The Horror Tree Recent Markets, Articles, Interviews, and Fiction!

Articles

 by 

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: First Person Point Of View

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: First Person Point Of View

Welcome to “Writing Prompt Wednesdays,” a haven where your imagination can roam free in the realms of speculative fiction. As we embark on this weekly journey, it’s thrilling to think about the untold stories waiting to be penned in the domains of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding wordsmith, these prompts are your gateway to unexplored worlds and untapped potentials.

Every Wednesday, we’ll serve up a fresh, thought-provoking prompt designed to ignite your creative spark and challenge your storytelling prowess. Think of these prompts as a key, unlocking the doors to uncharted territories where your creativity is the only limit. From eerie, shadow-laden corridors of Gothic horror to the farthest reaches of interstellar space, and the mystical depths of high fantasy, our prompts are a kaleidoscope of possibilities.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to approach these prompts. They are mere stepping stones, guiding you towards the vast landscapes of your imagination. Use them to break free from writer’s block, to experiment with new ideas, or simply as a fun exercise to keep your writing skills sharp.

This week’s writing prompt:

(more…)

Articles

 by 

How To Write A Prologue

How To Write A Prologue

There are few things more controversial in fiction writing than prologues. Conduct a search for information about prologues, and you are bound to find articles, lists, etc. all about how prologues are bad and you should never use them. But writing rules are often more like guidelines, in that they don’t apply to everyone and every situation. Plenty of well-written novels, particularly in the fantasy genre, utilize prologues to great effect. In this article, I’m going to look at the pros and cons of prologues, and how you can best use them (or not) in your own fiction.

(more…)

Articles

 by 

Refresh & Refocus: The Best Activities For Writing Breaks

Refresh & Refocus: The Best Activities For Writing Breaks 

 

It is a great feeling when you are on a roll with your writing, but it is also essential that you take regular breaks. Regular breaks will help you stay productive in the long run and avoid burnout. So, what are the best activities to turn to when on a writing break? There are a few things that you can do that will help you temporarily disconnect, collect your thoughts, and recharge your batteries. Incorporating these activities into your writing routine should help your writing in the long run and help you enjoy your writing sessions. Keep reading to find out more. 

(more…)

Articles / Reviews

 by 

Epeolatry Book Review: Being Followed by Derek Muk

Disclosure:

Our reviews may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.

Title: Being Followed
Author: Derek Muk
Genre: Horror, thriller
Publisher: Demain Publishing
Publication Date: 31st January, 2024

Synopsis: Claire Goldman is a strong, independent woman with a pro-feminist background to substantiate it. She doesn’t like to be pushed around or intimidated. But when she starts receiving threatening letters because of a book she wrote it gives her pause. And she is human, after all!
Enter her ex-husband and college sweetheart, Albert, who will do whatever it takes to protect her from harm’s way and wants to rekindle that flame of romance and love they once possessed from when they were younger.
Will the two of them get over the stigma of being each other’s ‘ex’ and reunite successfully and will they manage to escape from the wrath of dark evil that threatens to smother and destroy not just Claire and Albert but the rest of the nation as well?
Derek Muk says of ‘Being Followed’: “My book is a topical, modern-day, real-life, current events horror story (mixed in with mystery, suspense, thriller, and romance) that mirrors what’s going on in the U.S. and I think readers will relate to that. The book was inspired by racial tensions sparked by the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia rally, the January 6 coup/storming of the U.S. capitol, the murder of George Floyd, and the fascist atmosphere of the Trump Presidency.”
(cover by Adrian Baldwin)

(more…)

Articles

 by 

Fun Hobbies Related To Horror

Fun Hobbies Related To Horror

 

Looking for some fun hobbies related to your love of horror? It is hard to beat watching a scary film, getting stuck into a horror novel, or even creating your own stories, but there are also lots of other activities that can provide you with a similar thrill. It is always worthwhile branching out and trying new activities, especially when these can enrich your life in a number of different ways. With this in mind, this post will take a look at a few activities that any horror lover should find enjoyable. Sound good? Keep reading to find out more. 

(more…)

Articles

 by 

Zombie Horror Media to Anticipate in 2024

Zombie Horror Media to Anticipate in 2024

Since its inception, the zombie genre has become a massive part of thriller/horror themes. It is available in regular movies and TV shows such as The Walking Dead and The Last of Us, and many have been adapted into games.  

Several zombie horror franchises are set to be released in 2024. We’ve explored upcoming titles you can look forward to throughout the year.

(more…)

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Trembling With Fear 6-30-24

Greetings, children of the dark. Two bits of (I hope!) good news for you all for this final day of June. 

First of all, the team has now made its way through allllll the spring short story submissions, and you should’ve heard back by now. If you haven’t, check your spam before you chase us! Thanks to everyone who submitted to the spring window; we had about 6 times as many submissions as we had spaces to fill, so please don’t be disheartened if you didn’t get good news from us. We had to make some difficult decisions. 

Related to that good news (and the flipside for us, kinda!): the summer submissions window opens tomorrow, 1 July. You’ve got two weeks to get your darkly speculative short stories to us for consideration. Please, please make sure you check our submissions guidelines first; we can tell when you don’t, and it doesn’t put us in a good mood. Also note that, as has been the case for at least the last 18 months, we are veering very much towards the speculative side of fiction. That means real-world horror like torture p*rn, serial killers, crime, etc etc, will need to find a different home (and there are plenty out there for this stuff). Instead, send us your supernatural and paranormal tales, your grimdark, your space horror, your dark fantasy/folklore/fairytales, your eco-horror—basically, anything that falls under “speculative”, or stories set in something other than the real world as we know it in our day-to-day. 

Finally, thanks to everyone who responded to our call a few weeks ago for more hands on deck to help steer the good ship Horror Tree. The boss has been chatting to lots of great people, and I myself am excited to say we’re expanding the TWF Towers team—even getting a new admin helper, which will hopefully mean you don’t have to wait so long for responses from us. It’s going to be a game-changer. I’ll introduce you to them all once we’ve had a chance to do a proper kick-off amongst ourselves, but as a little teaser: Horror Tree representation on this side of the pond is about to get a major boost!

For now, though, let’s tuck into this week’s menu of dark speculative fiction. Our centrepiece, from Simon Kewin, contemplates whether that image in the mirror can truly be trusted. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

  • Weird Wilkins’ universal contemplation,
  • Jacek Wilkos’ fairytale flip, and
  • Jameson Grey’s quiet warning.

Over to you, Stuart.

Lauren McMenemy

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Hi all! 

This week and next are going to be a lot of behind-the-scenes work. The short story I was hoping to finish for an upcoming deadline? Sadly, it won’t be finished. However, a lot of progress on Horror Tree shenanigans and I’m excited for the future! 

Now, for the standards:

  • Thank you so much to everyone who has become a Patreon for Horror Tree. We honestly couldn’t make it without you all! 
  • If you’re into digital copies of books, don’t forget to order Shadowed Realms on Amazon, Which will go up once the paperback goes live! 

Offhand, if you’ve ordered Trembling With Fear Volume 6, we’d appreciate a review! 🙂

 

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

(more…)