A Wicked Bag of Horror Tales
Thank you for hosting me, Nicole. I'm honoured to be passing time with you and your readers today.
As with all writers, one of the more common questions I am asked is 'Where do you get your ideas from?'
I wish I could answer that question and
then bottle it–I would be able to take a sip every time I needed an idea. The
truth is there is no definite answer for any writer. The arrival of a story,
scene, character, or plot seems to happen by some unknown magical process,
often while you are doing the most unimaginative things–such as hoovering or
waiting in a grocery store line. But sometimes they are actually given to you.
In 2010 I answered a call by Wicked East
Press for their A Wicked Bag of Horror Tales anthology. However, this wasn’t a
straightforward submission call. Eight writers were selected at random out of
those who expressed an interest in the anthology. Then those eight writers, one
of them being myself, were asked to submit a horror story prompt. The twist was
each writer was given one of the other writers’ prompts. I can tell you
I agonised over a prompt to submit, and was so nervous I submitted two. But
that was nothing compared to coming up with a story for the prompt I was
given.
My prompt was The run-down diner on a
lost highway holds the horror within. Sounds easy enough. Well it took me
over a month to come up with an idea, and where it came from was a complete
surprise.
I was looking at road-trips in America –my other half and I were considering a
trip that took in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon . While viewing a map of that area, I glanced
upon Death Valley . My immediate thought was that’s
where my diner should be! Then I thought, but there has to be something
sinister about this diner. It can’t just be rundown; it needs to be
stuck in a different era such as the 1960s. And just for good measure, I’ll
fill it with Russians. Because why would an American diner in the middle of
nowhere be full of Russians?
And so that is how my idea for Dinning in
Hell, the middle story from Passing Time, came to be. It appeared out of
nowhere.
Are you ever asked where your ideas come
from? Have you ever come up with an idea in an unusual or odd way? I’d love to
hear your thoughts.
Book Blurb
Nine dark fiction stories that may just
give you nightmares.
A man lives to regret Passing Time.
A father will do anything to save his son in Expiration Date. An author
finds out her worst nightmare is back in The Devil’s Song. A woman gets
more than the claim fee when she takes out vampire insurance in Luna Black.
In Dining in Hell, the Death Valley
Diner becomes the wrong place to stop.
A serial killer wants to add another file
to his collection in The Vegas Screamer. In Eating Mr. Bone, an
undertaker could meet an unfortunate end. A con man meets his first ghost in Land
of the Free. And will truth finally be set free in The Letter?
Book Links
About The Author
A life-long addiction to reading science
fiction and horror, meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s
passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to
be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in
anthologies and online. Passing Time is her first eBook collection and
contains nine previously published stories. Her science fiction collection Taking
Time will be published later in the year.
Author Links
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7 comments:
Oh I simply love the cover on this one! I've already added it to my to be read list but may dive in since it is a collection of shorts to enjoy.
Writing from a prompt is difficult. But you proved not impossible.
LM - thank you! I hope you enjoy it.
Alex - it did seem impossible at one point, but I got there in the end.
It's funny how inspiration can strike at anytime and come from anywhere. (:
It is Elise.
I didn't know that's how you got into WEP. That is really cool...and creative, on their part. So happy you write short stories. That is how I started writing. I still love writing shorts. Been thinking about writing a new one, actually.
Congrats on this amazing collection!
I love reading of course, but I also love my craft work.
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