Lyndsey Resnick, Author

We've all seen movies where we've wanted to shout, "What are you doing?!" when a character ignores what is obvious to the viewer: There were signs of danger. Were they obvious? Are we jaded and we just know what's going to happen next? Maybe. Maybe. In rural horror, 5 indicators something awful is on the way that main characters often seem to miss might be: Overly friendly strangers. Signs that are extremely inviting, or the opposite: down, turned a wrong direction or particu

I'm going to preface this post by saying I love pigs. We've had them. We even bottle-fed one litter that the sow rejected. They are complex, wonderfully intelligent animals. They can also be alarmingly dangerous, as, generally, they weigh anywhere from 275-300 pounds. Boars of breeding age can easily weigh 500 pounds or more. The story readers hate to love in Well Water and other odd tales is the story Pig. A heavily pregnant woman, Merla, whose husband is in the hospital aft

Many characters in my rural horror stories are like you. Or me. Everyday people you'd meet on a street. The challenges my characters face are unlike any we might encounter and that's where it gets interesting. What is happening? Why is it happening? What are they going to do? Are they scared? Angry? Disbelieving? How will that affect their decisions? Merla, the pregnant woman in Pig, a story from my collection Well Water and other odd tales, is facing a serious dilemma. She a

How do you know you are reading rural fiction or rural gothic fiction? How might you know it's about to edge into horror? Here are a few hints : Open, empty spaces. Wide, quiet fields with only the wind for company. Being completely alone is a foreign concept for most of us. We're never alone. When a character finds themselves isolated from every familiar thing, something ominous is about to happen. Claustrophobic spaces. Whether hemmed in by a tree-choked forest or being smo

Small towns play a huge part in rural fiction and horror. Often, they are a character as important as any you might read during the course of a story. They shape the experience and expectations of the people in them. They carry history and secrets. Sometimes good and sometimes terrifying. And you can never know for certain what you see is all there is. Are the shop owners friendly or are they harsh and unwelcoming? Do people the characters meet on the street seem afraid? Or

Neighbors play a big part in rural and rural gothic fiction. If they are seldom seen or their house is a shambling wreck, that's good. If they're in some other character's face about bizarre things, better yet. I have a number of stories in which neighbors help drive the action. I've had a few neighbors myself across the years that were completely baffling to me in their behavior. In fiction it's what makes a story relatable. Let's say a feud has erupted over unrestrained pi

In my rural fiction, the places in which the story occurs are as important as any of my characters. A small town, a dark, dry creek bed, even a white-out blizzard on the plains can shape a character's experience in an unexpected situation. Sometimes it's even supernatural. If I build on some of those places by adding isolation, seasonal traditions and old conflicts, they lead me to where the story should go. In my short story collections, Well Water and other odd tales and Bl

Rural gothic stories have to toe a fine line to work for me. Yes, stereotypes exist for a reason, but not everyone who lives in small towns or the backwoods is backwards. Too much of a disregard for people who live differently, possibly in poverty, and I start to see a caricature develop. It's unnecessary. I also think it's easy to spot when an author looks down on or actually hates certain people. It's distracting to me and kills the story. My goal when writing rural charact

Have you ever noticed how, when they're caught in unusual situations, people often don't believe what they see? Even in the light of day. The strangeness is right in front of them. We see it in movies all the time. It's a handy quality for a character to have in fiction because it's something to play with in a story. Often, the character won't choose what seems the safest, obvious action, either. They'll find themselves back in the dark, cluttered barn, or looking for the str

Sometimes starting over is the best thing to do. I have so much to learn about what an author is "supposed" to do to help readers find her and her work. I can do some of that. I can't trade it for quality. I think I've been trying to appeal to everyone and trying every genre and writing every kind of story that comes to mind and, frankly, it's become ridiculous. So I'm going to narrow my focus. I know what I enjoy writing the most. What flows and sounds the most natural and t