Interview with Ruth Ann Evans by David Kempf

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Ruth Ann Evans

1. Tell us how you became interested in writing.

I have been interested in writing since elementary school when I would write little stories and poems and bombard my teachers with them. I have always loved writing essays for school too. However, as an adult, I never had any ideas for fiction, which was what I really wanted to write, until I stumbled upon the idea of horror. From there, everything just started to flow.


2. Do you prefer short stories or novels?

I write short. I build my characters efficiently and have fast-paced plots. I definitely prefer it that way because it keeps writing exciting. My longest novella was about 22,000 words. Someday I may write a novel, but if not, I am okay with that. I also prefer to read short. If I put a book down, I may not come back to it, so I love a one-sitting read.


3. How would you classify the genre of writing in your work?

I call it extreme emotional horror. My characters deal with real-life horrors cranked up to 100. I have a lot of body horror elements in my writing and a good dose of medical horror as well.


4. What is your average writing workday like?

I like to write about once a week. I really focus on word count because it motivates me a lot. I usually write in short bursts, little sprints that lead up to a thousand or a few thousand words. If I am not into it, I give myself a break. I want writing to stay fun. I write a lot in my head while driving.


5. What inspires your stories?

Real-life fears. I am not an anxious person, but I am someone who thinks about the worst-case scenario a lot. My early horror stories were about bad things happening to children because, as a mother, that was my greatest fear. I write extreme medical horror because I have a lot of medical issues in my life and a lot of fear related to that. Writing about these things makes me feel less alone. It makes me feel like something positive is coming from my struggles.


6. What are your favorite horror books?

I love Tiny Nightmares. It was the first horror book I read when I was getting started in writing horror. My favorite novel is The Shining. I love adventure horror, like Whalefall and The Terror. I also really like horror that is just below the surface, like Rosemary’s Baby.


7. What are your favorite horror movies?

I love found footage horror, so obviously The Blair Witch Project. Creep was so scary and cool. As Above, So Below is another favorite. My favorite classic horror movie is the same as my favorite horror book, The Shining.


8. What do you think the difference between American horror and British horror is?

I am not going to pretend to know. It seems like it is mostly individual.


9. Why do you think horror books and novels remain so popular?

Life is hard. Horror books are intense enough to grab and keep our attention away from all of the challenges we deal with day to day. Horror is exciting, and connecting with other people who like horror is fun. Dark things are fun. I think it may just be that simple.


10. What are your future projects?

I am working on a new anthology. It is going to be childbirth horror, and it is going to be intense. The call is open right now until December 23.



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