Caleb Stephens's Blog, page 2

The following is an interview with writer Caleb Stephens regarding the upcoming release of the short horror fiction collection, If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror, through Salt Heart Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Stephens about the creative process of bringing the short stories to life, how the stories may connect with readers, and more!

Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror! For those who may be unfamiliar, how would you describe the collection’s overall premise, and what (or who) was its inspiration?

Caleb Stephens: If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror is a collection of dark horror fiction with some lighter pieces sprinkled throughout. The overarching theme is one of love and loss, and the extraordinary lengths we will travel to protect the ones who are the most important to us.

As far as inspiration, I’ve always pictured myself as a novelist. I love the way characters come to life in a longer piece and how they become as real to you as a close friend or a member of your family. The problem with novels, however, is that it can take some time to come up with an idea that will keep you chugging along for eighty thousand words. After my first book (which will forever live on my laptop), I began playing around with short stories, mostly to keep my writing chops in shape while I brainstormed my next book idea. After writing a couple, I really came to enjoy the short form. More than anything else, it has helped me polish the craft of writing, be ruthless with word count and plot, all while connecting with other writers. I should have started with short stories far sooner than I did.

BD: What can you tell us about the creative process of bringing these stories to life?

CS: What’s really fun with short stories is that you can experiment. If the story doesn’t work, that’s okay because you didn’t spend a year writing it. In the same vein, I don’t really outline or map out my short stories. They come to me organically. I won’t write something until an idea picks at me for a couple of weeks. When that happens, I know I’m on to something—that there’s some meat on the bone to explore. The first story in the collection, “The Wallpaper Man,” came that way. I’ve always found wallpaper to be fairly creepy, and I thought, hmm, what if something lived there, behind the wallpaper, inside the wall? And what if that thing offered to help you?

A lot of If Only a Heart is inspired by fears of losing the people I love. I grew up attending an abnormal number of funerals. I think I’d gone to around eleven or so by the time I was ten. All those deaths had an impact on me. Death is the ultimate unknown, and we are only here for so long. I think it’s a topic worthy of exploration.

BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that your short story collection will connect with and impact readers?

CS: I would like to think that horror in general can be cathartic for folks. It can help them process complex emotions they, at times, wouldn’t otherwise address. Fear, anger, shame, and depression. Love, loss, and triumph. Watching a character go through those things on the page, actually living the story with them, can aid us in making some sense of our own life stories.

To me, the sign of good writing is if it resonates with the reader in some way. That it makes them feel something because modern-day living can be very numbing. We are constantly connected to screens, constantly doing, doing, doing. We are pulled in so many directions at once. To sit down with a book and read for a little bit is a way to connect with yourself and to think critically about a narrative. If my stories cause people to feel, or to think a little, I’ll consider the work a success.

BD: What makes Salt Heart Press the perfect home for this collection?

CS: I was first introduced to Salt Heart Press by a friend, P.L. McMillan, who was recently published through them. I really respect P.L. and love reading her stuff, so I decided to check them out. Women-run, Salt Heart is focused on spotlighting quality emerging dark fiction writers and are driven to support authors they feel bring a fresh voice to the genre. It seemed like the perfect fit!

BD: Do you foresee expanding the collection into subsequent books?

CS: Maybe at some point, I’ll put together another collection, but I have several novels I need to focus on first.

BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?

CS: Absolutely. “The Wallpaper Man” was recently adapted to film by Falconer Media. It will be heading to film festivals and studios this fall. I’m hoping, with any luck, we’ll have a feature on our hands soon—something you might be able to watch at the theaters or through one of the big box streamers. Keep an eye on my website for updates. Oh, and of course the novels. I’m particularly excited about the newest one I’m writing. It’s been a lot of fun so far, and I think it will be fun for readers when I get it out there.

BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror and your other work?

