Evolution of A Horror Idea
I do much of my research by watching YouTube videos. They are a good way to get an idea of people’s experiences in the world. The YouTube algorithm decides videos to suggest based on what you’ve been watching and then tries to anticipate your next interest. For example, when I was researching MLMs, it would suggest pro- MLM videos and make-up tutorials, neither of which interested me. This is how people deep dive into harmful videos and conspiracy theories. I’ve been waiting for it to suggest the latter to me but it’s not there yet. It may start suggesting them soon.
I’ve been thinking about what the next horror collection will be. Bribre and Kraulaak are connected so I want to continue with this, evolving the mythology to reveal more. At the end of Bribre I had an idea to expand the cult behind the MLM and the group that funded Fay’s grant. I want to play with the idea that these groups are the same, trying to sacrifice more people to Kraulaak. The cult doesn’t see the MLMs as good, they see them as a tool. I wanted to evolve hacker Rouge Gamma, who has no idea what they’re getting into but will be the final sacrifice of the entire series… however long it goes on. I had some remaining stories about Patty, exploring what came next for her. I didn’t want to repeat the MLM stories but I knew there had to be more since she was our lone survivor.
Ideas for this are so easy to find right now. I was fascinated by the QAnon conspiracy theories, thinking Rouge Gamma could fill the role, looking at modern communication systems making it easier than ever to get sucked into conspiracy theories. I considered looking at Centralia, PA, a modern ghost town, as the opposite of the town in Kraulaak. As if they tried to burn their portal to Kraulaak. I considered the self-help industry, social media influencers, and family vloggers on YouTube. I was considering looking at NXVIM and the self-help/MLM cult. Then YouTube suggested a video about fake gurus.
In a world where people desire ways to get rich, to do it quickly, or to simply make enough to live, these are primarily men who claim they can help people either get rich or increase their influence to help them get rich. They talk about automating Amazon sales, playing in cryptocurrencies, and investing in the right stocks. They sell classes where they teach you how to do this but really all they’re doing is selling you another class, getting rich from your increasing debt. It hit a few of the buttons I was moving around: scams, self-help, MLMs, and influencer culture.
Where am I in this process?
This will likely be another collection of short stories. This means I can write the stories as they come to me. The struggle has been to find videos of women as fake gurus. This seems to be male-dominated. Usually, I start writing stories, creating characters, and the story comes to me. The connective thread, the blog in Kraulaak, and research notes in Bribre, come last as I determine what gaps need to be filled to get us to the next story.
What decisions do I have to make?
- First, I think we can easily pick up with Patty and continue her story. I feel like she’s a good fake guru candidate, building on her MLM success. One story in Bribre included a request that she write her biography from a template, exploring her success. That feels like our beginning.
- Second, I have to figure out the rules for the cult. Kraulaak was built around a town that figured out what they do over time. Bribre was built around a cult that has rules and procedures. They have keys that can be used to unlock portals. I need a better sense of those rules. I need to know which rules the gurus play by. This means a little more research into cults. I am going to look at Scientology and NVXIM for that. I like the idea of a scorched earth policy that ends with you leaving the earth.
- Third, I have to write the first story, consider my first victim, and see what other stories I want to tell.
- Fourth, I have to consider how to connect all these stories together. My instinct is to follow a vlogger on YouTube who does video updates and interviews. This will allow a build-up to Rouge Gamma’s eventual story.
- Last, I have to pick some names! Not just characters but for systems and organizations.
I hope you enjoy this deep dive exploring how this next collection of short stories will evolve. This will likely transition to the next horror project, once my fantasy novel is published.
Sara Marks is an author, librarian, and project manager. As a multi-genre, self-publishing author, she has learned the various elements of the publishing experience and is always looking to learn more. She treats each book like a project, setting goals and working step by step to finish the project, all the way from conception of an idea to promoting the book. You can find her at http://saramarks.net.
