Mar 14 2025 38 mins 3
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What drives seemingly normal people to create stories filled with blood, terror, and revenge? Shannon Bradner, a factory worker by night and horror writer by whenever-she-can, pulls back the curtain on her creative process and reveals the often mundane seeds that grow into horrifying tales.
Working twelve-hour night shifts for twenty years has given Shannon plenty of time for her mind to wander into darker territories. She shares a chilling real-life experience of discovering a dead body in a compactor at her workplace—the kind of disturbing incident that can't help but influence one's perspective. The isolation and altered reality of working through the night creates the perfect environment for horror creativity, as both Shannon and host JP Willie discuss from their night shift experiences.
Shannon's horror isn't just about shock value. "I play on the more emotional side of things that happen to people that make them do the things they do," she explains, revealing how her revenge-focused stories explore psychological catalysts behind horrific actions. Her inspiration comes from unexpected places—washing dishes while listening to Eddie Rabbit sparked "Truck Stop Diner," while a casual conversation about a local dive bar became "One Night at Clyde's."
When discussing our collective fascination with horror, Shannon offers a refreshing perspective: "Everybody has a dark side. Some have a darker side than others. I think sometimes that's how you get it out—you watch these things, they're not real, you're enjoying it." This therapeutic aspect allows us to indulge our darker inclinations in a safe, controlled environment.
For aspiring horror writers, Shannon's journey offers encouragement. As someone relatively new to publishing, she's focusing on short story anthologies while developing her first novella, proving that you don't need decades of publishing experience to create compelling horror. Find her work on Godless.com and follow her journey into the darkest corners of human experience.
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