Writing Horror and the Supernatural for All Ages
What I Wish I'd Known When Starting Out in Horror
Writing Neurodivergent Characters in Horror
Terror vs. Horror
Meet the speakers
Carol Williams
Carol Williams has a long history of writing: ad agency copywriter, healthcare content wordsmith, insurance marketing scribe--you name it, she's written a ton of it. She also raised two children and, along the way, managed to do her own writing for kids. Her debut novel, The Supernatural Files of CJ Delaney, was published in May 2024. Carol lives in Ohio with her husband and maybe a dog if she can ever talk said husband into it.
Tim Waggoner
Tim Waggoner’s first novel came out in 2001, and since then he’s published over fifty novels and seven collections of short stories. He is a three-time Bram Stoker Award winner, as well as a multiple-finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, and others. In addition to writing, he’s also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio.
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Mark Wheaton
Mark Wheaton got his start as a screenwriter on horror films like Friday The 13th (2009), the Sam Raimi-produced, The Messengers, and the Emilia Clarke-starring, Voice From the Stone. He has also written novels, including the bestselling Father Chavez crime trilogy (Thomas & Mercer, 2016-2017), Emily Eternal (Grand Central Publishing, 2019, written as M.G. Wheaton – named one of the Five Best Sci-Fi Novels of 2019 by the Financial Times and translated into five languages), The Quake Cities (Severn House, 2021) and Who Haunts You (Off Limits Press, 2023). In addition, Wheaton has had several horror short stories published including, "In the Water", appearing in the 2021 Stoker Award-nominated anthology, "Worst Laid Plans" (Grindhouse Press) and "Killer of Hogs", long-listed by Ellen Datlow as one of the Best Horror Short Stories of 2022. He has also worked as a comic book writer (Dark Horse’s The Cleaners), video game scripter, (Wet 2, F.E.A.R. franchise), and movie journalist for outlets such as E!, Syfy, Fangoria, Total Film and many, many others.
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Richard Thomas
Richard Thomas is the award-winning author of eight books—Disintegration and Breaker (Penguin Random House Alibi), Transubstantiate, Staring Into the Abyss, Herniated Roots, Tribulations, Spontaneous Human Combustion (Turner Publishing), and The Soul Standard (Dzanc Books). His over 165 stories in print include The Best Horror of the Year (Volume Eleven), Cemetery Dance (twice), Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders (Bram Stoker winner), PANK, storySouth, Gargoyle, Weird Fiction Review, Midwestern Gothic, Shallow Creek, The Seven Deadliest, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Qualia Nous, Chiral Mad (numbers 2-4), PRISMS, Pantheon, and Shivers VI. He was also the editor of four anthologies: The New Black and Exigencies (Dark House Press), The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers (Black Lawrence Press) and Burnt Tongues (Medallion Press) with Chuck Palahniuk. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, Thriller, and Audie awards. In his spare time he is a columnist at Lit Reactor. He was the Editor-in-Chief at Dark House Press and Gamut Magazine. For more information visit www.whatdoesnotkillme.com or contact Paula Munier at Talcott Notch.
View WebsiteLiterary agents
Karmen Wells
Shelf-Made Creative Services
Karmen Wells is the film/TV agent at The Rights Factory where she represents screen rights for published books and has been building a horror list that includes R.J. Joseph, Daniel Barnett, and others. She is also a fiction editor, previously of HarperCollins Canada, now through Shelf-Made Creative Services, specializing in substantive/developmental edits for novels and screenplays. Karmen left the corporate world to work with horror writers and screenwriters and has slowly infiltrated the talented indie horror community, editing for the authors of Off Limits Press, Burial Day, and many self-published, spec and prospective writers.
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Jynastie Wilson
LCS Literary Services
Jynastie Wilson is an Assistant Literary Agent at LCS Literary Services. She's always looking for submissions from authors that are LGBTQ+, BIPOC, or from other various marginalized identities. They want to help share the voices and stories of those who haven’t always been heard. They have a sweet spot for soft, tender romances that will leave her dreaming about them for the rest of the day. "I’m seeking adult romance novels along with young adult + middle grade novels in any genre other than nonfiction."
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