PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When did you start writing?
I’ve been writing since I was old enough to remember…everything from novels, short stories, blog articles and screenplays. I was an English Major in school and writing has always been my passion and my drug. I write and design professionally for my day job. As for horror writing, I started a little over a year ago when I launched my site morbidlybeautiful.com.
What sites have you written for?
It’s funny because I didn’t follow your typical path. I had a couple of friends who were writing for other horror sites and it sounded awesome. It was always something I wanted to do, but I wasn’t sure how to get started.
Because I had a background in writing, graphic design, editing, and web design, I thought, “Why not just start my own site?” That way I could write whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted…and it could be exactly how I wanted it to be. I was working in the art department of a couple of indie films at the time, so I was able to launch my site with a couple of great interviews. I also studied film in school, so it made it easier for me to start writing reviews as well.
Most normal people would have started slowly, writing for other sites to gain experience and connections. But I’m a little crazy and just jumped into doing everything myself right out of the gate — without knowing a thing about what I was doing! It’s been an incredible learning experience, and I could have never imagined a year ago I’d be running my own horror website.
Which ones do you currently write for?
Related to my answer above, I don’t currently write for any other sites. The plan was to gain some experience with my own site, but I didn’t expect it to take off like it has. Now it’s really almost a full-time job managing my own content for the site, and working with my amazing team of writers to generate lots of unique content. I am a huge fan of several other websites and I try to read as much as I can from my fellow horror writers. There’s so much incredible content out there, and it’s truly an honor to be a part of the horror community. I still have to pinch myself that I’m really able to do what I love and write about the genre I’m so passionate about.
What it’s like owning your own site?
When I started in October 2015, I had big ambitions but realistic expectations. I could not have imagined how fast the site would grow in that time and how much great feedback I would receive. I’m blown away by the incredibly talented people who have wanted to be a part of it. I have the most amazing writing team, and we’ve been adding a lot of brilliant and creative people to our writing staff recently. Last year was an incredible first year, but 2017 has gotten off to such a mind-blowingly great start.
It is still hard for me to believe that I’m actually doing this. I could not have asked for a better experience. It’s an unbelievable amount of work, and it’s all done out of love (we’re a not-for-profit organization). But it’s all so worth it. There are so many killer horror sites out there, and I’m honored and humbled that so many people take time to read and follow Morbidly Beautiful.
Although I’m the founder of the site, I don’t call it “mine” anymore. It’s definitely a team effort, and the success we’ve had is owed in very large part to the talented people who had faith in me and my vision and agreed to be a part of it. Every single day, I’m blown away by what we’ve been able to build, and I could not be more proud to be a part of it.
What is your favorite horror movie?
The movie I first remember falling in love with, the film that introduced me to horror, was John Carpenter’s Halloween. To this day, that is (and will always be) my #1 favorite horror movie. When I learned more about the making of the film and how Carpenter and team were able to accomplish so much with so little, I fell even harder in love. I’ve seen that film so many times, and it still holds up so well. I had the chance to see it in the theater this past Halloween, and it gave me chills. I really have an emotional connection to that film, but I also happen to believe that it’s pretty damn near flawless. My second favorite would be Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which also happens to be my future filmmaker son’s favorite as well. I try to raise him right!
