MASTERS OF HORROR: BRITTANY CEKUS
I first met this amazing horror writer when she submitted her story to my HORROR FLASH FICTION CONTEST. I knew right away that this writer had talent and skill and I would definitely be hearing more about her soon. And I was right. Brittany ended up placing in the top five and earned her spot in my upcoming anthology FLASHES OF DARKNESS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF HORROR FLASH FICTION.
I'm excited to read what she comes up with next and after reading this interview and seeing all the projects she has in the pipeline, I realized that she is as prolific as she is talented.
Let's get into it and get to Brittany Cekus a little better.
1. What first drew you to horror—and was it something you experienced, feared, or imagined?
I grew up in a haunted house, and lived there until I was twenty-three--I'm writing a book about it--so, watching and reading horror was almost cathartic... I grew up watching Joe Bob Briggs and Svengoolie, but picked up my first Anne Rice book at twelve and was sold. I devoured it. Growing up across the street from a funeral home probably plays a role, too. Somehow, horror just always felt like home.
2. How do you tap into real fear when writing—do you draw from your own nightmares, or do you create new ones?
I definitely start with what scares me. One of the hardest stories for me to write was one that is about spiders, which I'm terrified of. I felt like they were crawling all over me for days. I won't write about my actual deepest fears, though... call it superstition.
3. Have you ever written something that disturbed even you—a moment where the story took a darker turn than expected?
Yeah, recently... the story will be out this summer. I can't say too much about it right now but I took a cultural tradition that's very important to me and made it into a source of fear to open the story with. It's probably the darkest thing I've written, to date.
4. If your stories had the power to summon something into the real world... what do you think you've already unleashed?
Well, I mentioned the spiders... the events in that story are inspired by something that happened to me while camping. The real story turned out kind of comical but the written story was very bleak. Anyway, after I wrote the story, I was getting ready for work and looking in the mirror. A wolf spider crawled over my shoulder, so it had to have been on my shirt when I put it on. I also have a running joke with my dad that he knows every time I work on my book (about the events in the house he still lives in) because something strange will happen. Working on that book also re-triggered sleep paralysis and nightmares like I hadn't experienced in years and years... it was so bad, I stopped working on it during each of my pregnancies because I was afraid it would affect the babies.
5. How do you keep horror feeling fresh and terrifying when so many tropes are well-trodden?
I just try to bring in details that might make things or situations seem more authentic... whether it's using personal experience or expertise in something, or doing enough research that it's believable. I stand behind the cliche "the devil is in the details" (that's what is most effective on me, as a reader, anyway).
BONUS: Tell me about your latest project and where we can find it.
Last August, I put out a collection of short stories called A GLIMPSE OF FEAR (available on Amazon and KU, or paperback bundles through me directly). I have a short story ("Rougarou Gon' Git You") in your charity anthology, FLASHES OF DARKNESS. I have a secret project coming out this summer! Keep your eyes peeled.
"Tracked" - A teenager with limited mobility traverses the dark wilderness on his Trackchair to look for his sister.
"The Smallest Exorcism" - An unconventional exorcist gets an urgent call to help a desperate mother and her daughter.
"Lobos" - A couple sees mysterious lights closing in on them while camping in a secluded area.
"The Bell Housing" - A graveyard shift worker hears ringing coming from a fresh grave as dawn approaches.
"My Discontent" - Inspired by characters from Shakespeare's RICHARD III - A man tries to navigate the succession of nightmares and tragedies that plague him.
"Musty Little Minx" - A pinstriper has to answer for body shaming a mysterious cat.
"The Others Invited" - A couple's Halloween wedding reception welcomes more than living guests.
+ four free verse poems.
As always, a big thank you to Brittany for agreeing to take some time out of her busy writing schedule and do this interview with me. I truly appreciate it!
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