A review by tbr_the_unconquered
Where Nightmares Come From by Craig Engler, John Connolly, Michael Paul Gonzalez, Jason V. Brock, Charlaine Harris, Richard Thomas, Amber Benson, Jonathan Maberry, Mark Alan Miller, Marie O'Regan, Christopher Golden, Mort Castle, Ramsey Campbell, Marv Wolfman, Mercedes M. Yardley, Tim Waggoner, William F. Nolan, Taylor Grant, Joe R. Lansdale, Elizabeth Massie, Ray Garton, Paul Moore, Michael Bailey, Stephen King, Eugene Johnson, Fred Dekker, John Palisano, Richard Chizmar, S.G. Browne, Kevin J. Anderson, Jess Landry, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Tom Holland, Bev Vincent, Clive Barker, Kevin Tenney, Del Howison, Lisa Morton
3.0
Where exactly do horror writers (or any writer for that matter) get their ideas from ? This should be shelved away with such cliché questions in the line of :
• How do you know how to act and how to react ? - The questions we ask actors
• How did you know how to take that photograph ? – The questions we ask a photographer
• How did you create this catchy tune ? – The questions we ask a musician etc..
What a lot of people who ask this question forget is the tremendous amounts of back breaking hard work that goes behind every piece of write that finds a resonance with us. Taking just one of these professions, one can quote Henri Cartier-Bresson who quite aptly said that “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” A lot of rewrites, drafts and discarded ideas fuel some of the works of art we love but somehow a lot of people are ignorant to all this. Some if not most of the articles in this book are reminders for this.
A lot of authors – both renowned and relatively unknown share the inner workings of their writing process in the course of this book. The most interesting aspect about this collection is that the articles range across writing for different mediums. You have authors telling you about how to write novels, short stories, novellas, comics and also for the TV and movies. There is some good advice and tips that they share and it makes for good reading if not being repetitive at places. The articles by Joe R.Lansdale and Ramsey Campbell stand out for being no-nonsense examples of the writer’s craft.
The title might make you think that the book will give you a writer’s perspective of where horror fiction really emanates from in the labyrinth’s of a writer’s mind and yet that is not the case. The articles are more about the writing process and it’s nuances than a really detailed view of how an author can bring forth horror from his/her imagination. I might have to keep looking for this aspect of writing but as for being a reinforcement of the principles behind being a writer ( write, write and then write some more) this is a good read.
Recommended !
• How do you know how to act and how to react ? - The questions we ask actors
• How did you know how to take that photograph ? – The questions we ask a photographer
• How did you create this catchy tune ? – The questions we ask a musician etc..
What a lot of people who ask this question forget is the tremendous amounts of back breaking hard work that goes behind every piece of write that finds a resonance with us. Taking just one of these professions, one can quote Henri Cartier-Bresson who quite aptly said that “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” A lot of rewrites, drafts and discarded ideas fuel some of the works of art we love but somehow a lot of people are ignorant to all this. Some if not most of the articles in this book are reminders for this.
A lot of authors – both renowned and relatively unknown share the inner workings of their writing process in the course of this book. The most interesting aspect about this collection is that the articles range across writing for different mediums. You have authors telling you about how to write novels, short stories, novellas, comics and also for the TV and movies. There is some good advice and tips that they share and it makes for good reading if not being repetitive at places. The articles by Joe R.Lansdale and Ramsey Campbell stand out for being no-nonsense examples of the writer’s craft.
The title might make you think that the book will give you a writer’s perspective of where horror fiction really emanates from in the labyrinth’s of a writer’s mind and yet that is not the case. The articles are more about the writing process and it’s nuances than a really detailed view of how an author can bring forth horror from his/her imagination. I might have to keep looking for this aspect of writing but as for being a reinforcement of the principles behind being a writer ( write, write and then write some more) this is a good read.
Recommended !