house smells Catholic right now, and I k4 weeks ago Read more -
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Blog postHello friends and fiends--
Today in The Madhouse, I'm super excited to host poet Stephanie Athena Valente, whose debut collection Internet Girlfriend was recently published with Clash Books. I started reading Valente's poetry a few years ago, and I think I started with her piece "The High Priestess" in Luna Luna Magazine (which is just gorgeous). I immediately loved the lush, magic quality of her words, so when I saw that she had a book coming out, I knew1 month ago Read more -
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Today in The Madhouse, I'm thrilled to welcome and host Avra Margariti as we talk about their recent poetry collection, The Saint of Witches from Weasel Press. Margariti writes: "In this dark poetry collection, witches escape stakes, wells, and other prisons with the help of their arcane saint. Girls dream of queer ghosts and carnivorous angels. Ghouls visit their lovers beyond the grave, while medical experiments s2 months ago Read more -
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Blog postHello Friends and Fiends—
Blessed and belated Beltane and Walpurgisnacht! We’re all recovering from this weekend’s bonfire (Evie’s first!) and rallying after a comic event Dennis and I vended at. It was Dennis’s first time going to an event as an independent bookseller, so I’m really excited to share this with him and celebrate all of his hard work—which has included a lot of all-nighters, endless amounts of cataloging, and more comic book boxes in our house than I care to admit. Sass2 months ago Read more -
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I’m sensing some spring energy afoot, and while I tend to be a dark and brooding fall/winter witch, I have to admit that I’m looking forward to a little bit of warmth, flowers, and sunshine on the horizon.
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Blog postFebruary ’22 Madhouse Recap
Hello Friends and Fiends—
February was…a lot. I feel like I’ve been in survival mode for longer than I care to be, but things are starting to finally slow down and work themselves back into a somewhat state of normalcy, so I’m grabbing silver linings when and where I see them.
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Blog postHello friends and fiends, and Blessed Imbolc!
What a month it has been! Talk about a transformation.
Dennis and I welcomed our sweet girl Evelyn June Gallagher into the world on January 17th in the middle of a snowstorm and on the night of a full wolf moon (!) and she is just such a beautiful, bright spot in our lives and we’re so intensely grateful for every second with her. For the astrologists out there, our girl is a Capricorn Sun, a Cancer Moon, and a Taurus Rising (her5 months ago Read more -
Blog postHello friends and fiends—
Happy new year! I hope 2022 is off to a nice, relaxing start for everyone and that you’re all safe and sound and walking through life in good spirits. December was a wild, exciting, stressful month, but we made it through and are a few weeks closer to meeting our little one in a few weeks (which is still so insane to believe). Moving around these days has been a bit challenging, and to say I’ve slowed down to a sloth’s speed is an understatement. I’m wo6 months ago Read more -
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Blog postHello friends and fiends—
Happy December! Can you believe we’re approaching the end of the year? I certainly can’t, and what’s even crazier to think about is how in a couple weeks I’ll have a little one snuggled up to me soon while I’m writing to all of you.
November was filled with a special type of Wonderland magic as we celebrated our babe with a whimsical tea party/baby shower. There were Mad Hatters, white rabbits, flamingos, and lots of other beautiful, curious decorati7 months ago Read more -
Blog postHello friends and fiends,
Today in the Madhouse, I'm sitting down with my pal Jessica McHugh and talking about her recent blackout poetry release, Strange Nests, which was formed/inspired by the novel The Secret Garden. If you haven't checked out her Bram Stoker award-nominated collection A Complex Accident of Life, you'll want to be sure to do that and check out this Madhouse Interview as well.
Lost in the garden, Stephanie M. Wytovich
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Blog postHello Friends and Fiends—
Blessed Samhain and Happy Belated Halloween!
I’m writing to you after a month of shrieks, screams, chills, and haunts, and honestly, I’m sad to see it end (even if I do celebrate Halloween all year round!). I kicked off the month by drinking too much apple cider, eating some caramel apple slices (and okay, some candy apples), and doing some holiday baking—all of which, let’s be honest, I continued to do throughout the month only to top it off by seeing8 months ago Read more -
Blog postHello friends and fiends,
September was filled with the start of a new semester, the beginnings of a few classes, and finals weeks in one of the graduate courses I’m teaching (pray for me, I’m still grading). It was also filled with Mabon (one of my favorite sabbats), our little one’s anatomy scan, the start of a new job/career path for Dennis, and my brother’s wedding. Needless to say, we all had and continue to have full hearts this month as our family got a little bit bigger and f9 months ago Read more -
Blog postHello friends and fiends,
Today in The Madhouse, I'm excited to share a guest post by Geneve Flynn in celebration of the upcoming poetry collection, Tortured Willows, a collaborative effort from Christina Sng, Angela Yuriko Smith, Lee Murray, and Geneve Flynn.
