Post by Admin Kbatz on Feb 27, 2020 17:01:08 GMT -5
Enjoy our transcript from Wednesday night's chat with Chilling Chat Hostess and HorrorAddicts.net Publishing Editor Naching T. Kassa!
(You can see per our discussion herein since we talk about Sherlock, thrills, and scares I'm putting this in the Mystery Section )
Admin Kbatz: HorrorAddicts.net Editor Naching T. Kassa is chatting with HOW 9 pm est / 6 pst!! Read her Submitting Your Short Story Workshop: horroraddictswriters.freeforums.net/thread/71/submitting-short-story
Admin Kbatz: Welcome to our guests! Thank you for stopping by to see all the HorrorAddicts.net Online Writers Conference has to offer
Admin Kbatz: Almost time to chat with Naching!
Emz: Chattin' with Naching... Sounds like a great show. HEHHEE
nkassa: Naching is in the house!!
Emz: YAY!
Admin Kbatz: Naching is the Chilling Chat Hostess at HorrorAddicts.net and editor of Dark Divinations anthology. Thanks for being part of HOW!
trinity: Good Evening.
nkassa: Hello Everybody! Welcome to HOWCON! Hi, Trinity, Emz, and Kbatz!
Admin Kbatz: What are you working on now Naching?
nkassa: We are working on Dark Divinations and getting ready to publish! Got some great stories in this one. We're also opening submissions to our new anthology, HAUNTS AND HELLIONS. It's a gothic/horror/romance anthology.
Emz: I'm torturing her with many emails about font, placement, and formatting. She probably wants to hack me!
Admin Kbatz: Submissions for Dark Divinations closed last year. Haunts and Hellions is currently accepting submissions: horroraddictswriters.freeforums.net/thread/92/haunts-hellions-horroraddicts-2020-submission
Admin Kbatz: Was it difficult to decide which stories to include?nkassa: Hahhahahah! Not really! I really enjoy this process. Love putting the stories together and giving the book personality with formatting adn font.
Admin Kbatz: Why the Victorian theme?
nkassa: It was difficult to choose the stories. We had so many good ones. The Victorian era is one of my favorite historical periods and I love the horror stories it inspires.
Emz: Naching, what was one thing about the stories that came in that you didn't expect?
nkassa: Personally, I didn't expect so many seance stories! Hahhaha! Seriously though, I was amazed by the quality and effort put into the stories. The different methods of divination also impressed me.
Admin Kbatz: Where there applicants you rejected because of length or format or any other not followed guidelines? How important are the technical aspects in choosing submissions?
nkassa: We are pretty flexible when it comes to submissions. We try to give the submitters a chance to fix their stories if they don't follow guidelines. One thing we were sticklers on was the blind submissions. We didn't give many chances if the author failed to follow that guideline.
Admin Kbatz: Were you looking for more horror scary stories or more about dark mysticism and did the stories chosen end up influencing any theme? Or did you want a diverse selection?
nkassa: We wanted a diverse selection. Some of our stories are quite creepy and some are kind of funny.
Emz: What is your personal favorite divination tool or system?
nkassa: My favorite tool is the Ouija board!
Emz: Wow! We don't have one Ouija board story in the book. Is that because it was created after the Victorian Era? Now I'm all perplexed
Admin Kbatz: They had divination boards. They just weren't trademarked by Parker Brothers D
nkassa: Hahhahahah! I don't think we got one Ouija submission!
trinity: Okay, now that's an idea for 2021. A ouija anthology.
Emz: Lmao... well if it isn't trademarked by PB, then it can't possibly speak to ghosts!! Hahaha!
Ohhhhh... Or games in general? Jumanji horror! Just don't bring the monkeys.
trinity: Oh love that! A gaming anthology.
nkassa: Hahahahahhahahahahhahah! Yes, without Parker Brother has the monopoly on that! HAHhahahhaha! Ha! Yes, no monkeys for Emz! Ooh! What a great idea for an anthology!
afstewart: Yes, a gaming anthology sounds fun.
nkassa: That is a neat idea!! Hi AF!! Welcome!
