There is a strange expectation that once you become known for something, you are supposed to remain there forever. You pick a genre. You build a brand. You find your voice. And then, apparently, you are expected to keep writing the same kinds of stories for the rest of your life.

There is a strange kind of loneliness that comes with being an indie author, and I don't think we talk about it enough.

A few months ago, I did something that felt surprisingly difficult. I deleted every social media app from my phone. Facebook. Instagram. Threads. TikTok. Everything.

There’s a special kind of nightmare reserved for indie authors—worse than bad reviews, worse than radio silence on release day. It’s the moment you realize you’ve unleashed an unedited chaos draft into the world… and it’s been there for a year.

If you want to write horror—whether psychological, supernatural, or slasher—you need to understand what makes the genre work.