Christina Escamilla Biography
Christina "Stina" Escamilla crafts dark short stories and teaches the art of horror writing. Her work explores the eerie spaces between fear and curiosity, often drawing inspiration from childhood memories, psychological tension, and forgotten folklore. She enjoys helping other writers find their voice through workshops, guides, and creative exercises designed to spark new ideas and deeper storytelling.
When she isn't writing, she can be found wandering quiet trails, browsing through curiosity shops, or lingering in a cozy coffee spot with a notebook in hand. Whether she’s chasing a new idea or soaking in the world around her, Christina believes that we are all just future corpses with a story to tell.
and now
Christina Escamilla’s Story in Her Own Words
The Early Backstory of Christina
Growing up, I was an extremely imaginative kid, and if I gave you my trademark crooked smile (like the one in this photo), then you knew I was either plotting a wild tall tale or a really good prank.
One of my fondest memories is when I drew on ALL the walls… literally. I took my mom’s lipstick and covered every part I could find.
My parents were… surprisingly not mad. They were amused and left it up for a few weeks, referring to the walls as “Stina’s mural.” Telling stories became a natural part of my identity. Though I learned they were best told on paper.
Horror, for me, was inevitable. My mom watched a lot of true crime (Unsolved Mysteries, Forensic Files, etc.), and my dad was always a horror fan, especially creature features (Gremlins, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and Tremors come to mind).
But there was a time when church and religion became predominant, and horror, or anything remotely creepy, was boxed up and put away.
I never stopped loving it, though. I just loved it in secret, and it became a solace for me, because if you can control some of the monsters, then the real ones are a little less scary.
Becoming An All-Genre Writer
I started writing professionally around 2008, mostly marketing copy with a few short stories sold on the side.
By 2013, I had self-published 64 Deaths, a collection exploring the many ways we lose people, metaphorically or otherwise.
Though it was firmly horror, I was too afraid to call myself a horror author and instead dabbled in other genres… even romance.
I was embarrassed. I was lucky enough to do a few conventions and start selling books, but I was terrified of being judged, of truly being seen.
And then, one day, I stopped completely.
Like your horror gritty, strange, and thoughtful?
Becoming A Horror Author
I didn’t stop writing, not exactly. I attended the University of Houston for a degree in Creative Writing. My thesis was even titled “Horror Narratives in Contemporary Literature.”
But I was too scared to put myself out there. That is until 2018 when my world changed completely.
I met Tyler. She became my muse and encouraged me to write what I loved, reminding me that the people who truly care will love me and those who don’t shouldn’t matter anyway.
I came out in more ways than one. I still kept my horror a secret, but it began to blossom outward. And now, nearly a decade of us being together, I have embraced myself fully. Skeletons in the closet and all.
Want to dig into the craft behind the chaos?
The Inspirations Behind the Fear
I am no longer afraid, I just exist. I love sharing my love of horror with others, whether through film analysis, writing prompts, or writing guides.
My fiction often explores loss, death, and regret, but never without contrast.
I love duality: beautiful imagery layered with the macabre, sharp teeth behind soft words. If I don’t find inspiration in a news story or a painful memory, I usually find it in a new location. I’m drawn to places with strange energy, where there’s a hum beneath the city noise.
I want readers to think about what it means to be human, especially when things get ugly, unexplainable, or uncanny.
At the heart of it all, I write to remind people that even in the shadows, there’s beauty worth finding.
When I’m not writing, I’m usually haunting a coffee shop or holed up in my office like a cave troll. I love going on adventures, finding strangeness in ordinary places, and spending time with the people who matter most. Sometimes that means traveling to a new city, sometimes it’s just a late-night walk where the world feels a little tilted.
However you’ve found me, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope you’ll stay a while in my little corner of the macabre.
Need ideas to spark your own nightmare fuel?
Fear in Your Feed
Follow Christina on Instagram for bite-sized horror thoughts, writing inspo, eerie snapshots, and the occasional cursed coffee pic.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christina Escamilla
Learn more about the craft, inspiration, and creative process of a female horror author. This FAQ explores how she approaches storytelling and the themes behind her work.
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All sorts of places! I think most authors agree that our brains make connections between multiple sources to create stories. For example, I might be inspired by a news article or an odd fact I’ve read and then mix that together with a childhood memory or a piece of folklore I’m familiar with.
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I usually start with a specific element of the story. It might be a character, a scene, or in some cases even a title. Then I build out from there. Some authors prefer to have a full structure, and while I usually have a general idea of where the story will go, I’m often surprised by how it shapes itself as I write.
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Horror is meant to shock, disgust, or terrify readers. While that’s the cornerstone of the genre, I think it also reflects what’s happening in our world right now. For genre fiction especially, I believe fantasy is built on nostalgia, science fiction is future-focused, and horror reveals what we most fear about our present reality.
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I sure do! You can find links to live classes, online workshops, and more on my website. I also offer writing guides and horror prompt books for both new and seasoned writers looking to sharpen their craft.
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Start by exploring what you fear most. I also encourage you to study horror as an art form. That means reading books, watching films, playing video games, or engaging with whatever medium excites you most about the genre. I also encourage you not to overlook other forms of fiction. You can find inspiration in the most unlikely places.
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I often explore duality, as mentioned in my biography. I’m fascinated by the contrast between harsh and gentle truths. For example, love and fear, body and identity, memory and guilt. I also draw from personal trauma and my need to understand the cruelty that exists in the world.
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Start by asking yourself, “What if?” What if I got into a car accident? What if my boss was actually a vampire? It might sound silly, but it gets your brain into ideation mode. Begin small. Write a paragraph, a single scene, or a brief outline to build confidence and develop your voice.
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I write psychological horror that sometimes tiptoes into body horror and cultural tales or folklore, as well as whatever I’m fascinated by at the moment, whether that’s a good creature feature or a ghost story.
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For me, it’s the opposite. I often have too many ideas, and the hard part is sorting through the randomness to find one worth developing. But, that’s where editing comes in!
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Many new writers rely on shock value or gore instead of emotional buildup. While blood and guts can be fun, I personally prefer horror that focuses on character motivation, pacing, and sensory detail. True horror lingers because it feels personal, not because it’s loud.