On Being a Baby Poet and Jumping Out of a Perfectly Good Plane
by Geneve Flynn
I once paid money to jump out of a perfectly good plane.
As I walked to the tiny aircraft, I star9 months ago Read more -
Blog postHello friends and fiends—
August is always a hectic month, but we’re here, we’re moving, and school is back in session baby! I’ll be teaching seven classes during the fall semester…yes, you heard that correctly. Seven! They’ll be filled with horror, monsters, and all things that go bump in the night, and I’m beyond excited to dig into the material and have some great discussions with my students.
In my undergraduate short story class, I always start us off with a deep dive into10 months ago Read more -
Blog postGood Morning, Poets and Poetry Lovers!
Today in the Madhouse, I'm thrilled to share with you the TOC and cover reveal for the HWA Poetry Showcase Vol. 8. We had a ton of wonderfully dark and delicious submissions this year--close to 200!--which made the competition incredibly intense, so I want to take a moment to thank all of you who submitted to the anthology; it was, and remains, a true honor to read your work. I also want to send out a special thanks to Sara Tantlinger and Angel10 months ago Read more -
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I think I cursed myself by saying that June was a slow month because July was anything but! In addition to being noticeably pregnant now (and obsessively cleaning and preparing my house for the little one this winter), I’ve been juggling a lot of projects, writing deadlines, and getting ready for my upcoming courses this fall—not to mention I’m currently teaching a graduate course and taking a psychology course at Point Park.
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It’s hard to believe that we’re already at the halfway mark of 2021. This month was a little—okay, a lot—slower for me, and honestly, I’m okay with that. I needed a bit of a break, so I took one, which is something I’m not feeling guilty about these days. With that said, I did finish up taking an 8-week philosophy course this month (which I really loved!) and I’m in the midst of wrapping up a graduate class as we speak, so don’t get the wrong idea. I’m still12 months ago Read more -
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Today in the Madhouse, I want to talk about some of my favorite contemporary queer poets. I also want to invite you to check out my Madhouse Pride Showcase from last year where writers such as Eric Crumrine, Cynthia Pelayo, Cassie Daley, and Hailey Piper stopped by to chat about their work, their favorite books, and some must-read authors. You can check out their visits here:
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How are we hanging in there during this heat? I know my goth self can't be out in the sun, so I've mostly been camped out in my office with the AC on full blast thinking cool, wintery thoughts and drinking water like I'm a beached siren. Heat exhaustion aside though, something else that I've been doing lately is happily drowning in dark, beautiful poetry. In fact, last month, I exclusively read poetry and I'm here today to share with you one of my favorite re1 year ago Read more -
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Can you folks believe it’s already June? It just doesn’t seem possible to me even with May being such a crazy month. Reminder to self: remember to breathe and sleep this month. Maybe even sneak some yoga in here and there? I finished off the Spring semester and dove right into summer. I’ll be taking two eight-week classes this time around in philosophy and psychology. Seems like a good idea to stay sharp, learn some new tricks, and keep me on my toes when1 year ago Read more -
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April was a somewhat difficult month for me. It started off on a productive note. I finished up my second run of teaching Witch Lit through LitReactor and had an absolutely wonderful time. I was also getting a lot of writing and reading done, diving into some spring cleaning (which I oddly like?) and just generally feeling better about myself and my relationship with my mind and body. I’ve been ordering from Daily Harvest recently, and I’m just completely obse1 year ago Read more -
Blog postHello and Good Afternoon, Friends and Fiends!
March is one of my favorite months and I’m sure the fact that my birthday is tucked inside there has nothing whatsoever to do with that (chuckles manically). Aries energy aside, I rang in 32 this year covered in dogs with violets in the air, and honestly, I’m feeling pretty good these days, which is quite an accomplishment because I wrote about creative burnout a few years back and it was something that I was really struggling with. I had1 year ago Read more
Titles By Stephanie M. Wytovich
Book one in Crystal Lake Publishing’s The Dream Weaver series...
