Final Frame Short Horror Film Competition 2025 Finalists Announced!

Final Frame Short Horror Film Competition 2025 Finalists Announced!

  We are excited to finally announce the Final Frame Short Horror Film Competition 2025 Finalists! The winner will be announced next week at the 2025 StokerCon convention.     Vote for Wyrm Director: Benjamin Percy Writer: Benjamin Percy UNITED STATES/2025/5:00 A political attack ad for a small-town mayoral race descends into horror.   Izzy Director: Yfke van Berckelaer Writer: Yfke van Berckelaer NETHERLANDS/2024/9:18 Izzy is constantly stuck in the same: mocked, dismissed, ignored, forgotten. How can she get out of it?   Cruelty Director: Sam Das Writer: Sam Das UNITED STATES/2024/9:18 A young trans woman is chased into a…
Final Frame Judges Announced!

Final Frame Judges Announced!

  2025 JUDGES ​The judges for the Final Frame competition are always an essential part of an ever-evolving film family we love to see at StokerCon. Four returning judges and two new additions round out the discerning minds tasked to evaluate the evening’s selections. We’ll have fun hearing them scream along with the audience during an evening of cinematic mindbenders leading up to their prize determinations for Grand Prize, Runner-Up, Best Writing in a Short Film, and more! (in alphabetical order) AARON DRIES is the author of Dirty Heads, A Place for Sinners (featured in 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered), House of Sighs, and Where…
Pride Month 2025: Celebrating in the Midst of Chaos

Pride Month 2025: Celebrating in the Midst of Chaos

  by Gwendolyn Kiste Bittersweet—that’s what I recently called this year’s Pride Month in a social media post. It’s difficult to celebrate when the world is falling apart around us. It’s difficult to celebrate when you know your neighbors want to see your rights dismantled. It’s difficult to celebrate when each and every day we’re waking up to news that’s worse than the morning before. But here’s the thing I keep telling myself: it’s more important to celebrate now than ever. We need to use our voices and raise each other up. We need to remind each other—and ourselves—that our…
HWA Scholarship Applications Now Open!

HWA Scholarship Applications Now Open!

  The  Horror Writers Association is pleased to announce that the Scholarship Committee will be reviewing applications for the following scholarships and grants: the Mary W. Shelley, HWA and Poetry Scholarships. Applications will be available via the HWA submittable and reviewed by a sub-committee of the HWA Scholarship Committee. Additional funding for the HWA Scholarship Program has been generously provided by the Authors Coalition and the Aeroflex Foundation. Membership is not required to apply for any HWA scholarship.  Each Scholarship is worth $2500, except for the Poetry Scholarship ($1250), and may be spent on approved writing education over the two years…
Nuts & Bolts: Maurice Broaddus on Finding an Agent

Nuts & Bolts: Maurice Broaddus on Finding an Agent

By Tom Joyce Do authors need agents anymore? If so, how do they go about finding one, and what should they expect? Author Maurice Broaddus addresses those questions in this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts. Q: Why does a writer need an agent? A: People don’t have to go through gatekeepers (agents, editors, publishers) to make it to the marketplace. That said, it’s about building your team. My agent is my business partner. Someone with expertise of the marketplace as well as contracts. Someone who can be my designated bad guy for certain situations, to preserve my relationship with…
Annual StokerCon Diversity Raffle Prizes Announced

Annual StokerCon Diversity Raffle Prizes Announced

Annual StokerCon Diversity Raffle The Annual StokerCon Diversity Grant Raffle is here! Over twenty books, unique collectables, and other treasured items for lovers of horror, dark fantasy, and the weird will be raffled to benefit the Horror Writers Association Diversity Grant Program. The HWA Diversity Grants have supported over 10 individuals over the last three years giving, $6,000.00 in need to marginalized authors. Raffle winners will be announced at the beginning of the Bram Stoker Awards Cocktail Reception on Saturday, June 14th 6 pm.  Presale tickets for the raffle are available on the Eventbrite page and will be available to purchase…

The Horror Writers Association Announces Horror University 2025

  The HWA is pleased to announce this year's course lineup for StokerCon 2025. Course Pricing: $55 per course (to register see Eventbrite for details). Michael Arnzen: The Uncanny and the Abject This two-hour online workshop will involve short writing activities that will allow you to explore and practice the different techniques writers summon when triggering revulsion or conjuring dread. Amityville-born horror writer Michael Arnzen holds four Bram Stoker Awards and an International Horror Guild Award for his often funny, always disturbing fiction and poetry. In addition to his creative books -- like the novel, Grave Markings, or the short story collection, Proverbs for Monsters--he's…

HWA Scholarship from Hell Recipient Announced

  The Scholarship from Hell is the only scholarship offered by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) that puts the recipient right into the intensive, hands-on workshop environment of Horror University, which takes place during StokerCon®. The StokerCon®2025 Committee Chairs read numerous submissions and this year's recipient is S.E. Clark! S.E. Clark is a writer, artist, and college professor from Boston, MA, who explores the tension between the mundane and the macabre in her prose and art. Her short stories have appeared in publications such as Weird Horror and Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, and more of her work may be found at www.aprilarium.com.  When not writing, she…

Nuts & Bolts: Author Josh Rountree on Transitioning From Short Stories to Novels

By Tom Joyce Whether it’s a matter of keeping a short story tight, or of churning out the daunting number of words required to fill a novel, creating a narrative at any length comes with its own set of challenges. Drawing on the lessons he’s picked up as a short-story writer who transitioned to novels, Josh Rountree discusses the nature of those challenges and how to overcome them.   Q: How did you become established as a short-story writer? A: Back in the early 2000’s when I first began submitting my work for publication, the conventional wisdom stated that if…

The Seers’ Table May 2025

May Seers’ Table, Kate Maruyama, Diverse Works Inclusion Committee   Geneve Flynn recommends:   Pauline Yates is the creative force behind the multi-award-winning science fiction novel, Memories Don’t Lie, recognized in awards including the 2024 BookFest Awards winner in three categories (YA – Science Fiction; Sci-fi Action Adventure; Sci-fi – Genetic Engineering), 2024 American Legacy Book Awards – Finalist (Science Fiction); 2023 Indies Today Awards – Semi-Finalist, among others. She’s also the author of the short horror read, Dream Job, the sci-fi/horror novella, Shattered, and the horror short story collection, The Connections We Keep. Her award-nominated short stories include “Blood Born”, Midnight Echo 18 (Aurealis Awards Best…

2025 HWA Specialty Award Winners Announced

  The Horror Writers Association announces its 2025 Specialty Award Recipients! These awards will be presented during the Bram Stoker Awards Ceremony in Stamford, Connecticut this June.   Specialty Press Award The recipient of the Specialty Press Award is Mocha Memoirs Press. The HWA Specialty Press Award is presented periodically to a specialty publisher whose work has substantially contributed to the horror genre, whose publications display general excellence, and whose dealings with authors have been fair and exemplary. The award was instituted in 1997, largely due to the efforts of long-time HWA member and specialty press aficionado, Peter Crowther. Congratulations,…

The Seers’ Table April 2025

Kate Maruyama Member of the Diverse Works Inclusion Committee Linda Addison Recommends: Pedro Iniguez is a horror and science-fiction writer from Los Angeles, California. He is a Rhysling Award finalist and a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominee. His fiction and poetry has appeared in Nightmare Magazine, Never Wake: An Anthology of Dream Horror, Shadows Over Main Street Volume 3, Qualia Nous Vol. 2, A Night of Screams: Latino Horror Stories, Speculative Fiction for Dreamers, Worlds of Possibility, Infinite Constellations, Tiny Nightmares, Shortwave Magazine, Star*Line, Eye to the Telescope, Space and Time Magazine, and Savage Realms Monthly, among…

The Horror Writers Association Announces Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

