Scary Voices: Drawn to Darkness

I have always been drawn to darkness. I am a horror writer. I am also a woman. Horror has always been considered taboo for women; they are often depicted as the weak, helpless damsel in literature and film. I am the exception, not the rule.

When I was in junior high, my English Teacher, Mrs. Seagel introduced the class to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" as a special Halloween treat, that's when I knew that I loved being scared, it was such a rush, a perverse little thrill! In high school I decided I wanted to scare unsuspecting folks with my own brand of fearsome fiction.

I have a very active imagination. I've sold eighty stories over the past seven years. New York City is the breeding ground for my ideas, inspiration lurks everywhere, with a rich history of deviant neighborhoods, such as Alphabet City and Hell's Kitchen give my work a gritty, edgy feel.

Several of my stories feature strong women who overcome unspeakable evil inflicted by bad twins, jealous ex-boyfriends, or sadistic doctors. The possibilities are endless. My work runs the gamut: everything from quiet, supernatural tales to deeply disturbing stories that expose characters during their weakest moments.

I like to know how things work, why they don't, what makes people tick and what sends them over the edge…I enjoy watching life's little dramas unfold. They happen all the time; you just have to know where to look! Writing horror is a cathartic experience; it's the perfect outlet for my fears and frustrations. It enables me to work through my pain and paranoia by turning them into a bundle of nervous energy. I enjoy playing devil's advocate, if you will, manipulating the outcome to my satisfaction.

I write every day; sometimes I'll revise a work in progress, or dive into something completely new and different. I usually write for several hours a day. Listening to music helps me get lost in the zone, a rush of creativity that forces me to type as fast as I think so I can keep up with what my characters are thinking and doing.

I always carry a little notebook around with me so I can jot down ideas as they pop into my head or interesting snippets of random conversations I hear though I don't always use them.

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into dark recesses of my mind. Be careful, it can be a dangerous place!

Amy Grech has sold eighty stories to various magazines including: Art of Horror, Blue Murder Magazine, Buried.com, Cold Storage, Dark Funeral, Dark Muse, Deviant Minds, Funeral Party 2, Horrorfind.com, House of Pain, The Murder Hole, Nasty Snips, Rogue Worlds, Savage Night, Shadow Keep, Shadow of the Marquis, Tapestry Magazine, Terror Tales, The Dream People, The Swamp, Three-lobed Burning Eye, Twisted Tales, and Venus or Vixen. Her novel, The Art of Deception, is available at http://amazon.com.

Stories are forthcoming in: Blood Rose, Lunatic Chameleon, Micro Stories Anthology, and Shadow Writer. She is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association who lives in Brooklyn. Visit her Web site: http://www.crimsonscreams.com for a good fright.