Laura is a California girl living in Toronto, Canada. She works in the film industry lighting visual effects during the day and writes into the night. Shadows are her specialty. Summer of 2018, she learned about the wonders of Nation Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. Since then, she has been hooked on crafting atmosphere and worlds through the written word. Her fingers run rampant with sci-fi and horror, creating shadows of the mind and supernatural creatures. She has over 20 stories published across anthologies, magazines, zines and website. Many more dark tales are in the works and are currently on submission.

1) First, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me! When did you know that writing and storytelling is what you were called to do? What is it about being a writer that you love the most? What about being a writer frustrates you the most?

I wrote a little bit of fan fiction in college, but nothing too serious. I forgot about writing when I got into my visual effects industry, focusing on my career instead. Then, in 2018 I was browsing YouTube and heard about this thing called NaNoWriMo where you write a 50k word novel in the month of November. I was intrigued, so I did it. I wrote my first novel that year in 30 days. It’s permanently shelved, but I did it. Ever since then, I’ve been writing.

I love sharing my stories with others. That’s my favorite part of being a writer. Watching their face as they read what I created, seeing my impact.

The most frustrating part of writing for me is that it’s not my full time job. I squeeze it in around my day job. But still, on the days I don’t have work, I’m not motivated to write. It’s a catch 22. I need to have dedicated time I can’t write to make me excited to finally get to do it.

2) Can you tell us a little about your book(s) and where our readers can find out more about them and you?

The only book out that is all mine would be “Tiny Shivers.” It’s available on Amazon, with signed paperbacks on my ko-fi page. I have 28 stories published in anthologies and magazines alongside other authors. A list of these can be found on my website: www.lauranettles.com.

“Tiny Shivers” is my debut collection of horror short fiction. There are 101 tales to terrify and unnerve between its covers. It’s divided into subgenres of horror including cosmic, psychological, gothic, sci-fi and holiday food horror.

3) Was there anything specific that drew you to wanting to write in the horror genre?

I think horror lends itself well to the short form. The endings can be dramatic and end the story with a punch. Whether the character dies, ending the story with their life cut short, or the character succumbs to the evil, the story will by necessity have an arc. A change.

I love atmospheric writing and describing the lighting in a scene. In horror, this is a great asset to help set the tone, build dread, glint a reflection off the edge of an unknown terror, or even give an environment character through the dancing shadows from an ancient chandelier of candles that flickers in a draft the character can smell the musty particles of past ghosts on.

Horror lets me delve into descriptions designed to elicit strong emotions. I know that skill can be applied to other genres, but it’s a great way to cut your teeth on the technique.

Horror does not equate to gore. It can be utilized, but I like to explore other horror that does not necessarily rely on writhing guts flying through the air. There are so many subgenres of horror I can dip my toes in. Cosmic, psychological, gothic, etc. It’s a massive playground I enjoy.

4) How do you find the publications that you submit to and how often do you try to make sure that you’re submitting work somewhere?

There are a few places I look for open publications. The blog publishedtodeath.blogspot.com is an excellent resource for all genres, as is the Submission Grinder. Published to Death lists all open calls it can find by order of submissions closing. Usually there are about 60 publications listed per month alongside how much they pay, themes, etc. Submission Grinder has an advanced search where you can enter in your genre and word count. It will then filter open calls to those you qualify for. You can then have that list sorted by pay scale, response rate, alphabetically, etc.

I try to submit at least one story a month. There’s a press I like to write drabbles a submit to every month called Black Hare Press. So, I at least get that submitted. I have a back catalogue of stories I’ve written that are not yet published that I keep in submission circles. If I get a rejection, try again. Sometimes I have six stories out at the same time. I don’t usually have the same story submitted to multiple publishers at the same time, although you can do that in some cases.

My advice would be to submit to the higher paying places first, then work your way down the pay scale with each rejection. That way you never have to wonder, what if I could have made more. Also, utilize your audio rights as well and submit to paying podcasts like the No Sleep Podcast.

5) I know that you are an avid reader. What’s the first book you ever read that really touched you and moved you emotionally? Who are some of your favorite authors to read? What book are you currently reading?

The books I remember moving me as a kid were “Bridge to Terabithia,” and “My Side of the Mountain.” Bridge to Terabithia ripped my heart out and stomped on it. “My Side of the Mountain” made me want to go live on my own in a hollowed out tree on a mountain with rabbit fur socks. It was a dream for a long time. Or to live the life of the kids from “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” in a museum collecting change from the fountains and being amongst the exhibits all day and night.

Favorite authors to read are Junji ito, Masaaki Nakayama, Lindsay Puckett, Timothy Zahn, and Philip Ardagh.

