Writing Media-Tie In With Tim Waggoner
Plus 6 BONUS NEW Paying Horror Calls
One of my current obsessions as I work to advance my writing career has been the world of media tie-in writing. It’s hard to find solid information on the subject. I’ve asked a lot of people about it and tried to figure out how to get my foot in the door, but—as is often the case—it seems like you already have to be doing it to do it easily. There was no single place where I could find a comprehensive explanation of what media tie-in writing actually is, how it works, and, most importantly, how to break in.
That is, until I found Tim Waggoner’s Just Add Writing.
Who knew there was one book that could tell me the complete story of everything I wanted to know about media tie-in writing? Tim Waggoner has worked on many large-scale, well-known projects and has made quite a name for himself in that world. Most recently, he’s been involved with the X series, including X, Maxxxine, and Pearl—horror movies I absolutely loved.
He wrote creative and well-received books tied to those films. He’s also written for the hugely popular Terrifier series and recently adapted the latest Terrifier movie into a novel.
Other credits to his name include Supernatural tie-in novels, among many others.
I found Just Add Writing to be an accessible and coherent guide, filled with personal stories and practical insights. It’s highly entertaining and educational. If, like me, you're fascinated by the entire world of media tie-in writing and want to know how to break in—and whether the shoe will even fit—I can’t recommend this book enough.
On a personal note, Tim is one of the kindest, most soft-spoken individuals I’ve ever met, with horror that seems to pour effortlessly from his fingertips. I was fortunate to meet him at World Fantasy Con in October last year.
1) How did Media-Tie in work affect your writing career?
It got my name in front of a different group of readers, and it allowed me to stretch my writing skills. For example, I wrote the novelization of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which allowed me to explore writing light-hearted James Bondish action-adventure, a genre I might never have attempted on my own.
2) What has been your favorite world/project to work on?
Probably the novelizations of Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3. It was a challenge to write Art the Clown, a character who never speaks and is so physical, and also to develop Art’s victims as characters so readers would see them as real people and not just meat for slaughter. And Damien Leone allowed me to add a great deal of material to the story, so I could develop my own take on the franchise’s mythology.
3) If you have ONE piece of advice for writers hoping to break into this world, what would it be?
Write and traditionally publish your own original work first. Editors and publishers need to know that you can complete a novel at a professional level, get it in on deadline, and work with an editor to make whatever changes they suggest.
4) Do you have an anecdote to share related to the craziest thing you’ve experienced linked to this kind of work?
I mentioned the novelization of Kingsman: The Golden Circle earlier. I was given one version of the script to work from, and – without either of us knowing it – my editor was given a different version of the script. So when I turned in the draft, she was surprised (and not in a pleasant way) to discover the story I’d written wasn’t what she expected. And while it’s extremely uncommon for novelists to see the film ahead of time, the writer/director decided I needed to view the film before I wrote the book, so they flew me to L.A. to watch a cut of the film. The director insisted I get down every detail, but I wasn’t allowed to bring my laptop, just a notebook, and the projectionist would stop the film ever few minutes for me to write down stuff. This version of the film was different than either of the two scripts I’d seen, so when I got home, I decided to make the book from my favorite parts of all three versions, and everyone approved it, and that was the version that was finally published. It was a wild experience!
5) Why horror?
I’ve been fascinated with all things dark and wonderful since I was a child. Horror stimulates my imagination like nothing else. I tell people that the dark is a wonderful canvas to work with because anything could be in shadows…anything at all.
6) What’s next for Tim?
I have a Conan novel called Conan: Spawn of the Serpent God due out at the end of October from Titan Books, and I’ll be writing a Conan short story for Titan as well. I have a couple of small-press books to finish, and after that, who knows? Maybe a new tie-in project will materialize by that point.
Cosmic Horror Monthly
Horror: July 1 -7 - under 5000 words - 3c a word - no reprints - yes sim subs
CHM is a small press headquartered in Oklahoma city. We want to drive cosmic horror and weird fiction into the future while paying homage to the golden age of pulp literature.
We believe that the horror genre’s diversity is its greatest strength, and we wish that viewpoint to be reflected in our story content and submission queues. We are especially interested in hearing from those whose voices are underrepresented in the cosmic/weird. If comfortable, feel free to drop this information in your cover letter.
We strongly favor stories that use contemporary narrative styles.
