About the Scrawler Tapes

I started this blog with two intentions: 1) To share the thoughts and lessons I have already worked through as I developed my writing craft, and 2) To try to stave off starting yet another new book by scratching the itch to create something inspired by found footage and analog horror. It remains to be seen how successful I have been at achieving point two.

I’m still a pretty new author, but I have been honing my writing for many years as an academic and in creative writing spaces. In this blog, I talk about the lessons I have learned from all areas of my life, including insights about the deep work behind worldbuilding and outlining, the anatomy of a paragraph, and the challenges of writing emotional arcs.

In this blog, I want to touch on subjects about which I sometimes struggled to find advice. If you have questions about a particular part of the craft, reach out! Even if I don’t have an answer, I might know someone who does. I hope people of any skill or experience level might find something useful in at least one of these posts, but this blog is primarily geared toward beginners and other folks around my level. This is my attempt at sharing what I’ve learned so far.

My advice is far from perfect. Your mileage may vary! Nevertheless, these are my lessons, and hopefully they will at least suggest a direction for you. Thank you for reading.

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About the Archivist

I’m a horror and dark fantasy author from Durham, NC. By day, I work in books marketing for an academic press, and by every other time frame I scribble or dream up new stories, myths, and monsters.

In 2019, I earned my PhD in history from Duke University, and I bring to everything I do a love of the archive and a belief that reality truly is stranger than fiction.

I live with my partner, an unruly garden, and too many unfinished knitting projects to count. In my spare time I read (and sometimes edit) for Necksnap Magazine, and I’m an active member of the Carolinas chapter of the Horror Writers’ Association. To read my published work, check out my author website or my Linktr.ee. For the latest news about me, check out the Archivist Abroad page.

I live and work on the historical and unceded territories of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina and support Land Back and land stewardship efforts in my state. You can find where you live on native-land.ca/.