Tag Archives: imagination

July 21, 2024 · 4:34 pm

Interview with horror author Zack Ellenberger

 

Merry meet all,

 

Welcome everyone. Today, we are joined by Zack Ellenberger. So settle in with a dark rich cup of java and let’s clear a space amongst these spiderwebs. 

 

Why horror? Do you have a favorite subgenre in horror?

If I’m honest, I don’t really know. There’s something very visceral about the emotion of fear that differentiates it from other emotions. I guess part of it is a lack of discomfort in my own skin and trying to portray/share those discomforts through fictional narratives. I also think we too often tend to stay inside our comfort zones nowadays and if there’s any impact that I’d hope for my stories to have on others, it’d be to encourage them to step outside their comfort zones more often. Plus, I had an older sibling growing up that tormented me with watching old slasher movies as kids. 😊 I’d say my *current* favorite subgenre would be historical horror. I love seeing horror throughout and how fear was manifested at different points in time. Cosmic horror would a close second. Fear of the unknown is what gets under my skin!

Which other horror authors influenced you the most and why?

I’m really into the early Romanticism/Gothic fiction period, of course writers like Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson who did Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde, and even Ambrose Bierce. But also, Lovecraft and his cosmic horror were big influences as well. I think what caught my attention most in those types of stories was the isolation – inward reflection of the storytelling and a single narrative throughout. There’s something very dark and terrifying about the 19th century that lends a particular spookiness to storytelling.

Tell me about your writing/ editing process

Although I try to retain some structure to my writing and editing process, it is sometimes spontaneous. I keep a list of ideas I’ve accumulated, anything from story plots to character backstories, etc., choosing whichever idea grabs my attention. Then, I like to outline while I marinate on the idea, develop a few different story plots and choose from what I like best. Editing is always the toughest. You can edit your own work as many times as you’d like, but you’ll never get it to where it needs to be without getting another pair of eyes on it. I’ve learned that the hard way.

What inspires you to write horror?

I’m a big fan of history. If I’m not writing horror, I’m writing history… OR reading it. I always felt that history had the best stories to tell and there was never a shortage of inspiration found within history for any genre. There are so many stories in history that portray real horror outside the realm of fiction. The intent is not to glorify such events within history, but as a reminder that history is doomed to repeat itself in the most horrifying ways if we don’t keep up with our history.

What do you love about indie publishing?

What I’ve found most rewarding and have come to love about indie publishing of having full ownership of everything you do. The idea of being responsible for every aspect of your story – from editing/revising, to marketing, to publishing – can seem a bit daunting at times. But that amount of control is something you won’t ever come across elsewhere. If you’re willing to put in the effort of being part of every aspect of your book coming to life, then why not self-publish. I say that knowing full well that it is not an easy task.

Which is your favorite horror movie or book? Which movie or book impressed and inspired you the most?

I watch a lot of movies…. after much consideration, I’m going to have to give it to Apostle. It’s a period piece on Netflix with a touch of everything, starring Dan Stevens, Michael Sheen, and Lucy Boynton. Fantastic performances all around, would strongly recommend! Book-wise, I always had a soft spot for Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” short story. It seemed very ahead of its time in terms of narrative twists.

Is there any music that helps you to write?

I actually don’t listen to music while writing. I used to listen to instrumental music, but I wanted to try my writing from a place that was completely void of influence. Until I know what kind of emotion I wish to put forth, I avoid music. But if I do, it’s mostly instrumental.

Do you have any special projects you want readers to know about?

My story with Unveiling Nightmares, “Past Lives,” is going to be released in February of next year. I also have an audio story coming out soon on Audible based on my short “Blood Vengeance” which was released with Savage Realms Magazine back in 2022. I’ve recently started a podcast with some of our fellow writers at UN called “Dread-Libs” where we trying to ad-lib a horror story within in an hour based on submitted suggestions from listeners. You can find it on YouTube and you can find all my other information on my website http://www.zachellenberger.weebly.com.

Where can readers find you on social media?

You can find me on Tiktok/Twitter at @zak4prez911. I’m on Instagram at @words_of_the_bergermeister and search me on Facebook as Zach Ellenberger.

