For all horror fans and writers, Crystal Lake Publishing assembled the biggest names in horror for their non-fiction collection on the art of storytelling in horror!
(You can check out the power line-up in the blurb)
We asked three of the authors these two questions:
1. Story behind the Story (trivia about their contribution to the anthology)
2. What was your worst nightmare?
Check out what Lisa Morton, Tim Waggoner, and Elizabeth Massie had to say...
1. Story behind the Story (trivia about their contribution to the
anthology) Lisa: Many writers never realize that there's a big market out there for non-fiction, even in the horror genre. Because I write a lot of non-fiction, I frequently hear from magazines and webzines that are deluged with fiction submissions but get almost nothing in terms of non-fiction, despite paying the same rates for both. When I've asked writer friends why they don't try to write some non-fiction, they often tell me they don't know how to do it...and when I explain to them that it doesn't have to be approached all that differently from writing a short story, I see this light go on. I thought it might be helpful to other writers as well to hear that same thing, so this piece is about how to write non-fiction articles that disturb and effect readers in the same ways that fiction does.
2. What was your worst nightmare?
Lisa: For many years I had a recurrent nightmare involving choking around masses of material that were somehow in my throat. I could pull out handfuls of this stuff, but there was always more. I haven't had that in a while now, thank goodness!
1. Story behind the Story (trivia about their contribution to the anthology)
Tim: As both a writer and teacher, I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes fiction work and how I can help beginning writers hone their craft. And since I primarily write horror, I’m always thinking about what makes an effective horror story. What lies at the heart of every tale of terror? I wondered. If I had to boil it down to one essential element, what would it be? In other words, where does horror come from?
And the answer that came to me was consciousness, our self-awareness. Not only do our characters experience Dread, Terror, and Horror through the filter of their particular consciousness, that same consciousness is the window through which readers experience the story. Once I realized this, I knew I had to explore the concept in writing, to see what insights I could learn and share. Thus, my contribution to this book was born.
2. What was your worst nightmare?
Tim: When I was around twelve or so, I was lying in bed, in the dark, waiting to fall asleep. A sound filled my room, something like a cross behind a rattlesnake’s rattle and a cicada’s thrum. Frightened, I sat up. Next, a pair of glowing orbs the size of grapefruits appeared at the foot of my bed and began to sway back and forth, inching slowly toward me. I had the sense that the orbs were really the eyes of some large serpent-like creature, and I sat there, paralyzed with fear as the eyes – the night-eyes, as I thought of them – drew closer, closer . . .
Finally, I managed to reach up and turn on the reading lamp attached to my headboard. When the light came on, I saw there was nothing there. I was alone in my room.
At first, I thought I’d been awake during this experience, but when morning came, I realized I’d most likely had an extremely vivid nightmare. I’ve never had another dream that felt so real, and I hope I never do!
And the answer that came to me was consciousness, our self-awareness. Not only do our characters experience Dread, Terror, and Horror through the filter of their particular consciousness, that same consciousness is the window through which readers experience the story. Once I realized this, I knew I had to explore the concept in writing, to see what insights I could learn and share. Thus, my contribution to this book was born.
2. What was your worst nightmare?
Tim: When I was around twelve or so, I was lying in bed, in the dark, waiting to fall asleep. A sound filled my room, something like a cross behind a rattlesnake’s rattle and a cicada’s thrum. Frightened, I sat up. Next, a pair of glowing orbs the size of grapefruits appeared at the foot of my bed and began to sway back and forth, inching slowly toward me. I had the sense that the orbs were really the eyes of some large serpent-like creature, and I sat there, paralyzed with fear as the eyes – the night-eyes, as I thought of them – drew closer, closer . . .
Finally, I managed to reach up and turn on the reading lamp attached to my headboard. When the light came on, I saw there was nothing there. I was alone in my room.
At first, I thought I’d been awake during this experience, but when morning came, I realized I’d most likely had an extremely vivid nightmare. I’ve never had another dream that felt so real, and I hope I never do!
Elizabeth Massie
2. What was your worst nightmare? (looking for an actual nightmare)
Elizabeth: I rarely have nightmares. I can’t even recall the last one I had as an adult. As a kid, though, I had recurring nightmares about tsunamis. Living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the dark, terrifying tsunamis in my dream would rise up over the top of the mountain beside my town, tower there for an excruciatingly long time, then crash down. I would try to outrun them, I would try to scream, but my legs turned to mush and I no longer had a voice. The wave destroyed much of the town but never quite reached me before I woke up.
Elizabeth: I rarely have nightmares. I can’t even recall the last one I had as an adult. As a kid, though, I had recurring nightmares about tsunamis. Living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the dark, terrifying tsunamis in my dream would rise up over the top of the mountain beside my town, tower there for an excruciatingly long time, then crash down. I would try to outrun them, I would try to scream, but my legs turned to mush and I no longer had a voice. The wave destroyed much of the town but never quite reached me before I woke up.
Edited by: Joe Mynhardt & Eugene Johnson.
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
November 17, 2017
256 pages
256 pages
Cover design: by Luke Spooner
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
Come listen to the legends…
Brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