Where Nightmares Come From focuses on the art of storytelling in the Horror genre, taking an idea from conception to reality—whether you prefer short stories, novels, films, or comics.
Featuring in-depth articles and interviews by Joe R. Lansdale (Hap & Leonard series), Clive Barker (Books of Blood), John Connolly (Charlie Parker series), Ramsey Campbell, Stephen King (IT), Christopher Golden (Ararat), Charlaine Harris (Midnight, Texas), Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger series), Kevin J. Anderson (Tales of Dune), Craig Engler (Z Nation), and many more.
The full non-fiction anthology lineup includes:
- Introduction by William F. Nolan
- IT’S THE STORY TELLER by Joe R. Lansdale
- A-Z OF HORROR of Clive Barker
- WHY HORROR? by Mark Alan Miller
- PIXELATED SHADOWS by Michael Paul Gonzalez
- LIKE CURSES by Ray Garton
- HOW TO GET YOUR SCARE ON by S.G. Browne
- STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES by Richard Thomas
- HORROR IS A STATE OF MIND by Tim Waggoner
- BRINGING AN IDEA TO LIFE by Mercedes M. Yardley
- THE PROCESS OF A TALE by Ramsey Campbell
- GREAT HORROR IS SOMETHING ALIEN by Michael Bailey
- A HORRIFICALLY HAPPY MEDIUM by Taylor Grant
- INTERVIEW WITH JOHN CONNOLLY by Marie O’Regan
- THE STORY OF A STORY by Mort Castle
- WRITING ROUNDTABLE INTERVIEW with Christopher Golden, Kevin J. Anderson, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- HOW I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD LOOKING FOR MONSTERS AND FOUND POETRY INSTEAD by Stephanie M. Wytovich
- BITS AND PIECES INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN MABERRY by Eugene Johnson
- THE REEL CREEPS by Lisa Morton
- THE MONSTER SQUAD by Jess Landry
- WHAT SCARES YOU by Marv Wolfman
- PLAYING IN SOMEONE ELSE’S HAUNTED HOUSE by Elizabeth Massie
- CREATING MAGIC FROM A BLANK PIECE OF PAPER: Del Howison interviews Tom Holland, Amber Benson, Fred Dekker, and Kevin Tenney
- Z NATION: HOW SYFY’S HIT SHOW CAME TO LIFE by Craig Engler
- LIFE IMITATING ART IMITATING LIFE: FILM AND ITS INFLUENCE ON REALITY by Jason V Brock
- WHERE NIGHTMARES COME FROM by Paul Moore
- STEPHEN KING AND RICHARD CHIZMAR DISCUSS COLLABORATING by Bev Vincent
- CHARLAINE HARRIS DISCUSSES STORYTELLING by Eugene Johnson
- WHAT NOW? by John Palisano
This collection is perfect for…
- writers of all genres
- authors looking for motivation and/or inspiration
- authors seeking guidance
- struggling authors searching for career advice
- authors interested in improving their craft
- writers interested in comics
- authors looking into screenwriting and films
- horror fans in general
- those looking to better understand the different story formats
- authors planning on infiltrating a different field in horror writing
- artists trying to establish a name brand
- authors looking to get published
Bram Stoker Award-winner for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction!
Nightmares come to life in this comprehensive how-to guide for new and established authors…
Book two in Crystal Lake Publishing’s The Dream Weaver series picks up where the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Where Nightmares Come From left off.
It’s Alive focuses on learning the craft in order to take your story from concept to completion.
With an introduction by Richard Chizmar and cover art by Luke Spooner. Featuring interior artwork from horror master Clive Barker!
