The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers Writing Short Stories, Publishing Collaboration, And Podcasting, With Clay Vermulm
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Aug 25, 2025 Clay Vermulm, a horror novelist and co-author of 'Rain Shadows', discusses the synergy between writing short stories and podcasting. He reveals how a writing challenge can blossom into successful collaborations while sharing intriguing insights on local book sales versus online marketing. Vermulm also dives into the artistic journey enriched by history and travel, and the complexities of crafting tales through community feedback. His approach to navigating the publishing world and the blend of audio storytelling offers fresh perspectives for aspiring writers.
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Chance Meeting Sparked A Partnership
- Clay met Tamara in a sci-fi/fantasy critique group and they bonded over similar dark, slow-burn horror tastes.
- That meeting led to a long collaboration culminating in Rain Shadows and the podcast process.
Use Prompts And Live Critique To Finish Work
- Use monthly prompts to force completion and generate raw drafts you can improve quickly.
- Record live critiques to show the editing journey from rough draft to finished story.
Craft Three-Part Prompts For Variety
- Combine a location, a local quirk, and a horror trope in prompts and require each story to include those elements.
- Keep rules loose so writers can satisfy prompts minimally or centrally, preserving creativity.
