The Weird is My Vehicle Toward the Emotional Core: Bradley Sides on Crafting Weird Fiction
In my stories, there’s going to be something strange going on. It’s kind of my thing, I guess. My first collection was even billed that way–Those Fantastic Lives: And Other Strange Stories. One of my stories might introduce readers to a sneaky monster. Another might be set around a haunted house. The next one might occur during an apocalypse. One of the questions I’m most often asked as a writer of what can best be described as “Weird Fiction” is this: “Why do you write about such weird stuff?”
I try my best to answer as intelligently as I can, but my response essentially boils down to something pretty simple. I write about weird stuff because, to me, exploring the fantastical is the way that I best make sense of the real world.
My stories, like I’ve said, might include an otherworldly creature or revolve around a pretty-far-out-there event, but the stories aren’t necessarily about either of these things–not really, at least. Instead, my stories are about fear, loss, hope, and even love. For me, the weird is a vehicle to reach the emotional core I’m really going for.
Earlier, I mentioned that I might write an apocalyptic story. I’ve actually written a lot of these kinds of stories. The one I’ll talk about is titled “To Take, To Leave,” which appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of Psychopomp.
I formatted “To Take, To Leave” as a gameplay-style story. It follows an adult having to decide between letting someone die or allowing the apocalypse to begin. The gameplay element builds on the theme of choice because readers literally have to decide what will happen, but the fantastical elements also allow the story to build layer upon layer of choice. There is fire to possibly escape. There are things to save. There are lost people–and places and memories–that must be considered. There is the arrival of a child, falling from the sky, who breathes even more fire. The kid is dangerous and kind of scary, but do you risk it all to save this child? There’s also the obvious other layer of the literal apocalypse happening—and happening quickly. Readers have to make the choices rapidly or they know what’ll come. Really, the world is in their hands.
Going through “To Take, To Leave,” there are choices to make everywhere–both for the protagonist and for the reader. Without the magic–or terror, which might be a better word for what’s going on–the story wouldn’t land in quite the same way. The whole would lose its spark.
When I teach writing, I encourage my students to journey into the unknown–to think of a theme they want to write about and to allow some element of the fantastical to help them reach their destination.
How might a monster enrich a narrative?
What can the arrival of a ghost do?
Does introducing an apocalypse add a needed layer to your work?
Give it a try. Take risks. Mostly, have some fun. Honestly, at the end of day, writing Weird Fiction is just really, really fun…
Bradley Sides is the author of Those Fantastic Lives: And Other Strange Stories. His recent fiction appears at BULL, Ghost Parachute, Psychopomp, and Superstition Review. He lives in Huntsville, Alabama, with his wife. On most days, he can be found teaching writing at Calhoun Community College. For more, visit bradley-sides.com.