CS: My website is the best place: www.calebstephensauthor.com. You can join my newsletter (I’ll send you a free story!) and peruse some of my other projects while you’re there. Also, I’m pretty active on Twitter (@cstephensauthor).

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I was recently interviewed by The Dread Machine for their upcoming anthology Mixtape: 1986. I was lucky enough to land a story in this anthology and am very much looking forward to reading the book when it’s published early next year. There are a LOT of great authors in this one. But I digress. Please read on for my interview:

What called you to submit to Mixtape: 1986?

I’m a fierce fan of the decade, seeing as I grew up in the 80’s. None of us knew it then, but it was such a unique period to experience, with so many notable contributions to music, fashion, movies, and TV, not to mention all the ridiculously great toys. Micro Machines anyone? Garbage Patch Kid trading cards? Simon? I mean, c’mon! It was a pop culture explosion.

As far as why I submitted to Mixtape, there’s been such an ‘80’s renaissance in recent years, and I was only too happy to take a shot at the anthology call in hopes I could add my own stamp to it, if only a little.

Did your own childhood influence your writing in any way, and if so, how?

Yes—My story, in a way, is a direct reflection of time spent at various summer camps during my youth. I remember this feeling of tremendous independence being away from my parents for a week. (A whole week!) And fear…mainly of all the pretty girls running around everywhere. The height of excitement was always the camp dance, where the guys would stand on one side of the room in awe of all the scrunchy-haired, lip-glossed beauties standing on the other. It was a fearsome divide to cross—that long, empty gap—but I finally gathered the courage and slow danced with a member of the opposite sex for the first time. The movie Ghost was huge about then, and I can still hear Unchained Melody ringing through the speakers if I close my eyes and summon the memory.

What is the coolest thing from the 80s, in your opinion?

The music, no doubt: Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, Van Halen. All the sappy stuff, too. Give me your hair bands and keyboards! I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention all the great television. Shows like Fraggle Rock, Alf, and the A-Team. Talk about nostalgia! And what was so cool is you usually watched them as a family at the scheduled times. It was a way to connect and spend some time together with those you cared about. The 80’s were a time of togetherness in a lot of ways.

What about the 80s do you find the most unsettling, looking back from 2021?

The AIDS crisis. Not the disease itself, but the way those afflicted were stigmatized and isolated without much hope for a cure. I lost my favorite uncle to the disease. He was gay and died in his early thirties, and it wasn’t an easy thing to watch. There was a lot of fear there. As a kid, it really scarred me.  

What other projects are you working on? (Writers: Provide links to stuff so we can point readers where you want them to go!)

I just finished up my third novel, a dark psychological thriller about family and the damage we do to those closest to us, often without meaning to. It’s been the most difficult writing project of my career so far, but also the project of which I am proudest. I hope it finds a publisher who loves it as much as me.

Hi! Hello there!

It‘s been what, a mere two years since I last posted anything? Longer? A lot has happened in that time frame, with me primarily focused on writing more and blogging less. (Which is to say zero. I haven’t posted a damn thing.) So, with that said, I figure it’s time for a quick update.

Things on the writing front have gone well. I’ve published a slew of shorts and recently finished my second novel, I Am Not My Own. I’m pretty excited about this book. It’s dark and twisty with a lot of familial drama sprinkled throughout. Unlike my first novel, Feeders, it’s not so much horror as it is a psychological thriller, one of my favorite genres. I can only hope my agent likes it as much as I do. We’ll see…

Another nice development has been my connection with the Horror Obsessed Writing & Literature Society (HOWL’s for short). It’s a wonderful community full of writers and readers alike, and I’ve been able to make some great new friends, all while discussing my favorite topic—why, books, of course! One of the best things about HOWL’s is that if you stick around long enough, they’ll let you suggest a booklist for a group read. This list is then narrowed to one title based on a member vote. Well, it was my turn this week, and from my list, the folks at HOWL’s picked The Fisherman.