Table of Contents:
- Introduction by Richard Chizmar
- Confessions of a Professional Day Dreamer by Jonathan Maberry
- What is Writing and Why Write Horror by John Skipp
- Tribal Layers by Gene O’Neill
- Bake That Cake: One Writer’s Method by Joe R. Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale
- Ah-Ha: Beginning to End with Chuck Palahniuk and Michael Bailey (Discussing the Spark of Creativity)
- They Grow in the Shadows: Exploring the Roots of a Horror Story by Todd Keisling
- Sell Your Script, Keep Your Soul and Beware of Sheep in Wolves' Clothing by Paul Moore
- The Cult of Constraint (or To Outline or Not) by Yvonne Navarro
- Zombies, Ghosts and Vampires─Oh My! by Kelli Owen
- The Many Faces of Horror: Craft Techniques by Richard Thomas
- Giving Meaning to the Macabre by Rachel Autumn Deering
- The Horror Writer’s Ultimate Toolbox by Tim Waggoner
- Sarah Pinborough Interview by Marie O’Regan
- Conveying Character by F. Paul Wilson
- Sympathetic Characters Taste Better: Creating Empathy in Horror Fiction by Brian Kirk
- Virtue & Villainy: The Importance of Character by Kealan Patrick Burke
- How to write Descriptions in a story by Mercedes Yardley
- “Don’t Look Now, There’s a Head in That Box!” She Ejaculated Loudly (or Creating Effective Dialogue in Horror Fiction) by Elizabeth Massie
- Point of View by Lisa Mannetti
- What Came First the Monster or the Plot? In Conversation with Stephen Graham Jones by Vince A. Liaguno
- Building Suspense by David Wellington
- Conveying Horror by Ramsey Campbell
- Unveiling Theme Through Plot: An Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” by Stephanie M. Wytovich
- Interview with Clive Barker by Tim Chizmar
- World Building (Building a terrifying world) by Kevin J. Anderson
- Speak Up: The Writer’s Voice by Robert Ford
- Writing for a Better World by Christopher Golden
- Shaping the Ideas: Getting Things from Your Head to the Paper or on Screen. Interview with Steve Niles, Mick Garris, Heather Graham, Mark Savage, and Maria Alexander by Del Howison
- On Research by Bev Vincent
- Editing Through Fear: Cutting and Stitching Stories by Jessica Marie Baumgartner
- Leaping into the Abyss by Greg Chapman
- Edit Your Anthology in Your Basement for Fun and Profit! . . . or Not by Tom Monteleone
- When It’s Their World: Writing for the Themed Anthology by Lisa Morton
- Roundtable Interview by John Palisano
- The Tale of the Perfect Submissions by Jess Landry
- Turning the Next Page: Getting Started with the Business of Wri
Encompassed in the pages of The Best Horror of the Year have been such illustrious writers as:
Neil Gaiman
Kim Stanley Robinson
Stephen King
Linda Nagata
Laird Barron
Margo Lanagan
And many others
With each passing year, science, technology, and the march of time shine light into the craggy corners of the universe, making the fears of an earlier generation seem quaint. But this light creates its own shadows. The Best Horror of the Year chronicles these shifting shadows. It is a catalog of terror, fear, and unpleasantness as articulated by today’s most challenging and exciting writers.
Ancient peoples knew there were lands given over to shadow and spirit. The world is full of haunted places that exact a terrible toll on trespassers. Our forebears paid a heavy price to earn the wisdom and the warning they bequeathed to future generations.
Time transformed their precious knowledge into superstition, but there are those whose hearts beat in rhythm with the past and whose vision is not clouded by modernity. Seeking to reclaim humanity’s early secrets, the Umbra Arca Society was forged. For centuries, this private league of explorers dedicated their lives to uncovering the oldest mysteries of the Americas. Armed with boldness and guile, and equipped with only a compass, a journal, and devotion to truth, these adventurers braved cursed landscapes, dared unnatural adversaries, and exposed hidden civilizations.
Many did not survive.
None were forgotten.
Their stories are maps revealing the topography and contours of landscapes unimaginable and dark. The Shadow Atlas collects their adventures.
