Ghost story writer is a new platform for multimedia devoted to a dying art: the telling of ghost stories around the dinner table as the sun sets on a chilly winter’s night.
It will begin as a home to my short story collections that will be available for purchase on Amazon, with free previews on this site. In time, I hope, it will grow to be much, much more than that and evolve into a centre of discussion around the topic of speculative fiction.
Read more about how the site began in the first blog post.
Who is the Ghost Story Writer?
The author of this site is a British professional copywriter and MA Creative Writing graduate looking to publish works of fiction for the first time.
This site will chronicle his efforts to grow from novice to veteran fiction writer, and document learnings and advice for writers with similar aspirations.
What is Speculative Fiction and why do we need more of it?
Speculative fiction, at least, according to Wikipedia, is a relatively new genre – although rooted in ancient history – that tells the tale of the supernatural, often in what are referred to as “weird tales”, an Americanism of the genre, made popular by literary giants such as H.P Lovecraft.
This site will identify itself more with the former than the latter, and the writings found here can and should be influenced by writers such as M R James and Susan Hill.
Will Ghost Story Writer ever accept submissions?
Should the writer of this site fail in his task of writing excellent stories, he will do his best to publish and market excellent stories written by others.
There is a strong potential for contests and competitions with both monetary and prestige prizes to any strong genre writer interested.
Why do people like to be scared?
Nothing makes you feel more alive than the fear of death.
Who is doing Ghost Stories right at the moment?
Benedict Ashforth and Joseph Iorillo are new genre writers I will be watching carefully in 2015.
Is there a big difference between British and American Storytelling?
Absolutely.
As touched upon earlier, British writing is traditional and antiquarian, with a formula for writing that is often equated to Gothic Literature and touches upon psychological elements, whilst American fiction is traditionally more about the horror element than the ‘Terror’ that British tradition so adores.
American stories concern themselves with the fantastic that is outside of our persons, British stories examine the fantastic within.
Both do an excellent job of portraying a universal truth, though; nothing is more frightening than the unknown.
Do Ghost Stories count as “Horror”?
Some do, some do not.
However, what makes a good Ghost Story is its ability to inflict a suffocating, anxious feeling of terror; our uncertainty and apprehension towards an event that is soon to happen.
Horror, on the other hand, is a reaction to an event and therefore is very different. This is what you see in most “horror” movies.
Of course, excellent stories will incorporate elements of both.
What comes next? Is there a novel in the works?
You can learn more about The Ghost Story Writer’s first novel in this reflective essay on the Gothic tradition.
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