Let me just hit pause here. If you haven’t read this book, do yourself a favor and pick it up. It’s a heart-wrenching look at love, loss, and grief and the different paths we traverse when dealing with tragedy. I read it several years ago, and I still think about it often, so I’m quite happy this one won. Here’s the link to my booklist, Fear Thy Family and Friends, on the HOWL’s website with a brief synopsis as to why I selected each title if you’re interested.

Well, I could go on and fill you in on my pandemic experience and a million other trivial things, but you don’t care about that, and I hear my novel calling me. My baby still needs some polishing before I send it out into the cruel world.

Best wishes, and thanks for taking the time to stop by! I’ll try to not let another two years pass without posting again.

Caleb

Eighty percent of U.S. books are produced by the Big Five publishers, but with each passing year — and with a stable small number of annual releases — independent presses are earning more of the literary conversation, gaining frequent articles and reviews in the New York Times, the Guardian, the New Yorker, and more.”

- The Atlantic.

In 2017, according to bookstr.com, the most profitable book sales genres were:

· Romance & Erotica: A staggering $1.4 billion.

· Crime & Mystery: $728.2 million.

· Religious & Inspirational: $720 million.

· Science Fiction & Fantasy: $590.2 million.

· Horror: $79.6 million. Yes, that includes the works of prolific authors like Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

For authors who aren’t discovered by one of the Big Five publishers, finding a home for their writing isn’t always easy. This holds especially true for authors writing in niche genres like weird/strange fiction and horror. Wait…horror is a niche genre, you say? Yes, at least in the written form it is. $79.6 million (or 2%) is a drop in the bucket compared to the other genre sales figures listed above.

Horror in film is a different story. In fact, it’s one of the most profitable movie genres out there (just read this article). Take the independent film Paranormal Activity, for example. It was produced with an $11,000 budget and grossed a massive $193 million at the box office (a 17,545% return!).

And it’s not alone.

With the recent renaissance in horror/strange fiction in television and film, movies like Get Out, Bird Box, A Quiet Place, and It, and television series like Stranger Things, Black Mirror, and the upcoming Twilight Zone, you would think publishers would be rushing to find the next wave of horror/strange fiction authors, right?

Not really, and it’s not for a lack of material — there’s plenty of great writing out there — but major publishers aren’t exactly flocking to it. And why would they? The profit’s just not there.

Read the rest on Medium.

Growing up, like many people, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I just thought, hey, I’ll go to college and everything will work out. That’s what my parents told me, anyway. So I did, and things sort of did. I partied a lot, studied a bit, and made some great friends. Graduated. Then came the real world. Ugh. A failed stint in financial planning. Retail banking — disgruntled customers and high-pressure sales. Shove the loans down their throat if you have to…

It was terrible.

I fired off hundreds of resumes and couldn’t land another job, so it was back to college. This time for accounting. Sexy, I know, but practical…and I’d always have a job. The next ten years? Straight working my ass off. Auditing, the CPA exam, taking companies public, promotions and opportunity. Corporate America, baby!

And through it all, I had this vague sense that something was off. It kept pecking at me, this notion that I’d missed…something. What that something was, I wasn’t quite sure, but I knew it was important. Then, one socked-in, rainy Sunday morning in my late twenties, it finally revealed itself with the slightest of thoughts.

Hey, why don’t you write something?

So I did, and — Bam! — I was hooked just like that. I dove in head first with no clue what I was doing. I thought my writing was spectacular, of course. I thought it was the SHIT! Well, I was right about that; the shit part, anyways.

Man, I wasted so much time. I spent five years slogging through a flaming wreck of a novel — a hot, steaming pile of unsalvageable first draft. (I know, I know, it wasn’t a waste of time. No writing is.) True enough. But I wish — I wish — the ME back then would have had a chance to chat with the ME now. My writing would have been so much better off, but hey, I am where I am, and that’s okay…as long as I keep writing.