With Fiction and Poetry by:
Mario Acevedo • Colleen Anderson • Kay Chronister • Sara Cleto • David Davies • Sean Eads • Anastasia Garcia • Owl Goingback • Maxwell I. Gold • Warren Hammond • Angie Hodapp • Jimena Jurado • Starlene Justice • Gwendolyn Kiste • Gerri Leen • Josh Malerman • Juliana Spink Mills • Tiffany Morris • Lee Murray • Annie Neugebauer • Gerardo Horacio Porcayo • Cameron E. Quinn • Sarah Read • Kathryn Reilly • Julia Rios • Betty Rocksteady • Marge Simon • Angela Yuriko Smith • Christina Sng • Jeanne C. Stein • Tim Waggoner • Brittany Warman • Christa Wojciechowski • Stephanie M. Wytovich • Mercedes M. Yardley • Jane Yolen • E. Lily Yu • Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
Edited by Carina Bissett, Hillary Dodge and Joshua Viola
Cover and interior art by Aaron Lovett
REVIEWS
“Shadow Atlas is a rare, beguiling treat, a collective fantasy with teeth, vision, and grounded in urgent, ancient truths.” --BOOKLIFE by PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (Editor's Pick)
"A host of sublime writers and settings create an entertainingly macabre collection." --KIRKUS REVIEWS
"Shadow Atlas is a top recommendation for horror, fantasy, and literary short story readers seeking diversity in voices and visions. Its collaborative intersection of different worlds thoroughly delights." --MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
Contributors:
Allison Floyd, Armand Rosamilia, Ashley Van Elswyk, Birgit K. Gaiser, Charlotte Reynolds, Chloe Spencer, Clay F. Johnson, Clint White, Corey Farrenkopf, Corey Niles, Cormack Baldwin, D.R. Roberts, Danielle Davis, Elecia Page, Freydís Moon, G.B. Lindsey, Hannah Hulbert, Hazel Ragaire, Ian A. Bain, Isaac Menuza, J.R. Handfield, Jameson Grey, Jasmine Arch, Jennifer Lee Rossman, Jennifer Shneiderman, Katherine Silva, Keely O'Shaughnessy, Lerah Mae Barcenilla, Lindsay King-Miller, Lucas Carroll-Garrett, Maggie D. Brace, Marisca Pichette, Micah Castle, Michael Bettendorf, Nico Bell, Nikki R. Leigh, Philine Schiller, Rose Taylor, Sally Hughes, Sam Lesek, Samuel Best, Sanaya Deas, Sara Crocoll Smith, SJ Townend, Sonora Taylor, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Steven Lombardi, Tonya Walter, Victoria Audley, Zé Burns
We have assembled some of the very best in the business from whom you can learn so much about the craft of horror writing: Bram Stoker Award© winners, bestselling authors, a President of the Horror Writers' Association, and myriad contemporary horror authors of distinction.
The Horror Writer covers how to connect with your market and carve out a sustainable niche in the independent horror genre, how to tackle the writer's ever-lurking nemesis of productivity, writing good horror stories with powerful, effective scenes, realistic, flowing dialogue and relatable characters without resorting to clichéd jump scares and well-worn gimmicks. Also covered is the delicate subject of handling rejection with good grace, and how to use those inevitable "not quite the right fit for us at this time" letters as an opportunity to hone your craft.
Plus... perceptive interviews to provide an intimate peek into the psyche of the horror author and the challenges they work through to bring their nefarious ideas to the page.
And, as if that – and so much more – was not enough, we have for your delectation Ramsey Campbell's beautifully insightful analysis of the tales of HP Lovecraft.
Featuring:
Ramsey Campbell, John Palisano, Chad Lutzke, Lisa Morton,
Kenneth W. Cain, Kevin J. Kennedy, Monique Snyman, Scott Nicholson,
Lucy A. Snyder, Richard Thomas, Gene O'Neill, Jess Landry, Luke Walker, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Marie O'Regan, Armand Rosamilia, Kevin Lucia,
Ben Eads, Kelli Owen, Jasper Bark, and Bret McCormick
And interviews with:
Steve Rasnic Tem, Stephen Graham Jones, David Owain Hughes,
Tim Waggoner, and Mort Castle
Were Tales is a collection of scary, thrilling, dark, mysterious, and even humorous short stories and poems of shapeshifters, from the talented minds of Jonathan Maberry, Stephanie Ellis, Gabino Iglesias, Laurel Hightower, Eric J. Guignard, Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason, Shane Douglas Keene, Clara Madrigano, Kev Harrison, Beverley Lee, S.H. Cooper, Elle Turpitt, Catherine McCarthy, Alyson Faye, Theresa Derwin, Ruschelle Dillon, Baba Jide Low, H.R. Boldwood, Ben Monroe, Cynthia Pelayo, Cindy O’Quinn, Sara Tantlinger, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Linda Addison, Villimey Mist, Tabatha Wood, and Christina Sng.
This is Writers on Writing – An Author’s Guide where your favorite authors share their ultimate secrets in becoming and being an author.
Learn the craft of writing from those who know it best.
