The Penny Dreadful Experiment

I need your help

Since I started writing, oh so many years ago, I have become somewhat obsessed with trying different styles of horror. If you have followed me here for a while, you will know that I try all sorts of different things. There are a couple that frighten me, with cosmic horror very much at the top of that list. Penny Dreadfuls are in there, too, but I feel like I am ready to take that on, especially since my wife is named Penny and it would somehow feel like a little nod to all she does to make it possible for me to write full-time.

I love the whole idea and setting of these tales. The foggy, almost gothic vibe, plus the opportunity to get really creative with monsters, both human and unnatural. Now, I plan on writing one per month, probably around the 2-2.5K mark, making them a little longer than my 8-Bit Horrors. This is where I need your help.

I am split between how I want to approach this. My mum would have loved these stories, so I want to use her maiden name and have a character called Inspector Davren investigating all the weirdness of the time. He could be in one off type stories, but I think it would be cooler to do them in a 3-part style, with the first 2 ending in cliffhangers. I would release them individually to paid subs, and then put them in my shop for everyone, probably at $1.50 to $2. Here are some ideas…

The other way to go would be to just have a new standalone story every month with different characters, although Inspector Davren may make an appearance every now and again, opening up singular adventures for his character in future dreadfuls. These are some of the basic ideas I came up with in Canva…

Now, I want to know what you guys think. Which direction would you like me to take with this. Please vote in the poll and let me know.

The first Penny Dreadful will likely show up in mid-April, as I want to start making the 8-Bit Horrors available on the 1st of each month, with a Bangles the Clown backstory the next one up. Looking forward to hearing what you guys think, as I always value your opinions.