 

Thank you Zack Ellenberger for sharing this with us today. I look forward to learning more about your successes in the future. 

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

https://unveiling-nightmares.com/

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October 25, 2023 · 11:53 am

A Dark Inspiration

Merry meet all,

This post will focus on Samhain and my dyeing fabric project using acorns. Are you all excited? I am.

I foraged for a very big mullein stalk yesterday morning. The stalk was about six feet in length. I plan to use the mullein stalk to make hag tapers or torches with. I hope and hope the weather on October 31st will cooperate. I want to have the traditional bonfire. I always have my traditional bonfire. I will  prepare the mullein pieces, cut to size in a double boiler pot with melted beeswax. I will add herbs and oils. I want the beeswax to look black so I will add charcoal. An additive to make beeswax black can affect the way it burns. The charcoal is purely for aesthetic purposes. The popular herbs for Samhain can be used to enhance the beeswax and hag tapers. I would use aromatic herbs like sage, rosemary, wormwood, mugwort and rose. I can’t wait to make the hag tapers.

I’m making the dye bath with the acorns I foraged for earlier. I have treated the muslin cloth in a pot of water with the powdered album. I use the album to make the fabric take to the dye. I used a very large stainless steel pot and added the acorns. I have to ensure the water covers the acorns. I will continue to simmer the acorns for till late tonight and let the acorns soak in the water all night until about midday tomorrow. The longer that the acorns steep, hopefully the darker the color will be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I will strain the acorns and pour the dye bath back into the pot. The acorn dye bath has steeped overnight and I’m boiling it on the stove again. The dye has become a lovely dark brown colour. I know the dye will be three times lighter when rinsed and dried. That’s why I am steeping the acorns for so long, to achieve the darkest color possible. I will attempt to dye the fabric tonight and I may do a test patch too. I am excited to see how this turns out. The tannins in the acorns are what make the dye possible. Acorns are rich in tannins. It makes me feel so witchy, stirring a pot of acorns! The scent from the acorns is musky and earthy. 

Now I have to prepare for Samhain! I am sure I am not the only one. I pureed the pumpkin to brew pumpkin bread, perhaps some barmbrack bread and pumpkin soup. I may even try making powdered pumpkin and use my dehydrator. I want to harvest dandelion roots and dry them in my dehydrator. 

Fall is the season of abundance! I am sure the book I am binding will be beautiful. Last night, I worked on it some more. I watched a few videos about people who know how to bind books professionally. They sure knew their stuff. Some of it was a little over the top. I am binding the book to create a book for my horror poetry. I want to write another poetry book. I have a pdf of the Writing in the dark poetry workbook. I am not writing my rough drafts of the poems in that book. Of course the first poem I will put in the book will be the one I wrote and had published, about the cemetery, Encounter with Death. I want to stain the pages with coffee or tea and maybe other herbal infusions. Or dilute essential oils and add that to the pages. I want herbs to have a big role in the creation of this book. The acorns are already adding that energy. I did make three pages of paper. I added a few herbs to the pages too. I will tea stain those pages and add them to the front and back of the book. The covers and spine are cut to size. I cut a small rectangle on the back book cover so I can emboss that section. 

I also plan to include a photo of the headstone where I gathered the acorns by accident. I want to include a small note that I appreciate and respect the spirit for letting me gather the acorns. I’m putting the note in an envelope and storing at the front of the book. I thought of buying a taper logy set ( the decorative paper for making a junk journal) and dyeing the paper and adding it to the book. 

The fabric I’m binding the book with is muslin. I hope the colour will be a deep enough colour of brown for this to work. I want to attach a black velveteen strip to go over the front edges of the book. I also want to add 4 corner protectors. Most of the supplies are available at Michaels. I love that store. I want to also add an adhesive to the muslin once dyed to make the fabric stiffer and more durable. 

I considered making the paper for the book by hand. But I don’t have the fine art of making paper with a mold and deckle down enough. I plan to buy a pack of coloured paper at Staples and then tea staining it and trimming the outer front edges of the paper to add texture. I have a lot of plans with this project. Maybe this will finally make me write that book already! 

