What inspires me to write in dark genres?

I remember back when I was promoting Welcome to Everville - a story in which a monster wreaks havoc on a little town and attacks the kids at a local high school- that I was doing a lot of podcasts and shows. I was asked about my thoughts on the horror genre and if I'd always been a fan of it, what my favorite horror movies were, etc.

I always found it to be a difficult conversation to have, because, if I'm being honest, I'm not really even a fan of horror. In fact, I kept trying to pitch that book as dark fantasy with an understanding that there were horror elements to it. This introduction is a way for me to open up the subject of: Why do I write in the darker genres?

It's a genre that never captivated me like it does for so many others. Of course, it could be because I've seen films that I just don't care anything about and I'm not saying as a whole that I think it's a trash genre. People find their enjoyment in all kinds of things. I've always leaned in more towards the fantasy and sci-fi side of everything. Now, the older I've gotten the more I've realized life's difficulties, and how sometimes life can be pretty dark. As a creator balancing what you're feeling with what you're creating is a really challenging task. Some do it well and some really just do not. For me, I feel like leaning into any sort of dark genre or dark story is almost an outlet to flush the dark thoughts and feelings out. It's important to me that I process those thoughts and feelings in a healthy manner. The way that I found to do that is through writing, which is also the way that I process all kinds of other thoughts and feelings.

I used to write a lot of songs, which were often reflective of feelings or emotions. In the same way the comic book scripts that I've created and the short stories that I write are all reflective of a variety of feelings. Now I find them to be a little bit different depending on the world that they're set in, but I've also realized I have an inclination toward playfulness and mindfulness when I write flash fiction. In fact, what you'll find a lot on my substack are stories that are somewhere within the sci-fi and fantasy genres but that have horror elements to them.

I'm also a big proponent of comedic storytelling and, while I don't write that super often, it is probably most prominently seen in my comic book series Tilt. I created that character and funneled in a lot of my humor and dry comedy, a staple of my personality ever since I was a little kid. However, if you were to read that story you would also see that while there is light-heartedness and humor, the story that's being told is not a pleasant one and there is a lot of darkness that Patrick has to battle against both outwardly and inwardly.

People tend to wonder if I'm a naturally dark person. While some of my humor may be dark I would suppose for the most part I'm really not. If you've ever seen me on interviews or heard me on podcasts, you'll know I am a rather playfully natured person and I also tend to be pretty straightforward about my thoughts and feelings on any given topic.

This reflects back on writing, whether it's in a dark tone or a comedy. I feel that these two work well hand-in-hand. I think about so many situations in my life where things get dark and I just can't help but find the awkwardness humorous.

I understand that storytelling is extremely subjective, and everyone has their own likes and dislikes, just as I do. You'll often hear me tell people to give a story their own voice because, at the end of the day, I think that's where the largest amount of impact can be had. I find so often that people try to write for the masses and they rob their story of their own voice in an attempt to be commercially viable.

The stories that I connect to best are explorative of human nature; which can be sometimes hilarious, sometimes straight-laced, and sometimes pretty dark. This is the joy of creativity; no matter what you're feeling you can put it on paper and release it as a story. I found within flash fiction that I can take a few moments to write out a fun little escape from reality and give it any spin that I will find to be the most exciting.

While I often might slip into a fusion of comedy and darkness I also know some of my purpose is to shine a light. This is the difficult tightrope for a Christian creator to balance. I look to some of my favorite creators, like Ted Dekker, and find that you can write a well-adapted, well-told, heartfelt story with a massive amount of dark tone that still shines a light and gives people a moment of reprieve in this chaotic world.

This is part of what gave rise to the new Tiny Daggers section on my Substack. I wanted to write something a little more playful while still having the storytelling elements that I enjoy so much. It's within that headspace that I thought it would be fun, challenging, and funny to write what I'm calling parent horror. These little stories encapsulate moments that so many parents will be able to identify with while being told in a narrative way.

Finally, you'll find it on my website and across certain pages on social media where I have the tag "let the monster create". That comes from a thought that I've had for a very long time is that we live our lives in a battle between the light and the dark and that somewhere in between those there are these beautiful and often monstrous moments of creativity. Something to think about, at least.

As always,

Do better. Be better.