10.17.04 ... HorrorWeb Chat with Mike Arnzen, and Darren Speegle in conjunction with Raw Dog Screaming Press... Have you noticed that horror is taking a turn? Subtle yet important, lovers of the genre are noticing this. "New Wave of Horror" chat was a chance to understand what is going on in this multi faceted genre and what we can expect in the future.



The "new wave" -- if it exists -- is perhaps a collection of "new voices" that haven't been heard before. -- Michael Arnzen

My original intent is normally not to frighten but to disturb... -- Darren Speegle


Session Start:
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HorrorWench Hello =)
SkullfarmeRHellooooo
KarenT hey all
Mike Arnzen Waves
Darren Speegle Cool. Glad you all made it!
HorrorWench glad YOU guys made it! and I'll be transcribing this for those that don't =)
BloodyMary ha
Mike Arnzen [hugs and hickeys]
John_Lawson How are things in Germany, Darren?
Darren Speegle Things are wet and cold, whatcha think dude?
TwisteRthings are wet and cold here too
SkullfarmeRYesterday they were wet and cold here
SkullfarmeRNow it's just cold
John_Lawson Things are just cold here.
HorrorWench cold here... we had white fluffy yesterday - i'm moving to florida!
Darren Speegle Otherwise, all's good over here. How about with you Raw Doggers?
John_Lawson Promo ops are popping up all over we're just trying to keep up with everybody!
HorrorWench johnjohn... wanna go grab some shockliners by the nose hairs and we'll start this sheebang =)
John_Lawson Sure thing, I'll go spray some blood on them
SkullfarmeRMmmm...blood...
Darren Speegle Are you sick, John?
HorrorWench always...
BloodyMary haha
John_Lawson Actually yes!!! In more ways than one, todya anyhow
HorrorWench deadly virus or everyday catch of the public?
KarenTayloRanyone going to WFC? Or Horrorfind?
SkullfarmeRWhere is Horrorfind again?
KarenTayloRphoenix
SkullfarmeROh man...
KarenTayloRsame weekend/general area as WFC
SkullfarmeRMove it to Cleveland
Mike Arnzen I'll be at both in Phoenix (mostly WFC probably)...it'll be good to see ya again, karen!
KarenTayloRI won't make WHC this year
John_Lawson They'll be having Horrorfind cons all over next year.
TwisteRI'm not gonna make wfc or horrorfind....i'm gonna try and make WHC though
KarenTayloRI'll be at WFC - I have to leave early for a signing in LA
wretlind I'll be at WHC next year
Darren Speegle Not me Karen. From Germany it gets expensive.
Mike Arnzen WHC is gonna be a blast. Expensive, but a blast! It'll be good to see WHC come back to life. I was worried about its demise.
HorrorWench oh yeah, i can't wait mike - bloody and i will both be in nyc for that one
TwisteRI wish there would be a horrorfind closer to where I live, everyone of them is at least 15 hours from here
John_Lawson By the way, the Horror of Writing panel is going on the road...if you want us to visit your town send info on book stores in your area. Except you, Darren :)
TwisteRall of them are far for darren
Darren Speegle Ha!
KarenTayloRDark Delicacies would be a good host for that, John
Mike Arnzen We'll have to set something up in Pittsburgh, John! Coolness.
wretlind B&N, Asheville, NC
HorrorWench what if the armpit doesn't have a bookstore! no one ever comes here... hell i don't even want to be here!
John_Lawson hahahah
BloodyMary any coming to Philadelphia?
Mike Arnzen Maybe at the end of the world tour, a horrorweb chat could be "The Horror of Writing"
HorrorWench yeah!! i'm up for that mike =))
BloodyMary even better
John_Lawson YES, and also Philly!
BloodyMary ill be going to the philly one
John_Lawson Well, I've been talking to folks aboout doing the West Coast it's a strech, but we'll see.
HorrorWench ready guys?
Darren Speegle Ready.
Mike Arnzen wiping chin Ready.
HorrorWench ARNZEN: The 'new wave horror' - what exactly is the trend, where is it going, and what do you feel is your personal part in it?
Mike Arnzen Tough one! ...
HorrorWench never claimed to be 'nice' =))
BloodyMary LOL
SkullfarmeRand an ineffable silence settled over the board...
Mike Arnzen Let me start by saying that I've been publishing since '89 so I'm not convinced I'm in the "new wave" per se. But I'm doing things with my writing that are new because mainstream publishing is being more and more receptive to it. For me, the "new wave" is the recent accessibility to the small press that the internet and POD tech have made available.
HorrorWench k, you just touched on two of my other questions... keep going =)
Mike Arnzen Ask a follow-up, please. That question was too broad!
HorrorWench Is this new wave of horror just another way to try to make horror a respectable genre? Do newer authors feel a responsibility to make horror viable?
Mike Arnzen "Respectable"? Nah, I don't think so. Darren?
HorrorWench hehe...
Darren Speegle Ha!
BloodyMary SPEEGLE: What do you see as your role in the New Wave of Horror?
Mike Arnzen I try to write the things I don't find on the shelves when I go looking.
HorrorWench mike - you avoid what you see or you just try and go somewhere new? it's a fine line...
John_Lawson That's a good approach Mike and that's what we've been trying to do as publishers. Create something we would want to see if we went to a bookstore.
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Mike Arnzen OH NO! Come back to us, Darren!
HorrorWench ah ha! darren fell off his chair! hehehe
TwisteRguess he didn't like that question
John_Lawson Man down!
BloodyMary uh oh
SkullfarmeRDaaaarennnnnnn
Mike Arnzen German censors.
John_Lawson A little too much brandy in the coffee
BloodyMary ha
HorrorWench lol
Mike Arnzen I meant to say that I'm often disappointed in what I read. A lot of it seems safe and predictable.
John_Lawson I blame the EU
Darren Speegle Hey, I got disconnected!
Mike Arnzen Like, when I wrote 100 Jolts. A lot of folks don't write or publish short-shorts, but I wanted to write 'em and I just did it. And lo and behold, it found a publisher and is meeting with success.
HorrorWench and it was GREAT! i was reading some to BloodyMary today hehe... she needs a copy =)
SkullfarmeR I need a copy
BloodyMary yes *tear falls*
Mike Arnzen Maybe you'll win the giveaway!
SkullfarmeR Oh yeah
HorrorWench hehe she's not eligable, but you are Skullfarmer =)
SkullfarmeR When is the giveaway?
Darren Speegle You must not have gotten my answer. I don't know that I think of myself as having a role. I try to be *different* -- if there's a new wave, that's what it is, after all; I think there's always a "new wave" -- and I try to be as literate as the genre will allow, and stay true to my art, as they say.
TwisteR so you write what you want to see, and how you want the direction of the genre to go. You don't write to fit into any type of trend
Mike Arnzen Great answer. The "new wave" -- if it exists -- is perhaps a collection of "new voices" that haven't been heard before.
HorrorWench yes! that's what i see it as... lots of new voices, rather than lots of voices sounding like other people - these are all unique
loki one thing i see in the current crop of 'new' horror writers, and this is strongly similar to what happened with the New Wave, is a stronger class awareness when it comes to publishing, and more direct sub/countercultural ties. why do you think that is, if you do see it at all?
Mike Arnzen That's a great observation, Loki. The dominant voices get defensive; the marginal ones get aggressive... the business of it all can make the stakes political.
HorrorWench BOTH: Horror is often seen as the bitch of the writing world, even fantasy is considered by many as being above horror on the food chain. Do you interpret that as a challenge in your writing?
Mike Arnzen A raw bitch, screaming, perhaps?
HorrorWench hehehe... yes
John_Lawson It's certainly a challenge as publishers but we don't see horror as being below any other genre either
HorrorWench the muggles do, i should have said that =)
Mike Arnzen I don't think about it too much, HorrorWench. A good book stands on its own. I like being an outsider to the mainstream, though. Gives me more freedom.
Darren Speegle Horror is fantasy, a. And b. they're labels. But yes, I think I do somewhat.
loki also, i think i can draw comparison to the Surrealists, in the desire to take control of the means of publishing, disribution, and whatnot, along with a strong desire to actively go AGAINST the 'mainstream' horror fiction. do you see this at all? also, do you feel that what you're doing is taken seriously by the horror mainstream?
Mike Arnzen I think my work is taken seriously because I take it seriously. I do lots of different things; I think of myself as a writer, not a novelist. I do try to cut against the grain, but that's inherent to genre writing itself, I think. You gotta break conventions as much as meet them.
Gord Hard to define mainstream, don't you think?
Mike Arnzen That's true, too. Horror is slotted on the mainstream racks anymore in most bookstores.
