Explore the chilling inspiration behind Hunger, a haunting tale from Ethereal Nightmares: An Anthology of Twisted Tales. Uncover the grotesque transformation of a desperate son into a cannibal and gain insights into the delicate balance of gore and emotional depth that makes this story truly unsettling.

Q) Can you describe the initial inspiration behind Chester's character and his dire situation?
As a screenwriter, some of my stories either originate from a screenplay or, if first written as prose, end up being converted into one. A few years ago, I wrote a horror feature screenplay in the portmanteau film style (a few short stories linked together). Being a hardcore horror fan, I wanted to capture every type of ‘horror’ (I’ve decided horror breaks down into 4 categories), and "Hunger" was the segment dedicated to gore. I decided it would suit being written as a prose short story. There are some differences between the screenplay and the short story, but it’s mostly all there.

Q) What made you choose a mother-son dynamic for the story's core relationship?
I knew the character needed to be stuck at home with a dependent for it to work, and if he had a wife or child, that wouldn’t gel with his awkward/troubled personality as well. The nagging mother is far better suited.

Q) The story has vivid, disturbing imagery. How do you approach writing such intense scenes?
I try not to overdo the descriptions of blood and guts, and have hopefully avoided being repetitive. It needed to have a certain amount of graphic description on how the bodies would need to be prepped, otherwise I’d have failed with my ‘shock and gore’ objective. I approached it in two ways: what would be the logical method with the limited tools he had, and how can I give enough detail to make it memorably horrific without the gruesome details becoming the bulk of the story? I try to give enough for the reader’s imagination to do a lot of the work too. For example, to ‘crack someone in the head with a claw hammer’ should be enough to give a very clear image, and sentences dedicated to split skin and blood clotting in hair, etc., aren’t required.

Q) How do you balance the horror elements with the underlying emotional themes?
Very carefully. The horror needed to be sudden and violent, and the emotional side needed to be a slow unraveling. And both needed good, believable reasons.

Q) Isolation plays a significant role in the story. What message were you trying to convey about human connections during crises?
I wasn’t. This really was a case of wanting to tell a story that was believable, with normal (troubled) people, in your typical street. The monster next door you don’t know about. I only had a few options when it came to ‘why’ they would be in this situation, and the story didn’t require many characters. So writing about human connections was necessary to keep a realistic story moving along, but was never the focus. A better writer than myself would probably find ways to add hidden meanings.

Q) The transformation of Chester from a desperate son to a cannibal is extreme. What influenced this character arc?
I knew where I needed him to get to in the end, so it was a case of realizing a possible journey. If he was of sound mind at the beginning, I’d have needed a lot more words to get him there, so the story came in when desperation was already on his doorstep. Feeling like he had no other option, and time was against him, allowed the character to accelerate down the dark path.

Q) How did the pandemic context influence the narrative?
It suited my needs perfectly, so I went with it. And there was probably something at the back of my mind remembering difficulty getting a food delivery, and what people would do if they simply couldn’t get food to feed their family? If things had gone really bad, having to provide food for my daughters was top priority, and I don’t think much for our pet cats’ chances.

Q) What challenges did you face when blending the horror and thriller genres in this story?
I’d find it more challenging writing one without the other.

Q) Your bio mentions you specialize in bizarre comedy and twisted tales. How do you incorporate humor or dark irony into your horror writing?
I avoided writing comedy for a long time because it is supposed to be the hardest to write. Then I realized it is already there to a certain extent in almost every aspect of our lives, and would be unrealistic if there wasn’t any. So rather than trying to avoid/tame it, I went with it, and found it came naturally. In horror, some things can be so shocking they are almost funny. Then I started writing stories which were just weird, and they were/are always fueled by comedy. I wrote a story about a young man who falls in love with a washing machine. It’s a strange story. It’s a funny story. And I don’t think it has been done before, which is always a bonus.

Q) How do you hope readers will react to the twists and turns in this story?
Oddly enough, I don’t think there are that many twists. I usually write stories with a twist or two along the way, and often try for a clever reveal at the end, but "Hunger" is more of a shocking tale. I hope readers will be fans of horror (it won’t suit them if they’re not), and enjoy the horrific realism. It’s a story that really could happen. And, well, thinking about it, has happened.

Q) Can you share any behind-the-scenes insights or anecdotes from writing this particular piece?
The old lady next door was very nearly bludgeoned to death by a garden gnome, but then I realized I’d already done that to an old lady in another of my stories (see, comedy in horror), so opted to stick with the hammer. I referenced a mincer that bolts onto the worktop, and that’s because I remember my mother having one when I was a small boy. Bring your own memories and experiences into your stories.

Q) What upcoming projects or genres are you excited to explore next?
Having spent the last few years working on short stories, I now have enough to publish a 90,000-word collection, so I’m returning to screenwriting now. Specifically, a comedy feature film and a horror mini-series for TV. Hopefully, they will find a home.

Q) Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring writers who want to delve into horror and thriller genres?
Watch horror. Read horror. Look at what works and why. Don’t overdo it. Also, find your feet with whichever of the 4 horror types works best for you, and if possible blend a couple of them together, but don’t try for all in one story. What are the 4 types? This is purely me deciding these are the 4: Gore (shocking and stomach-turning), atmosphere/suspense (edge of seat, and great for jump scares), isolation (tap into the ‘what would I do if all alone when X happened?’), and psychological (I’m not gonna forget that story for a while). Almost all successful horrors hit a couple of those, but don’t try for them all.