GABY TRIANA: Just write what you write. Don\u2019t worry about industry trends, don\u2019t listen to your agent (ha!), just write what\u2019s inside of your heart, and your passion will come through. When that happens, like-minded readers will find you. You will become the only person who can write your story exactly the way you can. Before you know it, you will carve out your own niche. Don\u2019t second-guess yourself. You are amazing exactly the way you are. Just write your passion!<\/p>\n LINDA D. ADDISON: It\u2019s very important to write what comes\/appeals to you, without editing yourself, without judging whether you should<\/em> be writing it. Write it as well as possible and submit to the top markets. Why not?<\/p>\n Read everything, not just what you like to write, other genres, forms. Try writing other things, to exercise your writing muscles. I\u2019ve been journaling since high school; my journals are the source of most of the writing I\u2019ve published. I write everything that crosses my mind: themes, characters, dialogue, anything that finds its way into my mind.<\/p>\n I would say to a new female horror writer: things aren\u2019t as equitable as they should be for us just yet, but if you keep writing, writing, and writing, you\u2019ll have a slew of work up for grabs when the door finally gets kicked down. Just don\u2019t let the lack of opportunities get you to stop writing. If you can stop writing, you probably should.<\/p>\n V. CASTRO: Don\u2019t compare. It is so hard to not to compare your journey to someone else\u2019s journey. You can be happy for someone\u2019s success and feel like a failure if you are not achieving the same.<\/p>\n Publishing is full of rejection and false starts. Keep going and put on blinders if you must. Write what feels right for you. No one else can tell your story.<\/p>\n Also, horror, historically, has been treated as the lesser-loved stepchild of the literary world, but I think women are changing that viewpoint because of the nuances and expansion they\u2019ve brought to the genre, and I think all<\/em> writers benefit from having women in the genre.<\/p>\n So, ladies, if you\u2019re writing something that feels bold and risky and you\u2019re unsure of it and afraid to go forward, dig deep and keep going, because what you\u2019re most afraid of is exactly the kind of work you should be doing, because it\u2019s work that hasn’t been done yet, and the literary world needs it.<\/p>\n SONORA TAYLOR: Don\u2019t be afraid to promote yourself, your books, and your accomplishments. Women are raised to be silent or, at best, humble about their accomplishments. Saying \u201cI wrote a book and I\u2019m proud\u201d is not arrogant. Posting a link to your book and asking people to buy it is not being annoying. You need to market yourself! And, you need to market yourself with confidence. If you\u2019re nervous about putting yourself out there, keep it simple. Something like, \u201cMy novel, X, is now available! Give it a read.\u201d Easy, nothing asshole-y, and honestly, if someone thinks that\u2019s annoying, that\u2019s on them, not you.<\/p>\n Are there any subgenres of horror (e.g. body horror, sci-fi-horror, etc.) that you haven’t explored yet in your work but would like to? Likewise, are there any mediums (e.g. poetry, long fiction, nonfiction, novels) that you’re looking forward to writing one day or perhaps exploring more than you already have?<\/strong><\/p>\n EDEN ROYCE: I\u2019d love to tackle a horror romance and a horror crime noir. Possibly in the same book. My debut novel, Root Magic<\/em>, is a first for me in many ways. Not only is it my first novel-length work, it\u2019s my first work for a middle-grade age group (8-12). But I\u2019ve found a lot of adults love reading middle-grade work, as well. Especially this kind of Southern Gothic with folklore, monsters, and magic.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gwendolynkiste.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Root-Magic.jpg\")
<\/a>EDEN ROYCE: Stick with it. Find a deep reason within yourself to write. Cling to that reason with a sweat-slick grip when you have those low points or feel your love of writing beginning to wane.<\/p>\n<\/a>R.J. JOSEPH: I haven\u2019t pulled out of my middle-aged cynicism far enough about this genre to really offer really positive advice. Sigh. However, I will borrow some that I repeat to myself often. I had the chance to sit in on a talk with Tananarive Due a couple of years ago. As I mentioned earlier, I love her work and have been frustrated that I don\u2019t see people paying her to be all over the horror genre. I asked her if she was frustrated at having been at this for so long and watching folks act like Jordan Peele (who\u2019s a genius, by the way) is the first black person they\u2019ve ever seen do horror. She basically said she didn\u2019t have the time to be frustrated because she stayed busy writing, writing, and writing. She said that by not dwelling on frustration, she had tons of work to pitch when the door opened in horror for Black people. I see that worked for her.<\/p>\n<\/a>G.G. SILVERMAN: First and foremost, embrace the darkness and write what you want to write. Ignore anyone who says that because you\u2019re a woman, you can\u2019t (or shouldn\u2019t) write horror. Stick to your guns.<\/p>\n