165 – Josh Malerman & Ronald Malfi & The Rock N Roll Rhythm of the Novella

Talking Scared

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Some stories are too short, some are too long, but some stories are just right. It’s the Goldilocks zone: the novella.

What is the secret to crafting a longer story but not letting it run away from you? How do you sustain the terror beyond the shortest form? How do you know what to keep in and what to cut out?
This is the art of the novella, and I’m joined by a pair of expert practitioners to talk it through. Josh Malerman and Ronald Malfi have both published novella collections this year – Ron’s They Lurk and Josh’s Spin a Black Yarn contain multitudes. From motel-lot self-mutilation to deathbed serial killer confessions, via the Oregon backwoods and the core of Saturn(!!), these stories take us to places without wasting a word.
Josh and Ron provide a masterclass on the art of the novella, as well as ALL the enthusiasm you could ever pack into an hour of conversation. This one will put a smile on your face and inspiration in your typin’ fingers!

Enjoy.

They Lurk was published was published on July 18th by Titan; Spin a Black Yarn was published August 15th by Del Rey

Books mentioned:

Daphne (2022), by Josh Malerman

Goblin (2021), by Josh Malerman

Ghostwritten (2022), by Ronald Malfi

Pet Sematary (1983), by Stephen King

The Long Walk (1979), by Stephen King

Mrs Dalloway (1925) by Virginia Woolf

Houses Without Doors (1990), by Peter Straub

Bloom (2023), by Delilah S. Dawson

The Turn of the Screw (1898), by Henry James

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