Big news for horror fans out there! The Horror Writers Association released the highly anticipated HWA Poetry Showcase Volume IX October 19, 2022. HWA is known for releasing a collection of poems every year. With over 300+ submissions, HWA managed to compile 50 of the best poems with the help of judges Lee Murray, Maxwell Gold, and Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito and editor Angela Yuriko Smith.
In a BookFest Segment uploaded by Books That Make You, the judges from Poetry Showcase Volume IX gave their advice and tips on publishing your work.
If you’re a horror writer and wish to submit a short story or poem for inclusion in an anthology, you might wonder how to do it. What do the judges look for in a writing piece? How to write dark poetry effectively? This article will discuss what makes a dark poem compelling, fresh from the judges themselves!
Tip From the Judges
- Lee Murray
Lee Murray is a writer, editor, screenwriter, and poet from Aotearoa-New Zealand. She’s a four-time Bram Stoker Awards winner, Shirley Jackson Award winner, and a USA Today Bestselling author. As a judge, Lee is looking for something fresh and unique. In an extensive array of poems with the same topic and concept, she’s looking for one that stands out from the rest. She mentions that for a poem to be authentic, the writer must bring a piece of himself into the poem, not writing what you think the audience wants but bringing something that resonates with you.
- Maxwell Gold
Maxwell I. Gold is multiple award-nominated Jewish-American author of prose poetry and short stories of weird and cosmic fiction. He’s also the author of Oblivion in Flux: A Collection of Cyber Prose from Crystal Lake Publishing. As a judge, Maxwell focuses more on the fundamental standpoint. He’s looking for a good lyrical hook at the beginning and the ending. A poem that makes you gasp for the first line, a piece that smacks you off your chair.
- Frances Pai Ippolito
Frances Lu Pai Ippolito is a Chinese American writer who crafts horror, sci-fi, and fantasy stories and is co-chair of the Young Willamette Writers program. As a judge, Frances isn’t married to any form or structure. She’s more drawn to the word choices, a poem that is very efficient in word use. Descriptive and meaty. She emphasizes that one can write a poem personally, but can one make it a universal message? Or maybe you can write universally, but can you make it a personal message in the end?
These are just some of the writing advice from the three magnificent judges. You, as the writer, have complete control over how your writing piece will get played out. Write authentically while pouring your heart and soul into your craft. To know the rest of the interview with the HWA Poetry Showcase judges, head on to the official YouTube channel of Books That Make You.
You can check out HWA Poetry Showcase Volume IX on Amazon.
For more information about Horror Writers Association, you can visit their website. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
