"Are you in touch with all of your darkest fantasies?" ― Lana Del Rey
From antagonists to podcasts: writing spellbinding ‘dark’ fantasy shorts;
talking about author Mark Towse
by Lydia Cutmore
Hello! And welcome to our third instalment of ‘Writing Fantasy’. We’re taking it waaay darker this week, blending fantasy with horror. This week I got the chance to speak to Mark Towse, who currently resides in Australia. We delve into dark fantasy shorts, creating an antagonist and utilising podcasts!
After 30 years working in sales, Mark decided to embark on his dream of becoming a
writer. He is now a successful ‘dark’ fantasy and horror author, with his collection of short
stories ‘Face the Music’ released earlier this year.
His work is the perfect example of a melting pot of genres. The unreliable narrators and use of psychological horror generate an uncomfortable confusing thrill. As hybrid pieces, the fantasy element is more subtle, yet still undeniably present. When it comes to antagonists, Mark’s largely stem from his characters minds – their deepest darkest fear. Yet many still appear as fantasy monsters. Creating the ‘evil’ in dark fantasy is one of the key parts of the journey.
The canine creatures in Mark’s ‘Journey’s End’, are a product of a dream and the manifestation of emotional turmoil. Yet they take a form like the werewolf, a hellish hound:
“Suddenly more red eyes emerge at once from the cover of
trees, too many to count, This wasn’t in the dream. I hold my
breath in fear that the owner of one of those pairs of eyes will
soon launch after me, and I am suddenly sure this is how my
life will end. Their breathing is deep and impossibly in unison,
and I conjure up all sorts of demonic images that could be
making such a sound. These red eyes are the only source of
light now; they hang in the air like static embers”
By giving only snatches of detail as the panicked narrator picks out features in the darkness,
mythology is reborn.
Red eyes, synonymous with their ‘demonic’ appearance, denotes evil.
Your own antagonists and fantastical creatures could be introduced in this way: tease your
reader, and brace them for danger...
Another way of introducing ‘evil’ to the plot, as in ‘All That Glistens’, is by injecting
magic into the ordinary and banal.
Nature becomes the antagonist, a tree that represents a seductive woman buried alive years
earlier. She lives through the branches of the tree, poisoning and consuming men. George,
the protagonist, bites into her ripened fruit:
“The taste that filled his mouth was unpleasantly earthy and metallic, but so greedily had he sunk his teeth in, the cold and the viscous substance had already started its journey down his oesophagus. He pulled the fruit away, and a thick string of blood and soil stretched from his lips to its underside...
He put his hands to his throat and heard himself wheeze as he helplessly watched the small pool of blood and dirt around the discarded fruit harden and then turn to ash. Slowly his world began to slip away. Another victim and, for now, his body would suffice. The breeze touched her cheek, and how good it was to feel something after all this time”
A clever, unexpected twist on what is expected from fantasy horror – always look to surprise
the reader!
Firstly, how did you enter the world of writing?
For me, becoming a writer was something that festered at the back of my mind for a
long time, and eventually, the stench became so putrid, I had to let it out.
Before I kicked off this writing journey, I took a small gap of around thirty-odd years. It was
only in my forties that I felt the glut of creativity in my life, and toyed with the idea for some
time, but a full-time job and a family didn’t leave me with much time. I decided to do
something really brave, or silly depending on which way you look at it and leave my full-time
job for a part-time role to allow me to lift my head out the sand and breathe. My wife
supported me every step of the way.
At forty-five years of age, I decided to attempt my first piece of fiction since secondary
school, and to tell you the truth, it was bloody awful. I persisted, though, and got better with
each one.
Initially, I was over the moon just to get something published, but as I improved in all
aspects, I started to go after the bigger markets, and my confidence has been fuelled by
some cool acceptances. It’s catch-22 when you begin. You want to get stuff published, but in
hindsight, that means a lot of stuff you are not particularly fond of now will be there for all to
see.
When writing short stories, what aspect of the narrative do you consider the most
important? The beginning, climax, or end?
For me, I love a twist ending. I know that’s really old-school but some of my best
stories have been around planting seeds and throwing my readers a curveball. That being
said, I often start writing on a whim based on observation with no particular ending planned
and let the story write itself.
I’m a big fan of Hitchcock, so I would say the ending is the sweet spot for me.
Do you ever struggle for inspiration?
Oh, yes!
I’ve written ninety-one short stories to date, and while I found it easy, in the beginning, to
pluck an idea out of thin air, it is certainly becoming more of a challenge. I have been known
to pace around the room, muttering under my breath, willing an idea to pop into my head, but
it never works out like that.
If I get really desperate, I will force myself to sit down and write something before I allow
myself more coffee.
‘The Itch’, inspired by current events, is only a page in length. What are your tips on
building suspense right from the first sentence?
Practicing is key. As mentioned in the last question, I have written nearly a hundred
shorts, and that’s allowed me to fine-tune the process of telling a good story quickly. Flash
fiction and shorter pieces are all about trimming the fat and ensuring each word gives bang
for the buck.
I think this is why a lot of people spend time writing shorts before even attempting a novel-
length piece. I would go so far as to say practicing with short stories is essential in terms of
mastering story structure and commanding attention quickly.
Which piece of writing is your personal favourite of yours – and why?
My favourite piece to date is a story called ‘The Cleaner’.
It's currently on hold with two professional markets, and I hope it gets to see daylight soon.
This is a 7,000-word story that I wrote, edited, and submitted within 48 hours. It’s hard to
explain my obsession with it, but I love the two main characters, especially their back story
that forms the spine of the tale.
Falling in love with characters and the story just helps the words flow so quickly and
effortlessly. I have some other really exciting stuff that I have not sent out yet. Sometimes I
like to wait for the right call as I love to see them find a good home, and often it’s not
necessarily always about the money, although it helps.
What is your process for planning out individual works, and collections?
Good question. I’ve only released one collection so far called ‘Face The Music’. While this is
a collection of very early work, I still stand by and am very proud of the stories and ideas
compiled. Fortunately, subsequent feedback and reviews were very positive.
The second collection is good to go and is in a different league in terms of quality, however,
taking advice from a very respected publisher, I am currently working through a novella-
length piece to boost my profile before letting this one go.
Short story collections are, and I guess always will be a harder sell, but a larger profile will
undoubtedly help the cause.
Your short story, ‘Cosy Street’, was featured in the podcast Tales to Terrify – do you
find expanding your reach and adapting to the digital age actually helps your
creativity and engagement with your reader?
It’s an interesting question.
Again, I was initially keen to get across as many podcasts as possible, and I had three
stories picked up fairly quickly for The No Sleep Podcast—one of my favourite shows.
The issue is that not all stories work as podcasts, especially when there is a heavy reliance
on narration. This means you have to be a bit more selective in terms of choosing which
podcasts work well for which pieces.
The Grey Rooms did an excellent job on my story, ‘Disconnect,’ and five of my stories will be featured on their third season, which I’m very excited about. I will say it helps with profile but also can be dangerous and unknown territory as you are essentially putting your work in the hands of others.
What would you consider your biggest literary achievement so far?
I am super proud of my tale called ‘Devil’s Ink,’ which is soon to be featured in Silver
Shamrock’s Midnight in the Pentagram. This anthology puts me alongside greats such as
Graham Masterton, Brian Keen, Todd Keisling, Laurel Hightower, Chad Lutzke, etc.
There is some great stuff coming out in the next few months, and I’m proud of it all.
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The ‘take-away’:
1. A twist always adds excitement – unusual endings, characters and plot
developments keeps the reader on their toes.
2. Practise makes perfect: short stories help you master the structure of
longer works.
3. Fall in love with the story and characters – it will be easier to stay
motivated!
4. Podcasts can be effective for publicity, but not all stories work well in
podcast form!
Mark has created us a character, waiting for their story to be written:
A middle-aged writer that would sell his/her soul to the Devil if it meant writing full-time.
How far would he/she go when nothing else matters in the world?
What sacrifices would he/she make? What connections would break? And would it bring happiness?
(If your readers get stuck, give them my email address, and I can tell them all about the
above) .
Meet this week's author Lydia Cutmore
Hi! I’m Lydia Cutmore, University of Hull English Literature student about to embark on her Postgraduate degree, specialising in Gothic fiction. A new guest blogger for Happy London Press, I can usually be found curled up reading science-fiction and writing book reviews.
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