In this captivating episode of Veteran Made, host Carey Kight interviews Nick Orton aka Tales from the Grid Square, author of The Transcript, a collection of military horror short stories published by Dead Reckoning Collective. The conversation offers a fascinating glimpse into Orton’s journey from curating real-life paranormal experiences on his Instagram page to crafting his own fictional tales. Orton’s transition to fiction writing was inspired by fellow author William “Buck” Bolyard, who encouraged him to submit a short story to a horror anthology. Although his initial submission wasn’t accepted, this setback motivated Orton to create his own collection. He shares the intriguing origin of his first story, Just a Rock, which was inspired by Hawaiian legends and superstitions surrounding lava rocks from the Big Island. The episode delves into Orton’s writing process, revealing how he developed from an unstructured approach to a more refined method of backwards planning from the desired ending. Listeners will appreciate Orton’s honesty about the challenges he faced as an untrained writer and how he overcame them. One of the most compelling aspects of the conversation is Orton’s discussion of how he incorporated his military experiences and knowledge into the stories. He aimed to represent various branches of the military and drew inspiration from locations he had personally visited. He explains how he borrowed themes from various legends without directly appropriating specific stories, creating a respectful blend of inspiration and originality. Fans of military fiction and horror will be intrigued by Orton’s mention of a story based on a disputed historical event from over a hundred years ago, leaving listeners eager to uncover this hidden gem within the collection. This episode offers valuable insights into the creative process behind military horror fiction and showcases the supportive nature of the veteran writing community. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or an aspiring writer, this conversation between Carey and Nick is sure to entertain and inspire. This episode is sponsored by Go Pills. Use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order. Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9. SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/ http://x.com/veteranmade.ck https://www.instagram.com/tales_from_the_gridsquare/

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