John_Lawson In terms of acknowledgement from the mainstream, the books continue to get more and more reviews including a strong review of Darren's book forthcoming in Cemetery Dance (which is pretty "mainstream")
wretlind :) Mike... How does that new wave (the new voices you mentioned) become heard? Is that a question of marketing or remaining "safe and predictable"? If you're a screaming, raw bitch writer, in what ways can you rise above the other genres and become a defensive big dog?
Mike Arnzen Great questions, wretlind! It's up to publishers to be bold, I think. And for writers to cultivate an audience...which takes time, a track record, and persistence. Remaining safe and predictable will eventually lose your constant readers, who will "outgrow" you eventually.
HorrorWench or just tire of your predictability
Gord You rise above by writing things like Darren, that make people stand up and say, "holy shit!"
Mike Arnzen Yes indeed. Darren has made me say that many times. He's great.
TwisteR I agree Mike, if I kept reading somebody that I knew would be predictable, it wouldn't take me long to quit reading them
Mike Arnzen Think of iconoclastic writers like Thomas Ligotti...he developed his own following.
Darren Speegle Thanks Gord! And Mike, you ain't so bad yourself.
John_Lawson One thing people have said about both Mike's and Darren's books is that they weren't what was expected in a good way
Mike Arnzen on his own terms.
Darren Speegle Right on.
Mike Arnzen That's cool! (I wonder what they expected, of course: crap? hah)
TwisteR haha
John_Lawson lol
HorrorWench nah... just not 'that'
Mike Arnzen As in "Hey, this crap doesn't taste so bad after all!"
SkullfarmeR ha
HorrorWench you're very far from predictible... 100 jolts shows that
Darren Speegle Absolutely.
Mike Arnzen Thanks, HorrorWench. I have a fear of boring people, so I let that angst guide me toward originality.
HorrorWench killionare... yeah, no originality there =) hehehe
Mike Arnzen I'm out of deathlines! Hah.
loki one criticism i've seen leveled at your work, mike, and that of a lot of rdsp titles... is a blurring of the lines between prose and poetry. how do you react to that?
Mike Arnzen Good point, Loki. ... The problem with poetry is that it confuses people -- it asks more work on the reader's part ... But for me, the poetics of style is where a lot of the art of writing is located. ...
HorrorWench ahhhhh damn you for making us use our brains!
BloodyMary *rubs head* yea, thanks
Darren Speegle Elliptical bastard!
Mike Arnzen and if there's a mainstream horror, it's a little less artful than it could/should be. Like we were saying before, when we read and our jaw drops, we love it. Sometimes a well written line can make my jaw drop, as much as a well constructed shock scene.
Darren Speegle Ein moment bitte. Yes to Mike's last comment.
HorrorWench BOTH: How has the internet, especially webzines and e-books, changed the literary world for you as an author and a reader? And do you think there is a solid future for internet horror or is this just a fad? hey, John_Lawson can answer that one too!
Mike Arnzen Take this one, Darren. I'm yammering, high on caffiend.
Darren Speegle I do not think internet publishing is a fad. Publications will come and go but the accessibility of the internet will keep it alive...
John_Lawson Horror stems from our daily experiences, so there will always be a community of people publishing/reading horror through whatever technological means are available
Mike Arnzen I read something recently that claimed that "banned books" are a thing of the past now because they'll always be available in electronic form. I think that's awesome.
HorrorWench yes! i completely agree with you... it shouldn't have been happening anyway and not the net can stop it
Mike Arnzen I think the internet changes the WAY we read to some degree. Less patience. If you can write tight, you'll succeed.
Darren Speegle As to how the internet's changed the scene, it's made it possible for a lot of people who shouldn't be writers be writers. On the other hand, it has helped some new quality voices emerge.
Mike Arnzen Darren just hit it squarely on the nose! YES!
John_Lawson Ha, too true just look at our slush pile :) It's brutal but true
Mike Arnzen The small press is no longer "small" per se.
John_Lawson At the same time, it allows publishers to be able to find brand new talent on the other side of the globe. Exactly, Mike
Darren Speegle Don't envy you, John.
kldonihe2 Small press used to be a lot more underground than what it is now . . . think that started changing in the early 90's when commercial horror started fading as a money-making thing.
BloodyMary ARNZEN: Will basic, purely for entertainment, splatter and fear horror remain or will it fade out with the rise of the new horror that assaults the psyche in an intelligent fashion?
Mike Arnzen Because horror readers are often horror film fans, I think there will always be a combo of splat/body horror and psychological depth to the best horror stories.
Gord Pulp will live on, I would think.
Mike Arnzen I like horror that calls into question the boundaries between body and mind, too. Like Cronenberg in print or something.
Darren Speegle Ditto Mike.
HorrorWench interjecting random drawing... winner of 100 Jolts is... loki!! unless you have it then i'll pass it down the list =)
BloodyMary Congrats
loki holy hells, i won something.
KarenTayloR wow congrats
TwisteR congrats loki
Mike Arnzen Hey CONGRATS LOKI! I'll sign it for you if you send it to me with return postage. Or is the copy already signed?
John_Lawson We do have a signed copy on hand
Gord Hi Jim... er, I mean Mr. Moore.
loki do you see the current 'new wave' in horror (which has yet to be named, i suppose) as being a further extension of the iconoclasm that we've seen fro the Futurians, the Surrealists, and the New Wave? and if so, do you envision that fire being co-opted any time soon? also, how important is working with the right publisher, in order to keep it with the same depth for as long as possible?
Mike Arnzen That's a tough question, Loki!
John_Lawson It's inevitable that the new voices/styles will be co-opted by more established companies in the (near)future
Darren Speegle Yes, Loki, I think the new wave is similar to the last new wave and the one before that.
HorrorWench can you define the 'last new wave'?
Darren Speegle No. :)
Mike Arnzen Horror is the one genre where you can be literary/subversive and still sell mass market. So I'd rather be co-opted as a horror writer than anything else.
John_Lawson I think it's a question of who's on the surfboards at the time
HorrorWench =)
BloodyMary LOL
Mike Arnzen Like, Dell/Abyss back in the 90's. They were doing some very edgy stuff and getting away with it!
Darren Speegle Yeah, Mike.
BloodyMary BOTH: Do you feel that horror literature is divided between entertaining and cerebral and which do you strive to fall into?
JimMoore Good question. :)
Mike Arnzen Another tough question, BloodyMary
HorrorWench oh that was one of my favorite questions... why'd i let you have that one!
BloodyMary cause your sweet :P
HorrorWench oh yeah, that's why... cuz speegle sucked your brains dry with Temporal hehe
BloodyMary *hangs head in shame*
Darren Speegle Whoa, that's too hard Mary. Personally, I lean towards the latter. But that's not the purpose.
Mike Arnzen I fall back on King's old advice: horror horrifies first, terrifies second, and then goes for the gross-out. ... But for my goals, I try to entertain while also being cerebral; I'm not sure the two are necessarily distinct.
JimMoore I've always been of the opinion that any cerebral action in one of my stories was just a happy coincidence.
BloodyMary ha Jim
Mike Arnzen Horror challenges readers, no matter what it's doing -- both emotionally and intellectually.
John_Lawson Well, there are different types of horror too
Darren Speegle Loki, I would consider both mine and Mike's work to be other than mainstream horror and if new wave fits, then so be it. But again, there all labels. .
JimMoore Amen, Darren
John_Lawson Discovering that your child is missing is a intellectual horror, much different than a chainsaw ripping trough your toe
Mike Arnzen Unless your child is the one doing the sawing.
BloodyMary yikes
John_Lawson LOLOL
JimMoore Well, not if you find the child in pieces..
Mike Arnzen lol -- we're all sick.
John_Lawson Oh, you guys
Mike Arnzen and deranged.
BloodyMary LOL
JimMoore Thank God I'm not alone in the dementia/..
Darren Speegle To what Mike said about horror horrifying, I gotta be honest and tell you my original intent is normally not to frighten but to disturb.
HorrorWench disturbing is good, it goes deeper...
Mike Arnzen I like that, Darren: yes, DISTURB. Shake 'em up at the core.
HorrorWench BOTH: Rather than giving advice on what beginning writers should do, what would you tell them to never never do?
Mike Arnzen I don't think beginning writers should promote themselves or fall for the spectacle of advertising. They should just write and earn the reading world's trust first.
HorrorWench they shouldn't promote? explain that ...
Mike Arnzen Self-promotion can backfire if you're hyping your early early work.
JimMoore I can see that. Mike, but please, yes, clarify
Darren Speegle If the new writer believes he or she cannot give up writing -- if the passion's that strong -- then do not give up. Also, don't self-publish. :)
Mike Arnzen By beginning writers, I'm thinking of people who have maybe only published one story or a POD collection of unpublished works.
wretlind so the publisher should promote and not the author?
John_Lawson It's a case of look before you leap. you have to ask questions, and focus on developing your skills
Mike Arnzen I'm not saying writers shouldn't assist publishers in selling the product. But I think a lot of new writers think "visibility" in the market is more important than writing good stories. Or at least it seems that way to me.
Darren Speegle Don't assume, because you've gotten a couple rejections, your work's not worthy. Be patient, don't pawn it off to the first taker.
John_Lawson I've heard that it takes an average of 5 years before your first sale. And, on the average, you get only 1 acceptance for every 6 rejections. So no,, for sure don't give up. Do it because you love it.
wretlind 119 rejections in the last year versus 11 acceptances... does that fit your numbers John?
John_Lawson Yep. That sounds pretty good, really. You're sending out stuff on a regular basis. Keep it up!!
wretlind Here here
Darren Speegle See above.
Gord Great advice, Darren. The old 'Less is more' rule is an important one to glue on the wall.
Mike Arnzen Yes: aim high and remember that persistence pays. Nothing you write is a waste; even a failed story teaches you something..
KarenTayloR very true, Mike
Darren Speegle wretlind, those numbers are familiar.:)
HorrorWench counting rejections wretlind =( that's gotta be depressing
Mike Arnzen It's failing to write at all that sinks ya.
kldonihe I haven't kept track with acceptance verses rejection in 2004.
John_Lawson I always tell people you can learn just as much by studying something you don't like it forces you to understand what you like and why it works
Mike Arnzen So true, John!
Darren Speegle I'll be back in five...
Elizabeth_Peake Hi Mike.I love writing flash fiction. Do you think there is a big market for it?
HorrorWench oh oh i have a flash fiction question too!
Mike Arnzen I do think there's a market for it; mostly online publications. Less is more on the internet, where people don't read a page for very long. No one likes to scroll. ...
HorrorWench very true ... even on a website they don't like to scroll
Elizabeth_Peake I admit I hate reading off the computer screen
Mike Arnzen But there is a problem with flash fiction writing; because the industry pays by word, there's little incentive for writers to do it. If there was, there'd be more flash fiction by pros, like King and Straub and Ketchum, etc.
Darren Speegle I'm back.
HorrorWench i don't do it Elizabeth_Peake... i print everything i have to read =)
John_Lawson Me either and I run a webzine!
TwisteR I agree with that Mike; I'm just like Elizabeth, I can't stand reading off a computer either
kldonihe Isn't it a questionable thing when market forces dictate the ebb and flow of fiction?
wretlind Mike, isn't that saying (in a 'round about sort of way), that King, Straub, etc. are writing for money and not for the love of it?
HorrorWench LOL
Elizabeth_Peake HW, I work off my laptop and not setup to print without getting my lazy butt out of my recliner. ;)
HorrorWench ah well... i need a laptop, but i'd still have to have a printer with it
Mike Arnzen They do write for the love of it, but all full time writers also want to pay the bills. And flash fiction generally can't do that.
Darren Speegle That's why I don't write more of it, frankly.
Mike Arnzen I write flash because I like the challenge of the word limit. If forces me to think creatively in a way that I wouldn't otherwise do it.
loki writing is labor, and there isn't any way for most writers who don't go the novel route to earn fair recompense for their labor.
Mike Arnzen And I love READING a good effective short-short.
Darren Speegle You've perfected the form, Mike.
Elizabeth_Peake Mike, I write flash fiction for a different reason I love the surprise ending and I like to get to it quickly so I can see if I pulled it off successfully
John_Lawson The thing is convincing conventional readers that flash can have depth, which is what all the Jolts readers are discovering
HorrorWench speaking of... ARNZEN: Gorelets and 100 Jolts are full of flash/micro fiction including some that are no more than a scene. You leave the reader questioning 'how did we get here?' and/or 'where are we going?' - do you generally know the answers to those questions yourself?
Mike Arnzen Yeah, I sometimes don't know the answer. Sometimes a flash piece is just an exploration; sometimes I like the ending to open up a world of possibilities rather than provide a singular interpretation.
Mike Arnzen Good point, Elizabeth. A good flash ending can deliver like a karate chop to the face.
Elizabeth_Peake exactly that's why I love 100 Jolts
Mike Arnzen Thanks.
HorrorWench oh yeah... really enjoyed that one - read 1/2 of it to hubby in the car hehe
Gord I agree with Mike that there is a certain power in a really well constructed short short. Him minimalistic horror just stops me dead sometimes and that's a good thing.
Mike Arnzen I do like to stop dead folks.
HorrorWench oh hey, let's give out Dirge... winner of Dirge is... kldonihe !!
kldonihe Wait . . . I won something . . .
Gord You'll love it, Kevin. Dirge is right up your alley.
BloodyMary SPEEGLE: How has moving to Germany affected your writing and/or publishing?
Gord Are you in the military, Darren? Is that why you're there?
Mamatas Everyone knows Darren moved to Germany because he hates America! Which is the same reason why I stay, of course.
Mike Arnzen lol
John_Lawson I think about moving abroad often myself
TwisteR This is kind of a follow-up to the last question for Darren. Darren do you feel that Germany has had a great impact on your writing, than when you lived in Alabama?
kldonihe I'm sure I will . . . I used one of the stories from that antho in BARE BONE #6. Darren should submit to Leviathan if they do another antho -- and I'm sure they will.
TwisteR sorry, that's has Germany had a greater impact than Alabama?
BloodyMary *awaits #6 impatiently*
HorrorWench ARNZEN: How has your career as a professor colored your writing, reading, and outlook on the literary world, both in general and specifically in the horror genre?
Mike Arnzen Well...I guess it's helped me to read all sorts of writers and become exposed to so many ideas that I wouldn't otherwise have a clue about. On the flip side, I kind of like being a lone horror person (or one of a few) soiling up the ivory towers. Horror's been a part of literature forever, and I like reminding the snobbier ones about that. Plus I love teaching. Writing can be a lonely business; plus I get lots of story ideas from interacting with the kids.
HorrorWench hehe i love that answer mike!
HorrorWench SPEEGLE: You tend to elude to the gore factor rather than show it. Is this a statement on your personal preferences for leaving things to the imagination, or a stand against splatter horror?
Darren Speegle I don't care for splatter horror, that's for sure. But I find the most disturbing works to be those that rely on subtlety to get their point across.
Mike Arnzen But I wouldn't call Darren a "soft horror" writer, either. There's an intensity to your work.
BloodyMary SPEEGLE: You do not talk down to your readers and tend to have a literary feel to your imagery and characters. Do you feel you lose some readers this way?
Mamatas readers love being talked down to, it's true.
HorrorWench hehehe... there are actually readers that won't read intelligent works, they prefer straight entertainment, beach book type horror
Darren Speegle Nick, nick. Very possibly, Bloody Mary. But one must stay true to one's art. :)
Mamatas At least I hope they do, or there goes my plan to be the most popular author in the world.
Mike Arnzen Whatever readers a writer might lose, a writer might gain elsewhere, of course. But I think horror does have a responsibility to entertain its audience in some way...if only to hit the right emotional payoff.
kldonihe Can one's art be straight entertainment beach-type books?
HorrorWench oh yeah, it can...
KarenTayloR>lol
BloodyMary LOL
Mike Arnzen lol
HorrorWench BloodyMary seems to get all of those though hehe
Mamatas Does Darren_Speegle read many beach books?
KarenTayloR>nothing wrong with beach books
Darren Speegle Always, Nick.
Mamatas Including?
KarenTayloR (of course, I would say that...)
KealanPatrick How To Avoid Crabs
HorrorWench lol
Mike Arnzen Every lesson you need to learn about the pleasures and pains of hack fiction are in King's MISERY.
HorrorWench oh ouch!
Mike Arnzen I need character depth to keep reading a novel. Horror seems to naturally have a lot of that.
Darren Speegle How I got golden tan -- Hardy Boys.
BloodyMary SPEEGLE: Rather than characters trying to survive in lieu of their baggage, your characters must survive and then carry new baggage. Is it the journey you are trying to express, or the turmoil the character takes with them after the last page?
Darren Speegle Both, I'd say, if you can separate the two.
KealanPatrick Mike: Despite having nabbed a Stoker, and much acclaim for GRAVE MARKINGS, you seem more prolific and comfortable in the short fiction/poetry arena. Is that the case?
Mike Arnzen Kealan: I guess so! A lot of it comes down to having concentrated periods of time to do my writing, and ever since getting involved in academia, I've had less and less. ... But I like to juggle projects and forms, letting the story sometimes determine the length I want to reside in it.
