WHY WRITE HORROR OR DARK FANTASY...

How is it that an upbeat, naturally optimistic person like myself, sometimes chooses to write Dark Fantasy or even Horror—where do these thoughts and images come from.

I believe we draw from our own fears. Fears we think we've hidden so well, because we're grown-ups after all, and we're pretty good at repressing/ignoring these terrors in the bright light of day until something makes us feel vulnerable—goes scrabbling across the floor in the dark...

When creating fiction, we tap into the shadowy depth of our psyche when writing on the Dark Side.

Stories can take us to scary places, be it physically or psychically. Since the times of myths and legends,  it’s been human nature to desire to shuffle forward and spit into the abyss, never knowing what we’ll arouse…all the better, though, if we can live the experience vicariously from our favourite reading chair. 

Anything I write has a speculative element in it—epic fantasy, magic realism or paranormal—I love to stretch boundaries that way—does that makes my darker pieces more “dark fantasy” than horror? That precise boundary is always blurred... My own stories tend toward female protagonists struggling against the constraints or conditions around them, who become empowered by either the revelation of an alternate side of their psyche or an actual channeling of some potent force/ entity. The victims in these stories are usually characters that I, and I expect my readers also, will little mourn. There’s something cathartic about doing them in…who hasn’t imagined themselves strangling that obnoxious petty bureaucrat, or arrogant and insufferable boss?

So what dark thoughts do scare me...Possession by Evil. The thought of being compelled/driven against one’s will (or possessed by evil) horrifies me. I’ve toyed with the theme of possession more than once. The antagonist in my novel is a Mage who uses mind control for his own ends; my protagonist has some defences against this and is horrified that one would so abuse their power, their gift. She sees the evil that can be done. There’s types of imprisonment beyond physical confinement. Perhaps that’s why I find circus’ disturbing too…bears in tutus, etc—the distortion of a creature’s natural behaviour.

Why do Writers choose to write Fantasy?

Fantasy is what I love to read—so writing what I loved to read was a natural. When I started reading fantasy in the eighties( C.J. Cherryh, Elizabeth Moon, for example), I soon discovered that fantasy was one genre in which I could be sure to find strong female protagonists.

Some readers of this blog may not be aware that there was a time when it was rare to find strong female characters in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Author Eileen Kernaghan remembers:

“…later (late 60’s) I discovered Phyllis Gotlieb’s lovely “Sunburst”, with its teen-aged female protagonist, and Joanna Russ’s hard-bitten professional assassin Alyx…what a thrill to stumble across them, and what possibilities they opened up for women writers!”

Eileen has gone on to write eight novels, poetry as well as non-fiction and she has received multiple awards for her Science Fiction and Fantasy.

 I enjoy world creation, even if it’s only an “alternate earth” such as the setting in my book, Elanraigh: The Vow. You write your own laws and set your own boundaries.  I’m very drawn to portraying beasts of power, such as the grey wolf of Elanraigh, as thinking, intelligent creatures that can, at will, communicate with a chosen human. (This undoubtedly stems from the many times I’ve been convinced my cat was staring at me with great emotive intent…feed me, pet me, provide me warmth, I possess the keyboard…type around me…). I love the unexpected that can always happen in a fantasy—be it a sentient forest or reptilian humanoids.

I asked other speculative fiction writers what drew them to the fantasy genre. Results poured in from my writers group and blog buddies, and not too surprisingly, they shared much in common.

One author writes,  “I like to write fantasy because I’m not restricted to real life situations and physics.”

This is interesting to consider because even in the writer’s created world, its beings will have emotions based on the writer’s own spectrum of knowledge acquired through the writer’s experience. Our human reality and our dreams will shape our fantasies, and of course, this is why our readers can connect with and care about the characters and their story.

Author Dina Rae writes paranormal using the mythology of differing religions: voodoo, witchcraft, angels, demons, etc. Whereas author Linda Hays-Gibbs prefers to weave her “what-ifs” in a specific historical era. Other authors tell me they are interested in exploring the human spectrum of morals and values…there just happen to be past-humans (i.e.: ghosts) in the picture.

I feel that in today’s mechanistic society we are so often watchers who feel impotent to change or challenge the world around us. In our fantasies we can create heroes who through courage, or just plain perseverance, will right wrongs and make a difference. All Fantasy and Paranormal authors crave the freedom to set their own parameters, and then love to have their readers join them there.

The Gold Letter...

Well, dear friends, today is a momentous day…

No, unfortunately it is not that Ridley Scott has contacted me to say he wants movie rights to my novel (sigh)…

However, I did receive a communication from Revenue Services Canada. Or, let me modify that to read that Bill received the communication as the envelope and contents are addressed to, “William John Hunter”. Said envelope contained my shiny new Gold Card. (I must suppose that our federal gov’t still holds to “the little woman” thought-paradigm and sent my CareCard, in care of my husband—they likely believe I will mistake the shiny gold card for a credit card and run off shopping.

Yes, it is only one month away from my official entering “senior hood”.

The crisp, heavy weight bond paper to which this key to wrinkle hood is attached contains 4 important points for me to note:

1.   Check for correctness (ok – can do)

2.   Sign the back – (they note that I can have a spouse, guardian, or other responsible adult sign on my behalf)

3.   Keep record of my number and store in a safe place

4.   Present card at time of service. 

 II  feel as if I now have a large, gold "S" imprinted on my forehead. That’s it, kiddies, I think I’ll just dodder into the kitchen a make a cup of coffee and contemplate the one, small benefit…free rides on the ferry.

Boris Karloff shops at Thrifty's...

It was his face, so startling in its melancholic cast: a pronounced bony brow ridge over deep, shadowed eyes and high cheekbones sweeping downward to a lantern jaw. His lips were wide and thin, now set in grim concentration.

He hovered over the avocadoes, his large-knuckled hands sorting through the bin with as he made his carful selections.

Frankenstein’s going to make Guacamole? I mused.

That he was elderly was evident in the deep crevices of his face, and his thin, lanky build. However, when he straightened to his full height I gasped at how tall he actually was…

Oops…did he hear me? I made busy checking out the cauliflower.

He was all of six foot plus tall…the impression of great height added to by the fact he wore a white Stetson hat, western boots…and, I noted, a canvas Duster coat.

I smiled to myself, Of course, if you’re Frankenstein what do you dress up as for Halloween—why a human being of course, perhaps a cowboy?

Later, I saw him again, just ahead of me at the Express cashier. A charming little lady was with him, his wife apparently. When the cashier, who seemed to know them both, said something. He laughed deeply and the crevices of his face wreathed a large-toothed smile

His wife laid three bags of Halloween treats down for the cashier to tally. “We get so many children come by,” she said, “and we always dress up for them.”

“What’re you going to be this year?” asked the cashier.

The little lady laughed, “Frankenstein and his bride!”