NUTS & BOLTS: Interview With Writer, Filmmaker, Playwright John Patrick Higgins
Nuts & Bolts: Author Todd Keisling on Self-Advocacy for Writers
Nobody becomes a writer because they had childhood dreams of negotiating contracts. Like it or not, according to author Todd Keisling, it’s part of the job for authors without an agent. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, Todd talks about what authors – particularly beginners – should know about self-advocacy.
Nuts & Bolts: Interview With Magic Historian Anthony Grafton
The great thinkers of the Renaissance get plenty of credit for their indelible mark on art, science, and architecture. But maybe they don’t get enough credit for another field to which they made an enormous contribution – horror tropes. Demon-summoning rituals? Deals with the devil? Spellbooks full of dark secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands? All part of the legend surrounding Renaissance-era “magi,” who straddled the line between scientist and sorcerer, and who inspired literary accounts of Faust and Prospero. Anthony Grafton, a Princeton University history professor, tells their fascinating story in Magus, his study of Renaissance-era magic and its practitioners, which should provide plenty of inspiration for horror or fantasy writers who want to add an element of historical accuracy to their fictional sorcerers.
NUTS & BOLTS: Interview with Publisher, Editor, and Mentor Joe Mynhardt
Publishing great horror authors proved more rewarding than he’d imagined,
so Crystal Lake Entertainment founder and CEO Joe Mynhardt took it a step further. He’s expanded what started as a small press into “a platform for launching careers.” In that spirit, Crystal Lake’s recent two-volume Shadows and Ink writing guide serves as a comprehensive education course for aspiring horror authors. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, Joe has agreed to share some advice on what beginning writers should know.
NUTS & BOLTS: Interview with Author, Songwriter, and Actor Kasey Lansdale
Think it’s difficult to self-edit, or to create characters? Try writing a satisfying narrative that clocks in at three minutes. Or standing in front of a roomful of strangers and convincing them you’re somebody else. Those are the kinds of challenges facing songwriters and actors.
NUTS & BOLTS: Interview With Ellen Datlow, Editor and Shaper of Multiple Genres
Over her long and influential career, editor and anthologist Ellen Datlow has played a major role in shaping not just the genre of horror, but fantasy and science fiction as well. During her pioneering stint as fiction editor at Omni magazine in the 1980s, she acquired and edited stories from writers including William Gibson, Octavia Butler, William Burroughs, and George R.R. Martin. Her Best Horror of the Year, on which she’s currently wrapping up the sixteenth volume, remains essential reading for anyone with a personal or professional interest in the genre. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, Ellen shares advice about the craft and business of short-story writing, geared especially toward beginning writers.
Nuts & Bolts: Career Planning for Writers – Interview with Author and Editor Jennifer Brozek
Congratulations, you’ve achieved your dream of becoming a professional writer. Now what? According to author and editor Jennifer Brozek, that’s a question many beginning writers neglect to ask, let alone formulate an answer to. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, Jennifer talks about how proper career planning can go a long way toward ensuring your long-term success as a publishing professional.
Q: What factors should you consider when you're thinking of writing as a career? A: Most writers don’t start off thinking about a career in writing. If they do, they think of it in academic terms — as in that is what they have gone to school for. Once a writer has been writing and submitting their work for a while, they should have an honest conversation with themselves on what they want out of their career. What is their mountain? What are they striving for?
NUTS & BOLTS: Interview with JG Faherty, Author and HWA Mentorship Program Manager
NUTS & BOLTS: Interview with Nebula-Winner J.H. Williams III
In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, J.H. Williams III shares insights for HWA members on topics including how to successfully collaborate with other creators, and creating works for an existing franchise. J.H. Williams III’s beautifully detailed art has won him multiple awards, including a Nebula, and graced the stories of antiheroes (Jonah Hex), mainstream heroes (Batwoman), and decidedly non-mainstream heroes (Alan Moore’s Promethea.) Over a long career, he’s created significant works for DC Comics, Image Comics, Amazon, and Marvel. He’s also illustrated album covers for The Sword and Blondie. His current project, the mind-bending, multi-genre adventure Echolands, is drawing critical acclaim. NUTS & BOLTS: Interview With Bitter Karella, Creator of The Midnight Pals
In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, Bitter Karella discusses topics including personal branding, dialogue as a story-telling technique, and using humor to address serious issues.
The Midnight Pals microfiction series started as a simple but inspired running gag on Twitter. Storytellers gather around a campfire a la Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark?, except they’re real-life horror authors past and present — Stephen King, Clive Barker, Mary Shelley, etc.
Its author, Bitter Karella, has managed to find surprising depths in that premise, delivered almost entirely in dialogue. Midnight Pals features complex, interweaving storylines, recurring characters, and trenchant social commentary, all while remaining consistently hilarious.
Since 2019, Midnight Pals has picked up nearly 50,000 followers on various social media platforms, attracting fans including Brian Keene, Nick Mamatas, and Neil Gaiman. Bitter Karella has picked up two Hugo Award nominations, and successfully crowd-funded three collections of the series, which is being adapted as an audio podcast. 