Line-up:
- How to Write Killer Poetry by Stephanie M. Wytovich
- Happy Little Trees by Michael Knost
- In Lieu of Patience Bring Diversity by Kenneth W. Cain
- Networking is Scary, but Essential by Doug Murano
- Are You In The Mood? by Sheldon Higdon
- What if Every Novel is a Horror Novel? by Steve Diamond
- Description by Patrick Freivald
- A First-Time Novelist’s Odyssey by William Gorman
- I Am Setting by J.S. Breukelaar
- Finding Your Voice by Lynda E. Rucker
The Writers on Writing series gives young authors the guidance they need, but has advice for all authors, from the interested newbie to the seasoned veteran.
Are you ready to unleash the author in you?
Proudly brough to you by Crystal Lake Publishing - Tales from the Darkest Depths
Interview with the Authors:
So what makes Writers on Writing so special?
Kenneth W. Cain: What makes a compilation like this so great is getting advice from many different writers at all levels in their career.
Tell us more about your essay in Writers on Writing.
Stephanie M. Wytovich: My essay “Blunt Force Trauma: How to Write Killer Poetry” talks about the catharsis of writing poetry, but does so in a step-by-step guide to plotting a good murder…and a great stanza or two. Readers will experience the emotional attachment that goes along with inserting mood and tone into their work, as well as watch the physical and mental binding that the poet/killer has with their poem/victim. Together we’ll plot and we’ll execute, and in the end, we’ll see what consequences we’ve reaped.
Why should authors read Writers on Writing?
Kenneth W. Cain: If you’re like me, you’re always looking for ways to produce a stronger story. It’s not a preference, but a need, as I constantly evolve and reshape my words in different and new ways, all the while trying to retain a particular voice within my work. It’s about growth, and there’s no better source for this development than utilizing the experiences of your peers and colleagues. So when an opportunity like this comes about, to read of the experiences of so many great authors, I’m quite anxious to digest every bit of what they have to offer. It’s a great opportunity to grow as a writer, an education which I feel has no boundaries or conclusion.
Do you have other non-fiction books authors should try out?
Stephanie M. Wytovich: I’m currently reading Horror 101: The Way Forward: Career advice by Seasoned Professionals and I read Many Genres, One Craft, while I was in graduate school and found it really helpful because it comes at writing from all genre perspectives rather than just horror, and as someone who firmly believes that it’s crucial to read and study outside of one’s genre, I think this is a great book to have at the writing desk.
Discover the lost supernatural stories behind some of the most famous people and events in history.
These Fantastic Tales explore the secret history that has been hidden in the shadows of the world, and even alternative histories from other worlds. Tales such as a young man seeking the secret of immortality from none other than Bela Lugosi. The tragic story of how the Titanic really sank. The horrifying lengths the people of New York city would go to raise above the Great Depression, rather in seeking fame or trying to feed the city. And many more Fantastic Tales of Terror.
Lineup:
- Introduction by Tony Todd
- “The Deep Delight of Blood” by Tim Waggoner
- “Unpretty Monster” by Mercedes Yardley
- “The Tell-Tale Mind” by Kevin J. Anderson
- “Topsy-Turvy” by Elizabeth Massie
- “Ray and the Martian” by Bev Vincent
- “The Girl with the Death Mask” by Stephanie M. Wytovich
- “On a Train Bound for Home” by Christopher Golden
- “The Custer Files” by Richard Chizmar
- “Red Moon” by Michael Paul Gonzalez
- “The Prince of Darkness and the Showgirl” by John Palisano
- “The Secret Engravings” by Lisa Morton
- “Mutter” by Jess Landry
- “La Llorona” by Cullen Bunn
- “The London Encounter” by Vince Liaguno
- “Bubba Ho-Tep” by Joe R. Lansdale
- “Gorilla my Dreams” by Jonathan Maberry
- “Articles of Teleforce” by Michael Bailey
- “Sic Olim Tyrannis” by David Wellington
- “The Washingtonians” by Bentley Little
- “Scent of Flesh” by Jessica Marie Baumgartner
- “Rotoscoping Toodies” by Mort Castle
- “Lone Wolves” by Paul Moore
- “The Great Stone Face vs. the Gargoyles” by Jeff Strand
- “The Return of the Thin White Duke” by Neil Gaiman
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
Categories:
- Horror Anthology
- Historical Fantasy
- Horror Short Stories
- Dark Fiction
- Anthologies & Collections
- Horror books
- Weird Tales
- Weird Fiction
- Alternative history
- Monsters
- Aliens
- Supernatural
A disturbing journey into the beauty that rests inside the very heart of darkness.