HorrorWench ARNZEN: You once said that the key to short fiction is change - that something [characters, situations, etc.] has to change. What changes are often overused as the driving force in short fiction and how do you avoid them?
Mike Arnzen The overused change is "oh it was a dream" or "oh it was a ghost" or "oh now he's gonna die"
HorrorWench and 'oh it's all in his head'... i see that one a lot
BloodyMary yep, wench!
KealanPatrick or "oh it's all in his left shoe"
HorrorWench lol
Mike Arnzen Yeah: the cliches. I think the more original "changes" are ones where characters realize they must sacrifice something or do something dreadful to solve the story conflict.
kldonihe "Johnny Frieze knew it was coming long before...."
HorrorWench oh and the worst offender of all... victim is really the villain...
BloodyMary yes!
BloodyMary SPEEGLE: Your stories are very revealing. Is this an ability to really understand your own characters or writing what you ve been through and exposing your true self to your readers?
Darren Speegle In a way it's easier to look at things when you're not actually part of it.. Again, both. It's a process of discovering yourself through your characters, and vice versa.
HorrorWench winner of Sick is... wretlind!!
wretlind from the back of the room
BloodyMary Congrats Wret
Mike Arnzen Applause! You'll never eat again!
HorrorWench and do NOT eat while reading it!
BloodyMary Do Not eat before you read! LOL
wretlind you don't know me... I eat while writing my own sick stuff - that's how the food tastes better
John_Lawson I think our copy is signed by 5 of the authors, too
HorrorWench BOTH: What do you feel is the one big thing that will make or break a writer in this genre?
Darren Speegle Persistence.
Mike Arnzen I agree: persistence. And knowing what's been done. You gotta read a ton. Watch all the movies. Talk shop with others. Be connected. Keep tryng.
BloodyMary BOTH: How often do you suffer from writers block and what do you do to get over it?
Mike Arnzen I suffer from "word exhaustion" because I teach. Reading a ton of student papers just kills the spirit some days. But I don't get block -- I've always got irons in different fires and I love to pick them up.
Mamatas Is that because your students are all semiliterates?
Mike Arnzen Good students (like JLB) can be even HARDER work! But yes -- freshman papers are tough on the brain tissues.
BloodyMary ARNZEN: Your writing uses irony, comedy, and insanity, with no set formula slapping us in the face. Is there an underlying theme that ties your work in your mind, or is it purposefully a little bit of everything?
Mike Arnzen You are the toughest interviewer I've ever confronted, dammit!
Darren Speegle Bloody Mary, working through it is the only way, though I can't say mine actually qualify as block so much as mindlessness.
Mike Arnzen If anyone is curious about 100 Jolts, there's a story from it up on Horrorfind right now -- "Stabbing for Dummies".
HorrorWench i LOVE stabbing for dummies!!
kldonihe I always wondered how to spell 'Shamone' -- and I'll look at your story, Mike -- 'cause I care
Mike Arnzen ;-)
HorrorWench Time to pimp news, releases, etc...
John_Lawson Plus, both Mike & Darren are featured in the bizarre horror edition of The Dream People, online now at http://www.dreampeople.org
Mike Arnzen I don't want to pimp too hard. Things coming up like my poetry book Freakcidents should be out soon from Shocklines Press are probably next on the horizon. But I hope folks will check out my newsletter, where I pimp exclusively. http://www.gorelets.com -- the pimpmobile
HorrorWench LOL and sign up for the newsletter!
Darren Speegle Me, I've stories to appear in forthcoming issues of The Third Alternative, Crimewave, Flesh and Blood, and Brutarian. I'm currently working on a novelette set in the world of my short story "Last Days of solitude" from Dirge, as well as a novel set in that same universe.
kldonihe Mike and Darren will be in BARE BONE #6 -- there, I pimped for the good of the land (and the two people who are the poobas of this chat.)
Mike Arnzen I better say adios, folks. Thanks for a GREAT friendly and open chat. Congrats to all prizewinners.
BloodyMary Thanks Mike
Multiple Guest Sentiments Thanks for coming/chatting !
HorrorWench i'll let you know when it's transcribed... thanks for coming =)))
Mike Arnzen Everyone read Dirge for the Temporal -- you won't be disappointed.
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We thank Mike and Darren for dropping in, having fun, being informative, and for their continued efforts to scare us silly and suck our fears right out of us. And special thanks to John at Raw Dog Press for his support of Horror-Web and great chat ideas - THANKS GUYS!! =)