As a writer and a feminine-presenting person, I have always been drawn to horror fiction as a way to explore personal experiences and the cultural forces that shape them, especially concerning my own experiences with fourth-wave feminism, which focuses on intersectionality, challenging gender roles, body positivity, and digital activism. This paper responds to my inquiry about creating an effective and relatable young adult horror fiction work. It details my process of revision using reader response criticism, fourth wave feminism, my own experiences, and various scholarly works regarding women in horror literature as characters and authors, and feminist metaphors in gothic, horror, and young adult horror fiction. It is the pinnacle of my English and Writing Studies education here at Salem.
Helena Bowman is a double major in Health Humanities and English and Writing Studies with a concentration in Creative Writing and is a double minor in History and Art History. After growing up in King, North Carolina, they attended Forsyth Technical Community College for two years before transferring to Salem. Helena plans to pursue a masters degree, is considering a PhD, and also has a desire to continue making positive change for other students in the future.