Read Me A Nightmare

Angelique Fawns
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  • FICTION
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Season 2 of "Read Me A Nightmare" shifts its focus to conversations with writers, editors, and creators working in and around dark fiction — about craft, career, and the realities of making stories in the world.Visit www.fawns.ca to learn more. Please --if you enjoy the episode, leave a review! angeliquemfawns.substack.com

  1. 15 HRS AGO

    Indie Book Selling Strategies with Cindy Gunderson

    Okay, my fellow writers and readers, You are in for a treat. This remarkable woman is one of a kind. She’s authentic, friendly, and gave me so much actionable advice. And inspiration. And hope. Cindy has managed to create a thriving business without losing her sense of humor or fun. Her latest a-ah moment? She’s giving away her audiobooks for free on YouTube. FOR FREE. (Check it out) Though it’s completely counterintuitive, this is driving more sales for her. (Listen to learn more.) If you like YouTube, here is our interview in video form. And can you believe she initially grew her business to gangbuster numbers by using free social media marketing? Yup. I was lucky to meet Cindy at Superstars last year. (If you wonder about the benefits of cons, the connections and people you meet are worth every penny.) Here’s her official bio: Cindy Gunderson is a voice actress, content creator, and award-winning author. Since she has commitment issues, she writes sci-fi and fantasy, plus contemporary romance and women’s fiction under the pen name Cynthia Gunderson. After 25+ years of performing, voiceover and commercial work, instructing piano and vocal performance, and directing children’s theater, she turned to audiobook narration and production. She’s narrated, mastered, and produced over fifty-five audiobooks since 2020 in her home studio and has created a massive audio listener following/community on TikTok, YouTube, and other various audiobook platforms. Cindy’s first novel, Tier 1, was awarded First Place in Science Fiction at the 2021 CIPPA EVVY Awards, and her women’s fiction novel, Yes, And, was honored with the Indie Author Award’s first place prize for best adult novel in the state of Colorado, 2023. Let’s get real here. All we have to do is look at her titles and cover art to be drawn in. How clever is that title? You can listen to it here. Or this one: (Listen to it here) Okay, I could do this all day. So go ahead and click play on the podcast (link at top) or our YouTube interview. Here are some highlights below. If you want to learn more about Cindy, Her website is here: https://cindygundersonaudio.com Most of my content is free, but there is another tier for those who want to take their short story writing to the next level. AF: How many books did it take until you started to see some traction in your career? CG: It took me until I had 12 books out before I was making some money, and over 40 before I hit six figures. AF: Let’s talk about the day-to-day. Writing full-time is hard. What’s your routine— CG: I’m still figuring it out. Life variables change—kids’ schedules, my husband’s schedule—so what works one year doesn’t work the next. I’ve leaned into curiosity. My favorite phrase is, “I don’t have to do it forever.” I’ll try a routine, and if I hate it, I change it. AF: So what are your productivity goals? CG: What got me to six figures isn’t what will get me to the next level. I maxed out what I could do alone, so now I have two assistants, and we’re moving toward expanding the business. AF: What are they doing for you? CG: One is international—she helps with audio editing and content creation. The other does formatting, promo submissions, admin, Shopify tasks, and she’ll be helping more with book maintenance and my YouTube channel. Delegation is a whole skill set. AF: I heard you say it took five years to get to six figures—was that right? CG: Almost four years. AF: And is that gross or net? CG: Gross. Net depends on ad spend. The first year I hit six figures, I barely spent on ads because social media drove sales. That changed in the last 6–8 months—TikTok slowed down, platforms shifted—so I leaned harder into paid ads. AF: I love your social media posts where you pretend to be thinking like one of your main characters. Do those actually drive sales? CG: Yep. They used to drive more on TikTok than they do now, but they still work. My strategy shifted: social media used to be my sales strategy; now it’s connection, reader retention, superfans. Paid ads are more of a straight sales engine. And honestly, all the pieces work together—social, ads, Amazon, Meta, YouTube—you don’t always know which one “caused” the sale. Once I stopped trying to control it perfectly, it worked better. AF: When you say paid ads, what do you mean? CG: Mostly Facebook and Amazon right now. I also do promos by discounting—Chirp deals, Barnes & Noble promos. BookBub deals were okay for me, but expensive and stressful, so I don’t submit much anymore. Audio promos have been huge for me. AF: Where do most of your sales come from? Are you in KU? CG: I was wide for ebooks and doing Draft2Digital, but when social sales slowed, I talked to others and tried going back into KU. It was a huge boost. My audio is still wide, though. AF: Which audio platforms? CG: Audible, Chirp, Nook, Kobo, audiobooks.com—everywhere. And also free on YouTube. AF: Doesn’t free hurt paid? CG: Not in my experience. YouTube has increased my sales everywhere else. I think it’s a different audience. People are thrilled to get free audiobooks, and they review, buy paperbacks, and buy audio elsewhere too. AF: You also write across genres—sports romance, holiday romance, sci-fi, and more. Why? CG: At first, I didn’t have a strategy. I just wrote what I wanted. Then I learned focus matters, but I also realized I need variety. If I wrote only fantasy, I’d hate my life. It wasn’t the fastest path. If I’d started only in hockey romance, I’d probably have made money faster—but now I’m more “bulletproof” through seasonal shifts. AF: What do you love writing most? CG: Rom-com. Always. And I started a paranormal pen name for fun, something “unhinged” as a brain break, and it became my bestselling series. My pen name is Luna M. Rose, and it’s the Shadow Pack series. It’s open-door but not explicit, and it still does great. AF: Was it a lot of extra work to create Luna M. Rose? CG: No. People say you need a whole new ecosystem, but I didn’t. It’s basically KU, some ads, and it’s on my website and YouTube. Readers know it’s me. I don’t want to make things more complicated than they need to be. AF: I love that. “What would this look like if it were simple?” CG: Exactly. And I’ll commit to new strategies for at least six months. Most things take time. Ads, direct sales, YouTube. It took about a year for my YouTube channel to get monetized, and then growth was exponential. I also try only one or two new things at a time. AF: You narrate your own audio too, which is something not every author is willing to do. CG: For me, audio is my biggest connection with readers. I’m reading stories every night, getting feedback, and it’s the most joyful part of the job. AF: Why indie over trad, and did you ever try the trad path? CG: I did. Early on, I wanted validation, so I queried. One person gave me really actionable feedback, and it helped a lot. Then I joined 20 Books to 50K, kept learning, and decided I could grow faster by publishing and learning in public. Going viral on TikTok helped things click, and I decided indie made the most sense. Thank you for joining Cindy and me in our little chat! If you join Cindy’s Substack, you can get more of her stories and other wondrous stuff. Here is a great post that made me giggle: If you liked this interview, please feel free to pass it along. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit angeliquemfawns.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min

