Lovecraftian Horror

10/30/20 • 40 min

Lovecraft was a racist and a bad writer, yet his ideas and his stories live on. So what do we do with them?

CONSUME: “The Ballad of Black Tom” (novella) by Victor Lavalle, “Lovecraft Country” (tv series) on HBO, “The City We Became” (novel) by NK Jemisin

CREATE: 1) Write 100-200 words about a hole that appears in the sky. Use this to explore fear of the unknown. When did the hole appear? What is it doing from our perspective? Don’t describe what’s in the hole or how it formed. Just describe how people react to its appearance. 2) Write 100-200 words about exactly what the hole is, and what it does. This second story can just be a sketch. Allow yourself to strip away all horror and just see the hole for exactly what it is.

Join the SWT Membership community to share your work, give feedback, and connect with other artists: https://www.patreon.com/startwiththis

Help spread the word about our show by wearing our logo: https://topatoco.com/collections/startwiththisFollow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Credits: Jeffrey Cranor (host) & Joseph Fink (host), Jeffrey Cranor (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer). Rob Wilson (logo).

Theme written and performed by Joseph Fink. If you'd like your own cover of the theme song featured on this show, email us at [email protected] or share it in our membership community.

Produced by Night Vale Presents.

http://www.startwiththispodcast.comhttp://www.nightvalepresents.com

Lovecraft was a racist and a bad writer, yet his ideas and his stories live on. So what do we do with them?

CONSUME: “The Ballad of Black Tom” (novella) by Victor Lavalle, “Lovecraft Country” (tv series) on HBO, “The City We Became” (novel) by NK Jemisin

Join the SWT Membership community to share your work, give feedback, and connect with other artists: https://www.patreon.com/startwiththis

Help spread the word about our show by wearing our logo: https://topatoco.com/collections/startwiththisFollow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Credits: Jeffrey Cranor (host) & Joseph Fink (host), Jeffrey Cranor (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer). Rob Wilson (logo).

Theme written and performed by Joseph Fink. If you'd like your own cover of the theme song featured on this show, email us at [email protected] or share it in our membership community.

Produced by Night Vale Presents.

http://www.startwiththispodcast.comhttp://www.nightvalepresents.com

Previous Episode

Agency

A character has a problem. As a result of that problem, they make a decision. As a result of that decision, they change.

CONSUME: “Schitt’s Creek” on Netflix

CREATE: Write a 200-word story about a super spy who has been incapacitated by a super villain. He’s chained to a conveyor belt on his way into an incinerator. Or locked inside a cage being lowered into the ocean. Then they make a decision based on their experience. Maybe it’s action, strength, wit, or intelligence. But they make a decision, and that decision has a consequence (they escape! They get injured! A bystander gets hurt!). And in the end, something significant has changed for them, and it’s because of that choice and the consequence.

Join the SWT Membership community to share your work, give feedback, and connect with other artists: https://www.patreon.com/startwiththis

Help spread the word about our show by wearing our logo: https://topatoco.com/collections/startwiththisFollow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Credits: Jeffrey Cranor (host) & Joseph Fink (host), Jeffrey Cranor (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer). Rob Wilson (logo).

Theme written and performed by Joseph Fink. If you'd like your own cover of the theme song featured on this show, email us at [email protected] or share it in our membership community.

Produced by Night Vale Presents.

http://www.startwiththispodcast.comhttp://www.nightvalepresents.com

Next Episode

Non-Lovecraftian Horror

There's so much more to horror, we couldn’t stop at Lovecraft.

CONSUME: Watch any of the movies on Joseph’s horror movie recommendation list: https://twitter.com/PlanetofFinks/status/1311695218505379841?s=20

CREATE: Think about an irrational fear you have of something real. This should not be a fear that is reasonable, but something like: fear of flying, fear of wasps, fear of the dark (these are all just fears Joseph has, I’m sure you have your own). Now instead of thinking about the source of that fear, think about your own feelings. What kinds of fears are activated by this phobia? Loss of control? Fear of the unknown? Fear of pain? Now write a 300-500 word story about that fear, but replace the focus of your fear (wasps, flying, etc.) with a supernatural entity. Could be a ghost or a zombie or a demon or an alien or whatever. But still, even though it’s now a supernatural story, try to recreate the exact feeling of fear your phobia gives you.

Join the SWT Membership community to share your work, give feedback, and connect with other artists: https://www.patreon.com/startwiththis

Help spread the word about our show by wearing our logo: https://topatoco.com/collections/startwiththisFollow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Credits: Jeffrey Cranor (host) & Joseph Fink (host), Jeffrey Cranor (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer). Rob Wilson (logo).

Theme written and performed by Joseph Fink. If you'd like your own cover of the theme song featured on this show, email us at [email protected] or share it in our membership community.

Produced by Night Vale Presents.

http://www.startwiththispodcast.comhttp://www.nightvalepresents.com