Merry meet all,
Today we are chatting with another awesome horror author, Cassandra Sachar. Let’s clear the cobwebs and enjoy a coffee as learn more about her.
Why horror? Do you have a favorite subgenre in horror?
I’ve always been a huge worrier, often imagining the worst possible outcome to seemingly innocuous situations. It can be as simple as walking down a flight of stairs while holding a beverage with a straw in it; I’ll start thinking about tripping and having the straw pierce through my eyeball … and maybe my brain! I’ve gotten better over the years at shutting out the graphic images that assault me, and one of the ways I do this is by channeling these thoughts into my fiction. Writing, reading, and watching horror lets me indulge dark thoughts in a fictional way, and that’s much healthier for me than when I obsess over everything that can go wrong in real life!
It’s hard to pick a favorite subgenre. I love the supernatural in general, but it’s sometimes scarier to me when horror is more realistic. I’m fascinated by the idea that people may be only one bad day away from making decisions with awful, awful consequences. I’ve written a number of short stories where good people do bad things.
Which other horror authors influenced you the most and why?
This isn’t very original, but my biggest influence is Edgar Allan Poe! I’ve been reading his work as long as I can remember, and I’ve taught it, as well, both when I was teaching high school English and now that I teach college in my horror writing class. The main character in my dark suspense novel, Darkness There but Something More, is an Edgar Allan Poe scholar as well as a college English professor, and I’ve peppered the novel with references to Poe. I’ve also visited several Poe landmarks. While there are many brilliant horror writers, Poe earns a special place in my heart. I love the depravity he captures in his first-person narrators, how we see them descend into madness. I also love his inventiveness and wordplay.
Tell me about your writing/ editing process
I’m a pantser when it comes to creative writing, unlike the academic writing I’ve done, where I carefully outline everything. I’m all about getting the story out, and I’m not always expecting the twists and turns that come along the way. There have been many times when I’ve sat down at my laptop with only the seed of an idea. I’m all about getting the story out, and I try not to get bogged down by the details during my drafting process. My main goal is to get words down, whether or not they’re good, as I know I can make them better later!
When it comes to the editing process, though, that’s where my type A brain takes over. I’m extremely meticulous, going through the draft multiple times and working on different issues. After I complete the initial draft, I focus on big picture items: plot and characterization problems, for example, layering in foreshadowing and complexity as needed. I’m extremely picky about continuity and always make extensive notes on the timeline of events so that there aren’t mistakes. I get annoyed by continuity errors in other people’s writing and don’t want to distract my readers with inaccuracies. I’ll also read through a draft multiple times with a focus on sentence formation and word choice, varying as necessary, and my final readthroughs are all about proofreading.
I’ve heard many writers say they hate the editing process, but I love it—more than the initial writing, which I find far more draining. When it comes to editing, I’m much better when there are already words on the screen and I just need to improve them. For my entire teaching career, I’ve given students advice on how to improve their writing, so I have a lot of experience knowing when something is lacking or if it needs paring down, even when I’m the writer.
What inspires you to write horror?
Everything! In my horror writing class, I have students complete a lot of what I refer to as “creative spark” activities. There is so much to inspire creativity, and we can mine our experiences, fears, and the world around us for ideas to place into our fiction. I have students look at different scary photos, listen to music, walk around outside, roll dice to choose elements to incorporate, and more, and I complete all of those activities in class, as well. Though I write a lot of snippets that go nowhere, I try to generate many ideas to find something that gels. Sometimes, all I need is a single mental image to get going.
What do you love about indie publishing?
I love the community! I never expected how friendly and supportive other writers would be. I’ve made some wonderful friends and have been able to participate in a number of collaborative activities, such as podcasts and anthologies.
Which is your favorite horror movie or book? Which movie or book impressed and inspired you the most?
While my favorite movie franchise is Scream, my favorite single movie is The Ring, which stayed with me in a way that nothing else has. I remember that I couldn’t sleep the night I saw it—I was too scared! I woke up my husband and told him, and his only advice was to turn on the light, which I did. I hadn’t needed a nightlight since childhood.
I love the kind of horror that sticks in your head like that and makes you uncomfortable. I also appreciated the layered characterization in The Ring and the way the movie deals with thought-provoking themes such as the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her child.
Is there any music that helps you to write?
Believe it or not, I always listen to Zen music when I write! I know that many horror writers listen to heavy metal music or at least something that’s fast-paced, but I prefer not to listen to words when I’m trying to create my own. About a decade ago, I figured out that Zen music helped me work since it made me feel calmer even when I was stressed about everything I had to do. I always play it when I work now, whether that’s grading papers, preparing for a conference, or writing horror. I have a ring of skulls next to my laptop, though, so there’s the creep factor.
Do you have any special projects you want readers to know about?
I have a horror novella forthcoming from Unveiling Nightmares, and I’m very excited about it! I’ve also started on a second short story collection, but I don’t expect to finish that until next summer.
Where can readers find you on social media?
I’m on Facebook if you search my name—I’m the only Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar! On Instagram, I’m @cosachar. You can also find information about my writing on my website, https://cassandraosullivansachar.
https://unveiling-nightmares.com/
