We sat down and peppered Nathan after posting his Lovecraftian tale, Lillywhite End. We recommend you read the story first as there may be some spoilers ahead.

Q1. How did you come up with the idea for this story (and how much Lovecraft do you read)?

I read a ton of Lovecraft, and I think it shows here! I love the horror trope that sometimes things just… vanish… suddenly, our poor Nigel finds himself in a place that could almost be said to resemble Innsmouth, especially with the horrible footfalls Nigel hears getting closer and closer from the water!

Q2. This is going to sound twisted, but I love how hopeful this story is at the start and then everything is ripped away. It leaves us feeling deeply unsettled, which is so effective. Was that your aim with this?

Poor Nigel, after a difficult period in his life, is finally getting back to a stable place. He’s just starting to relax. Then, suddenly, everything he knows is gone and he’s thrust into this strange street, Lillywhite End. I find disorientation is a very frightening state, and by having this fall upon Nigel, I feel it made for a great tense situation with heightened drama as he realizes that everything he knows is gone.

Q3. For me reading this, it very much has mental health as a theme in the story. Did you have this in mind when writing it?

Like so many others, I’ve faced challenges with my own mental health. I’m very lucky to have a great support network and I’m doing well! I do enjoy that Nigel’s instability adds a question mark to his situation, without trying to take away any legitimacy. He’s not hallucinating or edging into a breakdown, and this is illustrated by Carmen’s inability to find him in such a wide-open space.

Q4. How much of your time do you spend writing short stories versus other projects?

As an ‘emerging writer’, I find that the short story market is a good place to break into publishing. I’ve always wanted to be a novelist, and I do have one finished and edited novel entitled Still Pond. I work on that intermittently, and hope to focus primarily on novel-length works in the future, but I do enjoy a good short story too! I’ll always have one or two on the go no matter what!

Q5. What other works do you have on the go? Anything you’d like to promote?

I do have an upcoming publication (“this year”, but not more specific) entitled The Hole Behind The Barn. It’s coming out through Black Hare Press as part of their Short Reads series! It’s a weird tale about a farmer who discovers a ‘hole’ which is how he refers to a portal of sorts, and the lengths he goes to in protecting his young son from it.

I also have Still Pond 95% ready to be queried to agents, and I hope you’ll all be able to read it soon! It’s mostly a folk horror story, set in an old mansion in a rural area that’s almost completely unsettled. There are creepy kids, strange energies, and a weird hallway to nowhere that’s in the cellar… sometimes. It’s going to be great!