Today I’m back with Donna Emerich and her take on those who have influenced her into the horror genre. It’s always fascinating to see where we’ve come from and who’s nudged us along, so I’ll let Donna have the floor!
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My influence in horror came in several ways. As a child my parents took us to a triple feature at the drive in on Saturday nights. While my dad and older brother feel asleep, I along with my mother had our faces glued to the screen watching all the blood & gore unfold.
As a young teen I spent most of my time reading all the books I could get my hands on. ” I didn’t have a soical life except baby sitting.” I became curious as to why ” women ” were always portriated as ladies in destress or promiscuous bimbo’s, the women were given less than ” great ” quality’s.
At sixteen I had an unusual experience that brought to light the strength I ” felt ” women should have. A local family from the area I was raised in had all the elements I loved. The maternal figure ran the family. Women were strong, stead fast and as tough as any man. The men’s antics caught up to them a spree of robbery, arson and an accidental murder. I watched the trial with fascination. this brought me to a decision ” I wanted to work in the legal system. I loved what I refer to as ” realistic horror “.
I discovered that ” true life ” events are sometimes scarier than any monster you can dream up in your mind.
I got injured in an work accident , I spent ten years reading and watching movies. I felt many story’s lacked action. I started writing, developing characters that showed ” real life ” can be the scariest ” of all. Women ” serial killers ” are not very prevelent in our society. So when I write a story I make them stand out leaving readers with thoughts such as These people could be my neighbors, I can relate to this family or my favorite I know what it’s like to be picked on and bullied. It’s good to like a villian.
Women writers are usually classified as romance, erotica, self help or other proper things for women to write about. Never given the credit deserved in our male dominated field.
Living in MO I have a new favorite book & history behind it, that proves women are not to be taken lightly. The Bloody Benders is set in Kansas in the late 1800’s. This story is about a serial killing family where the ” daughter ” runs the show. They kill travelers that stop in for a meal on the trial between two towns. This is why I feel that sometimes ” real life ” is scarier than fiction.
Women need to be given equality in writing as well as in the characters. I feel women should create chaos, blood, guts, gore “ass kicking ” take no crap female characters. No more ” powder puff girly girls “. Let’s take over ladies of horror.
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