Post WiHM Coverage
Please introduce yourself.
I’m author Morgan Elektra. I grew up in the Catskill region of NY state and now live outside Savannah, Georgia with my husband and our cat, Harlequin. I’m a lifelong horror fan. I began by watching movies much too adult for me and started reading Stephen King in the 1st grade. In the past, I’ve written news and reviews for genre website Dread Central and ghostwritten romance and erotica. Now I write dark fiction, horror, and LGBTQ+ paranormal romance.
What is it that attracts you to the horror genre for your chosen field of creative work?
I love everything about horror. The stories are all so different, sometimes simple, some complex, but unique in their own way. Even a sub-genre like slasher films or vampire novels can contain infinite variations. There’s so much out there to explore via the horror genre. What scares us? Why? There are a million what if’s. These are the questions that spur my creativity.
Who inspires you in your work and in life?
Mary Shelley, Shirley Jackson, Tanith Lee, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Tananarive Due, Octavia Butler, Richelle Mead. There are so many! Just about everything I read and watch and listen to serves to fuel my inspiration.
Women in horror have made great strides, but it’s clear that a lot of work is still needed to make it a most inclusive genre. To you, what is the importance of a movement like Women in Horror Month?
It’s one of the reasons I’m such a horror fan. More than any other genre, we as a community really seem to embrace women in all their guises. Women in Horror month celebrates that and elevates the women involved in the genre. It’s so important that we’re seen. I would, of course, like if we had parity but given the history of everything, that’s going to take time. Women in Horror month helps highlight the work we do, which helps work toward that goal of parity. It’s through sharing of knowledge that we’ll reach that, I believe.
What would you tell an up-and-coming creative in the world of horror who sees that being a woman/identifying as a woman as something that makes it so much more difficult at times?
It definitely does make things more difficult at times. There’s no getting over that. We start at a disadvantage. You have to work twice as hard just to get half as far. Men are really seen as the masters of the genre, but women have been here since the beginning and we’re not going to go away now. Whether you’re talking about Octavia Butler, Gemma Files, Shirley Jackson, or the Soska Sisters, women shape the horror landscape just as craftily as men.
What are your favorite bits of helpful advice that you have received about your work or your field?
If it matters to you, make time for it. And be persistent.
In honor of celebrating Women in Horror Month, who do you believe viewers should keep an eye on in terms of the creative ladies in horror?
I just recently read a short story by Meg Elison that blew me away. It’s called “The Pill” and it was beautiful, thought-provoking, and terrifying. All the best things about horror. Meg Elison is a science fiction writer but I think she’s got some horror chops. I would love to see more from her in our genre.
What do you have coming soon that you can talk to us about?
My dark erotica story “Swallow the Moon” will be appearing in HellBound Books’ The Devil’s Doorbell II anthology later this year. There’s no release date yet, but if you follow me on social media I’ll announce it ASAP.
Pop them links to follow your work here:
I’m @MorganElektra on Twitter, @Morgan_Elektra on IG, and my website is https://bymorganelektra.wordpress.com/