Know a Nominee Part Nineteen: R.J. Cavender
Welcome to the latest installment of “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you inside the heads of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Featured today is R.J. Cavender, who’s nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in an Anthology (along with his co-editor, Boyd E. Harris) for Horror Library Vol. 5 (Cutting Block Press).
DM: Can you please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work for which you’ve been nominated?
RC: Whoa, that’s going to take us back a few years. But the compressed version is that the +Horror Library+ began as a writers group at Zoetrope studios, then turned into an authors showcase/zine online, then that website spawned the Horror Library series of anthologies. But the true seed of the idea came from the Books of Blood series by Clive Barker. I read the first three books on a road trip with my grandparents when I was a young teen, and after that I always knew I wanted to put together a short story collection someday. Those books really got me excited about short stories and what can be accomplished with a conservation of words and a short page count.
DM: What was the most challenging part of bringing your idea to fruition? The most rewarding aspect of the process?
RC: The most challenging part is always the selection process and the sheer amount of submissions that need to be read and considered in any open submissions period. The most rewarding aspect would be discovering new talent and working with some of the most skilled authors writing today.
DM: What do you think good horror/dark fiction should achieve? How do you feel the work for which you’ve been nominated fits into that ideal?
RC: Good fiction in general should leave an impact on the reader. Great fiction has the power to change a reader. The stories in Horror Library Vol. 5 certainly qualify in that arena, since so many of them have characters and situations that resonate with readers on an emotional level. I’m just a fan of having characters that have a meaning and purpose in a story, not ones who are put there just as a pawn to die. So themes that are universal, and characters who express true emotion (and can elicit those same feelings from a reader) are important to me in good storytelling. Some of the lessons these stories have to teach are ones that I hope our readers will carry with them for life. And if not, then I hope we’ve at least entertained. These stories have certainly entertained me and made an impact. I’ve read most of them about six times over during the editing process— I think they hold up!
DM: I’m curious about your writing and/or editing process. Is there a certain setting or set of circumstances that help to move things along? Where do you often find yourself getting stuck, and why?
RC: I’m afraid the process isn’t very exciting. Just a lot of reading, a lot of notes back and forth with my team, and an excessive amount of note taking. When you’re dealing with hundreds of stories and correspondences, there’s no such thing as “too organized.”
DM: As you probably know, many of our readers are writers themselves. What is the most valuable piece of advice you can share with someone who may be struggling to make their way in this life?
RC: Find a good editor to work with. Even the best authors have good editors. It’ll open doors for you.
DM: What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Bram Stoker Awards/WHC (if attending)? What do you think is the significance of recognitions like the Bram Stoker Awards?
RC: My favorite part of the ceremony is seeing Jeff Strand MC the event. This year I also have the distinct honor of having a friend and author I’ve worked with on many projects, Rena Mason, nominated for two awards—one for best first novel. I’m looking forward to running the pitch sessions again this year. I’m looking forward to talking shop. I’m looking forward to the parties, the conversations, and the good times. I’m looking forward to seeing Portland for the first time. And most of all, I’m looking forward to seeing friends that I sometimes only see once a year.
And the significance, I guess, would be recognition for creating something that matters. It’s a shared thing, so I’m not having a case of ego-attack here. But I think especially with an anthology, it’s a celebration of what can be accomplished when the whole of the sum is greater than its parts. When so many great stories can be put together in one place, it’s like a testament of sorts. A snapshot of what was happening in a writing circle at one particular moment in history. A time capsule for later generations to discover and enjoy. Probably getting a bit lofty here, but that’s what I’m shooting for when I put together these books. I wanted us all to make something great together. And prizes or not, I think that’s just what we’ve done.
About R.J. Cavender
R.J. Cavender is an Associate Member of the Horror Writers Association of America and the thrice Bram Stoker Award® nominated editor of the +Horror Library+ anthology series and co-editor of Horror For Good: A Charitable Anthology, both from Cutting Block Press. He is the resident horror editor at The Editorial Department, managing editor of horror at Dark Regions Press, an acquisitions editor at Blood Bound Books, and the pitch session coordinator for World Horror Convention. He is also the founder and host of The Stanley Hotel Writers Retreat.
