Time for the second in my series of author interviews with the finalists of the SFINCS contest! Continuing now with Nicole Willason, author of The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill, a carnivalesque historical horror that I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill by Nicole Willson

Kate Montgomery wants to help the Shadow Dancers escape their dreadful training and living situation, but when the girls take matters into their own hands, she’ll have to save herself.

About the Author

Nicole Willson is the author of the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Tidepool, The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill, and The Keeper of the Key.

Find her online at http://www.nicolewillson.com

Let’s go!

PW: To start, what inspired you to write The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill?

NW: I had two main inspirations. First was Vampyr, a beautiful and surreal 1932 film by Carl Theodor Dreyer in which people’s shadows sometimes wandered off to dance by themselves or point something out to the film’s protagonist. My other inspiration was the 2022 Russian Olympic women’s figure skating team. That team could land jumps that no other women in the world could do, but their training conditions were abysmal. When I came across a writing prompt about shadows, these two things joined forces in my head and became the bones of the novella.

PW: And was it always going to be a novella?

NW: I initially intended to write a short story, but I’d always wanted to try my hand at novella writing and decided I had enough story material to expand the book to novella length.

PW: Ah as happens to many of the best-intended short stories; was that a case that I realised early in the process and adapted, or did it kind of expand as you went?

NW: I think I realized pretty early on in the process that this story would work as a novella, and so I started fleshing out the characters, the world, and the story without turning it into a full-blown novel.

PW: How does this book fit into the rest of your work?

NW: It followed my debut novel Tidepool (2021), which, like the novella, is historical horror. If you enjoyed the Shadow Dancers, I believe you’ll like Tidepool. On the other hand, if you dislike historical horror, perhaps you’ll like my YA Gothic horror The Keeper of the Key, which is set in the present day.

I’m for all forms of horror personally, so I approve! Are they connected at all or do you prefer to write stories that are clearly separated?

These three books are completely separate stories, although I feel like Tidepool and The Shadow Dancers could definitely take place in the same universe. The one connection is that they’re all located in the same general region of the US. For some reason, I’m compelled to mention Baltimore in my books even if the city doesn’t make an actual appearance.

PW: Do you find this length of story presents any particular benefits compared to longer or shorter forms?

NW: I enjoyed being able to add details that I might have left out had I chosen to keep the story a short story. I’m a chronic underwriter anyhow and often have to go back and add lots of detail to my novel drafts, so maybe my writing style is well-suited to shorter fiction forms.

PW: Well, concise writing is also something I approve of so can’t fault that! On the other hand, did you find that publishing a novella presented any particular challenges compared to longer or shorter work?

NW: Honestly, I found a publisher for The Shadow Dancers much more quickly than I found publishers for my two novels. I’m lucky that novellas are fairly popular in the horror world.

PW: And was that something you managed through an open submission process?

NW: Cemetery Gates Media, who I’d worked with before with some short fiction, had an open call for novella submissions on their site. I sent them the novella on a Wednesday night and by that Saturday morning, I had an email from them offering me a contract. That’s the fastest acceptance I’ve ever had! Joe Sullivan, the editor I worked with, had some terrific ideas to add complexity to the story and connected me with Luke Spooner of Carrion House, who did the amazing cover. It was a rewarding experience all around.

PW: Yeah that’s probably a faster acceptance than most people ever have! Well done! And agreed that the cover is amazing, they did a great job there. On that note, do you have any notable experience to share for marketing novella-length fiction?

NW: I’m afraid I’m still figuring that one out as I go along. I’ve found that novellas can be a tough sell to people who prefer novel-length fiction. I hope someone else has some good ideas, because I could sure use them!

PW: Same! So, what’s next for The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill, and your work in general?

NW: I hope that the novella reaching the finals might compel more people to pick it up. As for my other work, I have a couple of novel drafts cooking and I also have a children’s picture book I’d like to complete this year.

PW: And lastly, how has reaching the SFINCS finals impacted you?

The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill is one of my favorite things I’ve ever written, and I’m so grateful to the people behind SFINCS for giving it a second wind. All the kind words I’ve received from the SFINCS judges and participants about the book have been greatly appreciated, too. Everyone’s been very supportive of each other, which is wonderful.

PW: Deservedly so, it’s a robust and atmospheric read that (like all the finalists, I trust!) does a lot in a small space!

NW: Thank you so much, for the interview and for the kind words! Good luck in the finals.

PW: And to you! Thanks for joining us.

I’ll be back soon with the next of our finalist interviews, and remember you can keep up with the full competition here. And be sure to check out The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill!