by Joseph Maddrey
Last month, I decided to pose some questions to members of the HWA’s Virginia chapter via email and Facebook. I thought it would be interesting for everyone to be able to share some author / book recommendations, and to sound off on our goals as writers and as members of HWA-VA chapter. Here are your responses to five questions…
- What authors inspired you to become a horror writer?
I don’t think anyone will be surprised to hear that the #1 response to this question was Stephen King, followed by H.P. Lovecraft. Other names included Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, H.G. Wells, Robert Bloch, Fritz Leiber, Jack Finney, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Shirley Jackson, Harlan Ellison, Anne Rice, Dean R. Koontz, Ramsey Campbell, Clive Barker, and R.L. Stine.
It was fun to see the names of several authors who are not as immediately identified with the horror genre: Emily Dickinson, Robert E. Howard, Raymond Chandler, and C.S. Lewis.
- What recent publications have renewed your faith in the horror genre?
Several people mentioned Sylvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic (2020) and Stephen Graham Jones’s My Heart is a Chainsaw (2021), but that’s just the beginning of an impressive list of 21st century horror novels:
Come Closer by Sara Gran (2003)
The Rising by Brian Keene (2003)
Pressure by Jeff Strand (2006)
The Troop by Nick Cutter (2014)
Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin (2014)
The Ana Log and Other Anomalies by Michael Gray Baughan (2015)
The Last Firefly of Summer by Bob Ford (2016)
The Fisherman by John Langan (2017)
Killer Chronicles by Somer Canon (2018)
Behind the Door by Mary SanGiovanni (2018)
Into the Forest and All the Way Through by Cynthia Pelayo (2020)
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (2021)
Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman (2022)
Deeper Than Hell by Joshua Millican (2022)
Every Woman Knows by Laurel Hightower (2023)
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (2023)
Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman (2023)
One person also pointed toward the magazine Cosmic Horror Monthly.
- What are your biggest accomplishments (so far) as a horror writer?
Maybe this was a dumb question, as most people gave the obvious answer: “getting published.” Some of the variations included
- “rising from the slush pile”
- being published “in great company”
- being published in big-name publications
- being published in a “best of”
- getting a novel published, after many short stories
- having a body of published work
Some of you mentioned receiving awards for your publications, as well as “the simple pleasure of someone saying they enjoyed my work.”
- What are your goals for the future as a horror writer?
The responses to this question echo the end of every HWA-VA monthly meeting, when we all get a chance to talk about recent projects and accomplishments. The goals include:
- keep writing, keep submitting
- get published in leading magazines
- complete and publish a short story collection
- finish a novel
- get an agent
- write full-time
- “write stories that scare ME!”
This question was a big setup for the last one…
- How can the Virginia chapter of the HWA help you achieve your goals?
Most people said they were looking for—and have found—a supportive community of like-minded writers who hold each other accountable for getting the work done, and celebrate each other’s accomplishments.
Several people mentioned the “roundup” discussions at the end of each monthly meeting. Our HWA-VA workshops also seem to be a big hit. One person specifically requested the return of Red Lagoe’s flash fiction workshop (“and maybe one for drabbles”?). Maybe after Will Wood finishes his workshop for sci-fi/horror hybrid stories?
Another hot topic is marketing / publicity. Bill Camp has been coordinating HWA-VA chapter appearances at various conventions around the state. Charles Wood maintains a running list of all local conventions on our website (https://hwavirginia.wordpress.com/coming-events/), as well as a page devoted entirely to publications by chapter members. Pamela Kinney and others frequently post about new conventions and submission calls on our Facebook page.
One new idea that came up is the possibility of coordinating “in-state mentorships or a 6-month Buddy Writer Program.” Worth discussing at our next monthly meeting.
We’d love to hear some new ideas about how we can draw attention to each other’s work. If you have a suggestion, please let us know.
Thanks to everyone who responded!
HWA VIRGINIA 