With that in mind, I thought it might be helpful to jot down a few things about writing I would tell my younger self (or any writer for that matter) if I had the chance. Hopefully, you can apply one or two of these to your own writing:

Read the rest on Medium.

I hate to be dramatic, but we need to talk. There are some things I need to get off my chest, things I’ve been meaning to share with you for some time now, but haven’t had the balls. The truth is, I’m afraid it will run you off, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Just the thought of that scares me to death. Seriously, please know everything I say comes from a good place, and that I really, really care about you — enough that I’m willing to share the truth, even though it makes me nervous. So here it is, guts and all…

First of all, you drive me crazy. CRAZY. Most of it is in the good, I-can’t-stop-thinking-about-you-day-and-night-teenage-girl-obsessed kind of crazy. Really, it’s true. I think about you all the frickin’ time: At work. At home. When I sleep. When I can’t (usually your fault). When I’m driving. At the gym. In the shower. (Man, do I think about you a lot in the shower. Sometimes, I’ll stand there fantasizing about you until the water goes cold and I’m out of soap and…oh, wait, sorry, that’s kind of creepy, isn’t it?)

The point is, I think about you a LOT, and it’s mainly about our life together. What it could be without all the crazy distractions, you know what I mean? Just the thought of that — wow, are you frickin’ kidding me? How great would that be? I can see it all so clearly, too. I’d rise early (but maybe not too early—let’s not get nuts here — like somewhere around seven or eight) to make a cup of coffee and lounge on the porch until you wake up, maybe catch up on the news and read a magazine or two. Then, I’d wake you nice and slow with some eggs and toast and we’d plan out the day.

Wait. What? The day? The entire day? Get out of here. We can’t write all day. That’s crazy talk.

Yes, we can! And, get this, not just today— EVERY DAY! From here on out!

Holy crap, I can’t even imagine what that would be like. No more crazy time restrictions? No more jamming you into fifteen minutes here and there between doctor appointments or flirting with you at the mechanic while we wait for the car? And don’t even get me started on our home life. Just the thought of spending time with you without the kids around…whew, it gets me all choked up. Think about it, you wouldn’t have to be jealous anymore! I could actually spend time with my real family without you bitching that I love them more, or that I’m always ignoring you, or that we’re growing apart…blahdy, blah, blah.

It’s so beautiful, right? So perfect I can barely stand it. And that’s the problem right there — it’s all a damn, cotton-candy-land fantasy.

Read the rest on Medium.

As the Assistant Editor for Hinnom Magazine, a bi-monthly publication of excellent weird/dark fiction, I get the pleasure of reading a lot of short stories.

One of the benefits of so much reading is learning to spot the little things that hold a story back. Things that, if corrected, can take a story to the next level. And they often really are the little things — just enough clutter to send an otherwise great story to the rejection heap. In today’s post, I’m going to discuss the dreaded info dump. 

Most of us have heard the Thou Shalt not Info Dump commandment. Don’t dump tons of exposition, backstory, character traits, etc. on a reader all at once. Show, don’t tell, right? It’s one of the first things a new writer learns. So, why discuss it? Because, despite this well-known rule, many authors do it anyway. All the time. In fact, it’s shockingly common. I see it in most shorts I read, and there’s one place I see it more than anywhere else. The most critical part of a story. The beginning. Exactly where you don’t want to do it (not that you want to do it anywhere, but it’s an especially big no, no at the beginning of a short story or novel). So, let’s start there.

I cannot emphasize this enough. As authors, we often feel it’s necessary to communicate as much information about our characters/settings/narrative to readers as quickly as possible. Don’t do it. Fight this instinct with every fiber of your being. There’s nothing worse than slogging through a mile of backstory in order to get to the action or conflict (where your story should really start, by the way). And besides…

Readers like intrigue. 

It’s what keeps them reading! They want just enough detail without going overboard. An appetizer that whets the appetite for the main course.

Read the rest on Medium.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with this term. For those who aren’t, imposter syndrome is the deep-seated feeling that you are a fraud, that you are faking it in some, or all, aspects of life.