Admin Kbatz: How is your editing brain different from your writing brain? Do you have to put on a different business hat?
nkassa: Yes, I do. It was difficult editing the stories after reading because I had to change hats and look at the stories more critically. I had to kill their darlings and that's difficult for a writer.
trinity: Do the Horror Addicts Anthologies have a huge following? I know I love them. I can't believe others aren't also looking forward to each year's offering.
nkassa: We have a lot of interest in the anthologies. People seem to enjoy them!
Admin Kbatz: Is short fiction seeing a renewed surge with anthologies and online publications? Magazines as an outlet have died off this century.
nkassa: I think they have. People have talked about the resurgence. Fiction collections are especially popular right now.
Admin Kbatz: What is the submission length for the HorrorAddicts.net anthologies? Do you personally prefer writing longer or shorter works?
nkassa: There are elements which are similar. When I interview a person, I have to know their personality and it's the same for characters in a short story. I should interview my characters! That would make them more realistic!
nkassa: I have a workshop here on HOWCON about conducting an interview. Did you know I interviewed Josh Malerman of Bird Box fame?
Admin Kbatz: Is your process for short stories different from the chat and interview or non fiction writing?
Admin Kbatz: Interviewing your characters they say is a good exercise. Charles French's recipe book was based on foods and recipes from each character. That's a neat idea
Emz: I've interviewed my characters before Naching... Watch out! They often turn the tables on you. Or maybe that's just mine hahaha
nkassa: Hhahhahaha! They probably want to know all about you, Emz!afstewart: Hi, I've been here lurking in the shadows.
nkassa: I thought I felt your eyes on me!
Emz: Phew... Monkeys freak me out. What freaks you out Naching? Is there an animal? insect?
nkassa: I'm like Indiana Jones' father. I am freaked out by rats!
Emz: O.o RATS? Creepy. What do you think they will do to you? trinity: Rats, don't blame you there.
nox: Can we leave the spiders home too?
Emz: Hiya Nox! Yes, Spiders are banned from this chat.
nkassa: Hi Nox!!
AF you and I can be in Indiana Jones together. hahahah!
Admin Kbatz: Welcome Nox. Thank you all for stopping by HOW!
Admin Kbatz: Have any submissions scared you?
trinity: Are there any ghosts/killers/monsters that you don't like to see in writing?
nkassa: Answering your question, Trin, I don't have a monster I don't like to see. People talk about tiring of monsters, but I love them all and think there's a fresh way to present all of them. One of the scariest submissions is called Damnation in Venice. Great piece.
afstewart: It's snakes for me. You can leave them too.
trinity: It's scorpions for me.
Emz: Scorpions are creepy, too. Snakes and Rats and Spiders, OH MY! Trying to picture Dorothy running with those guys instead of the Scarecrow, Lion, Tinman people.
Emz: Naching, what was the first scary story you remember reading ever? Or what was the monster/concept that scared you about it?
nkassa: Psycho by Robert Bloch is the scariest book I've ever read. I was actually terrified when reading it. The way he described the murders was freaky!
Admin Kbatz: How do you balance or chose between writing projects or other editor etc work?
nkassa: I try to keep writing and editing separate and set time aside for both.
nox: Thank you! I have a question. Naching, what is the most frustrating thing for you when editing a story or article?
nkassa: Yes, Nox! Spelling is my pet peeve. I was a Spelling Bee champion as a kid and it really rankles me. Hahhah.
Admin Kbatz: Has self-publishing or ease of publication made more submission, lax shall we say in editing and grammar?
nkassa: I think some self-publishers have contributed to that laxness, but not all. Many self-publishers are very diligent about their books and make sure they are professionally edited.
Emz: Naching, when you aren't being the HA Head of Publishing, what are you writing in your own writing world... on your own... when you're writing like for yourself.
nkassa: Emz, I love to write horror, romance, and mystery. Recently, I was accepted into two Sherlock Holmes anthologies. Really excited about that.
afstewart: Are you a Sherlock Holmes fan?
nkassa: Yes! I am a HUGE fan of Sherlock Holmes! I have been since watching the Granada series starring Jeremy Brett in 1985. I have a huge collection and am an honorary member of a scion called The Trained Cormorants of Long Beach.
