The Spooky Six with C. J. Dotson and Willow Croft

C. J. Dotson (she / her) is a generally cheerful but easily unnerved horror lover. She is also the author of the forthcoming “chilling, paranoia-inducing” (Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Cave 13) horror novel THE CUT, as well short horror fiction appearing in such publications as Found 2: More Stories of Found Footage Horror from Vermillion 2 One Press and 99 Tiny Terrors from Pulse Publishing, among others.

When she is not writing, her favorite pastime is to read a book over a meal or a snack (a preference which leads to difficulty, occasionally, if the book she’s reading while she’s trying to eat is particularly gory or gruesome).

C. J. lives in upstate New York, in a poorly-lighted cabin full of far too many bugs and spiders. Aside from the insects and arachnids, she also shares her home with her husband, their nine-year-old son and five-year-old daughter, three cats named Noodles, Jupiter, and Pebble, their puppy Cooper who was named after Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks (pictures of the pets are included at the end of every issue of her newsletter, C. J. Dotson’s Dreadful Dispatch), and over the summer and holidays the family is joined by C. J.’s teenage stepson.

In her limited spare time, C. J. enjoys participating in hobbies to which she brings much more enthusiasm than skill. For example, she dabbles in occasional forays into amateur embroidery. After her kids’ bedtimes she can often be found playing video games, particularly Stardew Valley and a handful of roguelikes (and she loves watching her husband play very story-driven games that she’s better off experiencing as a spectator, like the Remedy Connected Universe games). She also likes drawing with charcoal and painting with acrylics. And when she has time and an excuse, she has a love-hate relationship with baking and decorating cakes.

THE CUT pre-order links https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-cut-9781250335449/

THE CUT on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211003716-the-cut

Author Website https://cjdotsonauthor.com

Author Twitter https://x.com/cj_dots

Author Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorCJDotson

Author Newsletter https://cjdotsonsdreadfuldispatch.substack.com

Found 2: More Stories of Found Footage Horror pre-order link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHBNRX4F

(anthology coming 10/18 so if interview is published after that then it’s just the order link)

Willow Croft: “Hey, look at that derelict Victorian mansion . . . let’s go explore it!” What’s the most unusual setting you’ve read about in a horror/thriller book, or included in your own creative works?

C. J. Dotson: I haven’t read it yet but I’m going to cheat and list a book from my TBR stack, Whalefall by Daniel Kraus, which takes place inside a sperm whale.

Willow Croft: “It was a dark and stormy night . . .” What are your go-to comfort foods, drinks, or other ways to wind down after a long day (or night) of writing?

C. J. Dotson: In terms of a meal, lately I can’t get enough of egg noodles with alfredo sauce, a little lemon juice, and some hot sauce. For snacks, I’m really obsessed with Original Gourmet Lollipops, specifically the cotton candy flavor. Other than that, I tend to go for salty snacks rather than sweet, and I turn most often to wavy potato chips with jalapeno cheddar cheese dip.

Willow Croft: “Did you hear that noise?” Everyone, even us horror/suspense writers, have our night terrors. What is it that frightens you the most?

C. J. Dotson: Everything! I have a super overactive imagination and my ability to get scared of anything if I think about it long enough is definitely part of what drew me to writing horror in the first place. My most enduring fear is the mirror, when it’s dark and the reflection is indistinct enough that it could be anything, and you don’t want whatever it is in there to know that you know that it’s there.

Willow Croft: “I’m sure it was nothing. But I’ll just go outside and check, anyway. Alone. With no weapons.” Have you ever gotten writers’ block? If so, how do you combat it? Do you have certain rituals or practices that help get you into the writing (or creating) mindset?

C. J. Dotson: The worst writer’s block I have ever had lasted for about two years, and I got out of it by completely changing my writing habits at the time. Before that writer’s block I did my first drafts by hand with a pen and notebook and then transcribed them into my laptop as I revised. Now, I do all my writing on my laptop, from start to finish. Also, at first, I set the very easy goal of writing for ten minutes every day, no matter when it was. These days my writing is steady and dependable. I wouldn’t say that I have writing rituals, but I have habits. I get up between 4:30 and 5:30 every morning, take the puppy out, make myself a cup of coffee, and then write either until it’s time to start getting the kids and I ready for school and work, or if it’s a holiday or weekend I write until the kids start demanding breakfast. I try to do new work, like brainstorming and outlining and drafting, in the mornings. In the afternoons, especially when I am home from work for a couple hours before my kids get home from school, I work on revising.

Willow Croft: “Don’t go into the basement!” Are you an impulsive pantser or a plotter with outlines galore? What other writing/industry advice would you share with your fellow writers & creators?

C. J. Dotson: I’m an excessive plotter! I plan every book out scene-by-scene in bullet points, I make character sheets, I have brainstorm files, if the book requires it I’ll draw really terrible maps, all of it.
My writing advice is to create the art you want to see in the world and to find the writing habits and routines that work for you. My industry advice is to take chances and put yourself out there as much as you feel comfortable doing. My advice for both writing as an art and the publishing industry is to find your community; a healthy, supportive group of writing friends is so important—these are the people who will understand your struggles and your victories, who can commiserate with you and celebrate with you and with whom you can commiserate and celebrate, who can help you evolve your craft and who you can help in turn, and also just because it’s nice and fun to have more good friends.

Willow Croft: “Ring ring!” It’s the middle of the night and the phone mysteriously rings. Which notable writer, or person from history, would be on the other end of the line?

C. J. Dotson: Oh, I’d love to talk to Sam Lake, of Remedy Games (although I’m sure if the opportunity ever arose I would not be able to remember anything I might have wanted to say). I fully believe that the Remedy Connected Universe games have some of the absolute best storytelling happening right now.

Thank you so much for having me, Willow and Horror Tree!

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