Welcome to the next installment of the Broadleaf Member Spotlight featuring Dr. Crystal O’Leary-Davidson!
Professor by day, author and leader in the writing community by night. Crystal has made a name for herself within the horror and gothic writer circles through her creativity, depth of characters, and passion.
Like many writers, she found a home in the theater early on. She adored delving into the characters to understand and breathe life into them. Combining that with her love of her English classes led Crystal to study communications and creative writing.
As a professor, Crystal sparks passion and excitement through layered creative exercises. One of her student’s favorite pieces to work with is Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville. They particularly latch onto the phrase “I prefer not to” when it comes to tedious work the character is being asked to do within the story. Something we can all relate to.
Aside from her work as a teacher, Crystal is known for her horror and gothic short stories. Her very favorites are the ones set in the real world with elements of the creepy melded with the familiar. The ones that make you question what is reality, what is all in your head, what could be supernatural.
No good monster story is complete without the monster itself. Crystal has loved Dracula (haven’t we all?) and written about the rarity of the female werewolf. The monster that currently holds the honor of being her favorite right now though is the Creature from the Black Lagoon. A tragic figure that is judged by appearance and persecuted for it, but there’s so much more to him. These characters and the authors behind them can provide inspiration to any writer, especially when combined with real life.
Crystal’s current work in progress is a haunted house tale. A recent move into a new home sparked the idea. Exploring point of view and development within other works like Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House has helped keep her creativity flowing.
Beyond the books and monsters, elements like gothic follies intrigue Crystal. These were an architectural fad of creating faux ruins, buildings, or monuments purely for aesthetics. These spaces were meant to be a point of intrigue and hold rich potential as settings or story elements.
The spark that blooms into a book often needs help. Keeping it alive and thriving is easier with the support of a community that understands the struggle. Many writers are introverts, but even if you love to socialize, the act of writing can be isolating. Even the most successful writers benefit from having a group around them to cheer, commiserate, and help them improve.
Crystal found that through the Broadleaf Writers Association and the Horror Writers Association. She’s developed new friends, beta readers, and critique groups by expanding her network.
Crystal’s advice to writers:
Find your tribe! You don’t have to go about your writing journey alone.
AND give yourself permission to have that messy first draft (and even the second and third draft) to enable your authentic voice. It can always be cleaned up with editing.
You can find Crystal’s work under the name C.O. Davidson. Her writing has appeared on the podcast PseudoPod and various other sites, and most recently in the literary journal Vastarien. Crystal’s stories are included in the anthologies Georgia Gothic, Generation X-ed, and, most recently, Hard to Find: An Anthology of New Southern Gothic.
At Middle Georgia State University (MGA), she teaches courses in early American literature, the gothic, and horror fiction and film. Her academic work includes co-editing the collection, Monsters of Film, Fiction, and Fable. She’s a founding member of the Atlanta Horror Writers Association and on the board of the Broadleaf Writers Association.
Find Crystal on Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/colearydavidson