Reading · JW's Writerly Outpost

As someone who writes and loves to consume horror and very transgressive content, it can be hard to fit in among those surrounding me in my day-to-day life. Yes, I run a small press that publishes horror, erotica, and other fun stuff, and this does keep me in contact with lots of awesome people. But that is not my day job. And even my close friends aren’t all into the same extreme content that I am (which is awesome! I love that people love different things; it’s what makes being human an amazing experience). By day I work at a store that sells car batteries, where I encounter a full gamut of people, but most of them run in completely different circles than I do. I get the occasional odd look for being a man with painted nails, but I get just as many compliments from little old ladies, college students, and even middle-aged blue-collar workers. But these interactions are not enough. These are not what help to charge my creative and social battery. For that, you need to find people who are just as excited (or more so) about the same weird and fucked-up shit you love.

For me, that is where conventions play a huge role in my creative life. I’ve been to a smattering of horror and writing-related conventions including StokerCon, Ghoulish, Seattle Crypticon, and even a local one called the Chuckanut Writers Convention. But none of them give me the sensation of returning home like BizarroCon.

Bigger conventions are a lot of fun, but they can also be draining. There are so many people that it becomes overwhelming to keep introducing yourself while trying to remember hundreds of new faces. There are usually business cards to help, but that’s exactly what these conventions are for: business. You are there to make connections and increase your skills and build a real-world social network. And then there are enough different program tracks to make your head spin. The social aspect is also there, but again, that bit is a lot when there are hundreds and hundreds of people in attendance.

BizarroCon is different. It’s a more personal experience with way fewer people and way fewer decisions to be made. After a few days at BizarroCon, you will pretty much know everyone, and everyone will know you. And it’s wonderful! These are people who work in the same weird art spaces I do, which makes conversations wild and entertaining at all times.

Plus, the panels and workshops are always worthwhile. This year, I attended Wendy Wagner’s workshop on Weirding Your World, which focused on the inspiration all around us in nature for horror and bizarro fiction. I also attended John Skipp’s workshop on plotting. This one was a blast. We broke into groups of two and spent two hours flinging ideas onto notecards at breakneck speed. I now have a stack of index cards ready to be turned into a novella.

I also attended a handful of readings from very talented writers and a couple panels. The panel on diversity in Bizarro was especially interesting and put the spotlight on some issues we still have as a writing community. The AI panel was thought-provoking, and the panelists and audience members had many opinions.

The evenings were wonderful as well. One night, there was a book-selling event with live music from The Slow Poisoner (always a treat), and a couple bonus performances. On another night, there was the Wonderland Awards Banquet followed by the Ultimate Bizarro Showdown (a highlight of the con).

After the official events each evening, attendees continued to commune in the surrounding neighborhood hangouts. One night, Bridget, Sean, Johnny, Leslie, and I were standing in a gnome garden behind a 90s themed bar/pizza joint listening to a children’s Ghostbusters ride make “boing” noises. This is just a sample of the oddities Portland and BizarroCon have to offer. On another afternoon, between programming, a few of us sat at a punk bar down the road discussing Alan Moore vs. Grant Morrison.

I did do a few business-y things for Dark Forest Press as well. As mentioned, there was a book-selling night. I made a couple sales and bought much more than I planned on from the other sellers. I chatted with friends about a few possible future publishing projects. Things are happening! But most importantly, I was able to recharge my creative batteries to the max.

I even got to meet Eve Harms—an author and longtime internet friend—for the first time!

It was rough having to reintegrate into normal life after returning home. It would be amazing to constantly hang out with your weird friends and make weird shit together. But the fact that these are rare events makes them even more special. I look forward to the annual trek down to Portland to recharge. These wonderful people are the best, and I can’t wait to see them all again next year.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what things you enjoy doing; it is important that you find your people. They enhance your life in ways that you will never understand until you experience it for yourself. So, get out there and find them! Join a club or social meetup, be it online or in person. You can never have too many friends. And if you are into Bizarro fiction, consider attending BizarroCon next May down in Portland. You will be welcomed with open arms.

I’m mostly busy with DFP stuff at the moment. Between the recent zine release, the upcoming charity anthology, and the current open submission window, I’m super, super busy.
But here are some details: Not-So-Subdued Stories: An Anthology of Bellingham Fiction comes out this September. There is horror, weird, fantasy, sci-fi, literary, and more in here plus a beautiful introduction by Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest. Preorder your copy today. Over 65 percent of net profits is going toward supporting the Bellingham Food Bank. https://darkforestpress.com/product/not-so-subdued-stories-an-anthology-of-bellingham-fiction-pre-order/
Scattered: A Dark Forest Press Zine #5 is officially out as well. You can request a subscription here: https://forms.gle/1c2KMaVthaqGPMFE6
Other than that, I’m still working on editing stories for my own collection. I have decided to move publication of this collection to July of 2027. I want it to be the best it can be.

I’m currently in the midst of a few books, including Fairy Tale by Stephen King, The Invisibles compendium by Grant Morisson and What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson. Though these are all on a bit of a hold due to the fact that . . .
I’m also reading for the DFP open submission window. I’ll chat more about that experience in an upcoming issue of the Dark Forest Press Newsletter of DOOM!