At the age of 22, Liz Van Bakel has already made her mark, or splatter, in the genre of horror
writing. The CNC graduate recently had three of her poems selected to appear in the horror
series Beautiful Tragedies, A Dark Poetry Anthology 5. Published in the US through
HellBound Books, this anthology is a big break for Van Bakel as it represents her first
published work.
“The biggest challenge with writing is finding publishers,” said Van Bakel.
“For horror,
publishers are often looking for vampires, or werewolves, or fantasy. I like to write about
normal, everyday things, but twisted.”
Van Bakel’s love of English and writing started in high school and grew with fervor when she
enrolled in the Associate of Arts English program at CNC in September of 2022.
“I love CNC,” said Van Bakel. “This place is such a great steppingstone from high school to
post-secondary. It was exactly what I needed.
“Once I was here, I realized this is what I can do. I can be a writer.”
CNC English instructor Graham Pearce first met Van Bakel before she became a CNC
student, when he gave a guest lecture to Grade 12 English students at College Heights
Secondary School. He invited students from the class to participate in a literary event
alongside CNC students. Van Bakel accepted the invitation, reading her work and
performing an original song on guitar.
“Liz has always had the courage to share her creativity,” said Pearce.
“I remember her
coming to that literary event, reading her work and performing an original song. She had her
own creative voice even then, and it has been wonderful to see her continue to develop as
a writer.”
Van Bakel credits her instructors, particularly Graham Pearce, for cementing her love of
writing and for creating a welcoming environment.
“It wasn’t until Graham’s class that I really got interested in horror,” she said. “Graham
helped my find my love of writing. He would say ‘let all the outdoor noise go away and just
write.’”
Van Bakel notes Stephen King as her favourite horror writer and “Pet Sematary” as her
favourite King novel. However, she found inspiration in King’s short fiction collection “The
Bazaar of Bad Dreams” when it came time to complete her final assignment for Pearce.
“We were supposed to do a 20,000-word manuscript but I really liked short stories, how the
bite-sized pieces really get under your skin,” said Van Bakel. “So, I thought ‘this could be
creepy’ and Graham was so supportive.”
The result is an original short story collection titled “Mirror Dimension.” Ten, short stories
that show the other side of the mirror, so to speak. Such as a smile, but it has a darker
meaning, or having flowers delivered, but with creepy undertones.
For Pearce, Van Bakel’s connection to CNC is also part of a larger story. He previously
taught her brother, Tanner, who now creates the artwork for Van Bakel’s chapbooks. Van
Bakel’s former high school teacher, Stephanie Chiles, was also one of Pearce’s students at
CNC.
“Liz is a talented writer, but she’s also a wonderful example of the writing community that
grows at CNC,” said Pearce.
“Students often come to us because a brother, auntie,
neighbour or friend has encouraged them along the way. Liz brought her own creativity and
voice while becoming part of that larger community of writers and thinkers. To me, she is a
classic CNC student.”
Van Bakel stresses that seeking opportunities to get her name and her writing out to the
public is a job in itself.
“I was in a slump for a long time,” she said.
“I kept hitting walls. So then, I took a poetry
class, I went to Pints and Poetry nights, manuscript release parties. It kept me writing,
helps me stand out in a crowd.”
Her hustle paid off and this past July, Van Bakel presented Graveyard Shift: A Horror Writing
Workshop at Writer’s Fest, hosted by the Northern BC Writers Association.
“This was such a fun experience,” said Van Bakel. “It kind of blew up; horror does interest
people and it was exciting to meet other writers who have the same interests.”
Van Bakel is very composed and enjoys sharing her work with others, instead of shying
away from it.
“I think it’s a stereotype that writers are solitary figures,” she said. “You need to have people
to read your work, to talk about ideas with.”
Sharing her work does not scare Van Bakel, but as a horror writer, she does write about
experiences that do.
“My biggest fear is hearing a knock at the door at 2 a.m.,” said Van Bakel. “I think home
invasions are terrifying."
“I put myself in my characters shoes; what if this really happened? What would I do?”
Looking ahead, Van Bakel plans to get her masters in English, maybe start a novel, keep
writing and seeking opportunities.
“If you stop, then your decision is made,” she said. “You need to feel it in your heart and
your soul.”