The Horror Writer: A Study of Craft and Identity in the Horror Genre

The most definitive guide into the trails and tribulations of being a horror writer since Stephen King's On Writing.

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

When HellBound Books reached out to me with this  horror writing guide I was simply blown away. It looked amazing, just look at the line-up. It's edited by Joe Mynhardt owner of Crystal Lake publishing who consistently publish epic horror. Every writer featured in here is one I've not only heard of but really admire. 

I'm pleased to say my expectations were definitely met, I'd every contribution in here and a lot of subjects were covered. There's loads of great articles covering practical writing advice such Kenneth W.Cain's guide on how to create tension in your writing that will scare the crap out of your readers. I found this article incredibly helpful. There's also great advice on how to cope with rejection from Kelli Owen, how to start networking by Jess Landry.

There's two great articles about the work of H.P.Lovecraft from Ramsey Campbell and Algernon Blackwood by Jasper Barks. These articles are not only a must read for fans but they also show you the methods these two horror legends used to scare so many people.

Also featured are author interviews with the likes of Stephen Graham Jones, David Owain Hughes, Mort Castle, Steve Rasnic Tem and Tim Waggoner. These are really insightful and I was really impressed with Joe Mynhardt's interview skills he clearly is someone with a deep and genuine love for horror.

What I liked about this guide is that its a no-nonsense approach to improving your craft, there's no waffling just really great advice that any writer will find really useful.

Needless to say I read through this guide in about a day and genuinely enjoyed every article. Just like Stephen King's guide On Writing, I will make sure to re-read this over and over again. 

This is a must have for any serious horror writer that wants to take it to the next level.