Junji Ito is probably the most famous horror mangaka today. He writes and illustrates scary stories in a manga form, a Japanese comic. His horror is outside the box, drawings detailed, and execution horrifying at times. My favorite of his is “Uzumaki.” A town is plagued by spirals. Yes, the shape. Some people become obsessed by them, collecting items with spirals printed on them, or actual coils. They become consumed by the need to become the spiral. Others are terrified of spirals, including those on their body like finger prints. The whole town goes out of control in a Lovecraftian slide. That one is a book where vignettes converge into a massive story. His short story collection “Shiver” is another great place to start.

Masaaki Nakayama is the mangaka of the series “PTSD Radio,” as well as “Seeds of Anxiety.” “PTSD Radio” is my favorite horror series of all time so far. Each tiny chapter starts mundane, then turns into a terrifying display of the supernatural. The stories weave together, telling the story of a spurned god of hair. It’s inspired me to try and adapt my 100 word horror stories into little comic chapters.

Lindsay Puckett is a new middle grade author, whose spooky story “The Glass Witch” had me in stitches. The voice of the main character is so well conveyed. I aspire to that level. Not a super scary book, but an excellent ride.

Timothy Zahn writes my favorite Star Wars books. The ones with Grand Admiral Thrawn in them. They way he writes mystery and strategy are goals. The main character can divine military strategies based off the cultural artwork of the people attacking with devastating accuracy. Such a cool concept.

Philip Ardagh is a children’s author of the Eddie Dickens saga. Absolutely love the author’s voice and absurdity. I grew up on “A House Called Awful End.” I modeled my writing style off of his for a bit as a child when I wrote silly little things in Word.

I’m currently reading a YA slasher, “Clown in a Cornfield 2: Friendo Lives” by Adam Cesare as well as the horror manga series “Hell’s Paradise” by Yuji Kaku. Just finished “Stolen Tongues” by Felix Blackwell, and a Dracula retelling from one of the brides’ perspectives called “A Dowry of Blood” by S. T. Gibson. Both were very good.

6) What is the one horror related element or creature that gives even you the chills?

The thing that gives me the biggest chill is the fear of the page turn. I mostly get it from horror manga. I’m reading along, each panel building up the tension. There’s something in the barrel. Someone’s missing. You know they are most likely in the barrel. But you still don’t want to see it. Turn the page. Bam! A highly detailed double page spread of the man grotesquely contorted into a spiral, filling the curves of the barrel. It sears into my brain and I love it. A few times in PTSD Radio, I’ve actually jumped in my seat from a page turn scare. So effective. Love them. I aspire to do the same eventually.

7) You work in lighting as your day job. Can you talk about whether doing that work has enhanced your writing abilities in any way and if it has, how so?

I work on lighting visual effects for movies and television for my day job. It’s all done in the computer, after they’ve filmed the actors. Many of the projects I’ve worked on have been horror, so I get to light CG monsters, set extensions, snow and more. I also study movies, screenshotting frames to analyse composition, lighting, color palettes, etc. By doing this I have paid special attention to how films make a scene atmospheric.

When writing, I love to incorporate describing the lighting of a scene. Does a slash of light cut across a character’s eyes, to reveal the villain as they step from the shadows? Are there dancing candlelight casting shadows that move in the waltzes of the damned? Do motes of dust in front of windows swirl into the silhouettes of people long gone? I find describing the lighting can enhance a story’s atmosphere and help convey tone and mood. Is the light a blue-white, sterile and unforgiving? Or a golden hue, warm and comforting? I think describing lighting is the cherry on top of a scene description. Not necessary but can do a lot to enhance.

8) Does doing lighting inspire you to maybe take your own stories and create of visual representation of them into short films or even full-length movies? If so, which story from Tiny Shivers would you turn into a film?

Films take budgets and many people working together to bring them to life. To start with, I am going to make small comic chapters of my shorter works. Later on, I can use these as storyboards to help with the filming process, costuming, and color pallets. I would love to direct short films, and later on, full length movies on my stories. My work in the VFX industry would give me a unique perspective on what to do in camera, and what can be enhanced with CG.

If I could make a full length movie based off a story from “Tiny Shivers,” it would probably be “Tentacles and Boomboxes.” That story is the longest with the most to work with. It’s a 1980s Lovecraftian LARP (Live Action Role Play) gone terribly, terribly wrong. Or right… depending on who/what you are. There is a limited cast of five characters in this version, but I could see it being expanded with more parts to play. More obstacles and locations for our characters to explore on page/screen utilizing the talents of the players. More LARP prop creatures with reflective eyes to unsettle, and make you question reality. By heightening the unease, the real ones will seem all the scarier by the end. Would love to see a new rendition of a Necronomicon, this one made by a college art major. There is already the iconic Evil Dead version, but there’s always room for more iterations. I think the twist could be fun to experience with an audience together. If I had my way, the fix would be practical with cg enhancements. Make it feel more real for the actors and bring the unreal into our physical world.

9) Anyone who knows you, knows that you are a master of description. How did you get so good at writing descriptions and how do you know what’s too much detail and what’s too little detail to add into any particular work?

