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mcmanlypants.bsky.social
Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
@mcmanlypants.bsky.social
2.2K followers 1.7K following 2K posts
I write queer horror & sci fi. Gay, Appalachian native, infosec professional, 2020 Manly Wade Wellman winner, co-host of Arcane Carolinas. He/him. michaelgwilliamsbooks.com #BlackLivesMatter #TransLivesMatter #SFWA #HWA #LGBTQ
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mcmanlypants.bsky.social
Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈 @mcmanlypants.bsky.social · Apr 29
Do you love signed paperback first editions of weird, queer horror? Well, you're in luck! Mine is available right now:

💙📚
🌈📚
📚🩸
#writingcommunity

www.michaelgwilliamsbooks.com/product/chil...
Children of Solitude – Paperback
Reginald Voth's mother is (finally) dead. When he returns to the ancestral Appalachian homestead where she raised him, he finds it haunted (or worse) and hi
www.michaelgwilliamsbooks.com
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
wiswell.bsky.social
A person with long black hair and silver glasses grits their teeth and says, "Make it gayer." Behind them, nervous people salute.
January 18, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
natania.bsky.social
Please, never be shy telling an author you loved their books.

It’s seriously what gets us through.
January 18, 2026 at 1:41 AM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
One week from today: "Murder in the Mountains" group reading at 6:00 PM on January 24 at Zadie's Market in Marshall, NC!

More info at www.hwanc.org/events

🩸📚💙
#writingcommunity
#liveevents
#northcarolina
#WNC
Events – HWA NC
7:00 pm – 9:00 pmDecember 20, 2025
www.hwanc.org
January 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
We're in "if a publisher is still on The Bird Place it's a red flag" territory at this point, right? I mean, it feels like we have been for YEARS (because we HAVE).
January 16, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
hwanc.bsky.social
Many thanks to all who came out last night to hear @samanthabwriter.bsky.social, @authorcreekmore.bsky.social, @rdansky.bsky.social, @joncarrollthomas.bsky.social, and @mcmanlypants.bsky.social read at @flyleafbooks.bsky.social in Chapel Hill!

Prefer email updates? Check out hwanc.beehiiv.com 🩸📚💙
Home | HWA NC Events & Updates
Upcoming events & updates from the North Carolina chapter of Horror Writers Association!
hwanc.beehiiv.com
January 16, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
mimulus.bsky.social
Time Travel Is Easy, my full length collection of Deep Time poetry, processing queer embodiment in the Late Anthropocene (with dinosaurs), is now available on Itch! dinoholler.itch.io/time-travel-...
Time Travel Is Easy by Rick Hollon
Poems of Deep Time, queer embodiment, and life in the late Anthropocene.
dinoholler.itch.io
January 14, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
qospress.bsky.social
Minneapolis today: over 100 clergy and supporters from different denominations go to Target HQ to do a sit-in to demand that Target take a stand against 🧊 and what they're doing to tear our communities apart. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
www.instagram.com/reel/DTjJmFF...
The Minnesota Star Tribune on Instagram: "Clergy and community members gathered late Thursday morning at Target’s downtown Minneapolis store on Nicollet Mall for a news conference and then marched to ...
7,011 likes, 173 comments - startribune on January 15, 2026: "Clergy and community members gathered late Thursday morning at Target’s downtown Minneapolis store on Nicollet Mall for a news conference ...
www.instagram.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:13 AM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
tfrohock.com
Tomorrow, our library is celebrating Dolly Parton's birthday. We have pink cookies and cupcakes and there will be Dolly trivia and coloring and no, no one gets to take home the cardboard cut-out of Dolly, it's not ours, but she's been behind the circ desk all week because we ❤️ Dolly.
January 16, 2026 at 1:47 AM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
I wonder whether it's a matter of hours or of years before we have specific and explicit confirmation that Putin whispered "Greenland" in his ear so we'd get tied up with Europe and he'd have a free hand in Ukraine.
January 15, 2026 at 3:52 PM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
Tonight: HWA NC group reading at @flyleafbooks.bsky.social in Chapel Hill!

flyleafbooks.com/eve...

#writingcommunity
#liveevents
#northcarolina
#chapelhill
💙📚🩸
NC Chapter of the Horror Writers Association Reading
NC Chapter of the Horror Writers Association Reading Thu, 1/15/2026 - 6:00pm - 7:30pm Place: Flyleaf Books 752 MLK Jr. Blvd. Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Author Talk Come enjoy a group reading from members of the North Carolina Chapter of the Horror Writers Association at Flyleaf Books.  We'll hear works ...
flyleafbooks.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
prillamania.bsky.social
#HorrorWritersChat Q2

I love a destabilizing moment of "wait, I'm a robot?" or "wdym this unlimited bread deal is literal & I'm trapped in a bread purgatory until I can eat it all?"

