This is the twenty second edition of The Voice In Your Head Is Mine. The date is October 27th, 2020. If you're receiving this email and have no idea what's going on, well, fuck. I guess I blew it. Or maybe you blew it. Either way, you're here and this is Zac Thompson's weekly newsletter.
It’s the early morning on Tuesday. I’m having a hard time dealing with the fact that October is almost over. This year has somehow slipped through my fingers and time has become almost immaterial. I’ve kept my head down to stay as busy as humanly possible, probably taking on too much. That’s definitely a coping mechanism but it seems to be working. At least for right now. Though I can’t help but shake the fact that the last month I really remember in vivid detail was… March? Wow.
I hope that all of you out there have found time to adjust and create some equilibrium for yourselves this year. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Best to take it one day at a time.
Writing Craft:
Less is more in Horror.
A few days ago there was a discussion online about how much exposition to give a monster in horror movies. While it should go without saying that this is just my personal opinion, the golden rule for me is: less is more.
This may seem deceptive at first. So let’s unpack it. For starters, if you’re writing a horror story - it’s imperative for you to do the work.
Understand where the horror is coming from. You want to have the horror/monster reflect a definitive theme for which they become emblematic throughout the narrative. Without that you’re robbing the story of a deeper sense of meaning. This thematic conceit doesn’t need to be relayed directly to the reader. It should speak for itself.
I love that Micheal Myers is just referred to as The Shape in the original Halloween.
Next, you’ll want to outline a very detailed list of rules for how the horror/monster in your narrative works. If they are weak against a certain type of element, make sure you have that figured out. If they only come out at a certain time of the year, iron that out too. You should know the full history of your monster and why it’s happening right now. Detail all of this, not for your reader, but for yourself. Find ways to seed moments of these rules into the narrative. But don’t feel the need to have the monster explain or have these rules explained for the reader. Instead, find ways to visually reinforce these ideas. Your story (and the horror) will become richer for it.
We never see the killer in Black Christmas and the narrative is better for it.
Now once you have a detailed breakdown of the WHERE, HOW, and WHY of your concept - you can find ways to subtly hide these elements within the narrative. You can go so far as to hide clear explanations throughout the story but you should never have a scene where a monster explains why they’re here and what they’re doing.
Horror is a genre defined by tension. The tension of flipping the page, or getting to the next scene and having no idea what’s about to happen. Giving clear cut exposition will rob the narrative of that tension and will demystify something that by its very definition should remain mysterious in order to remain threatening.
This is a very delicate tightrope to walk. But your characters within your story should always be the ones grasping for information and piecing things together - they should never have the full picture. Because how could they? They need to survive above all else. The truth is secondary.
Horror is about the descent. Every time you think you think you’ve hit bottom, the character should keep descending. Deeper and deeper beyond the realm of what they thought was possible. By the end of the narrative, the world your character thought they occupied should be shattered. The fragments of truth they pieced together from the monster/horror is all they have to make sense of it.
In the end, it doesn’t have to make perfect sense but it does have to feel earned and it has to feel like it fits within the rules of the world you set up. Descend, descend, descend and then get out at the earliest possible moment. Don’t overstay your welcome and don’t talk down to your audience. Let them work for the truth, just like your characters.
LONELY RECEIVER
Just a few updates about LONELY RECEIVER this week. I wanted to direct your attention to two things. First, Jen and I did an interview with Zack Quaintance at Comics Beat about the first three issues of the book. It’s a pretty detailed look at our motivations for creating the series and our choices in each individual issue. Maybe you’ll find it interesting. Maybe you’ve heard me go on about this book way too much already.
A small snippet from #3. Love, love, love that middle panel weirdness.
Second, Comics Bookcase did an advance review of issue #3 (which hits next Wednesday on Nov 4th). There’s nothing really going on next week… so I’m sure people will be talking a lot about comics.
The incredibly kind review states, “one of the best new comics of 2020, a must-read book that takes advantage of the smart and discerning readership in modern indie comics, never afraid to be challenging.”
I do hope you’re reading our weird horror//romance. 💜🖤
The Voice in The Night
"The Voice in the Night" is a short story by English writer William Hope Hodgson, first published in the November 1907 edition of Blue Book Magazine. For many, Hodgson is a writer lost to time. A lot of his work is in the public domain and it’s characterized by strange environmental themes and a fear of the unknown. This short story was one of the biggest inspirations on I BREATHED A BODY.
And it’s online in full. I reread it last week in preparation for the final two issues of IBAB. The story is quickly paced, chilling, and effortlessly weird. It shows the long history of fungus in horror.
I promise it’ll make your October a little spookier.
Horror Movies I’ve been watching:
In case anyone cares…
LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH - A hazy dream-like horror movie from 1971 about a woman who moves into a big farmhouse after recovering from mental illness. Gorgeous, surreal, and unlike anything you’ve seen before. Go in without knowing anything.
FROM BEYOND - On the complete opposite end of the spectrum. A schlocky, effects heavy film that intends to shock you. It’s channeling some Lovecraft elements but never really gets out of the muck. It’s a lot of fun and some of the visuals are outstanding.
Tiny Scabs
Eric Andre Season 5 premiered on Sunday. It’s one of the best comedies on television. If you’ve been missing insane, unpredictable comedy - seek it out. It’s a bright light in this dark world.
Tim Heidecker posted an hour long stand up set to his YouTube page. It’s an excellent deconstruction of comedians in general. It’s grating to watch in places but I laughed until I cried.
This week’s playlist:
Peace
You survived another week and that’s worth something. Take some time for yourself and celebrate a small victory. Remind yourself of the things you’re good at. Take a deep breath, dust yourself off, and get ready to take out the fucking garbage. Next week is a big one, folks. Make sure you’re giving yourself the proper space to deal with what’s to come. Until then, I’ll be here.
Feel free to reach out if you need to chat.
Z