Admin Kbatz: Peter Cushing people
nox: Congratulations, Naching!
Emz: Congrats on the pubs! YAY!
trinity: Two Holmes anthologies? First Congratulations! Second, that's very cool.
nkassa: Thank you, Emz! I may be in a third Sherlock Holmes anthology too. Cross your fingers!
Emz: ~crossing fingers for Naching's 3peat in Holmes!~
trinity: Definitely. Fingers crossed for that third submission.
Admin Kbatz: Where is the line for you between horror, scares, and dread versus the mystery procedural thriller tone?
nkassa: I think the line between them is thin. I would define a thriller as human-driven and horror as supernatural or monster-driven. Maybe, the human is a monster in horror, but never in a thriller.
Admin Kbatz: And you didn't do a workshop in our mystery section for shame!
nkassa: Hahahha! Sorry, Kbatz! Thank you, Nox!
Admin Kbatz: How much do the classics of the genre inspire you? Or do you prefer new voices and books?
nkassa: I think I am equally inspired by both. I love the classics like Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but I love Stephen King and especially Dean Koontz too.
Emz: Naching, has becoming involved in the submission process with HA, where you see the other side of publishing made you more understanding of the editors you submit to? Has it made you more willing to sub or changed you as a writer?
trinity: Do you feel a thriller has to have a race against the clock to the resolution?
nkassa: Yes, Trin. I feel there is that urgency.
Emz: I've not read Koontz but I LLLLOOOVVVEEEE the Phantoms movie.
nkassa: Me too! I love Phantoms too!
nkassa: Oh the sub process has totally changed my POV when it comes to writing. Now, I that I understand the other side, I try to read what the editor recommends or has already published before submitting. I also understand how editors agonize over submissions and wish they could publish more of them.
Emz: I know you have written at least one Novel. Do you like writing novels or short stories more?
nkassa: I actually enjoy short stories. Only because it doesn't take as long to write them.
Admin Kbatz: Do you ever get burned out?
nkassa: I do get burned out, but not with writing. It's chasing after my 3 kids that makes me sleep at night.
Emz: Hahaha. awez. That baby better get grown so he can help edit!
nkassa: Hhahahahah! He tries to write every time I leave the room! Yesterday, I found him typing on my computer!
Emz: lmao!!! Omg... He is soooo going to be a writer. Hehehe
nkassa: Hahahah! Yes, he is! But, my oldest is writing an apocalyptic horror story so I'm really proud. Must be in the blood. I'm related to Daniel DeFoe.
Admin Kbatz: Your work is all adult right, not YA?
nox: Which keeps you awake more? Difficulty with editing a piece or the horror in the stories?
nkassa: Horror in the stories! Can't shut my mind off!
nkassa: Mostly adult. I have a YA novel I'm working on and I just got a children's story published.
Admin Kbatz: How if at all, do you change your horror writing for younger readers?
trinity: Is your children's story a picture book? Is it a halloween/creepy book for kids?
nkassa: For young readers I'm less descriptive and I try to make the story more understandable. Not a lot of huge words. It's hard because I love my big words.
nkassa: It's in a book for kids called Mother Ghost's Grim.
Admin Kbatz: Naching do you have any final editing advice?
nkassa: Yes, have patience and go through things as many times as you can.
Admin Kbatz: Where can readers find your work?
nkassa: You can find my work here:https://www.amazon.com/Naching-T-Kassa/e/B005ZGHTI0
trinity: Great session. See you all tomorrow.
nox: Thank you, Naching, and great advice for writers and editors!
Emz: Thanks for coming all! Thanks for hosting @adminkbatz and thanks for coming nkassa
Admin Kbatz: Thank you all for being part of HOW
trinity: Thank you all for a great chat session.
nkassa: Thank you for having me!
nox: Thanks everyone!
nkassa: Thank you, Emz!
Emz: I also love the transcripts cause I can read them later.
trinity: Those transcripts are terrific.
nkassa: I love the transcripts too!
Emz: Night gals!
nkassa: Thank you again, Kbatz! You're doing a great job here!
Admin Kbatz: Good night everyone. Thank you for being part of HOW!
nkassa: Goodnight!!