Posted inAmbulations

StokerCon 2019 Recap

The Horror Writers Association now runs the dominant convention for writers on the dark side, StokerCon -- named after Bram Stoker (author of Dracula) and the trophy of the award the association gives to the top books in the horror genre each year. StokerCon convenes annually for serious horror professionals who want to learn and reconnect with the horror genre through topical panel discussions, excellent author readings, significant writing workshops, a mass booksigning and varied presentations… climaxing in a formal Bram Stoker Awards banquet, which celebrates the genre’s top practitioners with what I think remains the coolest trophy in the…
May 16, 2019Posted inAmbulations
Posted inAmbulations

Snapshots of StokerCon 2017

Although there are about 30 Bram Stoker Award banquets in the history books, this season's StokerCon 2017 was only the second time the Horror Writers Association has run a full-fledged convention, highlighting the genre with panel discussions, author readings, writing workshops, booksignings and varied presentations… culminating in the Award banquet, awarding the genre’s top practitioners with what I think remains the coolest trophy in the world: a creepy "house of usher" statuette.  And this year's conference, held aboard the famous ship moored in the docks of Long Beach, CA -- the Queen Mary -- was majestic and creepy as all…
May 1, 2017Posted inAmbulations2 Comments
Posted inArnzen News

Squirm and Squirm Again: Arnzen Course at Horror University – StokerCon 2017

I'll be returning to the HWA's StokerCon event (this year held on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA) on April 27-30th, 2017... to teach "Making Readers Squirm"! Visit the StokerCon website or see my upcoming event listings for further details. Registration is required; you can get a discount for signing up for multiple courses by luminary writers (like Jack Ketchum, Tim Wagonner, Jonathan Maberry, and many others) throughout the weekend. You can also apply for a "Scholarship from Hell" for a chance to get assistance to attend. Last year's event was the initial StokerCon and it was a riotous…
February 4, 2017Posted inArnzen News
Posted inAmbulations

Snapshots of StokerCon 2016

StokerCon 2016 was the inaugural convention sponsored by the Horror Writers Association, highlighting the genre with panel discussions, readings, writing workshops, booksignings and presentations... culminating in the Bram Stoker Award banquet, awarding the genre's top practitioners with the coolest trophy in the world. It was a blast. Lots of great writers were up for and won the trophy, including some of my closest friends in the business from Raw Dog Screaming Press and Seton Hill U's MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. My workshop on "Making the Reader Squirm" went very well, engendering plenty of squirmy moments and good writing by…
May 18, 2016Posted inAmbulations2 Comments
Posted inArnzen News

Spring 16 Appearances

We're moving into the season for literary conferences and conventions, and it feels like I'm crawling out from under a snow-covered mossy rock, so I thought I'd post a general update on things I'm planning to do after I blink away the sun blindness. Among other things, I'll be a guest at two big cons in the horror genre. The 2016 World Horror Con in Provo, Utah runs April 28th-May 1st, and I'm fortunate to be one of the special guests. This promises to be an intimate con, with a great chance to hang out and chat with writers and…
April 6, 2016Posted inArnzen News