Columbus, OH – The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its Lifetime Achievement Award. These awards will be presented on June 14, 2025, during the Bram Stoker Awards® Presentation at StokerCon®2025 in Stamford, CT. The recipients of the HWA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2025 are: Del and Sue Howison, Dame Susan Hill, and David Cronenberg.   Del Howison is an author, journalist, SAG actor including a cameo in the upcoming horror film Big Baby produced by Cher and directed by Spider One. He is a Bram Stoker Award-winning editor of the anthology Dark Delicacies: Original…

HWA Poetry Showcase Volume XII Now Open for Submissions

The HWA is proud to announce that it will call for submissions from its members for the HWA Poetry Showcase Volume XII beginning April 1, 2025. Maxwell I. Gold will be the editor for the volume. This year’s judges, along with Maxwell, will include Jewelle Gomez, Jonathan Maberry, Cynthia Pelayo, and Bryan Thao Worra. Maxwell I. Gold has agreed to take over as the editor for the next two volumes to follow HWA Poetry Showcase volumes XIII and XIV. The cover for Showcase Volume XII will be designed and illustrated by Dan V. Sauer. Only HWA members (of any status)…

NUTS & BOLTS: Lisa Morton Discusses Dennis Etchison

Lisa Morton describes Dennis Etchison’s work as a “brain bombshell” that changed her idea of what horror fiction could do. When she was just starting out, Etchison had a major influence on both her art and her career. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, Lisa discusses Etchison’s writing technique, his influence on her own work, and what writers today can learn from the late horror legend.

Women in Horror Month: Why Women in Horror Matter

  Horror has long been a genre of fear and power—one that reflects our deepest anxieties and dares to explore the unknown. Yet, for too long, the voices of women in horror have been overlooked, despite their undeniable influence in shaping the genre. Women in Horror Month is a time to celebrate these groundbreaking authors, editors, and creators who bring fresh, haunting perspectives to the page. From the gothic brilliance of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House to modern anthologies that center female terror and resilience, women have always been at the forefront of pushing horror’s boundaries. Here are…

Celebrate Women in Horror Month with These Spine-Chilling Anthologies!

    Celebrate Women in Horror Month with These Spine-Chilling Anthologies!  March is Women in Horror Month, a time to celebrate the darkly brilliant minds of female horror authors. If you're craving stories that will haunt your dreams and keep you turning the pages late into the night, check out these terrifying anthologies featuring horror’s most compelling voices: We Are Wolves – Edited by Gemma Amor, Laurel Hightower, and Cynthia Pelayo, this chilling collection showcases women’s horror fiction, with proceeds supporting charities for women. Not All Monsters – Curated by Sara Tantlinger, this anthology is packed with unforgettable horror stories written exclusively by…
The 2024 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot Nominees Announced

The 2024 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot Nominees Announced

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is pleased to announce the Final Ballot for the 2024 Bram Stoker Awards®. The HWA (https://horror.org/) is the premier writers organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, with more than 2,000 members. We have presented the Bram Stoker Awards in various categories since 1987 (see http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/). Works appearing on this Ballot are Bram Stoker Award Nominees for Superior Achievement in their Category, e.g., Novel, and everyone may refer to them as such immediately after the announcement. The HWA Board and the Bram Stoker Awards® Committee congratulate all those appearing on the Final Ballot. Notes about…

Nuts & Bolts: Interview With John Harrison, Netflix Series Creator, Author of Residue: Paramentals Rising

Early in his career, writer and director John Harrison picked up techniques about telling a horror story from collaborating with George Romero. He’s spent decades refining those techniques as a screenwriter, director, and novelist – most recently in a new novel that released on the 11th of this month, Residue: Paramentals Rising, based on the Netflix series he created. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, John shares his thoughts about telling a horror story and storytelling in general. He also gives advice about releasing a book, and getting into TV writing.

Genesis – The First Black Horror Writers/Storytellers by Linda D. Addison

Horror —n: an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting; a shuddering fear.

Who were the first Black horror writers in a country that made enslaved Africans’ everyday life horrific? How did stories develop and what were their themes? I wanted to write this because of my own curiosity. I didn’t know where this was going to lead me but the more I dug the more I found. The yellow brick road of discovery took me away from the land of published authors to places unexpected.