Dark Thoughts: On Writing : Advice and Commentary from Fifty Masters of Fear and Suspense

by Stanley Wiater (Editor)

Stanley Wiater is a veteran journalist of the horror field, and a skillful interviewer. In Dark Thoughts: On Writing he has thematically grouped well-selected quotations from horror creators: major influences; the day-to-day work of writing; choosing a form (short stories, novels, comics, or movies); fame and fortune; the game of making movies (as seen by Wes Craven, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and George Romero, among others); sex and death; censorship; personal fears and philosophies; surprising advice; the function of horror; and "Where do you get your ideas?" Also included are two choice reading lists, and a guide to print and electronic resources. A sample quotation from Joe R. Lansdale: "It's very easy to offend--but it's not easy to offend deeply." Peter Straub: "Sometimes you want to 'hurt' [your] readers. But at the same time you don't want to hurt them too badly--I mean, you do want to hurt them very badly at a couple points--but you don't want to leave them that way." Clive Barker: "Writing about the unholy is one way to write about the sacred." Horror readers and writers, as well as movie fans and moviemakers, will find much here to savor, laugh at, and learn from.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Horror, Reference

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Lisa of LaCreeperie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, so good. Great for writers of all kinds. My only complaint is I wish the author's names were at the top of each interview to better read in the author's voice. Highly recommended!

[Russell Holbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I keep it near me at all times. I read it every morning for inspiration.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for more than a collection of quotes but there are some pearls of wisdom here. It’s a bit dated for 2021, in particular about the business of publishing, but a lot of it still holds up.

[Trilby O'Farrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it would be a collection of interviews, but it's just a collection of quotes on various themes.