Have you ever written a scary story? In honor of the Halloween season, we are interviewing horror writers to learn about the craft of scaring readers.
Recently, we spoke with Little, Brown UK editor-in-chief Antonia Hodgson to discuss her debut historical mystery novel, The Devil in The Marshalsea. Check out the highlights from our interview below…
Q: How did you land your first book deal?
A: I spent five years writing a novel that would have been very suitable for Halloween – vampires, dark deeds, so much blood… When I began writing it vampires weren’t fashionable. While I was writing it, they became incredibly fashionable. By the time I’d finished everyone was saying, ‘ugh, I’m so sick of vampires.’ So I sent this book to an agent anyway.
It was about 250,000 words, multiple narrators, time changes, lots of twists and turns. The agent’s reader sent a report. She said that parts of it were really good but it was so complex she wished she could lie down in a darkened room for a week to recover. I mention all this because although it was very hard to hear, it didn’t put me off writing. I landed my book deal because I got straight back to work and spent another three years writing a new book. Writers land book deals for all sorts of reasons, but I think the one thing that we all share is resilience. Which is strange because the other things writers seem to share is vulnerability and anxiety. It’s probably no coincidence that my second book, i.e. the one that was published, is set over a few days in one location (a prison), and has just one narrator…
Q: What’s your advice for aspiring horror writers?
A: The same advice I’d give to any writer. Give yourself the space to daydream. Let your subconscious do its work. Don’t get too hooked on social media – it can be great up to a point but it’s like junk food for the mind.
Write, read and practice. Enjoy the work – or at the very least feel compelled to do it.
Q: In your opinion, what’s the best way to self-edit?
A: I worry about giving advice about this because every writer is different. Here’s what works for me. I work for a long time on the research, the characters and the basic plotting. Once I’ve convinced myself I have everything mapped out, I start to write. The story evolves and adapts. Things surprise me. Minor characters suddenly become important. Little twists and turns reveal themselves.
So for me, the first draft is a journey of discovery. I can’t spend time editing on this draft because that would spoil the momentum. I will look back and check things of course – and sometimes do a little tidy up of the previous day’s work. But the main edit comes in the second draft. Then I’ll keep polishing, going back over and back over.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’ve just delivered my second book, The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins, which is a sequel to The Devil in the Marshalsea. There are no supernatural elements to the books – the horrors (and pleasures) of eighteenth-century London are scary enough… Though I would love to write something with a supernatural element again one day.
I’m now researching my third book – again within the same series. It’s in the very early stages, so I’m looking forward to days researching in the British Library. Such a privilege!
Q: What are your favorite scary books?
A: I love the classics – Frankenstein and Dracula. Great gothic tales such as The Woman in White. There is something about the atmosphere and intensity of those novels – and they’re just perfect for a spooky autumn evening…
My favourite modern horror writer is Jeremy Dyson. He writes the creepiest, cleverest short stories – full of dark twists and unsettling endings. Try his first collection, Never Trust a Rabbit – if you want a sleepless night. He also co-wrote a great British comedy series called The League of Gentlemen. (Along with Mark Gatiss who now co-writes Sherlock.) I’m not sure if The League is shown in the US but it is both hilarious and very, very creepy.
(Photo Credit: Charlie Hopkinson)