Today in the #HookonWiHM series, the poet/author Sara Tantlinger has graciously interviewed Kourtnea Hogan, a horror writer who also currently attends school at The George A. Romero Film Program where she just finished working on a project with Tom Savini! I personally was not acquainted with either of these ladies prior to Sara contacting me and turning in this interview, so I’m very glad she did!
I’m taking interviews by men and women with women in horror, as well as guest articles, throughout the month of February, but will schedule throughout the year too in order feature women in horror all year long. You can find information on this at the bottom of the post. Take it away Sara – we are anxious to learn about Kourtnea!
You recently had your wonderfully sick story “Mantis” published in the Year’s Best Body Horror 2017 Anthology, can you tell us more about the inspiration for that story and about the influence and importance of women writing body horror?
I’m not sure where the inspiration came from, really. I’m fascinated by the mixing of sexuality and violence. I sound like a psycho, but I think about how to mix those ideas a lot. I think it’s important for women to be involved in any and every kind of horror. Women are such a large part of the horror fan base and it’s unfortunate how little of it is really aimed at us. Women have a different perspective and I would love for more of their voices to be heard. I think it would be especially lovely to see more women in body horror. I mean, we do have a pretty close connection to it.
You’re currently studying at the George A. Romero Film Program, what’s been your favorite part of that experience so far and what are you currently working on?
I love absolutely everything about the program. I’ve had an opportunity to be on a few really fantastic sets and work with some amazingly talented people. Everything is hands on, so you’re actually getting trained in what you’re learning, you aren’t just reading things out of a book. I am currently working on getting a small web series up and running called Antique Freakshow with some friends. Solo wise I am currently working on a short film about vore (which is a fetish about being eaten alive) that should be done by the end of March.
Is your creative process with writing and film work similar, or very different? Does working in both areas influence how you write or film something?
I honestly don’t feel much of a difference at all. I think that being involved in writing short stories and novels for so long has really helped me in the film-making process. I’m used to creating entirely new worlds for my writing, so I feel it helps build a stronger script and visual style to come from that background. I also think that studying literature and really looking for the deeper meaning in things has helped me think of what messages I want to get across in film and how to intertwine a message with a story. I always see a movie in my head when I’m writing anyway. I think that’s every writer. I don’t know that I’ve ever been able to really separate the two.
In regard to feminism and horror, what would you like to see happen more often in the genre, or how can we continue to promote feminist horror?
I think we should continue to push for more representation in every aspect. I want more writers, producers, directors, and everything in between to be women. I feel that more women in powerful high-up positions leads to more women in every position below that. I think women are abysmally under-promoted in the art world and that really needs to change. We shouldn’t have to go out of our way to find women in horror when there is an abundance of them. I personally write my scripts with women in mind. I write very few male characters and intend on making my background actors predominantly female as well. And in my writing my women are strong and in control of their situations. I think when we see more women writing about women we’ll see a lot less of the damsel in distress.
What’s your advice to other women in the horror field?
My advice is to just keep going. Reach out to other women and ask for help or input. You can do this–I believe in you.
Kourtnea Hogan, Biography—
Kourtnea Hogan is a gore-hound from the Midwest. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and Education from Seton Hill University. She currently attends school at The George A. Romero Film Program where she just finished working on a project with Tom Savini. You can read her short story “Mantis” in The Best Body Horror of 2017 anthology. Her novella, Consume, will be available in 2019. You can follow her on instagram at kourtnea_z_h and will be able to find more of her short films at her YouTube channel Kourt Zin.
You can pick up The Best Body Horror of 2017 anthology on Amazon.
Sara Tantlinger, Biography—
Sara Tantlinger resides outside of Pittsburgh on a hill in the woods. She is the author of the dark poetry collection Love For Slaughter, and her most recent publications appear in Abyss and Apex and in 100 Word Horrors: An Anthology of Horror Drabbles.
She is a contributing editor for The Oddville Press, a graduate of Seton Hill’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program, and an active member of the HWA. She embraces all things strange and can be found lurking in graveyards or on Twitter @SaraJane524 and at her website.
Watch for more to come in the #HookonWiHM series….
February is Women in Horror Month! Though I agree women should be celebrated on the same level as men every day of the year, I like to partake in Women in Horror projects as a catalyst for spreading the good news and works of women in the genre in hopes that it will carry on throughout the year. It’s time to celebrate and show off what we got! For those of you reading, men AND women both, make an effort to read and watch more horror produced by women this year.
For the #HookonWiHM, or Women in Horror Month at Hook of a Book, we’ll be hosting interviews conducted by men and women with other women in horror. Watch for those spread throughout the month, and if you want in, contact me! Find more info HERE.
Oh, for the HOOK of a BOOK! 