From the Bram Stoker Award-winning Crystal Lake Publishing and the editing duo who brought you the critically acclaimed small-town Lovecraftian horror anthology Shadows Over Main Street, comes Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories.
Terror becomes transcendence.
Regret gives way to rebirth.
Fifteen short stories and one poem span nearly every twisted corner of the horror and dark fiction genres:
- A woman experiences an emotional reckoning inside a haunted house.
- A father sees his daughter rescued after a cold case is solved, only to learn the tragic limits of his love.
- A man awakens a vengeful spirit and learns the terrible price of settling scores.
- A boy comes of age into awareness of a secret universe of Lovecraftian scale.
- A young woman confronts the deathly price of existence inside a German concentration camp during the Holocaust.
- And much, much more…
Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories features the most celebrated voices in dark fiction, as well as a number of exciting new talents:
Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, Ramsey Campbell, Paul Tremblay, John F.D. Taff, Lisa Mannetti, Damien Angelica Walters, Josh Malerman, Christopher Coake, Mercedes M. Yardley, Brian Kirk, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Amanda Gowin, Richard Thomas, Maria Alexander and Kevin Lucia. Edited by Doug Murano and D. Alexander Ward.
With a foreword from Cemetery Dance magazine founder Richard Chizmar.
Proudly brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from the Darkest Depths
Interview with the Authors:
So what makes Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories so special?
John F.D. Taff: Usually, horror stories tell us the dark side of dark stories, the bad stuff that happens during bad times. It's expected that there will be horrors in the kinds of stories horror generally tells. But Gutted explores the other side of things, the darkness that's there in moments you might not otherwise expect; those moments that touch our hearts or resonate more strongly with our other emotions. It's that beauty—that unexpected emotional resonance that can reside comfortably, side by side with fear, in a good horror story—that separates the stories in Gutted and makes them quite unique.
Tell us more about your story.
Ramsey Campbell: Occasionally I try to repay my debt to specific writers. Midnight Sun was my attempt to scale the awesome peak of Algernon Blackwood’s achievement, while The Darkest Part of the Woods clambered the Lovecraftian. “The Place of Revelation” goes for another giant of the field. If anybody guesses which one, I’ll count the tale some kind of a success. The naïve voice can be a highly effective way to tell a tale of terror, creating a tension between what’s told and how.
John F.D. Taff: My story is a distillation of my childhood. I grew up in the '70s, and I wanted to capture that time period as much as anything else. I also wanted to explore one moment during my childhood, when I got my first 10-speed bike—the freedom that bought a kid like me. It opened so many doors, the ability to go out on my own, far beyond my neighborhood. To explore the world, to discover new things.
”...glutted with graphic scenes of torture, dismemberment, evisceration...” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY YEAR'S BEST HARDCORE HORROR VOLUME 2.
Red Room Press is extremely proud to present its second annual anthology featuring this year's hardcore corps of authors with the best extreme horror fiction of 2016 that breaks boundaries and trashes taboos. Selected from indie publishers and magazines such as Weirdpunk Books, Necro Publications, Splatterpunk Zine, Corner Bar Magazine, Carrion Blue and Raw Dog Screaming Press, these stories represent the state of the art of extreme horror fiction. Whether extreme in theme or with gore galore, these disturbing tales will be hard to forget even though you may wish you could. Yes, there will be blood. Lots of it. Gore galore and plenty of the gushy stuff. But you'll also find tales less graphic but with hardcore attitudes, transgressive stories you're not sure you should be reading, stories showing you things you shouldn't see. Visceral fiction.
This year's best hardcore fiction features work by Michael A. Arnzen, Jasper Bark, Christa Carmen, Marvin Brown, Adam Cesare, Matthew Chabin, Jose Cruz, Andrew Darlington, Paolo Di Orazio, Stefanie Elrick, William Grabowski, Sarah L. Johnson, Eric LaRocca, Alessandro Manzetti, Tim Miller, Alexandra Renwick, Bryan Smith, Jeremy Thompson, Tim Waggoner, Wrath James White, and Stephanie M. Wytovich.
Wytovich shows us that the definition of the feminine is not associated with the word victim. Her characters resurrect themselves over and over again, fighting stereotypes, killing expectations. She shows us that sex isn’t about love; it’s about control. And when the control is disproportionate to the fantasy, she shows us the true meaning of femme fatale.
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