Christina Graves - Horror Writing Tips and Indie Publishing Insights

The Publishing Performance Show

Christina Graves is a creative writing student, indie author, and digital artist residing in the Deep South where legend and scary stories wander hand in hand. Her debut novel, "Still Dark Places," was released through Horrorsmith Publishing and launched their thriller imprint, Thrill Forge. With a unique blend of southern gothic atmosphere and thriller pacing, Christina offers insights into the world of indie publishing and the creative process behind writing suspenseful fiction.
In this episode:

• Christina's journey from aspiring writer to published author
• The process of writing and structuring a dual-timeline novel
• Insights into the indie publishing process with Horrorsmith Publishing
• Balancing writing with family life and other commitments
• The transition from horror to domestic thriller in her upcoming work
• The importance of authenticity in genre writing
• Strategies for building tension and suspense in fiction
• The value of networking and community in the writing world

Resources mentioned:

• Horrorsmith Publishing
• Books and Brews conference
• Killer Nashville conference

Book recommendations:

• "Consider This" by Chuck Palahniuk
• "On Writing" by Stephen King

Connect with Christina Graves:

• Substack: https://christinagraves.substack.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinagravesauthor/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinagraveseauthor
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinagravesauthor
• Author of Still, Dark Places: https://books2read.com/stilldarkplaces

Upcoming work:

• "What We Do in Secret" (domestic thriller set to release in April 2025, available for preorder)
• "This Cabin is Ours" (serialized novella on Substack)

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

Join our Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/publishingperformance/

Kapitler

1. Christina Graves - Horror Writing Tips and Indie Publishing Insights (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to Christina Graves and her book "Still Dark Places" (00:01:00)

3. Description of the book and its dual storyline structure (00:01:12)

4. Discussion about writing horror and Gothic Southern fiction (00:02:20)

5. Writing process for dual storylines (00:03:00)

6. Editing and organizing the storylines (00:04:00)

7. Writing style: hybrid of plotting and pantsing (00:06:30)

8. Building tension in horror writing (00:10:13)

9. Genre classification: horror vs thriller (00:13:00)

10. Publishing journey and finding Horrorsmith Publishing (00:16:00)

11. Marketing strategies and social media presence (00:24:30)

12. Advice for aspiring horror writers (00:26:30)

13. Social media presence and where to find her work (00:32:16)

14. Book recommendation: "Consider This" by Chuck Palahniuk (00:33:33)