Mallory Mccartney - Dreadcon Author Spotlight

Thank you so much for coming to dReadCon. We are really excited to share this experience with you at our second annual dReadCon in Burlington, this September 13!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, what books we can expect to see at dReadCon, and

where we can find you on social media.

I’m so excited to be attending dReadCon with my debut horror book- The Exchange & Other Calamities, published by Anuci Press who will also be attending!!!  TEAOC consists of five short stories that are set in the same universe and are interconnected. My name is Mal and I live in Sarnia, ON with my husband, our two dachshunds and four sphynx cats. You can find me on most social media under @authormalmccartney- though Instagram is definitely where I am most active. 

What advice would you give to new writers trying to break into the genre?

Consistency is key. Don’t worry about if your story is perfect- the first draft is supposed to be messy and editing comes later! Write what excites you, what your passionate about not about what is “selling”. Chip away at your manuscript little by little and it will come together!

How do you approach world-building in dark fiction?

I approach it a lot like building legos in my mind. The foundation is your main characters, the theme, the setting. Then piece by piece I ask myself how I want to build on my sense of dread or scary scenes, then the climax or twist of the book. Then finishing it off with an ending that ties everything together. 

Do you have any writing rituals that help you get into the mindset for writing dark fiction?

I’ve built on the ritual that I love writing my chapter out by hand first in my notebook. Then I will go back and type it out on my laptop and it really helps me flesh out what I’m working on. I think for me its more relaxing writing it out first. 

What draws you to dark fiction—fear, mystery, or the psychology of horror?

I fell in love with the horror genre in 2017, and writing it has been one of the greatest joys in my life. The horror genre is full of beautiful, smart and creative ways to explore fear, trauma and the dark genre safely. In my books it’s a way for me to explore through metaphor my trauma, what scares me and can also be a way to reflect real life horrors in our world. 

How do you balance fear and deeper themes in your writing?

Horror and deeper themes go hand in hand often beautifully. In The Exchange & Other Calamities I use different horror tropes and themes to express living with chronic illness. Some examples are cursed object, losing control to another force that you didn’t choose. Body horror is a big theme. 

What type of music if any do you listen to while writing?

I love music and listen to a lot of different genres. But for 2025 what has been dominating my playlists is: Sleep Token, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Beetlejuice the Musical, Twenty-one pilots, Eminem, Arkells.

Tickets to the event are only $5 at the door

VIP tickets are only $20 and get you a swag bag with books, coffee and snacks and early entrance!

www.dreadconcan.com

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