Thinking About My Creative Writing
A strange and confused article about my style and writing decisions
I wrote quite a few short stories over the course of my degree - some of which are now up for grabs on my BuyMeACoffee - but I thought I’d take this opportunity to reflect on the content of a few, and why/if it makes a good horror premise.
Some of the plots are as follows:
A brilliant scientist invents a time machine. He clambers out after its maiden voyage, but missteps. Left totally alone in an unknown time, ankle stuck fast in a hole, there is nothing he can do but reflect on his failures.
A mysterious portal appears in the hintergarten of a German home in the early 20th century. Investigations take time, but before any solid conclusions can be drawn a little boy steps through and something extremely unusual happens to him.
In the 1940’s a man working for the American government invents and successfully tests a time machine. He returns physically unscathed, but before long seems to be going completely insane. Or maybe, just maybe, something far worse is happening to him.
A woman moves into her new house in rural New England, but is plagued by horrific nightmares of her fiancé murdering her father. But are they only dreams?
In a seaside town that’s an awful lot like Innsmouth, a rather pathetic man steals a book from a strange old shop. What might he discover from this mysterious tome, and, more importantly, what might discover him?
Two academics go on a coastal walk, and end up at the site of some ancient ruins. As their conversation becomes increasingly tense, a sudden storm arrives and they are forced to shelter beneath the stony remains.
Each story rests on a twist, as a lot of horror does. Half contain violent deaths, and half do not. Mostly, they centre middle-aged men - and mostly, the men are either plain or downright unpleasant people. The one story that centres a woman is the longest, and she is definitely the most likeable protagonist. These are all deliberate choices. Initially I wanted to play with the tropes of older horror literature - M.R James and Lovecraft being two inspirations - before eventually realising I should engage with a more modern and interesting kind of character - a woman in the late 1970’s. Frankly, she isn’t the most well-written woman in the world, and I wish I’d done better, but I was only like 20 when I wrote her. My next one will be miles better, I hope.
An idea I played with a lot in my time-travel fiction was that ‘the flaw in the man is the flaw in the machine’. The narcissist so obsessed with perfection only goes back twenty years, you see. This is a hugely impressive feat, but not to him. The wonder of it all is lost on him completely, and his failure to accept others into his life is his undoing. The other time traveller is inspired by the worst parts of science (the atomic bomb, for example), and as such ends up seeing nightmarish moments from history play out in front of his eyes. War, plague, all sorts.
Another interesting thing to note is the endings (I understand you haven’t read them, but bear with me). The protagonists of my story often end up isolated, unable to escape their fates. If they don’t finish the story all alone, they’re left forever changed by things they cannot explain. These are rather bleak notes to end on, because I find that the best short stories end on a shock.
What is also notable is that half of the stories take place in America. I have only been once, and I was too young to really have any concrete thoughts on the place (though I remember it was very hot and very wet). However, America is a brilliant place for horror stories. It is huge (to me, a British man) and full of terrors both natural and unnatural.
Another perfect horror setting that I often use is the past. What is behind us can never again be truly attained, and is in many ways unknowable. Terrifying. Also, fewer phones in the past! And no computers, either. It works well - I’ve only written one story set now, and it’s Revival.
As a final note, I once noted down themes that crop up in my poetry. I’ve culled a few of the more embarrassing ones, because I wrote the list as a teenager, so here’s what remains:
Hell and the Bible
Nature
Depression - and with it, damp, disease, and poor sleep.
Love (or rather, what I thought love was)
Writing
Ghosts, magic and monsters
Violence
What do we reckon all that says about teen me? Was I generic? Was I an edgelord? I wanna hear what you think!
Anyway, god, this was a weird post idea, but I hope you enjoyed it! If you want to hear more about my writing, or have me post one of the stories, let me know.
As ever, thanks for reading,
Until next time,
H.E.
I want all of these stories, Harry… Give them to me now!