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Middle Grade Horror with Author John Ward

In this episode of Killer Prose, Tanner sits down with John Ward, author of the Scareville series, to discuss the nuances of writing middle-grade and adult horror. John shares his journey into writing, including early influences like Goosebumps, his writing process, and how he approaches crafting horror stories for younger audiences. They get into the challenges of transitioning between middle-grade and adult horror, the importance of updating horror for modern audiences, and practical advice for new writers. The episode also covers John's new projects, including his upcoming adult horror novel, 'Black and Heart, Black and Soul.'

Then, Tanner provides updates on creating a writer's community, moving live writing sprints to Discord, and his own experiences with using dictation to enhance productivity.

00:00 Happy Halloween and Introduction

01:07 Meet John Ward: Middle Grade Horror Author

01:25 John Ward's Writing Journey

03:21 Crafting Middle Grade Horror

05:06 Challenges and Insights in Writing for Young Audiences

12:05 Transitioning to Adult Horror

16:41 The Importance of Book Covers

24:30 John Ward's Upcoming Projects

25:34 Advice for Aspiring Horror Writers

26:28 Tanner's Writing and Show Updates

Connect with John and find his books at https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BZBG9DQN?ccs_id=4f6c145e-5a67-4996-8ee7-1e7534f1e303

Connect with the Killer Prose at: https://www.killerprose.com

Connect with Tanner and sign up for the newsletter at https://tannerrutledgebooks.com/

Check out the merch and support the show at: https://www.killerprose.com/store

Email me at: writingfright@gmail.com

Connect with me on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/writingfright

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/killerprosepodcast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ1HGx45K7dwaYIRJg_VcYQ?themeRefresh=1

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/killerprosepodcast

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About your host

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Tanner Rutledge

Tanner Rutledge writes small-town mysteries and supernatural thrillers. Before turning to fiction, he spent 15 years as a private investigator, working on everything from missing persons to homicide cases. Those years gave him an intimate understanding of motivation and the quick thinking it takes to crack a case.

Tanner’s love of storytelling started early. He was the kid who wrote spooky tales for his second-grade classmates and stayed was always up late reading Stephen King and RL Stine under the covers. In college, he studied criminal justice but couldn’t stay away from creative writing and literature classes. When the world shut down in 2020, he finally gave himself permission to shift his focus back to writing and hasn’t looked back since.

He also hosts The Killer Prose Podcast, where he talks about the craft of writing, creativity, and the strange overlap between true crime and the paranormal.

When he’s not writing, you can usually find him spending time with his family or hanging out with his little black cat, Broccoli—his constant companion and occasional editor.