I’ve been struggling with a bad case of imposter syndrome lately. It’s crippled my ability to come up with fresh post ideas and delayed progress on my novel. It’s a voice in my head blaring away like an over-caffeinated bully with a little megaphone glued to his lips — Hey, you! Yeah, you! What are you doing? Giving writing advice? Ha! Are you kidding me? You haven’t even published a novel yet. Knock it off you fraud. Quit wasting time and get back to work!

Speaking of work, I’m an accountant by trade, and pretty damn good at it if I do say so myself. No imposter syndrome there. My struggle is with writing: I should throw in the towel. I’m not that good at it, after all. I’m too busy. It’s a waste of time. Something I’ll never pay the bills with. Completing my novel is impossible, like climbing Everest in shorts without an oxygen mask. And even if I do manage to finish it, it will never be as good as those written by my heroes (yes, I’m looking at you Cormac McCarthy).

These are just some of the crazy thoughts that pop into my head like an uninvited house guest. You know the one. The crazy uncle who shows up on your front porch with a full suitcase wearing that ridiculous Hawaiian shirt. The solution? Write about it, of course. This post is an attempt to shine a light on how to rationally address imposter syndrome thoughts. I hope a few of these resonate with you.

Read the rest of the post on Medium.

You hear it a lot as a writer: show, don’t tell. It’s one of the first things you learn. It sounds easy. It sounds straightforward, right?

It’s not.

There are nuances with our old friend, Show, Don’t Tell. He’s actually kind of a bastard. He’s hard to get to know. Hard to figure out. You have to spend a lot of time up on the porch listening to him ramble on and on when you’d much rather be hanging out by the fence with Cool Plot or Brooding (but deeply layered and loveably flawed) Protagonist.

There are a million-and-one ways you can show instead of tell when writing, but today I want to focus on one of the more obvious (and impactful) show, don’t tell applications. One you can immediately use to strengthen your writing.

Straight out stating an emotion weakens your writing and, worse, it’s boring. There’s no life to it. It’s like chewing cardboard. No flavor.

Here’s an example.

Ed broke into the bedroom and froze,  anger filling his chest and rage coating his face at the sight of Julie in bed with Adam. Julie jumped and snatched the sheet up, her eyes widening in surprise.

Emotions are opportunities just begging for a fresh take, a chance to separate your writing from the rest of the dull-eyed prose floating around the interweb. Sure, anyone can state an emotion, we all know what they are, but effectively showing an emotion, well — that’s something different now, isn’t it? Something that, if done right, will sock a reader right in the gut and leave them gasping for more.

So, let’s try this again, this time with some showing sprinkled in.

Read the rest of the post on Medium.

As the Assistant Editor for Hinnom Magazine, a bi-monthly publication of excellent weird/dark fiction, I get the pleasure of reading a lot of short stories.

And I do mean A LOT.

One of the benefits of so much reading is learning to spot the little things that hold a story back. Things that, if corrected, can take a story to the next level. And they often really are the little things — just enough clutter to send an otherwise great story to the rejection heap. I want to share a few of these little things in this series, ways you can polish your story and get it over the acceptance finish line. With this first post, I’m going to focus on one of my biggest pet peeves: Filtering.

Does your character feel the sun on her skin? Does she hear the wind ruffle the curtains? Does she see the fire smoking on the horizon? Does she touch and think and look and realize with every sentence?

If so, it’s a big mistake. Let me explain why. A reader wants to connect with a character. They want that magical moment where they forget they are reading and instead start experiencing. When this happens, the reader is literally seeing through the eyes of the character, hearing with their ears and tasting with their tongues. Every time an author insists on reminding a reader that this is happening (with dreaded filtering), it’s like a huge flashing red light screaming: “HEY, YOU! YEAH YOU! DON’T FORGET YOU ARE READING THIS!”

Read the full post on Medium