  2. FEB 15

    From Expertise to Authority

    Learn more about Matty at The Indy Author Prefer to watch? I really enjoyed this conversation with Matty and though her new ventures focuses on helping entrepreneurs and those approaching retirement establish the next phase of their career, her advice works perfectly for authors hoping to grow their platforms. Like me! When I find an author who has managed to make this a full-time gig, I am all ears!!! If you’d rather focus on short stories— which is the main thrust of this platform, and where I am BUILDING authority — check out this podcast with my mentor, Mark Leslie Lefebvre and Matty Dalrymple where we talk about short story strategies. Now back to building authority from expertise! Here are some of the highlights from my chat with Matty: Angelique: Your project is called From Expertise to Authority. What’s the difference between those two? Matty: Expertise is what you know. Authority is when other people recognize you as someone to listen to on that topic. A lot of people—especially later-career professionals—have deep expertise, but they haven’t built the visibility, relationships, and platforms that turn that into authority. Authority isn’t just knowledge. It’s knowledge plus reach plus trust. Angelique: You work with a lot of experienced professionals, not just new writers. What are they usually trying to figure out? Matty: Many of them already have a book out. They’re retired or transitioning careers and want to stay engaged, share what they know, and be seen as leaders in a new or adjacent field. Their question isn’t “How do I publish?” It’s “How do I become known as a go-to voice in this space?” That’s the shift from simply having written something to building authority around a topic. Angelique: You emphasize starting simply. Why is that so important? Matty: Because it’s much easier to add than to take away. If you launch with a complicated system—paid tools, elaborate production, lots of deliverables—you can trap yourself in work that isn’t sustainable. I learned this with transcripts for my podcast. I started offering heavily edited transcripts, and when I had to stop for time reasons, it felt like I was taking something away from my audience. If I’d never offered them, no one would have missed them. Start lean. Build only what proves useful. Angelique: You talk about the three steps to building authority. Can you walk us through them? Matty: Sure. * Showing Expertise– This is where you share what you know. Written content is powerful here: newsletters, articles, posts that demonstrate your knowledge. You’re showing people your thinking. * Growing Connections and Trust – Now people get to know you. Your voice. Your perspective. This often happens through podcasts, interviews, and conversations where your human presence comes through. * Being an Authority – This is where people pay for access to your expertise. Courses, consulting, editorial services, coaching, client work. You’re not just sharing knowledge—you’re applying mastery to help others directly. Angelique: For someone with a strong niche—like mine in paid, no-fee short fiction markets—how do they grow without going broader? Matty: You don’t necessarily have to widen the niche. Instead, deepen your relationship layers. You’re already doing expertise-based work through written guidance. You’re building personality-based connections through conversations like this. The next step is exploring authority-based offerings—paid newsletters, consulting, editorial feedback, submission strategy help. That lets you be deeply meaningful to a specific audience rather than vaguely useful to a huge one. Angelique: You’re big on repurposing content. How does that fit into building authority? Matty: It’s essential. Every piece of content should do multiple jobs. An article can also be a podcast episode if you read it aloud. That article might become a chapter in a future book. An interview becomes both relationship-building and source material for your ideas. When you think holistically, you’re not creating ten separate things—you’re creating one idea that moves through multiple formats. That’s how you grow authority without burning out. Angelique: Let’s talk platforms. Why do you like newsletter ecosystems like Substack for this stage? Matty: Because you own the relationship. You have the email addresses. If a social platform changes or disappears, you can take your audience with you. It’s also low-cost, which matters when you’re in the building phase and not expecting immediate profit. It lets you experiment without heavy financial pressure. Angelique: How do in-person events factor into authority building? Matty: They’re powerful for two reasons. First, you observe your audience—what resonates, what doesn’t, what problems people actually talk about. Second, you build real relationships. You meet peers, speakers, organizers. Those connections lead to invitations, collaborations, and referrals. In a world full of AI noise, a real conversation at a conference cuts through everything. Angelique: You’ve changed how you pitch yourself because of AI noise. What do you recommend now? Matty: Warm introductions over cold emails. I used to teach structured email pitching. Now, many of those emails look identical to AI spam. If I can, I ask a mutual contact to introduce me. That human bridge makes all the difference. It’s another example of relationships being more valuable than ever. Angelique: If someone feels shy about visibility, especially video, are they stuck? Matty: Not at all. Audio can be a great middle ground. The key is that people hear your real voice and personality. You don’t have to start with high-production video. Choose the format that feels sustainable, because consistency matters more than polish at the beginning. If you want to learn more about Matty, visit https://www.theindyauthor.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit angeliquemfawns.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min

