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On Writing by Jessica Clem

November 3, 2026 | By Women Writers Women Books | Reply More

I grew up on a farm in rural Nebraska, in a family of horror and thriller readers. I spent countless hours as a child exploring the natural world and building my own stories from the landscape and found objects on the farm. All these objects found their way into my imagination. Icicles became monstrous teeth, and flowers became symbolic of blood and tears. Little did I know that I was building a foundation for storytelling that would stick with me for life.

My dad gave me my first Stephen King novel, The Eyes of the Dragon, when I was seven, and shortly after my mother gave me the less age-appropriate Night Shift. The nights spent reading these stories are some of my earliest and most thrilling core memories. Suddenly, all the daydreams and imaginings of my childhood began making sense. I was a WRITER. I knew this in my core. I started writing poetry and prose at a young age, but my writing took a stylistic turn when I turned fourteen, the same year my mother died of brain cancer. I began processing the loss of my mother through writing horror and thriller stories, and I have continued this journey to this day. After decades of querying, killing my darlings, failing and getting back up, my debut adult thriller, This Never Happened, will be released on November 3, 2026, from Rowan Prose Publishing.

My work investigates loss and healing in horror and thriller genres. I believe these genres provide safe spaces for readers and writers alike to process their traumas, fears, and anxieties and learn to heal from these hurdles. We get to see characters pull through scary situations with impossible odds stacked against them, which, in turn, helps us learn how to navigate challenges and heal from our own. My goal as a writer is to connect with readers through these stories, inspire them to think about the world and their lived experiences in new ways, and serve as a resource for readers who are suffering their own parental losses.

So where does inspiration come from? I find that everything around me is part of a larger story. Inspiration comes from my husband’s oil paintings, the 200-year-old oak tree on my family farm, the headwaters of the Mississippi, and the books that line my walls. But I also find beauty in those ordinary moments and images that take your breath away, like driving into a new city, meeting a new person, or when I am on my run and thinking, “what if.” These are the quietly momentous moments that give a story its depth, because they are the most translatable and relatable to everyone.

I believe most writers always have an idea bouncing around in their minds. We can’t help it; everything could be a story. I like to picture story ideas floating around our minds like butterflies. Writers are constantly walking through a field or a forest teeming with these butterflies. Some are large, some are small, some are dark, and some are bright. Writers observe the world around them and admire the butterflies (ideas) until one lands. The butterfly that will eventually turn into a story is insistent. I like to wait until an idea lodges in my mind and doesn’t move. I wait until I am thinking about it daily for about a week or so before I go ahead, grab the net, and trap it. That’s when the real work begins.

I outline once I have a story idea in mind. This is a new occurrence; I used to just open a Google Doc and immediately jump into drafting a novel or short story. While this is fun for my spontaneous side, it makes the editing phase so much harder. I write out a rough outline with the major plot points and the stakes or conflict. Then, I develop character bios. I think of these like dating profiles. What does this character value? What are his or her morals, likes/dislikes, religious views, etc.? I start drafting once I have an idea of the characters, plot, and general cadence.

I am a creature of habit, and my writing process is heavily based on routine. Word limits are key in my process. I aim for 500 words daily in the morning during the work week, and 1000 words a day during the weekend. Sometimes, I try to “bank” these word count goals if I have a vacation coming up, and sometimes I write over or under the limits. Writing a few words on particularly stressful days can be a big win. But rest is just as important.

Learning to rest is something I am still learning in my writing process. As a creature of habit, as well as a long-distance runner, I am used to pushing past my mind and body’s limits. But rest is vital for recovery. I make sure to take at least a few weeks off after finishing a first draft of a novel. I print it out at OfficeMax, give it to my first reader (my husband), and take time to let my mind settle and let my creativity come back. This cycle repeats for however many drafts it takes until the novel is complete. This current process works really well for me, but I am constantly researching writing habits and seeking advice from other writers to see what I can add to my routine. Only after proper rest, recovery, and planning can I take my net and wander out into the field of butterflies once again.

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Jessica Clem is the author of the thriller This Never Happened: A Novel, and the horror novel In Lieu of Flowers (coming in 2027). Her work has appeared in The Stygian Lepus Magazine, Creation Magazine, Macabre Magazine, Ms Magazine, Literally Stories, on the Creepy Podcast’s Patreon page, and in the horror anthologies Down with the Fallen from Franklin/Kerr Press, D is for Demons from Red Cape Publishing, and After Dark from Rowan Prose Publishing. She is a 2026 Next Step Fund grant recipient, a project made possible by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council through a grant from the McKnight Foundation. Learn more about her work on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @jessclemauthor, or on her website: https://jessicaclem.com/

THIS NEVER HAPPENED

When former best friends Sam and Rebecca reunite at their college reunion, they decide to repair their fractured relationship and start over.
But then Sam finds out Rebecca is dating Adam, a man she’d had an intense relationship with two years ago. She vows to keep it a secret, lest it sever their newly mended bond.
Sam soon realizes she can’t outrun her and Rebecca’s imperfect past, nor can she ignore her and Adam’s desire for one another.
As Sam struggles between loyalty and lust, she realizes that vengeance can make monsters out of all of us.
Fans of the movie “Unfaithful” and the book “In My Dreams I Hold a Knife” by Ashley Winstead will enjoy “This Never Happened.”