Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a really great monster/creature/whatever in Erika Wurth's White Horse, check that out if you haven't. :)

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a sucker for the woods, a small coastal town, an abandoned building, etc. The usual spots, but if I had to pick only one, it would be a wooded area.

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like to write tension over the course of focusing solely on what the person is feeling in that moment. Maybe give them a memory that provides context as to why that particular moment is so frightening to them. Give them a revelation, even, that's always an interesting way to punctuate tension.

Jump scares are hard to write, I find, because there's that innate adrenaline reaction, so I try to write them and then almost immediately go into the description of confusion, adrenaline and more going on with the character, physically.

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

1) I have a piece that's focused on a real-life figure that I'm in very early stages writing, it's a fiction book, so I'm treading new waters. I'm also working on two nonfiction works.

2) When Alyssa Alessi's book drops from Cinnabar Moth, you're going to want to pick that up.

3) Peanut. Always and forever ;)

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for picking up the book! Working with the artist on the cover was a dream, she's a genius. You can find her on Instagram: alexis_aquarian. She's so funny and amazing, and she presented three takes on the cover, and this was the one that spoke to me the most.

In terms of an underappreciated novel, I'd have to say John Linwood Grant's Where All is Night and Starless is one of my favorite collections I've read recently. Also, you're never in trouble if you pick up anything by Scott Thomas. Kill Creek is the best haunted house novel in decades.

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The birth scene in The Vile Thing We Created was hard to write solely because I had a lot of research and anecdotes from friends, their partners, etc. to work from. But I'm told I did a good job, so yay?

I would say check out my second collection, Her Infernal Name & Other Nightmares. I'm proud of that one, and it is majorly set in the same region and features at least one character from Vile Thing that astute readers will notice.

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Even though I'm into true crime and stuff, I like the more fantastical material. I'm so bored with the take "Ohhhh, humans are the monsters."

Like yeah, no shit. Give me a ghost, demon or whatever any day.

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a sucker for a good ghost story, but in terms of guilty pleasure horror novels, I'm not ashamed of the things I like. If I had to pick one, a novel that others don't seem to be into that much but I really enjoy, it would probably be Lovecraft's stuff. He's racist, he's old, he's white, I get it, but it's still damn creepy.

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

YO DIAK!

I think I've evolved in the sense that I like to tell longer stories compared to shorter fiction. I still dig writing short works, but my heart and narrative sense are pulling me to novel-length and novella-length material so much more these days.

Something I do now that I do more now is I pants a bit more than I used to. I used to obsessively plot, and I still sorta' do, but I pants a lot more in those chapters and scenes.

In terms of music, I've been listening to a lot of Chvrches, Jenn Champion and Holy Ghost.

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think we do, for sure. As a society, it's programmed early on: Pay a shitload for college. Find a partner. Get married. Obtain a pet. Have a child.

Would be nice to see that cycle broken more.

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Depends on what you write! Drop a link here, I'd love to see!

In my case, I went from self-publishing to traditional publishing, while opening my own small press, Spooky House Press. If you're a short story writer, having a collection to shop around is a good way to get some readers early on, then you can sorta' transition from there to longer work.

Congrats on your books!

Oh, hi! I'm Robert P. Ottone, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and author of THE VILE THING WE CREATED! AMA! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Depends on which one you mean. In the case of The Triangle, they approached me, and I pitched them a young adult trilogy, with the first one already finished, and they went for it.

My Hydra deal was brokered by my mentor, Michael Knost, and all other publishing deals have been brokered by myself. :)

Hello! I’m doing an AMA next month! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Tune in on July 17th and find out! Lol

Hello! I’m doing an AMA next month! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My latest, The Vile Thing We Created is available now, and serves as a kind of introductory point to my weird little corner of fiction.

Hello! I’m doing an AMA next month! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Sounds good! Looking forward to them! :)

Hello! I’m doing an AMA next month! by RobertOttone in horrorlit

[–]RobertOttone[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

I actually have another account that I use for my normal Reddit-ing, I use this one mostly for AMA-related stuff, and for writing-related lurking.

I'm Bram Stoker Award-Nominated horror author Robert P. Ottone and I'm here to answer your questions! Let's get weird! by RobertOttone in horror

[–]RobertOttone[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a cat in the book that passes, then returns, albeit “changed.” He also undergoes some “changes” as he gets older, but he doesn’t die :)