Golds, brown and black tones and shades will obviously work here. I originally wanted to use the davy board up. I had some remaining from my other project. I want to decorate the pages with crows, spiders and bats. This is supposed to be about horror after all. I will post more when the book is complete. I can’t wait and I can’t wait for Samhain. 

Blessed be, Spiderwitch

 

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May 2, 2023 · 9:50 am

Bewitched Bookcase )O(

Coltsfoot in spring

 

Merry meet all,

Hello my dear readers! I have been so busy the last two days. I decided that since it’s spring, I needed to spruce up my kitchen. The bookcase was so much work to put together but it was so worth it! I am here to tell you how I created my beautiful spring bookcase. So sit back, have a cup of tea and read on…

I found the bookcase I liked on IKEA. The one catch was that the shelves aren’t wooden. I found a way around that. I might buy green placemats at the Black Market if they have them. The shelves are white steel, Epoxy/polyester powder coating. The bookcase is also made of wood. I got my Mom’s help to assemble the bookcase. We then realized I couldn’t paint the bookcase after it was assembled. Ok. So I had to paint the wood before we put it all together. I already had the perfect shade of moss green paint ready to go. So after she left, I set about preparing to paint. I gathered paint brushes, patience, the paint, a drop cloth and black garbage bags. The bookcase is an open shelf unit. 

It is still freezing outside. But I had to entertain a cat and paint a bookcase. Anyone who has a pet cat or dog knows how hard that can be. I barricaded myself in my bedroom with the bookcase and the paint supplies and got to work. First I cut up an old bedsheet, and 5 or 6 black garbage bags. I taped the garbage bags to the bedroom furniture and to the office chair to avoid paint stains. I put down the drop cloth. The drop cloth was so aggravating. The shelving sections kept sliding on the cloth. There was some paint on the floor by the time I was done. I did my best to avoid a big mess. The back door was open all day to let Penny see out the screen window. Eventually I finished and let the shelving units dry. I had taped a small section on the shelving units so I could turn them around and avoid paint on my hands which happened anyway. The next morning, I had to clean up my apartment which resembled a war zone because Mom was coming over to finish assembling it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ugh. I made myself some coffee and tidied up the apartment. I touched up the shelving units and checked them over. They looked great. I washed the floor, threw away the garbage, and cleared an area to work in. We assembled the bookcase. We enjoyed tea and lemon bread as we worked. Penny stayed out of my way as we assembled and I painted the bookcase, which I really appreciated. She returned home. Now I was ready for the final and most fun step: decorating it!

I gathered the artificial moss, butterfly and insect stickers, hot glue gun and glue sticks, the pinecones I found outside, bird feathers, the birdhouse I painted and decorated, acorns, white glue, paint brushes, etc. I used the hot glue gun to adhere the moss to the bookcase. The colour of the shelving unit is perfect for the moss, which is why I selected it. Here is a sneak preview of how it looks: 

 

 

 

 

 

I have finished gluing the moss to the bookcase shelving units. It was the most time consuming part of the project. I am currently preparing the pinecones for the bookcase. I soak them in a solution of vinegar and water for half an hour then bake them to kill the mites and pests for a few hours. This is done to avoid having an infestation in your home. I also clean my paintbrushes when I am done using them. These extra steps go a long way in taking care of your crafting tools. 

I hung a hook from the bookcase. I hung the birdhouse up on the hook. The birdhouse is now accepting winged/ feathered occupants. I will glue the pinecones to the moss once they are dry. I use the timer on my phone to keep track of how long something is in the oven. Cellphones are so useful!

I still have to add the leaves and the fairy lights. I am so happy with it all so far. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love it and I think it looks great! I installed a paper towel holder under the kitchen sink, have stocked the new beautiful bookcase with the books and what I had stored there before. I love how it looks. I still have a lot of moss to glue on and more pinecones, acorns, feathers, butterflies and the birds. I love how it looks. I would love to hear how you are all celebrating Spring!

Enjoy Beltaine!

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

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