For theatre tricks, I love playing with sensory things. Where characters hear screams audiences don't or vice versa.
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
“Horror comes from a violation of what characters perceive to be reality.” - Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner

Example: a haunted house violates the assumption that we are alone in our homes.

Q2 #HorrorWritersChat
Which perceived realities do you utilise in your horror writing?
Question two. “Horror comes from a violation of what characters perceive to be reality.” - Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner. Which perceived realities do you utilise in your horror writing? Example: a haunted house violates the assumption that we are alone in our homes. Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
samanthabwriter.bsky.social
Thanks for another great #HorrorWritersChat Always a good time seeing what y'all are up to! As for me, I'm delving into the world of audiobooks and "Beware Cheap Houses" one of my Stories from Shadow Hill is now available on Kobo and in progress on other services! books2read.com/BewareCheapH...
Audiobook cover. Beware Cheap Houses, a mini audio story from Stories from Shadow HIll by Samantha J Bryant, narrated by Charlotte Chiew. Image has yellow cat eyes coming out of a dark background and purple tentacled creatures below.
January 14, 2026 at 8:48 PM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
My latest is CHILDREN OF SOLITUDE, a queer Appalachian cosmic horror novel about a prickly queen, his (horrible) mother who is (finally) dead, and the hot guy next door. It's available pretty much everywhere!

www.michaelgwilliamsbooks.com/buy-children...
January 14, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
marywyrd.bsky.social
Thank you for attending #HorrorWritersChat and sharing your horror with us.

Qs will be up for 23 hours more.

Once you’ve answered the questions, it’s time to share your stuff! Or other folks stuff.

Let’s uplift each other and reshare what we see.
My eyeballs are ready!!
THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEK. There is no algorithm here, so visibility depends on engagement with others. Answer the questions, use the hashtag, share each others stuff and comment on their posts. FINALLY. Have you got something to sell or shout about? Share those promos and links now. See you next time! #HorrorWritersChat - Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
tommlittle.bsky.social
My narrator is tempted by a devil in disguise, and the more appealing the offer becomes, the more he become aware of who he's dealing with.
Evil is a conscious choice.
#HorrorWritersChat
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
Horror is known for having both natural and supernatural antagonists, like the landscape or a ghostly presence.

Q4 #HorrorWritersChat

In your current WIP or latest published horror work, who or what antagonises your protagonist?

---
The outro with promo opportunity will be posted in 10 mins.
Question four. Horror is known for having both natural and supernatural antagonists, like the landscape or a ghostly presence. In your current WIP or latest published horror work, who or what antagonises your protagonist? Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
samanthabwriter.bsky.social
I definitely like to play with "normal" and what people assume is going on. It's probably why so many of my stories take place in domestic, suburban, or small town places. #HorrorWritersChat
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
“Horror comes from a violation of what characters perceive to be reality.” - Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner

Example: a haunted house violates the assumption that we are alone in our homes.

Q2 #HorrorWritersChat
Which perceived realities do you utilise in your horror writing?
Question two. “Horror comes from a violation of what characters perceive to be reality.” - Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner. Which perceived realities do you utilise in your horror writing? Example: a haunted house violates the assumption that we are alone in our homes. Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
samanthabwriter.bsky.social
"Unsettle" is just right. I strive to put the reader in a comfortable, familiar feeling, then show that there's something sinister beneath, bit by bit. Likeable people doing ordinary things who end up facing down big terrors. #HorrorWritersChat
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
Q3 #HorrorWritersChat

How does your writing style seek to instill fear, disgust, or otherwise unsettle your readers?

[See an example from Cynthia Pelayo in the graphic]
Question three. How does your writing style seek to instill fear, disgust, or otherwise unsettle your readers? “I strive to conjure rich imagery and create narrative intensity with different stylistic “layers” …by incorporating my poetic voice into my prose…I’ll then move into sequences that are written much more straightforwardly, to punctuate the brutality or violence being explored.” - How to Write Horror, Cynthia Pelayo. Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
scribblerjohnny.bsky.social
#HorrorWritersChat Cocky pricks, Cancer, and The Dark Lord Asmodeus, who is their patron, but what are ya gonna do?
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
Horror is known for having both natural and supernatural antagonists, like the landscape or a ghostly presence.

