The Time of the Sorceress — An Interview with Ashley Dioses

Weird. Most dictionaries will include in its definitions of this word the phrase “suggesting something supernatural; uncanny.” H.P. Lovecraft, an imperfect human who strove to perfect his craft, referred to his work as “Weird Fiction” S.T. Joshi’s classic “The Weird Tale” (University of Texas Press 1990) states in the preface that the Weird Tale “does not exist as a genre but as a consequence of a world view.” The Weird Tale has been a stable of horror for many years. Ms. Dioses has emerged as a rising star in a subset of this body of work: Weird Poetry. Ms. Dioses…

The Seers’ Table December 2017

Linda Addison, Member of the Diverse Works Inclusion Community December is “Write a Friend” month—why not tell a friend about one or more of the following creators! Ace Antonio-Hall recommends: Helen Oyeyemi is a British novelist of Nigerian origin. She was born in Nigeria in 1984 and raised in London. She wrote her first novel, The Icarus Girl, while still at school studying for her A levels at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, and is the author of five novels. Oyeyemi won the 2010 Somerset Maugham Award and was nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award in 2009 for her work of…

The Lifetime Achievement Award

THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD is presented periodically to an individual whose work has substantially influenced the horror genre. While this award is often presented to a writer, it may also be given for influential accomplishments in other creative fields. The award is presented each year during HWA's gala presentation of the Bram Stoker Awards. About the Award WHO MAY RECEIVE THE AWARD? To be eligible for this award, a candidate must either be at least sixty years of age by May 1 of the year of the award's presentation or must have first produced professional work in the field of…

Haunted Nights Audiobook

Here are 16 chilling, never-before-published tales that explore every aspect of our darkest holiday, Halloween, coedited by Ellen Datlow, one of the most successful and respected genre editors, and Lisa Morton, a leading authority on Halloween. In addition to stories about scheming jack-o'-lanterns, vengeful ghosts, otherworldly changelings, disturbingly realistic haunted attractions, masks that cover terrifying faces, murderous urban legends, parties gone bad, cult Halloween movies, and trick-or-treating in the future, Haunted Nights also offers terrifying and mind-bending explorations of related holidays like All Souls' Day, Día de los Muertos, and Devil's Night. "With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfbane Seeds" by Seanan…

Buy HWA’s Books Here!

HWA is pleased to provide this handy shopping page with clickable links to use to purchase our most recent anthologies in ebook or audiobook, our nonfiction guide On Writing Horror, and our annual Poetry Showcases. By using these links, you're providing HWA with a small amount of extra income, so we thank you in advance and wish you HAPPY SHOPPING! To purchase print copies of Haunted Nights and Scary Out There, we encourage you to patronize independent bookstores. Haunted Nights ebook: Haunted Nights audiobook: Scary Out There ebook: On Writing Horror print: On Writing Horror ebook: F. Paul Wilson's Freak…

Writing Tips

Learning to write well is a long and difficult road. The HORROR WRITERS ASSOCIATION, in an effort to help improve the general quality of fiction across the board, offers the following book, articles, and writing-related links for writers.

“So, Who Wants to be a Horror Writer?” by Edo van Belkom

© 2000 by Edo van Belkom (From the book WRITING HORROR) Whenever I give a talk on the craft of writing (whether the talk is on horror writing, fantasy writing, short story writing, or just plain creative writing) I always begin with a question. And even though this is a book on the subject of writing, it has the feel -- to me anyway -- of a long talk. So, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't begin the book any differently than I would a talk, although I will make one concession and modify the question slightly to…

“The Horror of It All” by Tim Waggoner

© 2000 by Tim Waggoner Want to write horror? A lot of folks do. The mainstream publishing industry may have momentarily turned its collective back on the genre, but the small press scene is thriving, not to mention the burgeoning number of horror 'zines on the Net. Unfortunately, a great many stories published in these markets are uninspired (to put it kindly) and just plain bad (to put it honestly). Want your work to stand out from the rest of the lycanthropic pack? Want to start selling to larger and more prestigious markets? Want your horror stories to be so…

The Seers’ Table – October 2017

The Seers Table! October 30, 2017 by HWA Web Kate Maruyama, Member of the Diverse Works Inclusion Community Happy November! I love reading horror the most as Autumn turns to winter, and our Seers have some good reads lined up! Lauren Salerno recommends: Lauren kicks us off with a fantastic list of Latinx authors. Lauren also recommends: Aliya Whiteley was born in Devon, UK, in 1974. She writes novels, short stories, and nonfiction, and has been published in places such as The Guardian, Interzone, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Black Static, Strange Horizons, and anthologies such as Fox Spirit’s European Monsters and…

Final Frame Film Competition Judges Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Short Horror Film Competition Judged by Z NATION’s Craig Engler   Providence, RI, November 3, 2017 The Horror Writers Association announces its third annual short film competition. On March 2, 2018, Final Frame will be held in conjunction with StokerCon 2018® at the fabled Biltmore Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island. The Final Frame film competition will celebrate the best in short horror films from around the globe. Everyone is encouraged to enter the competition. Selected films will be screened in the Garden Room of the Biltmore Hotel. A grand prize winner will be announced at the…

