SWRT 308 | Authors Talk Ghost Stories

October 24, 2024

Just in time for Halloween, the Story Works Round Table brings you a special episode featuring five incredible authors of ghost stories: Gabi Coatsworth, Paulette Kennedy, Jan Heidrich-Rice, Sandra Young, and Alida Winternheimer. Dive into the art of crafting paranormal tales, explore the inspiration behind these haunting narratives, and learn about the unique rules that govern their ghostly worlds. Plus, discover their upcoming events and workshops perfect for getting your literary boo on this spooky season. Don’t miss out on this fascinating conversation—listen now!

Get Alida’s musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils and stay up to date on book launches, special offers, and more at booksandpencils.substack.com

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, grow your writing skills, and get that book written? Do you want community, feedback, and the mentoring of an expert story craft coach? Check out group coaching for novelists and memoirists. A new session is beginning soon. Get details & schedule your free discovery call today at www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

Are you ready to work with a developmental editor or writing coach? Alida works with fiction and nonfiction writers on all kinds of writing projects. Email or schedule a discovery call. www.wordessential.com.

VIDEO

AUDIO

Gabi Coatsworth

Gabi Coatsworth is an award-winning British-born writer and blogger, who has spent half her life living in the United States. A member of several national writing associations, she’s active in the Connecticut writing
community and runs several groups for writers. In 2018, she worked on the inaugural Saugatuck StoryFest, a literary festival in Westport, CT.

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Jan Heidrich-Rice

Jan Heidrich-Rice writes contemporary women’s fiction laced with what-ifs. Sometimes haunting, often funny, her work is always spiked with hope and heart. In addition, she writes creative nonfiction that reflects on family and the wonder and humor of everyday life. She lives with her husband near Atlanta.

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Paulette Kennedy

Paulette Kennedy is the bestselling author of The Devil and Mrs. Davenport and Parting the Veil, which received the HNS Review Editor’s Choice award. Originally from the Missouri Ozarks, Paulette now lives in Southern California. Her next release, The Artist of Blackberry Grange, is a novel of gothic suspense set in 1920s Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

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Alida Winternheimer

A native Minnesotan, Alida grew up with wholesome Midwestern values and a daily dose of “Minnesota Nice,” but always sensed there was more going on behind people’s closed doors. Her stories explore the core of our humanity with richly emotional, darkly themed tales about real, complicated women, their relationships, and the secrets that haunt them.

Winner of the Page Turner Award, Confluence Prize, three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and a notable in Best American Essays, Alida is a developmental editor and story craft coach with a podcast for writers and readers curious about writers, called the Story Works Round Table.

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Sandra Young

Sandra L. Young’s passion for vintage fashion inspired her to write her debut Divine Vintage series, published with The Wild Rose Press. She has gathered an impressive vintage collection, wearing pieces onstage through years of performing in community theater. She also wears it out on the town for special occasions and when singing with the Blue Sky Music vocal trio. Sandra’s books reflect her love for fashion, performance, creativity, and history, along with social justice elements from her work in nonprofit management.

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SHOW NOTES

What we talked about:

Author introductions. (5:20)

Why ghosts? (8:35)

How much research has gone into these novels? (16:25)

Making up the rules for your ghost. (22:35)

How do your ghosts function in the story? (26:49)

What are the ghost’s missions? Why does it matter to these stories? (35:45)

Where do your ghosts fall on the spectrum of benign to creepy or dangerous? And do you feel sad when the ghosts cross over? (42:00)

What inspired each of these authors to go down the ghost story path and what about this genre is challenging? (49:50)

The great morality play. (57:35)

How do you manage pacing and suspense? (60:15)

Special announcements from our authors! (64:20)

LINKS

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.

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About Your Hosts

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Two of her short stories were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She is the author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series. Alida lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her Golden Retriever, Seva the Wonder Dog. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.

Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.

Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com

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