  3. FEB 8

    Selling your Novel with Cherry Weiner

    Join my chat with Cherry Weiner as we go over… 📝 How our editing process works📖 What the big publishers are looking for🧭 How long it REALLY takes to go from book deal → bookstore shelf💡 Smart moves that help authors build lasting careers I finished my first novel, City Lights to Country Nights, last February and signed with Cherry Weiner at Superstars 2025 last year. (This year’s con starts Feb 4 in Colorado, but I am missing it this year.) The only way to query Cherry is to meet her in person, and she signed a few of us from last year’s convention! It’s been a year of trying to sell my book, and here’s your chance to eavesdrop on our conversation as Cherry talks about me through the realities of the publishing world and the best way forward to success for an author. Join the next tier and read my cold email to Cherry before the con and the winning query letter! AF: A lot of writers imagine you write a book, get an agent, sell it, and a few months later it’s in stores. What’s the real timeline from book sale to publication? CW: Much longer than people think. First, editors can take months just to read submissions — three, six, sometimes nine months. If they love it, they still have to take it to an acquisitions meeting where sales, legal, and other editors weigh in. If it passes, we negotiate the deal, which can take a week or even months. Then, contracts take weeks to process. After the manuscript is accepted, publication is often scheduled up to 24 months later because publishers buy books years in advance. AF: I didn’t know about the acquisitions meeting. Does this mean an editor can love your book and still reject it? CW: Absolutely. An editor can be passionate about a book, but if the acquisitions committee says no, the deal is dead. Publishing decisions are business decisions as much as creative ones. AF: How has publishing changed since you started? CW: It’s much harder now. I used to be able to sell a book on three chapters and an outline. Today, especially for new authors, I need a complete, polished manuscript before submitting. Publishers are taking fewer risks. AF: How many major publishers are we really talking about now? CW: Very few. There are about four or five major houses left, plus some big independents. And many imprints under the same umbrella consult together, so if one says no, that often closes doors within that house. AF: What does a manuscript need today for you to say yes? CW: I have to feel like I’m not reading — I’m there in the story. If I can put it down easily, it’s a no. It has to pull me in completely and make me want to turn the page. AF: What’s a common character mistake you see? CW: Weak protagonists. Today’s readers and editors want strong, capable main characters — especially women. Not “wet noodles.” Growth is great, but they need strength from the start. (Authorial note: Cherry originally thought the main character in my cowboy romance was a “wet noodle” and was going to say no. But I convinced her to let me take another crack at it. And hired Bruce McAllister to help me. DM me if you want to learn more about hiring Bruce.) AF: Do editors still buy series from new authors? CW: Not the way they used to. I try to pitch series, but most editors will buy one book first and wait to see how it performs before committing to more. AF: How long will you keep submitting a book before giving up? CW: I keep going as long as I believe in the author and we have options. Sometimes we pause and try another project. I once worked with an author for six years before selling the right book — but it was in the genre she truly loved writing. (Authorial note: This eased my mind greatly. I was panicking about my book not being sold after a year of being pitched to editors. Cherry won’t give up on me if I don’t give up on writing. I am considering creating book #2 in this world. After I complete a million other projects, of course. Squirrel anyone?) AF: How important is an author’s platform now? CW: Very. One of the first things editors ask is about social media and audience. Discoverability is a huge issue, and having a following helps prove there’s a readership. AF: When does it make sense to use a pen name? CW: If you’re switching genres and don’t want to confuse readers, or if previous sales were weak. Editors can see sales history, so sometimes a fresh start with a new name helps. AF: What makes a great agent–author relationship? CW: Trust, honesty, and communication. It’s like a business marriage. You’re trusting me with your work, so transparency is essential. AF: What’s your best advice for writers pitching agents or editors? CW: Be natural. Don’t read a script. Put your best foot forward — and ideally, have a complete manuscript ready. Curious how I found my agent? Read my cold email and the winning query letter. Cherry Weiner only takes queries from authors she meets in person. I knew she was going to be attending Superstars Writing Seminars in 2025, and I finished my novel in the summer of 2024. (Or I thought I had.😂) I researched all the agents taking pitches at the con using Publishers Marketplace and found that Cherry represented some very interesting authors. Tim Waggoner. (I am a huge fan of his horror.) And some very successful Western genre authors. Hmmm. And I wrote a cowboy romance. This might be a fit. Here is my cold reach out email sent on July 18th, 2024: Dear Cherry, I’m hoping to see you this February at the Superstars Writing Seminar in 2025. (I picked you for my career counseling and pitch session!) Last year I won the Eric Flint scholarship, and took everything I learned and wrote my debut novel, CITY LIGHTS TO COUNTRY NIGHTS. Perhaps I can be your next Brett Cogburn? CITY LIGHTS TO COUNTRY NIGHTS is a complete 80,000 word cowboy romance wrapped up like a Hallmark Christmas movie. Think BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY meets YELLOWSTONE. Emma believes nothing makes for better feel-good television than a hot cowboy, fuzzy alpaca sweaters, and a Hallmark-worthy Christmas market. After a tragic accident derailed her dream of growing Christmas trees, she’s reinvented herself as a Morning Show Host. Now she lives in a trendy city condo and is engaged to an accountant. Life is great until her decision to feature artisan alpaca sweaters –instead of a corporate holiday story –gets her fired. Heading home early, she catches her fiancé cheating with her best friend. Worse yet, the condo is in his name! Devastated, betrayed, and homeless, Emma remembers how the owner of the alpaca ranch, Melissa, said she needed some help. And her head cowboy, Cliff, did look devastatingly gorgeous in his fuzzy holiday sweater, even if he rubbed her the wrong way. Emma secures a job on her ranch. Accommodation included. Now Emma’s dealing with stolen alpacas, winter storms, ex-con cowboys, and stampeding cattle. Through it all she grows to love her newfound family. Not to mention that irritating cowboy, Cliff Waters. The stakes escalate when she discovers Everwood Ranch is in financial trouble and faces foreclosure if the mortgage isn’t paid by New Year’s. Emma is in for the ride of her life, and she just might find love along the way. CITY LIGHTS TO COUNTRY NIGHTS is my debut novel. Themes include enemies-to-lovers, rom-com, small-town romance, and spirited independent heroines. An LGBTQ+ romantic subplot also sparkles in the story. There is definite series potential and a dynasty of tales waiting to be discovered at Everwood Ranch. I have 30 years working as a television producer/writer in downtown Toronto and live on a ranch with far too many animals. My family competes on the RAM Rodeo circuit. I have more than 60 short stories published in places like Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Amazing Stories, and Mystery Tribune. I’m prepared to write short stories in this world and aggressively help market the book. If interested, I’d love to send you a sample of the novel! Thank you, Angelique. Angelique Fawns socials: www.fawns.ca Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B07ZHJGCX1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amfawns https://twitter.com/angeliquefawns This was her response: Hi Angelique Sounds interesting.... and I can see you don’t want to wait until February. Why don’t we arrange a phone conversation? Email me a good day and time for you to call me -- and please quote east coast time ( a la New York. I am in Georgia). I will see if that day and time will work for me, and we can go from there. Best Cherry Cherry Weiner Literary Agency As Cherry says in her interview, she always talks to an author on the phone first. It’s definitely a chemistry thing. In retrospect, my response to her is HILARIOUS. And shows how green I was: Hi Cherry! I can’t wait to talk to you. If you like my work, I can write you a complete second -and maybe even a third -novel before February. I’m available for a conversation at your convenience. Or even a Zoom if you prefer. We are both Eastern time. Tomorrow morning works for me from 7am-11am. Or anytime Monday- Friday next week. My first novel was the cowgirl romance— and now I’m almost done a dark fantasy/romantasy that I’ve cowritten with Rachel Luttrell (Stargate Atlantis fame). She has a large cult following that may help market that book! Thank you so much for your prompt reply. Angelique 647-206-0840 Like, I was actually going to be able to write 2 more novels before February. (Even though, at that time, I believed I could. Little did I know that Cherry would have me completely rewrite my first novel before the conference. Trust me, it needed it. And I’m still not done with novel #2, and it’s more than a year and a half later. But I’m still working on it. With a new respect for the ACTUAL hours that go into creating a truly professional novel. OMG. Why do we do this? That’s right. For the love of writing a

    37 min

  4. JAN 22

    Writing for TV & Film with Chris Goldberg

    Don’t miss this raw and authentic interview with Chris Goldberg. He tells the honest truth about optioning IP for film and the current state of the industry. He’s rarely interviewed, so I am so grateful he’s chosen to share his story with us. Prefer to watch your interviews? See it on YouTube. Chris Goldberg is veteran in the film industry and is heavily involved the book-to-film world. He’s the founder and force behind Winterlight Pictures and is working on over 25 projects at places like A24, Netflix, Sony, Plan B, 87Eleven, and Lionsgate to name a few. He’s been been involved in huge hits like The Martian, and The Fault in Our Stars. Some of his projects currently in development include The Maid with Universal Pictures, and Biter staring Zöe Kravitz. Here is a notice in deadline.com about one of his projects which involves Patrick Hoffman’s The White Van. Black Label Media’s Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Thad Luckinbill and Trent Luckinbill will produce alongside Chris Goldberg at Winterlight Pictures, who brought the project to Singer and Black Label Media, with Black Label also financing. Seth Spector will executive produce. Here are some of the highlights from the interview: AF: Can you tell people a bit about who you are? CG: You were one of the very first people I met on Substack when I started, so it’s really great to be here talking with you. I’m a producer and a writer. I started my career in New York as a literary scout, finding books to turn into movies for Fox. I did that for about ten years, reading constantly and reporting back to executives on what might work as film or television. After that, I moved to Los Angeles and worked as a development executive. About five years ago, I started my own production company, Winterlight Pictures, and at the same time I began writing again for the first time in about twenty years. Substack has been a completely unexpected experience for me. I didn’t go there with a big plan, but it’s turned into a creative home and a place where I’ve met people—like you—who share similar interests in storytelling, film, and the business behind it all. AF: What is Winterlight Pictures, and how does it fit into your work as both an executive and a creator? CG: Winterlight Pictures is my production company, and it really allows me to combine all the different parts of my background. When I was coming up in the industry, there was very much an attitude that being an executive and being a creative had to be separate. If you were a producer or development executive, you weren’t supposed to be a writer. For a long time, that separation shaped my life. I always wanted to write, but I was deeply immersed in developing other people’s work. Now, having my own company gives me the freedom to wear multiple hats. I can develop projects, produce them, and also create my own material. That balance works for me in a way that it never could when I was under a studio contract. AF: You’ve mentioned before that you stopped writing for a long time. Why did that happen? CG: When I was coming out of NYU, I was very focused on being a writer. I met director Whit Stillman when I was about twenty-one, and I asked him for advice. I told him I was about to take a job as an assistant and reader at Fox, and I asked whether he thought that was a good idea. “If you want to be a writer, go work at a gas station. Don’t take that job.” Whit’s advice to Chris His reasoning was that I’d be reading five-hundred-page books for studios every weekend, and the last thing I’d want to do afterward was sit down and write my own work. He was completely right. I took the job anyway, and I didn’t write again for almost twenty years. AF: So, should you have taken that job at the gas station? CG: I don’t regret it exactly, but I do think about it a lot. For twenty years, I worked with writers, read constantly, gave notes, developed scripts, and helped shepherd projects forward—but I didn’t write myself. When I finally came back to it five years ago, it felt like rediscovering a part of myself that I’d put away. At the same time, I gained an incredible education. I saw how projects really get made, how many drafts it takes, how notes shape a script, and how ideas evolve. So while I lost time as a writer, I gained perspective that I wouldn’t trade. AF: How did that background shape you as a writer once you returned to it? CG: My version of the “10,000 hours” was working at Fox. (Authorial note: Malcolm Gladwell famously said it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve true expertise.) Writing loglines, reading submissions, and getting immediate feedback from executives rewired how my brain works. You learn very quickly what makes an idea pop, what feels urgent, and what feels commercial. I also learned by watching writers revise. Seeing draft after draft, watching how notes land, and how stories change in response—that’s an education you can’t really get anywhere else. All of that informs how I write now, whether that’s short fiction or something intended for film or TV. AF: Do you ever wonder what kind of writer you might have been if you’d taken a different path? CG: All the time. I wonder what I would have written if I’d stayed raw and untrained, or if my taste would be different if I hadn’t spent years reading commercial thrillers and studio-driven material. I missed out on a lot of literary work during that time. But at the same time, this is the brain I have now. For better or worse, it’s shaped by the industry, by development, and by thinking about story through a cinematic lens. AF: Hollywood is a rarified circle, and hard to break into. Can you tell us about it? CG: It absolutely can be closed off. I was privileged enough to be able to intern unpaid and work low-paying assistant jobs while bartending. Not everyone can do that, and that creates a lack of economic diversity in the industry. It’s a real problem. That said, even people who’ve been in the business for decades don’t feel secure. The industry has been contracting—first the pandemic, then the strikes, now layoffs and uncertainty around streaming and AI. Even very established people feel under the gun. AF: You sold a short story to Netflix. Did that change things for you? CG: Not in the way people imagine. The story, Bunny Never Sleeps, was optioned and developed, but ultimately dropped during the strikes and internal changes at Netflix. That happens to about ninety-five percent of projects. It didn’t change my life financially, and it didn’t get made. But I got the rights back, and now it’s one of several projects I’m still exploring—possibly as a novel, or as a script I write myself. AF: Are short stories a pathway into film and TV? CG: There’s an active market in Hollywood for high-concept short fiction that most writers don’t realize exists. Studios and producers buy short stories all the time because they’re quick to read and easy to imagine as films. Publishing doesn’t really have that same market for commercial short fiction, which is why I ended up on Substack. I already had film interest in my stories, and Substack gave me a place to share them rather than letting them sit on my computer. AF: How hard is it to sell a script, especially without connections? CG: It’s extremely hard, especially in television. TV is very hierarchical—you usually work your way up through writers’ rooms. Features are slightly easier because it’s a one-time commitment rather than a multi-year relationship. There’s also a lot of scamming out there: submission fees, questionable festivals, and people promising access if you pay. Writers have to be very careful. AF: Can you explain the difference between a manager and an agent? CG: Agents work at large agencies and represent many clients. Managers tend to be more hands-on, take fewer clients, and help develop material. Managers can also be producers and help package projects. For writers trying to break in, I usually recommend starting with a manager rather than an agent. AF: How does someone actually find a manager? CG: Research and targeting. Look at projects similar to yours, see who represents those writers, and reach out thoughtfully. Personalized outreach matters. I still cold email people all the time, and it works when it’s smart and specific. (Authorial note: Chris suggests the best place to find a manager is by scrolling through Deadline deals.) AF: You’re currently developing a project based on the viral dating show The Button. What drew you to that? CG: My wife introduced me to it. It has massive pre-awareness—over a hundred million views—and a whole ecosystem of reaction content. Anyone under thirty knows what it is. I partnered with Cut.com and Gunpowder & Sky to explore adapting it as a scripted rom-com. My vision is a feature film that explores what happens behind the scenes and what chaos erupts when two people meet on a show like that. See a clip of The Button here! AF: What does the development process look like for something like that? CG: We create a deck, find a seasoned rom-com writer, develop the concept, get approval from the rights holders, and then take it out to studios. It’s a long process—often years. AF: Do you option IP with your own money? CG: No. I usually partner with companies or rights holders. Development is expensive, and the failure rate is high. Partnerships are the safest way to do it. AF: Any final advice for writers and filmmakers? CG: Do your homework, be strategic, and don’t assume people on the inside have it all figured out. Everyone is struggling in some way. There are paths in—short fiction is one of them—but it takes patience, persistence, and a lot of work. Want to find and follow Chris? Substack: Max Winter https://www.instagram.com/winterlightpictures This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers

