We dive into the feral heart of his new collection, Mauls of the Wild, where animal-attack horror meets precise craft and real-world texture from deserts, mountains, and the open ocean. Evan unpacks how influences like Goosebumps, Michael Crichton, Peter Benchley, and The Twilight Zone shaped his eye for tension, morality, and twist endings, and why he believes horror offers a safe way to confront danger without harm. If you’re a writer, you’ll love the nuts-and-bolts process: lock in the ending first, start amid action or conversation, and leave each session mid-scene so momentum never dies. Evan also lifts the curtain on drabbles—exactly 100-word stories that demand image, economy, and a satisfying turn. From killer penguins to shark phobias, constraints become sparks, and revision becomes a scalpel. We talk persistence through rejection, the power of a good writers’ group, and the difference between prose and playwriting when it comes to pacing and dialogue. Along the way, Evan shares how he compiled the collection from reprints and fresh pieces, why he writes for both adults and younger readers, and how his own miles on desert trails and cautious steps at the beach seep into the work. Stick around for a playful creature mashup—Sharctus, anyone—and practical ways to find his books and connect online. If this conversation made your creative gears turn, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves horror or short fiction, and leave a quick review. It helps more readers and writers find us, and it means the world. Mauls of the Wild: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mauls-of-the-wild-evan-baughfman/1148791503https://www.amazon.in/Mauls-Wild-Collection-Animal-Fiction-ebook/dp/B0G1XB1XN3https://thesummitbirmingham.com/buy/product/mauls-of-the-wild-a-collection-of-animal-attack-fiction-barnesnoble-32463c?model=0 Evan Baughfman: https://www.instagram.com/agent00evan_716/https://www.amazon.com/stores/Evan-Baughfman/author/B08BSQZ2X6?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=784d4a39-0061-4d3d-91fa-1d71c55fdd80https://newplayexchange.org/users/1708/evan-baughfmanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-baughfman-62a1b4137/ Thanks again for the interview Evan! Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits: L. Connor Voice - Website https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665 Music Credits: Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/
