Jaq Evans Q&A: ‘What Grows in the Dark’—“I try to write stories with moments that freak me out.”

The author tells us why horror stories help us process difficult emotions.

“I absolutely love horror and dark fiction that leaves things just explained and just unexplained enough.”

Jaq Evans writes speculative fiction and horror about sad, weird, hopeful people trying their best. In her chilling horror debut novel, What Grows in the Dark, a phony spiritualist returns to her hometown to assist in an investigation that eerily mirrors her sister’s death, forcing her to confront the secrets she’s been running from. Evans talks to Monster Complex about the obsession that drove her to write the book, how horror fiction horror helps us process difficult emotions, and why she writes fiction to freak herself out.

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About the book WHAT GROWS IN THE DARK

Sixteen years ago, Brigit Weylan’s older sister, Emma, walked into the woods in their small hometown of Ellis Creek. She never walked out. People said she was troubled—in the months leading up to her death, she was convinced there was a monster in those trees. Marked by the tragedy, Brigit left town and never looked back.

Now Brigit travels around the country investigating paranormal activity (and faking the results) with her cameraman, Ian. But when she receives a call from Ellis Creek, she’s thrust into the middle of a search for two missing teenagers. As Brigit and Ian are drawn further into the case, the parallels to Emma’s death become undeniable. And worse, Brigit can’t explain what’s happening to her: trees appearing in her bedroom in the middle of the night, something with a very familiar laugh watching her out in the darkness, and Emma’s voice on her phone, reminding Brigit to finish what they started.

More and more, it looks like Emma was right: There is a monster in Ellis Creek. And it’s waited a long time for Brigit to come home.

“Evans gets the pacing of this chiller just right. Skin-crawling and unpredictable.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Opens with an unease that builds to outright disturbing... a compelling combination of lies, secrets, and twists.” (Booklist)

Find What Grows in the Dark on Amazon

About the author

Jaq Evans is a speculative fiction and horror author based out of Seattle, Washington. She also leads digital engagement strategy for 350.org. After earning an MFA in Popular Fiction from Stonecoast (University of Southern Maine), Jaq now writes short stories, novels, and narrative nonfiction while supporting folks fighting for climate justice around the world.

Jaq Evans—Monster Complex Author Q&A

Q: What can you tell us about What Grows in the Dark? What inspired it?

WHAT GROWS IN THE DARK actually started as a flash fiction story about two siblings running through the woods, racing against a bargain they’d made that would either take their (maybe) abusive parent away from them or claim one of them instead.

I was obsessed with the woodsy vibes and the urgency of that flight, but also the complicated guilt and uncertainty of setting something into motion that you very quickly can’t control, based on knowledge that may be unreliable.

The book that grew out of that story became something bigger about insular communities and found family and the ways we hide from ourselves and each other but are inevitably called out for it (and at what cost). At its core, however, there is definitely that kernel of an image—two kids racing through the dark woods, pursued by something that never fully comes into view—as well as the idea of grappling with the consequences of decisions you made without fully understanding what you were doing.

Q: How do you describe your fiction that you write? How do you explain your unique spin on horror?

I’ll be honest, I haven’t landed on a cool and succinct way of pitching my work to people who haven’t read it. But I like to start by saying I write dark, weird stories that tend to combine elements of mystery and horror with psychological thriller.

My stuff lives in that space where you can recognize the setting and everything seems more or less normal except something really upsetting is happening that our main character can’t explain. I love using place to inform character and plot, so atmosphere and setting are always big in my work, and I try to lead with character above everything else—while still delivering a propulsive, surprising read.

Q: What inspired you to go in this direction? When and how did you become interested in writing your brand of stories?

I’ve always been drawn to horror and dark fiction, the weirder the better! I want things that are either governed by such precise and well-thought-out rules that it’s incredibly satisfying when characters fumble or get it just right, or stories that push uncanny to the max, with nothing explained and that lack of understanding as an intentional source of dread.

I think engaging with this kind of work helps us process difficult emotions—we are generally living within systems outside of our control, and experience horrible things every day that are very quickly overwritten by social media or work or any other pressure to perform and exist like a “normal” human, so it’s good to have an outlet—but it’s also just fun.

Being scared is a delight, and personally, I feel more confident in a strange place or the dark of my own bedroom when I think back on all the horror stories I’ve encountered with similar scenarios, because I can imagine what those protagonists did to survive. (Or if they didn’t, well, at least I’ll be in good company.)

Q: What are your favorite things about the section of the genre you occupy? What are your pet peeves that you’ve seen other storytellers do? How do you avoid making the same mistakes?

I absolutely love horror and dark fiction that leaves things just explained and just unexplained enough. If there’s a logic to it, I want the logic to make sense and be followed to its conclusion—but not everything has a logic, and even if there is one, not every character is privy to it.

The kind of horror I write leans more into the uncanny with brief shocks of body horror or gore rather than horror that builds toward extreme violence. (Though as a reader, I love both and everything in between.)

I think the space I write in thrives on grey areas and uncertainty, because it’s very grounded in the characters and what they feel and believe. Something might be in your head, or it might be real—or, my favorite, it’s both, but not in all the ways you thought.

I don’t really have pet peeves or notice mistakes to avoid, so much as recognize when there’s something I was trying to do in my own work and didn’t quite achieve… I think there’s a risk in writing any horror, but especially my brand of slower horror that combines mystery and thriller elements but is still quite character driven, where you wind up giving readers something that doesn’t hit their preferred balance of propulsion, scares, and character work. Maybe it’s too slow, or maybe they don’t connect with a character and so the scares that are supposed to be effective because that character is scared don’t land.

What I try to do is write stories with moments that freak me out, and ground those moments in people I relate to even if they suck, as well as places with real, intentional histories and textures. From there, I just hope for the best.

Q: What are the best ways for fans to connect with you and keep track of what you’re writing (and related author news about you)?

I’m still on Twitter (X) somehow, where you can find me @jaqwrites. On Instagram you can find me @anomisting. Social media is often the first to go when I’m working on something that takes a lot of time and energy, but any big news will go to both those places!

You can also keep an eye on new projects and short fiction at my website, JaqEvans.com.