Q4 #HorrorWritersChat

In your current WIP or latest published horror work, who or what antagonises your protagonist?

---
The outro with promo opportunity will be posted in 10 mins.
Question four. Horror is known for having both natural and supernatural antagonists, like the landscape or a ghostly presence. In your current WIP or latest published horror work, who or what antagonises your protagonist? Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
samanthabwriter.bsky.social
In my WIP, there's a "nice old lady" who is really none of those things at all. Then again, the electrician wasn't fully honest about who he was either. #HorrorWritersChat
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
Horror is known for having both natural and supernatural antagonists, like the landscape or a ghostly presence.

Q4 #HorrorWritersChat

In your current WIP or latest published horror work, who or what antagonises your protagonist?

---
The outro with promo opportunity will be posted in 10 mins.
Question four. Horror is known for having both natural and supernatural antagonists, like the landscape or a ghostly presence. In your current WIP or latest published horror work, who or what antagonises your protagonist? Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 8:38 PM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
Grief, and the horror of inheriting a legacy he isn't sure he wants and isn't sure he's skilled enough to maintain (a cult that venerates The Horrors) and also a bunch of evil children with knives. It's shaping up to be a real roller coaster.

#HorrorWritersChat
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
Horror is known for having both natural and supernatural antagonists, like the landscape or a ghostly presence.

Q4 #HorrorWritersChat

In your current WIP or latest published horror work, who or what antagonises your protagonist?

---
The outro with promo opportunity will be posted in 10 mins.
Question four. Horror is known for having both natural and supernatural antagonists, like the landscape or a ghostly presence. In your current WIP or latest published horror work, who or what antagonises your protagonist? Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 9:05 PM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
I tend to let characters spill all their interiority: they say aloud the things we all feel ourselves in hopes that creates a sinking feeling that maybe the characters are correct. I find vulnerability more frightening (and endearing and compelling) than any volume of blood.

#HorrorWritersChat
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
Q3 #HorrorWritersChat

How does your writing style seek to instill fear, disgust, or otherwise unsettle your readers?

[See an example from Cynthia Pelayo in the graphic]
Question three. How does your writing style seek to instill fear, disgust, or otherwise unsettle your readers? “I strive to conjure rich imagery and create narrative intensity with different stylistic “layers” …by incorporating my poetic voice into my prose…I’ll then move into sequences that are written much more straightforwardly, to punctuate the brutality or violence being explored.” - How to Write Horror, Cynthia Pelayo. Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 9:03 PM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
That relatives automatically want what is good for us, children are innocent and can be trusted, and life was somehow better or simpler in the past. But I also try to violate the assumptions that we are alone and that no one will try to help us fight what isolates & endangers us.

#HorrorWritersChat
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
“Horror comes from a violation of what characters perceive to be reality.” - Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner

Example: a haunted house violates the assumption that we are alone in our homes.

Q2 #HorrorWritersChat
Which perceived realities do you utilise in your horror writing?
Question two. “Horror comes from a violation of what characters perceive to be reality.” - Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner. Which perceived realities do you utilise in your horror writing? Example: a haunted house violates the assumption that we are alone in our homes. Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 8:58 PM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
I'm Michael, I write queer cosmic & supernatural horror!

My latest novel and current WIP are both heavily influenced by:

- Manly Wade Wellman's "John the Balladeer"/Silver John stories
- The Wicker Man
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers

#HorrorWritersChat
marywyrd.bsky.social Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 3d
Welcome to #HorrorWritersChat

Q1
Introduce yourself and the horror subgenres you write.

Then, share three works of horror that influenced your latest work OR current WIP.
Question one. Introduce yourself and the horror subgenres you write. Then, share three works of horror that influenced your latest work OR current WIP. Quote post and include the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat - Please like, share, and comment on other posts. No links or covers, save the self promo for the outro. Background composite image of abandoned interior rooms with a purple filter. On either side of the opening to the next room, a pair of shadowy hands presses against the walls. Or are they pressing against your screen?
January 14, 2026 at 8:53 PM
mcmanlypants.bsky.social
Jesus Hamburglar Christ, I am so glad it's Wednesday. Therapy *and* Horror Writers Chat? YES PLEASE
January 14, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Reposted by Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈
gailsimone.bsky.social
Wednesday is TRANSPHOBES ARE TRASH DAY!

Congratulations to those who celebrate this wonderful day.

Also, every other day is also Transphobes are Trash Day, I forgot to mention that.
January 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM