About a week ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down for an interview with Ted Huggins, the creator and main narrator for the Cosmic/Sci-Fi Horror podcast Cryo Pod Tapes. My short story IMMUNE SYSTEM was used as his first episode (you can listen to my story below).
During the interview, I was asked what influenced me to become a horror author. I answered that I did not really consider myself a horror author. My answer was a little surprising since my story was published in a horror podcast, and I was being interviewed as a horror author. Over the past week, I have thought about the role of horror in my writing and have decided to share some of my thoughts.
I suppose I really am a horror author. I mean, why not? I enjoy reading horror. I enjoy writing it too. However, I am wary of being defined by it. I suppose one of the reasons for this is a degree of uncertainty I have when writing horror. I enjoy the process, but it requires a different mentality than writing pure sci-fi or fantasy. The main thought I have when writing a horror story is Am I being scary or am I just being weird? I feel like it is a fine line to walk. I usually do not worry about being weird, but when the crux of the story requires me to produce a frightening thrill, it is insufficient just to be strange.
I view horror elements more as tools in my toolbox rather than a template I use for every story. It is like romance. I would not write a very good romance novel, but all my novels thus far have romance as an element. Rarely, I choose horror as my primary tool. Even in my story IMMUNE SYSTEM, I feel like horror is not the main element of the story. It is a sci-fi story with horror aspects. Part of being a writer is having a bunch of tools that you can select and use when you deem it appropriate. Therefore, a good writer will develop each skill and have it ready to use. Horror is an element that I have not fully developed, but it is an aspect of storytelling that I want to continue to improve.
Cryo Pod Tapes is a great melting pot of stories. Yes, it is horror, but it is horror with a sci-fi or cosmic twist. I enjoy that flavor of horror best. Every time I listen to Ted's rendition of my story, I am glad that it found a home on his podcast.
I am not easily scared by horror stories, especially a story I am writing. However, I am interested in what other authors deem frightening and what devices they use. I spent time this week catching up on episodes of the Cryo Pod Tapes. I enjoyed the stories and decided to write a new horror short story. After all, reading is writing, and if done correctly, you cannot do one without doing the other.
As emphasized in other blog posts, I strive to be a poet first, last, and always. My goal with my new story was to try to make a sublime story, a story that scares through immensity and unrealized potential—through poetry. These are not the only horror aspects in the story, but I focused on language and concrete imagery. It was nice to return to the short story format, where I did not have to worry about a long plot or slow character arcs. I focused on my character's voice and his desires. The story has a constant build of plot and consequence and a twist about halfway through. It was fun to take a week and concentrate on a story that is not necessarily a genre I consider within my usual wheelhouse.
Is my story any good? I like it, but we will see if it finds its way over to Cryo Pod Tapes. I want to see what my alpha reader thinks first. She should be able to tell me if I am being scary or weird. I hope for a little bit of both.
So, I do stand by my answer in the interview, in the sense that horror will likely be the exception rather than the rule of my writing, but it is a tool that I will continue to develop. Therefore, if you enjoy horror, you should see the occasional scary story (or at least really weird) from me. If you really want to see more horror out of me, let me know in a comment on my blog or message me on Twitter.
My conversation with Ted should be published in the near future on his podcast.
Be sure to support Ted and the other talented writers and narrators over at Cryo Pod Tapes. Subscribe and leave a review so he can continue to make quality content.
Now, listen to my short story IMMUNE SYSTEM: