An up-and-coming voice in the writing world, Liz Butcher has moved from short stories and anthology entries to her own solo work with the recent release of her first feature-length novel Fates' Fury. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her early writing periods, the skills she honed writing short stories and her recent writings.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, how did you get into the genre?
Liz Butcher: Hi! Thank you for having me! Honestly, I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t into horror and the paranormal. Even as a child I would borrow books from the library about hauntings and paranormal phenomena. I was a strange child, haha!
Me: Were you always into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
LB: My parents were very strict when it came to things like that, so I really didn’t get to experience horror movies until my early teens. My horror fix came from books before then. I think the first horror movie I saw was Candyman and I was terrified. Loved it!
Me: When did you discover a passion for writing?
LB: Just like my love of horror and the paranormal, it’s something I’ve done for as long as I can remember. In primary school, I was always writing ‘books’ just for fun.
Me: Coming from Australia, did that hinder your interest in the genre or force you to turn to the local authors for inspiration?
LB: No, not at all. Stephen King is pretty universal, haha! I discovered his books when I was 10.
Me: What is your writing process when starting a new piece? How do you stay in the creative mindset while writing?
LB: I’m a massive fan of plotting. I love the research stage of any project, where you get to sink your teeth into who your characters are, where they are, and what they’re doing. I put together a scrapbook of sorts, with images and notes, and anything I feel will be of use. Then I plot it all out, from start to finish.
Though in saying that, my plot is always fluid and changes as I go. This might sound pedantic to many people, but I find doing all this leg work before I start writing reduces the risk of writers block or hitting any snags during the writing process.
Me: Having contributed to various anthologies early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to future projects?
LB: To cut the crap, so to speak! Writing short stories is a wonderful way to hone your storytelling skills, because you have to convey an interesting plot in a limited number of words. I found it a wonderful way to learn not to waffle on and to make every word count.
Me: What is the general process for getting involved in these projects?
LB: I initially fell into it. When I first started out, I reached out to other writers as I tried to get a feel for the writing world. A new writing friend was submitting to an anthology and suggested I give it a go. My story was accepted, which was so exciting! That was in 2015. From there I just kept an eye out for submission calls, and I wrote a number of short stories while working on my first novel.
Me: Your first sole work, After Dark, is a collection of short stories. How did this come together?
LB: It’s essentially a culmination of the short stories I’d had published in anthologies, but reworked. As a writer, especially a newbie, your work improves and grows with each piece you do. Looking back over my earlier work I felt dissatisfied, even though I’d been so proud of them initially. I decided I wanted to make them better and publish them together. It also includes some new work, and each story is separated by a drabble.
Me: Were some of the stories based on personal experience from you or your friends?
LB: My experiences with sleep paralysis certainly inspired some of my work. Other inspiration came from prompts, dreams, or just the random ideas that seem to pop into my head on a regular basis.
Me: Being your first solo work, what was the process like to getting it published?
LB: Since it was a collection of short stories, I decided to self-publish. I wanted to experience the whole process from start to finish.
Me: More recently, you wrote the full novel Fates' Fury. What was the inspiration behind that?
LB: Yes! This was a labour of love, that’s for sure! The basic inspiration came from me wondering what the ancient gods and beings would think if they could see the state of the world today. Would they think we deserved to be here? Would they think we were worth saving?
Me: How did moving from short story to full-length novel challenge your writing skills?
LB: I found the challenge was in the development. With short stories, there isn’t the room to go into too much depth with the plot or the characters. So, when I moved to full-length novels, I had to be mindful of that, and make sure I took the time to flesh everything out more.
Me: What are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
LB: A number of projects! I have a YA horror coming out in June called LeRoux Manor, and another novel, an adult paranormal crime called Never, Never which will release next year. I’m also working on a paranormal/horror serial and a new dark fantasy/horror novel called Sunrise. So, watch this space!
Me: Lastly, being that this is Women in Horror Month, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself? Thank you again for your time!
LB: Don’t hold back! Jump in with both feet and write your heart out. Reach out and connect with other writers, whether it be via social media or in person. But most importantly, write, write, write!
To check out her writings, follow her official website:
https://lizbutcherauthor.wixsite.com/lizbutcher
This interview ran as part of our month-long Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out the other reviews and interviews we've conducted for the event:
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