Soren Narnia patreon

coming in April

🕑 Added 2025-03-18 16:58:59 +0000 UTC

Comments

AMurraySmith

Soren - thank you so much for this. What a wonderfully generous thing to share all this hard-won knowledge and guidance with us. Absolute gold dust, every sentence.

Mel

It is Archive of our Own! 🙏🏻 And I can't find results when I search for that username :(

Jill E Merrill

Oh. I'm under_a_black_ cloud on AO3

Jill E Merrill

AO3. Is that archive of our own? Haven't posted for decades but I still have an account there. Sad, but I still get kudos on my almost suicide story.

Rebecca R

Yep. Esp hand knitted ones . Oh, forgot false teeth. As a small child was left with an elderly neighbour, who, in the middle of reading aloud, paused as she'd semi detached her dentures, tipping her head back, to see my reaction. There's no need for gore really, when the most utterly mundane things can kind of break your brain given the right circumstances.

Soren Narnia

Fingerpuppets, aaiiiieeeeeeee!!!

Rebecca R

Loved this , thank you especially the later parts, and the need for it to be fun. As for working with our own fears...I'm not sure Watership Down, ex- body parts growing back ( just tonsils, partially, so far, but staying vigilant ), eggs ( hardboiled, especially) and fingerpuppets would go down , but could be interesting

Justin Dubin

“Enjoy your mind.” Oh wow… Man… I didn’t know how badly I needed to hear that

Ryan Fahey

A very enjoyable and inspiring listen, thank you.

Thorne Russell

I like to think of myself as spooky and dark and mysterious but more often than not “Torte in Faccia” is playing in my head.

David

WAHEY! I’ve been unable to write a word these last few months. Hopefully this will kick me out of a slump.

paranewandrew

This didn't just feel like great horror writing/podcasting advice, but great life advice. The Vonnegut quote and story was exactly what I needed to hear - I felt my eyes well up a bit. Thank you.

Soren Narnia

Yeah, I definitely see that point. Gotta admire the writers who stay edgy and daring even into their autumn years!

Patreon Username #4345

Regarding enjoying our creative brain while we can, and improving as an author, I just read an interview with China Mieville and I think this snippet was interesting, regarding one of his early works: “When I look back at it now, it’s such a young person’s book,” said Miéville in an exclusive phone interview earlier this month. “In terms of the writing, I couldn't write this now. I think I'm a better writer in some respects, but there's also a loss because you have a certain kind of confidence and excitement that I don't think is there anymore.”

Thorne Russell

Please release the one you did about Carl’s Jr. Please 🙏🏻

Patreon Username #4345

This was great- Hearing about your process is truly fascinating- thank you for sharing!

Mel

Thank you, that's very sweet of you 🫶🏻 I'll gladly share if you're interested but it feels a little inappropriate to share links here. I post on AO3 under the name MayLaNee, but it's locked to only users to prevent AI getting to regurgitate my sentences. ^^;

Cameron Ulam

Second this! Killing it over there, Soren! 👏

Cameron Ulam

I have read and listened to many lectures and tips on writing, and this is now my favorite gathering of ideas 💡 thank you so much for sharing, what a gift and one I needed so much this year to continue keeping writing fun and just for me 🎁 You are one of my favorite writers, thank you for sharing your work with the world. It’s so unique 👹

Audrey C

Love the artwork and what a fun surprise to get to hear some behind the scenes commentary on your writing process! Looking forward to listening this week.

Jill E Merrill

Hey Mel don't dis yourself for writing fan fiction. True your characters are already defined but you can take them places they'd never otherwise go. I'm re-watching an old tv show about which I've written and read fan fiction and I swear so much off what I've read is so much better than the show. Also fan fiction is a great starting off point for writing original fiction. Or just a great way to have fun. I'd love to read some of yours if you like.

Jill E Merrill

LOL. Sorry. But it's so like me to feel angst about the upcoming choice to immerse myself in angst. I bet if I read all these comments, I'd be so full of angst it would be straight to the sugar and streaming re-runs of scary movies and tv. At least I'm prepared for the horror if I've already watched/listened to/read it.

Jill E Merrill

Not so much fun to Google it.

Jill E Merrill

Please give it a try. The unknowability of the body written by an author terrified of the unknowability of the body. Such potential!

Jill E Merrill

Good take. I was mostly thrilled when I was pregnant and my fears had nothing to do with Rosemary's Baby. Although the movie scared me to death. Poor you (and Lori K) for being pregnant while you watched it. But it was a choice; you knew it wasn't a rom-com (hate that term). I agree that most fear is about loss of control: Insidious killer diseases that make you lose control of your body, politics that make you and others lose control of important aspects of life, rabid mass shooters who kill for no apparent reason... you get the point. But my biggest fear is loss of control of my mind. Why can't I get these worries out of my head? Horror stories are great for that unless they're as scary as "The Exorcist" or "Rosemary's Baby" or "the walking people (?)". They replace your horrors with someone else's.

