How
WIHM Saved This Final Girl…
As a
young girl, I didn't dream of becoming a metaphorical Final Girl.
I
wanted to be Morticia Addams. I wanted to stay home in my creepy manse, waltz
with my infatuated husband, snip the buds off roses, feed my carnivorous plant,
and look fierce in a tight dress.
I
got the stay home part right. Because I work long hours and have a family, any
hour not logged into academia, or my now grown children, or my house chores, is
spent TRYING to write. At home. Away from interesting people. And as any writer
can confirm, trying to write is a task that is easier said than done. Trying to
write is decidedly different from actual writing. Trying to write involves
beating up on oneself, along with wailing and the rending of clothes. There are
many things that stand between me and my imagination. Virginia Woolf was spot
on with her “room of one’s own” assessment. In 2017, my male counterparts have
responsibilities and distractions of their own, but there is still something to
be said for being a woman and a writer. Many days, I find myself longing more
for a wife than for a room. And I don’t want a Morticia Addams type wife (as
much as I idolize her).
Which
brings me back to my childhood fantasy and how different my life turned out to
be. My creepy manse is more on the rickety side of suburban style. I am unable
to waltz due to cats and dogs underfoot. No time for gardening, let alone
dealing with debauched plants. And my standard pajamas and bathrobe inhabit a
galaxy so far away from fierce that a Hubble telescope could not link the two
disparate styles.
Writing
is not glamorous and it is often lonely. It is the stalker/killer in my Final
Girl metaphor. It is the trauma that those of us compelled to write cannot
avoid. It keeps us from a fully developed social life; it sets us apart, and
not always in a good way. As a woman who has written horror stories since my
pre-literacy days (some of us remember forcing our parents and other adults to
act as personal scribes), it is also something full of stereotypes and
assumptions. Ironically, one of those assumptions is that my home life echoes
that of Morticia Addams as opposed to what I have already described.
I
could go on to extend the Final Girl metaphor: pen/pencil as phallic weaponry,
co-writers "picked off" by changing genres, but I hate when metaphors
are overly abused. The point, the true point, is that I am a Final Girl,
isolated and introverted--at times happy with that situation, sometimes not so
much.
The
saving grace: other writers. One would assume that there is a high level of
competition especially between writers who share a genre. I have been fortunate
to find the opposite to be true. Some of the nicest people I have ever met are
horror writers. Go to any convention or book reading and find out for yourself.
I have become nestled into a truly supportive community amongst horror writers.
We share market news, publicity ideas, joys and sorrows. My friendly horror
writers are the cavalry (police officers?) that show up to rescue the Final
Girl.
Other
writers are the saviors, but what really puts the slasher/monster to rest,
avoiding all sequels, is Women in Horror Month (WIHM). On the loneliest of
nights, I remind myself, "February is coming."
I am
not going to lie, part of the joy of the month is receiving recognition. It is
wonderful to be a part of a WIHM magazine, or blog, or event. The publicity is
always welcome. But what I have found myself most looking forward to is the
much needed reminder to applaud the work of others.
This
February is the 8th WIHM, and I began chirping about it on social
media way back in July. That is because I can remember many, many years without
a WIHM. I can remember many, many years of wondering if the compulsion to write
is a crazy one--one that could possibly benefit from medication.
WIHM
allows us to link arms with our sisters. We celebrate each other. We don the
hat of publicist and work to stir up chatter. In a culture that often pits
women against each other, this camaraderie feels sacred.
In
that spirit, here are some writers, programs and events I would like to
celebrate this year for WIHM:
Siren's Call 5th Annual WIHM
ezine issue. This is always an eclectic and interesting issue that is
downloaded by the masses. It will become available in February--check sirenscallpublications.com to
download a free copy. There is no place more fitting to house an ezine dedicated
to WIHM than Sirens Call. They have an inclusive sensibility and are so
generous in their promotion of new and established writers. Past issues have
kept me thoroughly entertained during my snowed in/power bereft Februaries!
Anything
brewing in Mercedes M. Yardley's
brain. She is one of my favorite contemporary writers of any genre. Check out her
author’s page: https://www.amazon.com/Mercedes-M.-Yardley/e/B006B9MFA2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1484314891&sr=8-2-ent and
read something!
Nancy Kilpatrick has a new
novel coming out: Revenge of the Vampir King. Nancy is a horror expert: a
wonderful writer, editor, researcher. She is also someone who embraces the
ideals of WIHM. She is truly supportive of other writers. The novel is
available on Amazon.com as an ebook, with the print book becoming available in
April. In order to wet appetites, here is the back cover blurb:
Vampires
and humans are at war!
Moarte,
King of the Vampirii, is a prisoner of his Sapiens enemy. The beautiful Sapiens
Princess Valada, believing that Moarte killed her mother, tortures him, even to
the point of breaking the bones in his wings so he cannot escape. She intends
to incinerate him to ash in sunlight, but Moarte escapes.
Moarte
hungers for revenge. When, through an act of betrayal, Valada is captured by
the vampirii, his first instinct is to drain her blood and annihilate her. But
he realizes he can get revenge in other ways, using her as a tool to gain the
upper hand in this conflict. But who is manipulating whom? Both want revenge,
and control of the other, and Moarte wants to drink Valada's blood. Dark
desires lead down a path neither had envisioned, a threatening spiral that can
destroy empires.
Hunter
and hunted change places again and again in this novel of twisted, violent
passions. Seeds of deception are sown amidst love and hate, loyalty and
betrayal, obsession and indifference, in an erotic tale of warring races, foes
since the beginning of time, and two unlikely adversaries aligning to battle a
common enemy.
Theresa Derwin is
creating a website for WIH research. Theresa is an accomplished writer and
editor, and I am looking forward to the finished product. People interested in
signing up for the site will be eligible to win horror books and ebooks. You
can contact Theresa through the website: http://terror-tree.co.uk/
Please
take a moment to check out the many events that are specific to WIHM: http://www.womeninhorrormonth.com/events/
Elaine
Pascale had been writing her entire life.
She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, son and daughter. Her
writing has been published in magazines and anthologies. She is the author of
the soon to be released Blood Lights, and
If Nothing Else, Eve, We’ve Enjoyed the
Fruit. Elaine enjoys a robust full
moon, chocolate, and collecting cats. Find out more at elainepascale.com,
https://www.amazon.com/Elaine-Pascale/e/B003MRXUCS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0,
or https://twitter.com/doclaney, or https://www.facebook.com/elaine.pascale
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