MY INSIGHTS - 7 rejections. I’ll try again!
https://cosmichorrormonthly.com
Ghastly Going Ons
Lit- open now till September 1 - 500 -2,000 words - pay $20 - sim subs and reprints welcome. To Whom It May Not Concern: Emails That Were Written (or Should’ve Been) and Never Sent. We’re collecting stories, real or imagined, inspired by unhinged letters to schools and/or between parents. The kind that might have stayed in the “Drafts” folder, or were sent late at night, or whispered in parking lots.
This is a space to unpack the raw, complex, and sometimes absurd emotions that come with parenting within (and around) the institution of education. These letters may be filled with love, outrage, confusion, protectiveness, or pure bureaucratic exhaustion.
Fictionalized letters, creative nonfiction, poetry that channel real emotional truths.
Anonymous accounts of clashes with school administrators and teachers.
Emails-never-sent to principals, boards, or other parents.
Open letters that reckon with the cost of conforming or resisting social norms and out-dated rules.
Epistolary rants or elegies about individualized education programs, drop-off line politics, or PTA drama.
Bonus points for dashs of speculative, humor, and spice.
Flash Fiction Online
Spec - takes horror - open July 1 - 31 -1000 word max - pay $100 - anon subs -recently switched to accepting sim-subs - Flash Fiction Online will be seeking submissions for an issue exploring the theme of REGRET, scheduled for January 2026. The guest editor for this issue is award-winning author Ai Jiang.
What We're Looking For:
You can't get stuck in the past forever, but too often we don't make space for moments of reflection about what could have been. How could we do better? Be better? Will knowing conclusions change our decisions? Regrets, both small and large, are what drive our self-improvement, especially at the beginning of a new year. And sometimes, it’s the lack of regrets that results in the greatest of consequences, throwing us down vicious cycles where nothing is ever learned or realized. (Some key words for inspiration: Melancholy, Reflection, Reconciliation, Realization, Reminiscence, Rememory, Vicious cycles, Guilt, Acceptance)
Stories that have the feel of what we're looking for include:
“Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang
“Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes
“Homecoming is Just Another Word for the Sublimation of the Self” by Isabel J. Kim
“Bone-Eater Earth” by Emma Burnett
MY INSIGHTS - I have a friend who is an editor here and she recommends creating complete character arcs. I have MANY rejections from this market and have had 2 holds, but no sales. YET.
SmokeLong Quarterly
Dark Fantasy & Psychological Thriller - May 11th -Aug 15 - 1000 word max - $300 pay per story - anon subs - SmokeLong will be searching for prose that is troubling, that explores our darkest fears. We're not quite sure we're ready for this to be honest, but that's part of the appeal. We are looking for literary prose. We do not want to weather gratuitous violence or cruelty, but we do--or at least we think we do--want to feel fright, unease, a racing heart. If you are a writer of stories that do this, this call is for you. Think Shirley Jackson.
My Insights - $300 for flash? Yes please. I sent in my story about a blood-sucking monster in a cabin in the woods. No clichés here.
Memento Mori Ink
Horror- Memento Mori Mengaries ( Open theme )-closes Aug 10th - 1000 words max - $5 per story - reprints accepted - They are posting monthly prompts.
Next Theme: The Hollow Court
Fae horror, winter courts, changelings, and courtly decay.
SEPTEMBER Deadline: 09/10/2025, OCTOBER Release: 10/01/2025
Theme: The Unmaking
Stories of unraveling—worlds, minds, bodies, or timelines.
OCTOBER Deadline: 7/10/2025, NOVEMBER release: 08/01/2025
FLAMETREE
(Okay, this one isn’t really horror. But it could be…)
Romantic Fantasy Anthology Series - July 20th close - 2,000–4,000 words -8c a word - multiple yes, sim subs yes - They are curating for two different anthologies.
A Breath of Time
Lost loves, love discovered, love unreachable unless Time itself is conquered, these and many other time-bending, time traveling, time feasting themes can spark your imagination for stories of alternate history, of ancient forests returning to haunt the present and great adventures through dreams and timeless mountain tops, all with hearts beating to the rhythm of romance. Let's see where your stories take us!
Of Love & Dragons
Dragons may be fierce but they are symbols of great power, and the bond between human and dragon, once forged can never be broken. Or can it? Can romance deal a deathly trail of vows abandoned, or forgotten, can realms beyond our time conjure tales of Dragon Lords and warrior princesses, of great rivalries and oceans yearning with desire and determination, can you tempt the ancient ways into new meanings, and new stories.
Submit to: romanticfantasy@flametreepublishing.com
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