Meet Christina Bergling | author and horror writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christina Bergling and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
It sounds trite, but I am inspired by everything. When I experience something positive, I want to say something about it. When I experience something negative, I want to say something about it. Everything filters through my mind and ends up getting assimilated into my writing. Emotional reaction drives it all. The more I feel, the more I tend to produce. So maybe more than anything, trauma fuels my craft. Nightmares power my words. The darkness fills my creativity. Hence, horror writer.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a writer, crafter of novels, novellas, short stories, essays, blogs, and more. The majority of my published works fall under the horror genre, making me a weaver of nightmares. My particular flavor of horror ranges from poignant psychological torture to campy horror comedy. Yet all of it is built on emotion. My stories are about how the characters feel, more than what happens to them.

Writing has always been easy for me. Publishing, however, has been a journey. It was never as easy as I dreamed in elementary school. I was unprepared for the barbs of rejection and negative reviews. It took time and practice to develop a thicker skin, especially since I am so often painfully vulnerable in my writing and open my own wounds to bleed on the page. It took exposure and maturity to learn when to listen, when to ignore, and what to do with it. It also took commitment and discipline to start writing full novels, edit and polish pieces to a professional level, submit and keep submitting works. At some point, passion has to become practice.

The most important lesson I learned was to just keep going. Keep writing. Keep editing. Keep submitting. Keep learning.

If nothing else, I want people to find something true in my stories. Yes, they are usually fiction about something terrible, but I hope a bit of me resonates with a bit of my readers. Especially if it something that can lighten the darkness.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
During the days, we would need to explore the Denver Museum of Nature and Science or Meow Wolf (maybe even Waterworld or Elitch Gardens if we’re feeling adventurous and undaunted by lines).

But by night, Denver is for shows and entertainment. Concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheater or the Gothic. Burlesque and drag at the Clocktower Cabaret. Local artists at Herman’s Hideaway (when it reopens).

I would make sure to take them to Addis Ababa Ethiopian Restaurant and HAPA Sushi.

And most important, we would need to take a little side trip. Maybe a ski day in Loveland in the winter or hiking in any other season. Herman’s Gulch is a close, moderate trail that climbs past tree line to a mountain lake.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have always had a great system of family and friends who supported my writing career. From beta reading drafts to attending author events to listening to me rant, they have been steadfast and pivotal in helping me pursue this dream.

Writing tends to be an individual sport, but it is so much more successful with community. My critique group (Marissa Yarrow, Andrew Beasley, and Bowen Gillings) have helped me improve multiple works. Pikes Peak Writers, Horror Writers Association – Colorado Chapter, and Denver Horror Collective have provided knowledge, expertise, connections, and space to enable my evolution.

Website: https://christinabergling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fierypen/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbergling/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/chrstnaberglingauthor

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG2s2dQA7309EeGM8y3BvQA

Other: https://linktr.ee/chrstnabergling

Image Credits
Randy Poe Photography
Anm Boudoir Photography