I was lucky enough to interview the talented Eden Royce this week. She is the author of creepy and magical short stories in the genre of Southern Gothic. She's a member of Graveyard Sisters and Banshee Books. I reviewed Spook Lights 2 last week and was blown away. Do yourself a favour and check out this amazing writer.
Carmilla Voiez (CV): What does Southern Gothic mean?
Eden Royce (ER): It means work featuring Gothic tenants with the locale and mores of the American South. Themes of the grotesque, insanity, oppression, family secrets, death, and decay abound in Southern settings peppered with the supernatural.
CV: Tell us about your most recent horror project.
ER: I’m working on a novel. My first one as I’ve been a short story writer up to this point. It’s a Southern Gothic mystery with horror elements, that’s full of local folklore and patois, magic and eerie ritual.
CV: How long have you been writing horror?
ER: I wrote and published my first horror short story—about a curio-shop owning necromancer—in 2007.
CV: Do you write in other genres as well?
ER: I do. I’ve written everything from sci-fi, fantasy, and steampunk to romance and erotica. I’ve even written free form poetry and haiku, much of it with a dark bent.
CV: Who are your literary heroes and why?
ER: Such a hard question. Toni Morrison, because she writes so authentically and unapologetically, without the need to explain any choices within her work. I admire that.
Joyce Carol Oates, for her prolific writing and her mastery with the short story form.
Zora Neale Hurston, for her dedication to research across generations and physical distance, and for her unflinching representations of Southern life and Haitian conjure magic.
CV: What is your favourite horror movie of all time? What do you love about it?
ER: I love John Carpenter’s The Thing. Mostly for Nauls, the cook because he rollerskates and that’s one of my favorite pastimes. Totally underused in horror. No, it’s mainly because I love sci-fi horror Carpenter outdoes himself here.
In truth, The Thing is a stunning piece of horror film, so much so that few people remember the original. It has a desolate, unforgiving setting that enhances the characters’ isolation and is a study in how quickly humanity can disintegrate in the face of terror and suspicion. It also does what I love—avoids explaining everything, leaving the film open for discussion and theorizing.
CV: Do you have a particular ritual or routine to get you in the mood to write?
ER: Mostly the panic of a looming deadline gets me in the ‘get it done, now!’ mood. But if I have to craft a writing mood, it would be a (relatively) clutter free desk, a glass of ruby port, and a thunderstorm. I’d dab on a few drops of a moody, enigmatic fragrance and shut my office door.
CV: What advice do you have to anyone starting out writing horror?
ER: Read. A lot. Take note of what moves you immediately and what resonates with you hours or days later. They can be vastly different.
Don’t share your in process work until you become strong and confident as a writer. (Maybe not even then.) Finish the first draft before sharing.
Find people you trust who will critique your work honestly, but fairly, and who will cheer when you succeed.
CV: Is there anyone you'd like to publicly thank?
ER: My parents for their support, even though my mom will only read my work on Sundays during the daytime. My beta readers who have said, “You need to finish this. I’ve got to read all of it.” Everyone who had read, accepted and promoted my work. Most of all, my husband for buoying me up when I had (have) doubts, for believing in what I do, and for noticing when I need a break from it all.
If you too are a horror creator and would like to be interviewed for my blog, drop me a line using the contact form.