{"id":42927,"date":"2024-03-16T12:01:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-16T16:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=42927"},"modified":"2024-02-26T23:46:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T04:46:32","slug":"sarahmusnicky-wihm2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2024\/03\/16\/sarahmusnicky-wihm2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Writer Sarah Musnicky Interview [Women in Horror Month 2024]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sarah Musnicky, writer, tells us about herself and more:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

To start, please introduce yourself:<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Oof. Introductions are tricky. My name is Sarah Musnicky. For pronunciation, think of music rather than mustard. I like long walks in the rain before my body channels its inner Jane Austen character and gets taken out by colds. Cemeteries are great, but always be respectful and leave presents if you should happen to visit any graves along the way. Oh, and if you hear me talking to random cats on the street, just let me be. This is my normal routine.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is unlikely the kind of introduction you want. In the professional horror realm, I was a scare actor at Queen Mary\u2019s Dark Harbor from 2011-2017. This experience led to my eventual position reviewing at the horror outlet Nightmarish Conjurings. I met the founder, Shannon McGrew, at an immersive event in 2018, and upon learning that there were outlets specifically focusing on horror, I was brought on for reviews. Not too long after joining, I became managing editor. In 2021, I became Editor-in-Chief of Nightmarish Conjurings, and I wouldn\u2019t trade the experience for the world. Through Shannon and the opportunities provided, I have been able to gain so much experience and perspective on horror that I have seen pay off in my own work. While we\u2019ve recently shuttered our doors, I still plan to cover horror films at a less intensive pace.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Arguably, 2021 was a pivotal year for me. After my grandfather died, I did the standard coping mechanism thing where I wanted to figure out what I would regret not accomplishing. I regretted giving up writing fiction. Slowly, I have tried to get back into writing fiction and have had a couple of things published. My first horror flash fiction, \u201cThe Weight of it All,\u201d was published in Cemetery Gates Society in September 2021, and my first horror short story, \u201cUnder These Watchful Eyes,\u201d was published in Ghost Orchid Press\u2019s Rewired: Divergent Perspectives in Horror. With my second short story, \u201cThe Mask it Wears,\u201d appearing in Third Estate Books\u2019 Spectrum, I am slowly finding my voice in the fictional realm.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is horror to you? What makes a work of art one in the horror genre?<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Horror is the darker side of life: fear, lust, rage, etc., driven up to the max. Horror is the vehicle in which we can explore the things that occupy our minds, those sticky thoughts that just can\u2019t quite let go and contribute to many sleepless nights. And sometimes horror is just as simple as letting your mind conjure up demons within the shadows of your bedroom.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Much like art, horror and how it is defined is subjective. Much like the word \u2018scary.\u2019 What scares me might not necessarily scare someone else. Some find monsters to be scary. I find most monsters to be boopable.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In terms of what makes something a work of art in the horror genre, it returns to the sticky thoughts. What sticks in your craw and doesn\u2019t let go? This can come down to imagery, execution of subject matter, etc. At the end of the day, it is subjective to the person taking in what you\u2019ve created.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What made you want to work in horror?<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>I\u2019m unsure if I could categorize it as a want per se. It\u2019s been one of those unplanned yet wholly natural transitions for me professionally. I can say the same thing regarding my career in entertainment journalism. It\u2019s been an incredible privilege to have done something in the horror-filled space. I am honored to continue working alongside and with many insanely passionate and talented people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Where do you get your inspiration?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Would it be cliched if I said everything? Much of my inspiration comes from the world, questions, and experiences I aim to dissect. \u201cWhat if?\u201d is a driving motivator when I tackle things. If there\u2019s a strong image or a line my brain has conjured up, it won\u2019t go away until I at least write something down. Inspiration is, thankfully, never a struggle for me. The actual writing process is, well, a whole other story.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)?
\n<\/span><\/b>The word \u2018legacy\u2019 is tricky because it is abstract and mostly out of one\u2019s control. If my work and efforts can contribute to anything, it would broaden the scope and perception of autistic people in media. I remember when I was a newly diagnosed child and being told to look at Spock \u2013 a half-human, half-Vulcan \u2013 as an example of what someone on the spectrum was like. There was also Rain Man, but in terms of representation, there was no one I could glom onto. At least, not until Rhonda from Trick r Treat, who was presented as a savant of sorts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our voices mean something. Creative fiction as a medium has allowed many autistic writers, particularly in the genre, to expand the representation of the group in pop culture. If I can contribute to that, perhaps that could be my legacy. That, and being the gal who thinks monsters are cute.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Women in Horror Month to you, and why is it still important this many years later?<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Women in Horror Month sits in a strange place for me because it originally overstepped into Black History Month with no real rhyme or reason as to why it couldn\u2019t wait until March. That\u2019s probably a harsh summarization, but it is important to be cognizant of intersections, and Women in Horror Month\u2019s controversy opened up necessary conversations in that realm.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Women in Horror Month\u2019s continued importance is in its title. Why do we feel the need to have a Women in Horror Month? Well, there\u2019s still a gender imbalance in the horror sphere, some of which is perpetuated and reinforced by people in positions of power. I still remember when Jason Blum said there weren\u2019t any female directors out there, let alone any who were interested in horror. He\u2019s since apologized, and the company has made strides in diversifying its directorial pool, but that was back in 2018. We have reports in 2023 that point out how diversity onscreen and off hasn\u2019t changed too much, indicating that for women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled people, etc., we still have a long way to go. Hence, why we have these months. They bring necessary attention to those who do not fit the white\/het\/cis male standard.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who are some of the Women in Horror who you look up to, and who do you want to bring attention to in your field or others?<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Oh gosh. There are so many women I admire and look up to. Through their work, I learn more about the craft and the process, but each person I list here brings their own perspective to the genre that is absolutely theirs. No one can replicate what they do.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the fiction writing realm, Ai Jiang, Hailey Piper, Rae Knowles, Tananarive Due, Cynthia Pelayo, Cassandra Khaw, and Alexis Henderson immediately come to mind. All of these authors collectively, for me, are writer goals. From how they construct scenes to the vivid imagery and prose executed and how they handle each story they write differently each time, it is something to aspire to. Insert my fangirl heart eyes here.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Regarding the entertainment journalism realm, I\u2019ve always admired my colleague, Shannon McGrew, and the knowledge she brings. I\u2019m always learning something new about the genre from our conversations and realize I\u2019m very much like Jon Snow sometimes. I know nothing. Sharai Bohannon and Xero Gravity have this amazing podcast called Blerdy Massacre. It\u2019s incredibly insightful.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many talented people cover and create horror stories I could list here. The list is endless, and I am always down to provide recommendations. I try to absorb everyone\u2019s work and highly encourage horror fans to do the same. If you\u2019re having a hard time finding women in horror, I\u2019m not sure you\u2019re looking hard enough.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
\n<\/span><\/b>I have a short story appearing in the autism-focused horror anthology Spectrum. The anthology features ASD authors from four continents and several countries, so a wide range of perspectives is delivered to horror readers. If you like Halloween mazes and happen to like the horror film Hell Fest, you might resonate with my story. Pre-orders are available now at Third Estate Books directly through their site <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>, or if you have a Kindle, you can pre-order the E-Copy <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have a few short stories in progress that I will send out for submission soon. I\u2019m also in the extreme beginning stages of my first novel.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Until I get my writer site up and running, you can follow me on Twitter: <\/span>https:\/\/twitter.com\/sarahmusnicky<\/span><\/a> or my Instagram account:\u00a0 <\/span>https:\/\/instagram.com\/sarahmusnicky<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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