BB Schaiks

I read Under the Volcano while nursing my first child and it worked for me

Lori K.

That’s a great idea

Emily T

We could write a guide on what not to watch when pregnant. (For instance, maybe not The Brood or The House of the Devil.)

Lori K.

Well said! Lack of control, can’t see what’s coming, which means you’re unable to prepare yourself. I watched Blue Velvet and read Interview with the Vampire during my first pregnancy, and I could NOT handle either one. So weird because today I love them both. But like you said, loss of control for the women and girls in both. Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist…your child the victim of evil forces and you’re helpless! Phew! That felt good. 😊

Soren Narnia

The unknowability of the body is such a terror that I'm afraid to even write about it, gahhhh!

Emily T

I have only listened to a quarter of it but i thought it was interesting that Soren talked about the fear of the unknown and cited Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist as examples when to me the fear of the unknown is really the fear of loss of control- specifically the uncontrollable female body : so the pregnancy in RB demonstrates the horror and the unknowability of the body (i watched it while pregnant and… it was not great) and poor Regan pees, vomits, and friggin spider crawls backwards because her body is completely out of control. It made me think about how maybe all fear is about the loss of control, even if it’s not necessarily about bodies out of control, and how that plays out in Soren’s stories (i do think Elements might be a great example of a female body out of control, btw.) sorry, i was an annoying english major.

Mike M.

This has really been a great year for you. Your stories have been outstanding, your extra content really fun. Now this to enjoy. Thanks Soren! You make the days brighter.

Lori K.

Thank YOU, Jill

Lori K.

I want to know more about this internal argument…I LOVE a good movie debate

Emily T

I have decided true contentment is listening to you talk about writing (and internally arguing with you about the movies you cite) while cooking dinner. Thank you- I have zero imagination but I love good writing and it’s so cool to listen to your process. (Also, it’s pasta with broccoli rabe in case you want leftovers.)

Jill E Merrill

I think I accidentally deleted Lori's comment on addition to Soren's. I'll probably accidentally delete this comment too. Anyhow, optimistically, thanks, Lori.

Soren Narnia

It’s just fun to say “fingerburger”

Jill E Merrill

Ack! I inadvertent deleted your comment about the finger burger without writing my response: "Good thing I'm a vegetarian." Which thinking about it doesn't make sense. I'd delete this response but I don't know how to do that intentionally.

Lori K.

Jill, you never disappoint ☺️👏

Soren Narnia

Finding a beating heart in a cupcake is way cooler than finding a fingertip in a Big Mac.

Jill E Merrill

Brilliant. I learned so much and it wasn't boring! A few parts that this listener really enjoyed: . Three crows sitting on a wire. Yeah you said four but I've always liked the trope of three. So.. Three crows on a wire = impending doom. Nine crows sitting on a wire = Stephen King short story I've forgotten the name of. Eighteen crows sitting on a wire = beginning of Hitchcock's "The Birds." Cool. . Vonnegut's "forget about good" and your advice to keep everything you write. I once wrote a terrible story. I reread it and it was so bad I had to delete it. Not just put it in the trash. Not just "Do you really want you delete it?" Yes. "Do you really want to permanently delete it?" Yes! "Are you sure?" YES! I've wanted to re-read that story so badly so many times and never understood my regret at deleting it. Now I know why. Because it was so terrible! . Funny coincidence. Listening to the British Baking Show idea reminded me of a tv show episode I watched yesterday in which a cursed cupcake baker found actual beating hearts in her cupcakes. No new idea under the dark stormy pretentious clouds. I could go on but just apply this way overly long reply to your entire piece. Thank you!!!

Soren Narnia

Tarpy’s tryin’! Always tryin’!

Thorne Russell

Nice to see Tarpy back in the thick of it! So cool.

Mel

Thank you so so much! The only thing I write is fanfiction but horror is my favourite genre and there are so few who get it right. You do. I can't wait to listen 🫶🏻

Amanda Mitzel

Thank you so much for this, Soren.

Nicole

I'm excited to give this a listen. Thank you!

Kelvin

Thanks for this! Pretty insightful stuff for things to focus on

Jeanette DeMain

This was really interesting! And quite generous of you as well.

Lori K.

Damn, you’re spoiling us, Soren, but also raising expectations dangerously high. What about May? I’m thinkin’ already. June? Will he leave us high and dry all summer? This recent outpouring is giving me angst ;)

Soren Narnia

I did accidentally record a 2 hour and 40 minute rant against Tubi for changing their logo... is that anything?

Albin Glasell

Looking forward to listen to this!

Jamie G Hardy

Yap away! I'm still waiting for a 3-4 hr epic (although I have your longer non-horror tales). Love the extra Gainesburger treats (wonder what Basil would think of Gainesburgers, since they seem to be extinct).