Thank you! My descriptive ability exploded when I read the writing craft book “The Anatomy of Prose” by Sacha Black. It goes over writing the five senses and a variety of literary techniques that can be utilized. One of the exercises it lists to do is write a piece of flash fiction. At that point I hadn’t really heard of flash fiction before. I tried it out and was hooked. I got to think about every word I was laying down on the page critically, making it earn its keep. I was able to experiment with different literary techniques without the fear of breaking a story that was novel length. I could play with words. It was liberating. And because it was such a fast turnaround from starting the story to having it polished and submitted somewhere, I got the dopamine hit of feeling accomplished, making me want to do it all over again. Reading a lot has also helped me see how others describe certain situations, giving me inspiration.

To find the balance of enough description but not too much, I attempt to write through the lens of the character. What would the character be paying attention to? Are they focused on the killer in front of them? If so, they wouldn’t be describing the hooting of an owl a few blocks over. Instead, they would zoom in on the villain’s posture, the sound of the weapon creaking in their gloved hand, the smell of tobacco on his breath, the feel of the unyielding brick wall against their own back hedging them in. The main character is not reading the graffiti. They may notice it when entering the alleyway, but all appreciation for the artistry goes out the window once their life is on the line. As a rule of thumb, using three senses in a scene description is a good goal. Also, mix up which three from time to time and scene to scene. Get creative and describe the bitter taste of jealousy and sour bite of poisonous words coating a sharp tongue. Just always keep the descriptions relevant to what your character would actually notice.

10) Do you plan to mostly stick to writing horror or do you want to branch out into writing in other genres as well?

While horror is my bread and butter, I do enjoy writing sci-fi and paranormal romance. I’m currently drafting a vampire romance trilogy for a pen name. Who knows, I may branch out into every genre by the end.

11) Do you ever worry about getting pigeonholed into being a horror writer?

Not really. I love horror, and am glad to have it attached to my legal name. When I officially branch out into paranormal romance I already have a pen name set up for it. If I need a pen name for my sci-fi, I’ll make another name for myself. Although, I’d like to keep the names I publish under limited to two or three. We’ll see what my publisher thinks, once I get one, if they want my children’s horror separate from my adult horror necessitating yet another pen name.

12) How have you dealt with rejection within your writing career? What is your advice for other writers to better be able to cope or navigate their way through the publishing process, be it traditional or self-publishing?

I have been rejected many, many times. Comes with the territory of trying to get a story published, let alone multiple stories. Usually, I have a list of places I can submit a story to. Once it’s rejected from the first place, I just start going down the list. It’s fine. I recommend starting with submitting to the highest paying publishers, the working your way down the pay scale. That way you’ll never have the endless “what if” thoughts.

My advice would be to keep submitting. If it’s rejected, maybe read through it and do a comb through once more, or do another round of beta readers, but keep submitting. In some cases, a developmental editor can help you see plot holes or missed opportunities in your story. You can always edit again before the next submission. A lot of times it’s not the right fit for the publisher, and that’s okay. Keep trying. Keep in mind you only get “first publishing rights” once. If you self publish it on Patreon, ko-fi or a newsletter, you can no longer sell it as an unpublished work. Some places accept reprints, but try and get it published in a magazine, anthology, or elsewhere first if you want to make the most money off it. Unless it’s a newsletter reader magnet, then you’ve written that story for that specific purpose anyway. Ship it.

For self publishing, don’t rush it. Take the time to make sure you’re proud of the product. It took me two years to publish “Tiny Shivers,” but that allowed for beta reader feedback, developmental edits, line edits, and commissioning lots of artwork. Took that long to save up the money and get the commissions/edits back and incorporated.

13) I feel like writing is a remarkable tool to help people not only express themselves, but also to cope emotionally and mentally. I know for me I write to be and feel more authentic. What unique quality is there about you, about your art, that you feel represents your authenticity? How does writing help you to be more empowered in your purpose?

I feel that writing allows me to dip into my imagination and alchemize my influences into unique stories. No other person has consumed every story I have, allowing them to merge and mix and bubble. My stories allow me to share my interests in an immersive, tangible way. A physical book they can hold in their hands. That distillation process allows me work through my life experience, scraping out pieces of me to blend with story elements I hold dear.

In my story “Reality” I use my real-life hallucinations and idiosyncrasies, plaguing the main character with them. In “Deadline” I use my real-life job for inspiration with working past 2am in an office during crunch time, walking passed a larger than life movie prop in a hooded cloak while going to the kitchen for hot chocolate. Not many of my stories hold large pieces of me like these do, but my stories are still filtered through how I see the world and what I’ve experienced.

Writing empowers me by giving me an outlet of expression that can be physically shared. At the end of the day, I can hold the book in my hands, give it to others, and watch their faces as they read and are changed by my stories. Even if the change is only for a moment, I impacted their lives. That gives me the drive to do it again and keep writing.