The Seers’ Table November 2017

Kate Maruyama, Member of the Diverse Works Inclusion Community Happy November! I love reading horror the most as Autumn turns to winter, and our Seers have some good reads lined up! Lauren Salerno recommends: Lauren kicks us off with a fantastic list of Latinx authors. These Hispanic Authors Will Make Your Halloween Extra Spooky Lauren also recommends: Aliya Whiteley was born in Devon, UK, in 1974. She writes novels, short stories, and nonfiction, and has been published in places such as The Guardian, Interzone, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Black Static, Strange Horizons, and anthologies such as Fox Spirit’s European Monsters and…

“Why Do We Love Halloween?” By JG Faherty

As a horror writer, it’s kind of expected of me that I’ll be enamored of the Halloween season. And it’s no secret that I am! But I loved Halloween long before I became a writer. Even as a little kid I looked forward to Halloween as much as I did Christmas. The question is, why? For a child, the reasons are pretty easy to figure out. Lots of candy. Lots and lots of candy! The chance to dress up in a costume and run around the neighborhood relatively unsupervised (at least back in my day). Halloween was the only cool…

“How We Made a Monster (and scared the bejeebers out of an entire high school)!” By Lloyd F. Ritchey

We watched with glee as a man scooped up a little girl and bolted for the door. The kid was kicking and screaming with fright. “Ah,” I thought. “Another successful show!” I was a high school junior, and my esteemed institution was holding a Halloween-themed open house. The classrooms were crammed with the usual flaccid haunted house stuff: “Come inside kiddies, feel the witch’s guts.” (Bowl of cold spaghetti). Her eyeballs—hard-boiled eggs. Yawn. My friends, Warren and Pete, and I had presented the school fathers with a proposal: we would produce Halloween shows a-la Frankenstein that would run about five…

“Underworld Gothic” By Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray

Lee Murray: We’ll probably shock our American colleagues by saying Halloween isn’t really a thing down here in New Zealand. No neighbourhoods of kids out Trick or Treating. No pumpkins on the doorstep. For HWA members this is akin to blasphemy. Do you think they’ll revoke our memberships? Dan Rabarts: Well, we’re here to shock a little, aren’t we? In New Zealand we’re starting to see a bit of Trick or Treating on Halloween, but for whatever reason, it’s never really caught on. Halloween in the Southern Hemisphere comes about in late spring, so it’s not dark or cold when…

“A Halloween Ritual” By Naching T. Kassa

Halloween is a magical time for children. October chill fills the air, frost glittered pumpkins wait in the patch, and disguised friends roam the streets. Halloween traditions increase the enchantment. In my family, one ritual stood out above all others. This was the Halloween ghost story. The tale was always told before bedtime, when shadows had extinguished the light of day. My mother, the storyteller, made sure we were snug in our beds before adopting a suitably spooky tone. Sometimes, the story was lighthearted with a silly twist at the end. Other times, the story was more frightening, much like…

“The 1970s, The Goatman, and Me” By Sheri White

The 70s were a scary time to be a kid. It was an era of urban legends, UFO sightings, Bigfoot, and demon possessions. In my town, our urban legend was the Goatman. Half-man, half-goat (obviously), he lived in a derelict shack in the woods behind my elementary school. According to those who had “seen” this creature (usually older kids), it had the head and chest of a man and the body and four legs of a goat. And he would kill you if he caught you. How he was supposed to accomplish this, and why he wanted to were never…

“Season’s Change” By Kristine Smith

Halloween never seemed to be a big deal when I was a kid. I grew up in Florida during the mid-1960s, and recall maybe a week or so of festivities. We were able to wear our costumes to school for one day. One year, my folks arranged a party for me and my friends complete with a cookout and bobbing for apples and other games. After that, it was time to go out into the neighborhood and collect candy. The heat had abated somewhat by then, but the shiny synthetic of a store-bought costume trapped what remained, especially if you…

“In Loving Memory: Morbid Anatomy Museum” By James Chambers

This year marks the Horror Writers Association New York chapter’s first Halloween without the Morbid Anatomy Museum since we reformed a few years ago—and the dark country of October feels emptier without it. Located in Gowanus in Brooklyn, the Museum and its board welcomed the HWA and its members for numerous readings, book launches, and other events almost from the day it opened its doors. Thanks to the incredible enthusiasm and generosity of HWA member Tonya Hurley, a Museum founder, Morbid Anatomy provided an early and vital focal point for our chapter. Those who ventured inside the Museum found a…

“Friendly Neighborhood Spooky Cemetery” By Heddy Johannesen

Merry meet all, I live near the Mount Olivet cemetery with its own claim to fame. It is where the Titanic victims were buried. I often visit there, and stroll near the graves down a path littered with tree roots, dead leaves and rotted apples. Apple trees grow on the other side of the stone wall. Though the trees appear to grow in and out of the cemetery. A brook runs on the other side of the cemetery. The brook gurgles. I like to think of it as a vessel for spirits to travel to the Underworld. Trees line the…

“Tis the Season for Chills and Thrills” By Lincoln Cole

Dictation Lesson: This Halloween, I decided to try out something new that had always scared me: dictation! I’ve wanted to try writing my books by speaking the words aloud and see if that would speed up my process, but I was always worried at how bad it would come out. This time, though, I was determined to make it work. So, I got my microphone, downloaded the dragon software, and set about making it work. It was terrible. Like, really bad. The sentences were almost nonsensical and occasionally it read more like I was just rambling out ideas than actually…