    33 min

  5. JAN 11

    Making Horror Movies with Robert Stahl

    Prefer to WATCH this interview? CLICK HERE Robert Stahl is a long-time writing friend of mine and we met because he follows my monthly short story call lists. This Texan native also makes the most blood-chilling (and fun) little horror movies. Check them out! You Better Watch Out (trigger warning: gory) Trick (trigger warning: really spicy and gory) Think Robert Rodriguez. I saw his latest Christmas horror short on YouTube and decided a catch-up in 2026 was a must-do. Learn more about Robert at www.robertestahl.com. We also talk about his recent anthology Show Me Where It Hurts Angelique: One thing that really stands out about you is that you’ve actually made horror movies—something many writers dream about. Can you tell us about your short films? Robert: I’ve done two short horror films, both under ten minutes. I wrote and produced them and worked with a very talented local director. The first was a gay slasher short called Trick, and the second was You Better Watch Out. The second one won Audience Choice at a local film competition, which I’m very proud of. Angelique: Is filmmaking something you see as profitable, or is it more of a passion project? Robert: Those films were definitely passion projects. They’re more expensive to make than they are profitable. For me, they were a way to learn the process and train myself. I do have ideas for full-length screenplays, but with a full-time job, it’s all about finding the time. Angelique: Your production quality is impressive. It feels like the industry should be snapping this kind of work up. Robert: Thank you. I think it’s possible to get there eventually, but I have to focus on one project at a time. Right now, that focus is writing fiction. Angelique: Let’s talk about your short story collection. Why did you choose to work with JournalStone instead of self-publishing? Robert: I wanted the experience of working with a publisher. I liked the reputability and the extra validation. I shopped the collection around for about a year and a half, got plenty of rejections, and eventually connected with JournalStone after seeing other authors I respected working with them. Angelique: What did that publishing process look like? Robert: They handled formatting, cover art, ebook versions, and distribution. It was a very smooth process, and I’d recommend them to other writers. Angelique: Was it financially worthwhile? Robert: I’m not retiring anytime soon, but it did reasonably well. It’s a profit-split model, not an advance, and everything was very transparent. I’d happily work with them again. Angelique: There’s a lot of talk online about big numbers and writing income, but not much honesty about expenses. What’s your take? Robert: Exactly. There are many ways to lose money in publishing. My experience with JournalStone was straightforward and fair, but writing—especially short fiction—is rarely career-changing income. Angelique: Do you see novels or novellas as the next step? Robert: Definitely. When you go to conventions, authors with more books have more opportunities. I want to build my inventory—novels, novellas, maybe comics or screenplays. Angelique: Are you aiming to make writing your full-time career? Robert: I made peace with the fact that I do this for love, not money. If something big happens, great—but that’s not my focus. Having a day job lets me create without pressure. Angelique: I think we write horror for similar reasons—processing difficult things in the world. Is that true for you? Robert: Absolutely. I’ve had a dark inner world since childhood. Writing horror helps me channel it. My mother had dementia, and that experience directly inspired one of my stories, Family Time. Writing gives me a way to work through those emotions. Angelique: That comes through in your work. Your film You Better Watch Out barely has dialogue, which I didn’t even notice when watching. Robert: That was intentional. We wanted to challenge ourselves and rely on visual storytelling. There are maybe a couple of spoken lines, but it’s mostly pure action and atmosphere. Angelique: What’s your main focus going into 2026? Robert: Building more work—hopefully another short story collection, a novel or novella, and continuing to explore screenplays and comics. I just want to keep getting better. Angelique: And where can people find you? Robert: I’m on all the socials, and my website is robertstahl.com, where people can also sign up for email updates. If you want to hear my ORIGINAL interview with Robert, check it out here. He also reads his short story “Treats.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit angeliquemfawns.substack.com/subscribe

