Embracing darkness: How I became a horror writer

As a horror writer, the question I get asked most is how I came to embrace the genre. I always have the same answer: I didn't choose horror; horror chose me.

- By YVETTE TAN

I've always been interested in the supernatural. Even though I grew up in Manila, I was raised in a way that I now realize may have reflected my maternal grandmother's provincial roots: Visits to a hilot were common, and it was common to overhear adults talking about the supernatural as ifnit were gossip.

Pinoy pop culture was also filled with stories of the supernatural. Inday Badiday famously featured a woman who had given birth to a mudfish on her tv show "See True," the film "Ninja Kids" taught me that you should wear your clothes inside out if your were lost in the woods to stop the spirits from getting you lost, and the episode "Ate" from "Shake, Rattle and Roll III" made me realize that sometimes, it is human selfishness that creates monsters.

I also read a lot. I found a book in the school library (I suspect it was a Maximo Ramos book on lower mythological creatures) that explained how aswangs came to be. I devoured books on the paranormal just because they were fun.

And before I knew it, all of this began appearing in my stories.