Inspo: Middle grade horror

12yo brown-haired Sami in her pjs (black tank top and flannel pj bottoms) is wearing the silver necklace her Grandpa gave her. She's kneeling on the floor and reaching for the wall where there's a shadow of a little girl with her hands pressed against the surface.

Story ideas can come from many sources. Sometimes, all it takes is the initial inspiration for a story to bloom, as it was with this book, my first-ever horror novel. Every year, I participate in Storystorm, a free, month-long brainstorming event hosted by the wonderful Tara Lazar. In Storystorm 2023, one blog challenged us to dig into our past memories. What’s one of mine? A very creepy moment at a childhood sleepover that no one but me seemed to remember.

Repurposing this spooky memory, I had the beginning premise, but I needed my villain and all the scares for my main character, Sami, to experience. Luckily, my youngest gifted me with both. It took only one comment about there being a man-in-the-wall for my imagination to create the shadow creature who feeds off of nightmares. (Believe me when I say we saged the house afterwards!) My youngest also loves to knock on the wall in the middle of the night, lay on the floor in the dark hallway, and so much more!

12yo brown-haired Sami in her pjs (black tank top and flannel pj bottoms) is wearing the silver necklace her Grandpa gave her. She's standing in the dark hallway with her friend, Jadah, who has dark, spongy curls, dark skin, and is wearing stretchy blue pjs. They are both holding their phones with the flashlights pointed outwards and they both appear scared.
Upper left: Hallway with closed door and greenish light Upper center: Forest with tall, thin trees in the mist Upper right: Stone sculptures from cemetery with one kissing another’s head Center left: Cemetery stones at night in orange-ish light Center: Four Girls looking at the camera on a bed, making peace signs with their hands Center right: Dark and shadowy road covered in mist Lower left: Camera in black and white with a hand holding the lens cap Lower center: Birthday cake with candles Lower right: Blonde-haired girl sitting in a room with a red light and staring at the floor with a sad expression Recipe for 12yo Sami's WORST Birthday Party: 👻Take 1 part ghost hunting 😈Combine with 2 parts hidden monster 🪦Add eerie cemetery visits & mean nicknames 😱Sprinkle in a cursed necklace with a dash of terror Mix well—and run for your life!

I can’t give my youngest daughter all the credit for helping me with my villain. My oldest was a huge help. She loves the paranormal and gave me a cheat sheet on ghosts and other supernatural beings, thus helping me design a true villain and a story with an exciting twist on a haunted house.

However, it can’t be all about the villain. Exploring Sami and her struggles, I reached deep for my own nightmares and tough moments as a kid as well as my struggles with social anxiety.

But even in the darkest moments, I believe we usually need a touch of middle grade humor. This WORST birthday party recipe is a silly take on my book but also shows the importance of having fun and finding ways to find some light in the darkness.

I dove into the genre and read many middle grade horror and some young adult horror books. If you’re curious, check out my Reading List of MG and YA books in 2023. TV shows such as Stranger Things (especially Season 4 and the amazing song, Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush) were also an inspiration as well as movies like Coraline and The Conjuring.

Upper left: Fore with tall, thin trees and autumn colors Upper right: Three lit birthday candles Center left: Dark-haired girl peeking around a door with mint green lighting Center: Shadow hand on wall, outlined in light with terra cotta colors Center right: Cemetery with green undergrowth and trees, statue missing a head Lower left: Pumpkin string lights against a wall Lower right: Silver necklace with green jewels on center medallion, laying on wooden floor

While a haunting memory was at the core of this book, the more layers I added to the plot and characters, the more personal and heartfelt this book became. Don’t be afraid to explore the stories inside of you, even if they make you uncomfortable. They can be the light in the darkness for someone else.