CRANFORD, NJ — Janelle Schiecke has been celebrating.
Her newest horror novella, “The Clatter Man,” is now No. 1 in New Releases for American Horror on Amazon. She’s also the author of “Ghost Room” and “Death Cult.”
The Cranford author says it feels amazing to have realized her dream. “It feels so great,” she said. “It’s cool to see my book up there with these other authors. I’m just a horror fan who loves to write stories, but the fact that I can share these stories with the world, that makes me so happy. Just being a storyteller is the most amazing thing to me.”
Schiecke said she was always so in love with reading. Even when she was little, she enjoyed dark authors such as Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe.
She has a bachelor’s degree in English and loves editing. She was an editor – on and off – for 20 years. “I took a creative writing class, but I’m more self-taught,” she said.
As an author, she says her biggest challenge is “the muddy middle.” Wanting to make the book flow, she usually starts writing from the end. And she writes the stories she wants to read.
Her inspiration comes from her readers, especially on Twitter. She said, “I connect with so many readers. I love how excited they are to read them (her books).”
She’s also intrigued by horror movies – not only the story itself, but the imagery. How would she write it visually in a story?
Horror is pleasurable to Schiecke. She said, “It’s just fun. It’s fun to create and to scare people. Being able to use words to scare people and evoke these strong emotions.”
In addition to being a great writer, Schiecke is also a marketing whiz, with almost 6,000 followers on Twitter/X. She attributes her online success to being very good with people. “I really love talking with people,” she said. “How they connect with my stories. I love being genuine. I do interviews. People can watch them and see what I’m like.”
Schiecke was also in online advertising for 10 years. “It was not social media,” she said. “It was the early 2000s.”
For those who want to get into writing, Schiecke advises, “Write for yourself. Don’t write what you think is trending. It always changes. Just write what you’re passionate about. That’s going to show on the page. You’re going to be unique in that way. People are going to feel that. Be genuine. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Don’t compete. Ask questions. Ask a million questions. People always want to help. Start small. Take baby steps. Once you have it down, it becomes easier.”
Schiecke was born in Ohio and moved to Cranford – from Brooklyn, New York – with her husband 20 years ago. She loves Cranford and the family vibe. “It’s so family-oriented,” she said. “It has the small-town vibe. All these little special things Cranford has that I didn’t have growing up.”
When Schiecke isn’t writing, she has family time with her husband and son, playing board games and video games. She’ll also hang out with friends and go to dinner. Spending quiet time with her cats is important, too. “They’re so sweet,” she said. And she loves to read. “I’m always reading a book,” she said.
To learn more about Janelle Schiecke, visit: https://www.janelleschiecke.com/.
Photo Courtesy of Janelle Schiecke