We at GRAVELIGHT PRESS are very thrilled to have been able to sit down with horror author Bernie Brown and discuss her latest collection. Horror fans… read on!
Gravelight Press (GP): Your collection of horror short stories, THE HOLY GHOST AND OTHER SPOOKY STORES offers readers a glimpse into the darker corners of the human psyche. What drew you to the horror genre, and how do you approach crafting chilling tales that resonate with readers?
Bernie Brown (BB): What first inspired me to write ghost stories was when we stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in Savannah, and as part of the usual B & B “stuff,” there was a casket in the hallway.
Usually a setting will inspire me to write a story about it. It makes me think what kind of ghost would haunt it, and what kind of person that ghost was when it was alive. What kind of person does the ghost haunt and why? Why can’t the ghost move on?
GP: Short stories require a unique skill in creating tension and delivering scares within a limited space. How do you manage to build suspense and evoke fear effectively in your shorter narratives?
BB: I began my writing life by writing short stories. I got a handle on what short story structure worked for me. Then I just adapted that structure to ghost stories. What does the ghost want? Then I work through a couple of scenarios where the ghost is attempting to get what it wants. In the end it either gets it or doesn’t. The suspense is built into the scenarios.
COME BACK NEXT WEEK FOR THE CONCLUSION.
And in the meantime:
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