ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE DECEMBER 2023 VOL VI. ISSUE XXXVIII | LITERATURE
Article Published on: 05TH JAN 2024 | www.demodemagazine.com
"FRIENDLY GHOST MAKE GOOD COMPANY FOR MIDNIGHT WALKS" - BY AUTHOR MORGAN DAME
Friendly Ghost Make Good Company For Midnight Walks includes seven short stories mainly staying in the horror genre. Each time an idea struck me I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going for the obvious conclusion or a scare that was typical. Like most writers, I love getting to the moment where a character knows everything has changed.
Poking Through follows a kid taking you through his earliest memory, where he watched his brother do something desperate. Hideouts and Freak-Outs follows a group of kids in the 90s who are in the middle of enjoying a parent-free weekend, only to realize that they are being watched by a figure outside the house. Should I Measure my Fears in Nights or Years? Follows a boy in the 1960s who finds himself being taken by an apparent monster under his bed; finding he's not the only kid who was taken, he tries to help his new friends escape from an apparently unstoppable creature. Come and Spend the Night With me on Halloween follows a cop in the 1950s who realizes he's on a date with a young man who he has reason to believe is a murderer. A Terrible Night, What a View, a Gust of Wind for Me and You follows a young man on his way home where he ends up injured and in need of saving from a monster, luck has it, he finally gets to meet the infamous superhero of his metropolitan city. The Orange Knight follows the second son to a royal family and his childhood watching his sickly older brother, who's destined to be king. Lastly, Baby Teeth follows a drunken conversation between two teachers over what pain can be prevented in childhood.
My sincere wish is for readers to delve into my stories and unearth the same profound emotions that inspired their creation, but I understand it's a lofty aspiration. My writing journey has been a labour of love, crafting diverse worlds and characters, each with their own unique experiences. I never aimed for solely joyous or sorrowful narratives; instead, I sought to authentically mirror the essence of my characters. If my stories manage to thrill or unsettle readers, it's an unexpected but delightful outcome. Recently, a dear friend mentioned how my book induced a nightmare for her, and oddly, it filled me with satisfaction. Knowing that my writing evoked such a visceral response brings an unexpected sense of fulfilment and joy to my creative endeavours.
DIRECT LINK TO BUY 'FRIENDLY GHOST MAKE GOOD COMPANY FOR MIDNIGHT WALKS' IN INDIA - CLICK HEREÂ Â
DIRECT LINK TO BUY 'FRIENDLY GHOST MAKE GOOD COMPANY FOR MIDNIGHT WALKS' IN ALL COUNTRIES - CLICK HERE
JOURNEY OF THE AUTHOR MORGAN DAME
Morgan Dame harbored persistent doubts about her writing abilities, often feeling her intelligence was merely ordinary, devoid of the pressure to live up to any impressive academic feats. Despite this self-perception, she found solace as a keen observer of compelling narratives, comfortably assuming the role of an engaged audience member while seeking avenues to participate in creative endeavors. She held the belief that if something truly belonged to the best, there should have been more formidable obstacles to impede her entry.
However, circumstances propelled her into taking a short fiction class during her college tenure, a requirement for an English credit. It was during this period that she penned 'Hideouts and Freak-outs,' now a part of 'Friendly Ghosts Make Good Company For Midnight Walks.' At that time, her aspiration was straightforward: to convey her affection for horror and evoke an essence akin to Goosebumps or Scooby-Doo through a cast of youthful characters and an enticing title. Astonishingly, 'Hideouts and Freak-outs' emerged as a finalist for the prestigious Missouri State Short Fiction Award. Despite this unexpected recognition, Morgan grappled with imposter syndrome, feeling as though she had surreptitiously gained entry into a realm meant for others, borrowing success that wasn't rightfully hers. Driven by this conflicted sentiment, she enrolled in another short fiction class and crafted two more stories, which also found their place in 'Friendly Ghosts,' once again securing finalist spots for the Missouri State Short Fiction Award.
After graduation, while seeking employment, Morgan diligently pursued publishing her short stories. These narratives gradually formed a manuscript submitted to multiple publishers. Despite her initial optimism, she eventually put the submission out of mind. Her astonishment was palpable when Olympia Publishers responded. Initially misconstruing their message as yet another rejection, she was thrilled to discover the acceptance of all her stories.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW OF AUTHOR MORGAN DAMEÂ WITH DE MODE
Q: How did the theme of family, both chosen and blood, influence your storytelling in 'Friendly Ghosts Make Good Company for Midnight Walks'?
A. Most of my short stories follow children as main characters, so most of the time I found it only natural to make my side characters siblings or friendships. Then once the characters are met with a problem or something scary, they come together to save one another.
Q: Your book covers a wide range of elements, from rebellious body piercings to monsters and murders. How do you manage to maintain coherence within such diverse narratives?
A. My main goal was always to set up a situation that was geared to scare the main character in whichever short story I was in. That said, I also wanted each short story to be scary in different ways, so I needed different things to be scary while also still feeling true to the genre.
Q: Could you share an instance where your own experiences or personal connections influenced a story or character in your book?
A. Once in high school, I was with my then boyfriend in his car out late. At a certain point I looked outside his rearview window and noticed a black shape literally just outside the car looking inside at me. Needless to say we got out of there pretty fast and I used that moment similarly in Hideouts & Freakouts.
Q: In what ways do your skills as an artist intersect or influence your approach to writing, particularly in crafting vivid imagery within your stories?
A. At first I found writing to be so different from drawing that I saw them as polar opposites. Now I know they have many similarities. Actually, I almost feel like my writing is just me in my head having a slow-moving painting where I have to describe every change that happens.
Q: Could you discuss a character from your book whose journey through sacrifice for family resonates with you the most?
A. Marty in Hideouts & Freakouts, it was the first story I wrote and I think I wanted to keep my main character close to the chest. He's scared only for himself until he notices his younger sister's fear. Similarly, I fell into the same self-righteous older sibling duty both as a kid and now whenever needed.
Q: 'Friendly Ghosts Make Good Company for Midnight Walks' seems to delve into the supernatural. What draws you to incorpo-rate elements of the paranormal into your storytelling?
A. The easiest answer is that monsters/fantasy are just fun. It's fun to come up with things that don’t actually exist and bend the rules and the story to my own ideas. It makes what's scary a little more interesting since it can be allegorical to people’s real-life fears, but allows us to consider what's scary in a new way.
Q: How do you balance the emotional depth of familial relationships with the various genres and tones present in your short story collection?
A. I think I stumbled into various tones and relationships. I always want to write what I would want to read or am a fan of myself. So most of the time I want my characters to be funny and introspective; while also being people with full lives outside of what's about to happen to them.
Q: Your art is available on Redbubble. How does your visual artwork connect with the themes or narratives explored in your writing?
A. I think my art, (fanart and my own) is just a snapshot of an extreme. Typically something reactive, something the character won't forget. Then I felt the same with writing, that I was writing an experience the character would never forget. They now feel especially connected to me since I was allowed to use my own illustration for the cover.
Q: Were there any challenges in transitioning between visual art and writing? How do these creative processes differ for you?
A. When I started writing I was really insecure, unlike my art. I began my writing with the understanding that I was just putting something out there and I didn’t need to be confident or believe I had done something impressive or superior. Now I think they both are just me putting something out there to the best of my abilities.
Q: Your stories cover a broad spectrum, from horror to heart-warming moments. Can you describe how you maintain this balance to engage readers across different emotions?
A. I still struggle with that balance. My main goal is to write an experience that feels truthful, which tends to involve both horror and moments I think are heartwarming. I actually tend to forget about the reader's part. To me, anyone who reads my work has the intelligence to decide for themselves if it's engaging to them or not.
Q: As an author who explores the theme of sacrifice for family, what message or takeaway do you hope readers gain from your book?
A. I don’t pretend to speak for anyone else, but to me, families can be complicated and my characters make their own choices about what their family is owed or feelings they have towards each other; and I’ve certainly written things based on my own opinions. That said, people can come to their own conclusions over the characters in my stories.