    19 min

  6. JAN 6

    Writing Stories with Eda Easter

    Welcome to SEASON 2 of Read Me A Nightmare! We are shifting the focus of this podcast a little and focusing on interviews and insights to help YOU sell stories in 2026. The Last Girls Club is OPEN for submission right now. Prefer video? WATCH the interview here. Horror - Theme for Spring’s Issue: Haunted - Jan 1-15 - 2500 words or less - pay .015 cents per word, $15 USD max - sub sims welcome - no reprints. Haunted. In the night; in the dark. We’re going old school Shirley Jackson “and the furniture laughed” creeping dread. It doesn’t have to be a house, it could be a submarine, a tent, a treehouse, a rabbit warren, whatever. Save the monster until the very end. We want growing shadows, days lost, locked doors that are suddenly ajar, lost journals in random cabinets. Do your worst, but give us your best. More about this market: I want stories from the female gaze (think Aliens, Resident Evil, Hereditary, Tank Girl). I’m tired of reading what men want to do to us. I want to read what we want to do to them. Bring me smart female protagonists whose first inclinations are not to seduce the guard to get out of situations; they’ve got skills, they can get violent easily. I’m fine with them developing over the course of the story into someone like that, but please don’t revert to clichés unless you have your tongue firmly in your cheek. Please don’t use graphic rape for fridging purposes. If it’s part of a character’s backstory or development, fine, but don’t shoot the damn dog just to piss off your main character. My focus is horror, supernatural, and creeping dread. I’m not averse to extreme/slasher horror. I always love a bit of sci-fi or dystopia, but it’s not our focus, so if it’s your venue, make it scary. If you spackle a layer of women’s issues into it, even better; such as disenfranchisement, slut-shaming, violence against trans people, racism, misogyny, sex work exploitation, inequitable emotional work and housework, whatever exists in this world that pisses you off, feel free to put a metaphorical ax between its eyebrows. SUBMIT HERE (Listen to the podcast to hear more about this particular call.) I volunteer my time helping the short story world for free. But if you could join the next tier, not only will you get free books (with market insights), you get extra content to accelerate your fiction career! My Insights: I sold a story to Eda for the Fall 2021 issue, The Gay 90s, and through the editing process became fast friends with this truly gorgeous human being. There is only one Eda Easter in the world, and I don’t know if that is a blessing or a curse. I just know I absolutely love her. Lucy and the Cosmic Comet ride was my way of processing the Heaven’s Gate mass cult suicide. As always, I like to take something dark and put a positive spin on it. At the bottom of this post, you’ll find links to the last two episodes I recorded in Season One with Eda. This includes little excerpts from her writing, including a chapter from Killer RV. Cool things referenced in the interview. Last Girls Club Patreon Villian Class Angelique: I’m here today with one of my favorite people, Eda Easter of Last Girls Club magazine. Let’s chat. Eda: We’re live! Angelique: You wanted to talk about the spring theme for Last Girls Club, which is “Haunted.” Eda: Yes—and haunted can mean a lot of things. Haunted treehouse, haunted suburb, haunted warren—I don’t care. I wanted to do something lighter, because the winter issue was secret police, ice, and desperate times. Angelique: Very dark. Very serious. Eda: Very boots-on-the-ground. So I thought, let’s shift toward something more Shirley Jackson–style haunted. Let’s lighten it up—which is funny, because that’s what counts as light for us. Angelique: I love it. Ghost stories are the most fun. The Haunting of Hill House is one of my favorite books and movies of all time. Eda: My favorite line is “and the furniture laughed.” That moment where you realize everything is coming for you—even the ottoman. An evil ottoman! Angelique: Now you’re staring at your ottoman, aren’t you? Eda: Absolutely. Angelique: So tell me, what is it about Last Girls Club? You really embrace the feminine gaze. Punk rock feminist. Eda: Angry women. I realized that’s the core of it. Angry women are not crazy. So many of my favorite characters are women who would burn things down—or had to be killed off or “fixed” so they could be happy and get married. That’s why I hated Cruella. They framed her as evil because she was ambitious, great at her career, and didn’t want to give it up for a kid. That really got under my skin. Angelique: Okay, note to self: don’t watch if I don’t want to be enraged. Eda: You should watch it because it’s enraging. Disney is insidious about enforcing norms for girls. Angelique: And we’re all Tank Girl around here. Eda: Always. Angelique: I love evil heroines. They’re my favorite. I spent so many years caring if people liked me, if I was “nice.” Now I’m like—no. As long as I’m fair and I can live with myself, that’s enough. Eda: That’s how they hobble you—by making you afraid of being disliked. And people think I don’t edit myself, but believe me, there’s a lot on the cutting-room floor. Angelique: I can’t even imagine an unedited Eda Easter. This planet couldn’t contain it. Eda: We’d need another reality. But I’m learning something interesting through this villain challenge: villains aren’t the bad guy. They’re the mirror to the hero. They’re organized. They have a plan. A vision. The hero just stumbles along improvising. Angelique: And the best villains are sympathetic. Everyone is the villain in someone else’s story. Their motivations make perfect sense to them. Eda: Exactly. Once someone decides you hurt them, everything you say becomes loaded. Suddenly you’re cheerfully malevolent. Angelique: “Cheerfully malevolent” is an incredible phrase. I might adopt that for 2026. Eda: Think about how many mothers kept their daughters in line that way. Cheerful malevolence is powerful. Angelique: That’s horrifying—and not how I’m mothering my kid, but I can see how it can happen. Eda: For this issue, I want creeping terror. Lost days. Hidden journals. Urban legends. The lights dimming when someone enters a room. I don’t want the monster upfront—I want it unfolding slowly. Old-school haunted. Angelique: You’re inspiring me. I might finally write another story for you. Eda: Do it. Angelique: Let’s talk about your own writing. Where are you taking it this year? Eda: I want to finish my grief book. It started as Widowed: Two Stars, Do Not Recommend, and now it’s Widowed: Five Stars—Rocky Start, Excellent Ride. It’s not self-help. It’s about how unhinged you get—and how you survive it. And I’ve outlined a few books already. One is called SS Mother. It’s about a cruise ship full of retirees—and when they descend on islands, the locals are like, “Oh no, not again.” Cheap, cranky, eating dinner at four… but also mafia, drug running, all of it. Angelique:That sounds amazing. Also, I still want Killer RV 2. People ask me about it all the time. Eda:Killer Cruise. Angelique:Yes! Killer Cruise. We just planned your future. Eda:Now I have to write it. Here are Eda’s last two interviews if you want more of this marvelous creator. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit angeliquemfawns.substack.com/subscribe

    17 min

  7. 2025-11-23

    55 Strategies for Short Fiction with Mark Leslie, Matty Dalrymple and Angelique Fawns

    This episode was originally created for the Stark Reflections podcast and hosted by Mark Leslie. I’m rebroadcasting it here on Substack for my short fiction writing friends. If you're a short story writer, or would like to be, you can’t miss this episode! Mark and Matty wrote an absolutely wonderful guide called Taking the Short Tack: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction, and this conversation is based on advice from that book. I consider Mark one of my mentors, and I learned so much from a consulting session with him (you can book your own HERE). It was on his advice that I reused my shorts in collections and braved a Kickstarter. Matty is a new find for me, and not only have I fallen in love with her, but I’m also obsessed with her character, Ann Kinnear. (This protagonist solves mysteries AND talks to dead people.) Here is a bit of what you’ll hear… Mark’s Take: Short Fiction Builds Careers Over Time Mark started writing in the 1980s, when selling short stories to magazines was the way to break in. Editors looked for proof you could deliver clean, compelling writing in a tight format. But decades later, Mark still finds short fiction valuable because: * You can sell it multiple times (first rights, reprints, anthologies) * You can collect stories into themed mini-books * You can serialize audio versions on YouTube or podcasts * You can use them in Kickstarters or special editions * You can pair them with long fiction for reader magnets or bundles In Mark’s world, a single story has many lives. Matty’s Take: Short Fiction Serves Your Existing Readers Matty didn’t start in short fiction—she added it after she had two suspense novels out. But she realized: * Readers wanted more stories in the same world * Short fiction let her keep fans engaged between novels * Standalone shorts sell surprisingly well as ebooks * Holidays & seasons create perfect mini-launch moments Her readers binge a full series… and then can keep getting a fix with the shorts. Short fiction becomes continuity glue. But Angelique, I’m not ready to do a full novel series? (Yup, I’m not quite there yet either.) This is my method and how Mark grew his career: * Write a story * Start with the highest-paying markets * Work your way down * Track your submissions * Push for pro rates when possible * Sell reprints after first publication * Later, collect the stories into minis or anthologies Why this works: * You build credentials quickly * You build relationships with editors * You grow an audience organically * You can resell the same story multiple times * You keep building a library of IP A 3,000-word story at pro rate (8 cents/word) earns $240—as much or more than many books earn in a full year. Short fiction can pay. Matty uses short fiction a little differently: * Standalone stories for $1.99 * Available on Amazon, her website, and especially Curios * Seasonal releases (Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.) * Shorts tied directly to her existing series * Audio editions added for bonus value Why this works: * Readers already love her worlds * They will pay small amounts for more content * Direct platforms give better revenue splits * Audio + ebook bundles add high perceived value * No waiting months for rejections * No rights tangles, no contracts to decode Tools, Platforms, and Services Here are the most useful tools that came up in our conversation. So, I’d never heard of Curios before, but it’s Matty’s fav tool. (Here is her store) https://www.curios.com/creators/mattydalrymple-X449BR CURIOS Perfect for direct sales. * Writers keep 100% of the list price * Readers pay the fees * Has its own e-reader and audio app * Allows ebook + audio bundles without price-parity issues * Costs around $20/year I personally use Gumroad, but in two years, I’ve earned a total of $3.74, so I’m not sure it’s working for me. BOOKFUNNEL Matty, Mark, and I use BookFunnel to: * Deliver reader magnets * Deliver short story collections * Send ebooks securely * Reduce tech headaches for new subscribers * Host downloads for Kickstarter backers * Track who actually downloads the book DRAFT2DIGITAL For print copies of short stories: * D2D Print auto-builds your wraparound cover * As long as you reach ~24–30 pages, it works * Great for in-person events, swag, bundles * Extremely low print cost These are powerful as: * giveaways * Kickstarter add-ons * “buy-two-books-get-a-short-free” convention deals Rights, Risks, and Pitfalls Watch out for: * Markets that count public drafts as “published” * Anthologies grabbing all rights forever * Ambiguous language around audio or film rights * Submission platforms that default to “public” If you want to learn more about short fiction contracts, Michael La Ronn has a great video HERE Using Short Fiction to Build Novels Matty writes short pieces inside her Ann Kinnear world.Mark has reused stories across platforms for 20+ years.And I’m now writing my stories inside the universe of my novel-in-progress. (You can join the adventure! I’m posting my Roxie stories on Substack as a serial fiction experiment.) The benefits: * You find your world’s voice faster * You test ideas in real time * Readers become invested before the novel even launches * Editors help you refine aspects of the world * You get paid while you’re still writing the book * Your future novel launches to a warm audience—not a cold one Takeaways from this chat 1. Never pay to be rejected. Submission fees? Skip them. 2. Decide on your path: submissions or direct-to-consumer. Both work. The trick is consistency. 3. Track your submissions religiously. Create your own spreadsheet, Duotrope, Submission Grinder. Whatever works for you! 4. Be patient with markets; be fast with your writing. Editors may take months.You don’t have to. 5. Resell everything you can ReprintsPodcastsMini collectionsKickstartersYouTube audiosAnthologiesDirect salesPrint chapbooks 6. Use short fiction to feed your series. Your novels will thank you. 7. Short fiction isn’t a side hustle. It’s a toolkit for: * improving your craft * expanding your universe * growing your readership * testing ideas * earning real money in small bursts * building your author identity one story at a time I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did! So much GOOOOOD stuff here. And wait… There’s more! I’m hoping to have Matty Dalrymple on as a guest in the very near future, and feature some of her short story writing!! Those collections/anthologies I created on Mark’s advice? Right here: And if you want to dive deeper into “Taking the Short Tack”- look HERE This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit angeliquemfawns.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 4m
  8. 54 To Be More Like Them & Edo van Belkom

    2025-11-14

    54 To Be More Like Them & Edo van Belkom

    Edo van Belkom shares his original YA horror story, followed by a candid and entertaining chat. They picked on the wrong kid… It’s not her face that’s scary. Plus, learn how Edo drove (literally) to writing success and a full-time career. And… why he chooses to hold down another job. We start this episode with a reading of “To Be More Like Them” performed by Karen Shute, one of our voice actor regulars. This short can be found in Death Drives A Semi. Then Edo van Belkom regals us with career anecdotes and writing advice. Edo’s first short story was reprinted in Year’s Best Horror Stories 20, launching a career that has produced over 200 stories and won both Bram Stoker and Aurora awards. He’s written more than a dozen novels including SCREAM QUEEN, BLOOD ROAD, MARTYRS and TEETH, plus a 15-year serial for Truck News Magazine following Mark Dalton, a former detective turned truck driver. His work spans horror, action-adventure novels for Harlequin’s Deathlands series, erotica, and three books on writing craft (Writing Horror, Writing Erotica, and Northern Dreamers). His Silver Birch Award-winning YA novel WOLF PACK inspired the 2023 Paramount+ series created by Jeff Davis and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Find Edo at https://www.facebook.com/edo.vanbelkom Pack a lunch, climb on the school bus, and hang on tight. It’s time for a ride… If you enjoy these interviews, help me keep making them! Join the next tier. Kind of like one Starbuck’s coffee a month. AF: Listeners just heard your story “To Be More Like Them,” which is creepy and disturbing. Can you tell me the inspiration behind it? EVB: I convinced the publishers of the Wolf Pack books to let me do anthologies for young adults. The first one was Be Afraid, and my whole idea was to have teenage problem stories with a horror bent. I had no experience doing YA back then—my job was to sell books and get work, so I bullshitted all the time about my experience and abilities. I put out the call for problem stories with a fantastic twist, and I had to write one myself. At the time I was working part-time as a school bus driver. I’d go out in the morning for an hour and a half, then have a six-hour block in the middle of the day to write, then do the run at the end of the day. It was a great job—stress-free because when you parked the bus at the end of the day, you didn’t have to worry about that job anymore until the next day. AF: And the school bus kids inspired the story? EVB: When I was driving the school bus with these private school kids—who were supposed to be better and everything—they were absolutely vicious. If anyone showed a sign of weakness, they jumped on that person in a group. That’s all in the story, that whole experience. There’s nothing more cruel than a bunch of kids finding the weak one in the pack and just tearing them to shreds. The ending, which I’m very proud of, came from reading a similar ending somewhere. I often do that—I read a lot of stories and think, “Ah, that’s how you end this kind of story.” I said I didn’t know anything about young adult books, but that book was a Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year finalist and also won a Children’s Book Center Our Choice Award. AF: So this story was truly the inspiration for Wolf Pack? EVB: I have to give credit to my wife, who at the time was working as a children’s librarian. She was always saying I should do young adult. The adult career kind of stalled with my mass market paperbacks Scream Queen and Blood Road—whether they didn’t make it into stores or wasn’t the right time, sales decided maybe it wasn’t for me. So I moved on to young adult. The idea stemmed from Be Afraid—what if a forest ranger finds wolf cubs after a fire and brings them home, but realizes they’re werewolves, part human? I pitched it over the phone to the editor at Tundra Books, Kathy Lowinger, and she said it sounded great. AF: And it won the Silver Birch Award? EVB: It won the Silver Birch Award, which is voted on by elementary school children in grades four and five. There’s a list of ten books, and kids have to read a certain number before they can vote. To be on the list, you have to have 5,000 copies in print, so it went into a second printing immediately, and by the end of the year it had a third printing because all the schools in Ontario participating in the program had to buy a copy. I won by a landslide because I didn’t lose any of the girls, but all the boys loved it since it was an action adventure. One of my best experiences ever was at the award ceremony by the Lakeshore with thousands of kids bused in from all over. They’re all screaming, holding up your book like it’s a rock concert. I walked out on stage with a werewolf mask, tore it off, and they’re just screaming and cheering. AF: Amazing. For authors in the trenches looking at how they want their career to look, this is what success looks like. EVB: It’s easy to say I made it, but I ended up taking a regular job because things didn’t fall into place as nicely as they could have. Wolf Pack was made into a TV show twenty years after the book was published. If the TV series had happened at the time, I would’ve continued on with that boost, but it came twenty years later. I had certain goals—I wanted to be in mass market paperback, which I did several times. I wanted to be in a major magazine—the best I did was Cemetery Dance, the top magazine for horror at the time. I did premier anthologies like Year’s Best Horror Stories with my first published story, and Best American Erotica 1999. The hard part is being consistent and working all the time. I did twelve years full-time. AF: You were a full-time writer for twelve years? EVB: My wife and I had an agreement that it would be five years, but that just rolled past. My last full-time year as a writer, I made something like $40,000, which was respectable, especially for a Canadian writer. But I was doing everything—teaching night school courses, writing articles, writing trivia questions. It was a real grind. There’s a saying in artistry: it’s okay for me to suffer for my art, but it’s not okay for everyone around me to suffer for my art. So I decided to take a job and kept writing part-time. AF: Tell me about your serial in Truck News Magazine. EVB: I did a serial story about a trucker detective, Mark Dalton: Owner Operator, that ran for fifteen years in Truck News Magazine—fifty-five stories total. One chapter every month, so three stories per year. It paid very well—I got professional rates, eventually a standard $350 a month, then bumped up to $400. That’s almost a payment on something. Then they asked me to do a graphic story arc with a new truck driver immigrant to Canada, which lasted three years. At one point I was making $800 a month on that, which is pretty good for writers. AF: How did that gig start? EVB: When my first short story collection Death Drives a Semi came out, I was always looking for places to promote my work. I found Truck News Magazine at a truck stop and thought maybe I could send them a press release. I looked through the staff box and saw the editor was John G. Smith—I wondered if he was the guy who worked at the Brampton Times when I was working there as a daily newspaper reporter. Turns out it was. I gave him a copy of the book—there were three stories in it about truck driving. At first he said they could reprint one or two, but then said the stories weren’t really trucking industry positive, since the trucks go crazy and people die. I suggested writing something specifically for them—a former private detective who takes his truck on the road and can’t keep his nose out of other people’s business. The first year or two I’d go in and we’d discuss the next story, but after a while it was just whatever I wanted to do. AF: What made you the most money over your career? EVB: Without a doubt, the Wolf Pack series deal with Paramount Plus was by far the biggest. But over the course of ten or fifteen years, the truck driving serial was the best steady income. Then there were the mass market men’s magazine stories—I did fifty-five of those, too. I started at $250 US and could write them fairly quickly. Those checks were important early on. After a while, it became a grind—you can only explain sexual positions so many different ways. I used the name Evan Hollander for those because I wanted the focus to be on the real stuff or the good stuff. AF: You also did the Deathlands books for Harlequin? EVB: I did two Deathlands books for Harlequin Gold Eagle. They wanted 90,000 words, so I decided to write a thousand words a day for ninety days. My favorite anecdote is from Joel Lansdale—someone at a convention asked him how to write a novel, and he said, “You sit down in a chair in front of a typewriter, and you don’t stop typing until you finish the book.” That’s it. We had a family cottage then, and I’d take my son up there. I’d sit in the kitchen and do a thousand words, then we could go do whatever we want. AF: What are you working on now? EVB: I wrote four stories this year and sold two. One of the guys who took a story from me is saying they’re doing a novel line and asked if I’d be interested in contributing, which is great. I’ve got a year and a half or so to retirement, and I’m trying to ramp this up again. It reminds me of the pressure I was under when writing full-time—there’s an opportunity, so I’ve got to spend my waking hours thinking of something substantial. AF: What’s your day job now? EVB: For the last twenty years, I’ve been a prisoner escort officer with Peel Regional Police. I work at a courthouse in Brampton—we transport prisoners from the jail to the courthouse, from the cells in the basement up to the courtrooms. I drive a truck, so you could say I’m still a truck dr

    48 min
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About

Season 2 of "Read Me A Nightmare" shifts its focus to conversations with writers, editors, and creators working in and around dark fiction — about craft, career, and the realities of making stories in the world.Visit www.fawns.ca to learn more. Please --if you enjoy the episode, leave a review! angeliquemfawns.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Angelique Fawns
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Angelique Fawns
  • Show Website
    Read Me A Nightmare