Eric Larocca ON: Creating VIRAL horror sensations

16-10-2023 • 52 mins

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Eric LaRocca (he/they) is the Bram Stoker Award®-nominated and Splatterpunk Award-winning author of several works of horror and dark fiction, including the viral sensation, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. A lover of luxury fashion and an admirer of European musical theatre, Eric can often be found roaming the streets of his home city, Boston, MA, for inspiration.

In this episode we go deep into:

Monsters - favorites to watch and read, favorites to write about
Human monsters (e.g. true crime, serial killers) - the worst kind of horror
Writing Journey - the theatre, short fiction, small presses
Debut Novel that went viral! Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
NEW release (short stories re-released)
How to cultivate a viral sensation - there isn’t a simple answer! The perfect storm
Novella - You’ve Lost a lot of Blood - a good follow up to the viral book
What happens when there are MANY opinions about a book, controversy and the right motivation for it. Heart behind writing.
The feeling of appreciation for a well received book, how to handle the amount of feedback, and the follow up book…
The evolution of the creative process
The writing community - finding your community and relying on them
Titles - Let’s talk titles! Gory murder mystery influence from the 70s/80s
Influences - what speaks to you
Upcoming books - Writing from the heart
The importance of being authentic (your readers will know) - Being true to yourself
What makes good horror
Realism in characters
The importance of having eyes on your work (before printing)
Underrated authors that people should know more about
The last show you could ever watch - fun question!
Where to find Eric
The meaning behind Hysteric Teeth