Bradley Ramsey

Saved as Draft Episode 60: First Impressions Story shout outs, a discussion on first impressions with your writing, and an interview with Daniel Coates!

On this week's episode of my Saved as Draft Podcast, I sit down with Flash Fiction February Lightweight bracket winner, Daniel Coates!

Find the episode here, or wherever you get podcasts. 😁

bradleyramsey.substack.com/p/saved-as-d...

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Brutal. I love it! 👏

Didn't see that twist coming! 😳

Deliciously gruesome. 😈

The Writer's Journey: Content Directory Wondering What to Read? Start Here!

Since a few folks seemed intrigued by my Synaptic Sprawl Mythos, I thought I'd share a link to my directory of those stories: bradleyramsey.substack.com/p/the-writer...

Would love to know what you think! Feedback is always welcome. 😁

Amen to that. 👏

Through my crimson-coated gaze, I can see the amalgamation of flesh smiling with its many mouths.

"Aw, that's cute. You think you're winning? You're just a dead god, piloting a puppet of flesh."

I grip the axe until my knuckles flash white.

"Time to cut your strings."

#HorrorWritersChat

Thank you!

Fun fact: The name refers to how the multiverse is structured. It all exists within the mind of an entity known as The Dreamer.

So, each "universe" is essentially one of its synapses/neurons. 😁

Agreed. I heard about his diagnosis. Horrible news, but I'm rooting for him as always.

I gotta go with Cthulhu here. Such an iconic design, and the foundation for my love of unfathomable entities. 🐙

In my Synaptic Sprawl mythos, my Lovecraftian gods are known as "The Exiled Ones," and they absolutely take inspiration from other cosmic horror creatures.

#HorrorWritersChat

a man says " manic laughter woo " in front of a blue background ALT: a man says " manic laughter woo " in front of a blue background

Absolutely, haha. Evil Dead is a bonified horror classic!

And, as someone who writes horror/comedy from time-to-time, there's few better inspirations than our boy Ash.

I am still haunted by the RE8 DLC, haha. That part where you had to run from the mannequins that only stop when you're looking at them was TERRIFYING. 😂

Shop Smart, Shop...S-Mart. 😆👏

"innocent cinnamon roll" is my new favorite way to describe inexperienced characters in horror stories. Loved this answer! 👏

Awesome! Yeah, they just announced story DLC for it, so I'm leaving my copy installed in anticipation of that.

I'll play through it again too at some point, but I need a break, haha. Grace's sections of the game were so intense! 😅

It's a toss-up here for me between "The Final Girl" archetype and "The Skeptic," where someone doesn't believe the events are real until it's too late.

I've used both before, and of course, with cosmic horror, the fear of the unknown is a major theme as well.

#HorrorWritersChat

I picked Resident Evil as well! That gif is so good, haha. I loved how Capcom referenced this in Dead Rising as well by putting a restaurant in the mall named "Jill's Sandwiches." 😂

That's awesome! Would love to hear your thoughts when you're finished. I think it's one of my favorites in the whole series.

Castlevania for the win! 👏

Hell yeah! I also picked Resident Evil in my post, haha. 🤓

Have you played Requiem yet? I just finished it the other day. 👀

When it comes to sources of inspiration, gaming has always been my secret weapon.

One good game can inspire countless stories, in my experience. 😁

So, to recap my rambling:

1 - Line up your major players, gods, etc., that define the mythos

2 - Decide how you'll connect everything

3 - Start with small, standalone stories to get yourself (and readers) acquainted with the world.

I hope this helps! 😁🙏

So, for example, my horror mythos is a multiverse. There are specific themes and characters that appear in all the stories, but they're otherwise standalone (with hits at a larger meta-narrative).

In contrast, D'veen stories all fall within a specific timeline and connect deeply to each other.

Ran out of room. 😆

My advice would be to get all the major players lined up and decide how and where they will show up in your stories.

Then ask, yourself: will you have clear and consistent connections between stories set here, or will you take a more subtle approach?

Both work, in my opinion.

Great question! I have two, actually. Synaptic Sprawl is my horror mythos, and then I also have a connected Fantasy/Sci-fi universe called D'veen where some of my stories are set.

Both are similar, but the Sprawl is much wider in scope.

In terms of advice...

Cults and ghosts, you say? 👀

Count me in! 😁

Aliens is a great choice!

Hello, fellow horror authors! Bradley Ramsey here. I myself write cosmic/Lovecraftian horror set in my mythos known as The Synaptic Sprawl.

Favorite action/horror media has got to be video games, and specifically the Resident Evil series. Just finished Requiem and LOVED it! 🤓

#HorrorWritersChat

This week's guest on my Saved as Draft Podcast is fantasy author Daniel Coates!

Daniel took home the grand prize for the lightweight bracket in my Flash Fiction February 2026 challenge, so this interview also includes questions submitted by the community!

Tune in this Friday.

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Always. 🏳️‍⚧️