Hi everyone!
Today, I'm sharing excerpts from my interviews about writing horror fiction and my story "Thursday Night Bingo" that appeared in the Wrapped in White horror anthology.
I also included links to my latest guest blog on writing paranormal romances, and a link to the spooky October issue of my newsletter.
Enjoy!
Kelli
Kelli
A. Wilkins is the author of the story
THURSDAY
NIGHT BINGO
in
the anthology from Sekhmet Press
Hi Kelli! Thank you for joining me
today. Let’s kick off this interview with the most important
question. Have you ever encountered a ghost?
Yes, I’ve had plenty of
“supernatural” or “paranormal” encounters with spirits. My husband and I like
to explore creepy old places (historical houses, castles, battlefields, etc.),
whether or not they’re reputed to be haunted. Sometimes we come across spirits,
sometimes not. Our travels have taken us all over: the UK, Gettysburg,
Alcatraz, Eastern State Prison, local historical sites, and hundreds more I
can’t even remember.
Sometimes we get a “feel” that there’s someone around and
other times we’ve heard things that have no rational explanation such as
voices, footsteps, and we’ve even seen a few apparitions. There are too many to
go into details on all of them, but I wrote about seeing my husband’s deceased
dog in the anthology Departed Pets. When I first saw the dog standing in front
of me, I didn’t think much of it. He looked like he always did. Then a minute
later I remembered that the dog had been dead for a few weeks.
These things
don’t scare me or freak me out. I think they’re interesting. A lot of people
have ghost stories, but most of them are reluctant to open up about what
they’ve experienced.
Your short story, Thursday Night Bingo” is based on a true
story, tell us more!
When I heard about Wrapped in White
I thought, “I have a ghost story that’s not doing anything, let’s give it a
try!” Growing up, I read lots of horror anthologies and always dreamed of “one
day” seeing my stories in them – and now I have. Most of my horror tales have
been published in anthologies and I love being included in them. I think
they’re a great way to reach readers and it’s always fun to read the other
stories in the collection.
This
story was a unique family betrayal story. I love how the dead continue to find
new ways they have been wrongly killed. Can you tell us how you were inspired
to write Thursday Night Bingo?
This story is based on a real
incident. Several years ago, my great aunt was convinced that every night she
saw a woman walk down the hallway and go into her linen closet. We didn’t think
much of it (maybe she was dreaming…) but she was very insistent. Then she told
us that her dog used to bark and scratch at the linen closet, like he was trying
to get in there. That got me wondering… What if there really was a ghost (or
spirit) wandering around? What if the dog saw something we couldn’t?
Many of my horror stories are based
on a conversation, a detail, or something else that most people wouldn’t notice,
and then I start to wonder, “What if…?” I put all these thoughts on the
backburner for a while, then one day decided to write a story using her
“ghostly encounter” for the premise.
I took liberties with a lot of the
details, but kept the part about her being in a wheelchair, not taking crap
from people, and nobody believing her. (But in real life, her son is nothing
like the character in the story!) I let my imagination wander and got creative
with how the ghost got there and what she wanted, but kept the son’s motive
open-ended. The original title for this story was “The Ghost in the Green
Dress.”
What’s the most shocking book or
story you’ve ever read?
I’ve read a lot of things that have
stuck with me for one reason or another. The first horror story I ever remember
scaring me (and still sticks with me) is “Wendigo’s Child” by Thomas F.
Monteleone. It was in an anthology for children called Monster Tales: Vampires,
Werewolves, & Things. (And I'm still looking for a copy of it - with the illustrations!!) I read it when I was in grade school. Anyone who has
read it understands the last line. “It was looking up at him.”
Do you remember a particular moment
or incident that made you decide to be a writer?
Yes. The first book that ever had a
major effect on me was Stephen King’s Night Shift. I read this collection of
stories when I was nine or ten, and I was impressed. Up until that point, I’d
read the Little House books and Nancy Drew mysteries. They were okay reads to
pass the time, but something about horror clicked with me. I was entranced by
the way the stories were told, the characters, the descriptions, and tone.
At that moment, I decided I wanted
to write horror fiction and have my stories published in a book someday. From
then on I read every horror novel and short story I could find. Eventually I
began writing my own tales of terror!
Do you have a certain space and time
set aside for writing or is it more of a free-form process?
I’m definitely free-form. I’ll write
anywhere, anytime. I don’t block out certain hours of the day to write or give
myself a goal of writing so many words or pages a day. I find that too
suffocating. If I’m writing a story I’ll work on it as much as I can (or want
to) until it’s done. Then I put it aside for a while and write something else
or take a break from writing for a day or two. I find it hard to be creative on
schedule!
What other sorts of themes or genres
would you like to explore?
When I’m not writing horror stories,
I write romances! Yes, it’s a very strange combination and I like to say that
one half of my mind writes the horror and the other half writes the romance. On
occasion, I combine them into a paranormal romance, but I have to be careful
that the “horror side” doesn’t take over and make the romance too scary or
bloody. I am a traditionalist when it comes to “monsters” though, so I have to
get past the idea of someone falling in love with a bloodthirsty undead
creature. (I think my novella Confession of a Vampire’s Lover did a good job
balancing the two ideas.)
I like switching between the two
genres because they’re so different. Horror lets me explore characters, themes,
plots, and settings that I couldn’t write about in romance. After I finish a
romance I usually go on a “binge” and write two or three horror short stories
just to switch things up. Aside from horror and romance, I’ve also had dozens
of sci-fi stories published in The Sun.
Please briefly describe your path to
publication.
I started out writing horror stories
and submitting them everywhere I could: to contests, magazines, anthologies,
you name it. One of my first acceptances came from The First Line. They
published my short story “Guest of Honor” and even included it in The Best of
the First Line. From there, I wrote sci-fi stories for The Sun, and then won
the First Place Award in the Weird Tales World Horror Con writing contest for
my story titled, “The Uninvited”. Since then, I follow the same format, write the
best story I can, and submit it. I’m happy to say that my short stories have
appeared in several horror anthologies.
Who are your favorite fictional
antagonist and protagonist and what was it about them that struck a chord for
you?
I thought about great literary
characters and drew a blank. Then I asked myself, what movie do I watch over
and over every time it’s on? One of my favorites is Slingblade. The connection
between Frank (Lucas Black) and Karl (Billy Bob Thornton) is interesting. I
like how Karl immediately bonds with Frank and looks out for him in a big
brother way, and yet, Karl has a dark side that everyone else is a little leery
of. I think deep down, they both understand more about their situation than
they’re letting on, and on a surface level they pretend everything will somehow
turn out okay.
And I absolutely love Doyle (Dwight
Yoakam). He’s a delightfully nasty SOB who goes over the top and eventually
gets what’s coming to him. (The scene where Doyle is playing with his band
always cracks me up, because I’m also a fan of Dwight’s music.) The dialog and
the many subtle layers of interaction between the characters also make it one
of my favorites.
Aside from writing, what is your
favorite artistic medium?
I’d have to say music. I’m
constantly listening to music and I go to concerts as often as I can. And after
all, songs are short stories set to music!
Thanks again for joining me today
and letting us get to know you better. I wish you the best of luck with Wrapped
In White and all of your future endeavours.
Thanks for letting me share my
thoughts about writing and horror fiction. I welcome feedback and questions
from readers.
Happy Haunting!
***
Don’t miss the October issue of my newsletter. It’s filled with news
about horror anthologies, paranormal romances, and more!
Read my newest Saturday Storyteller Interview here:
Catch my guest blog on writing
paranormal romances:
http://gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/exploring-paranormal-romances-just-in-time-for-halloween/
See you next week!
Kelli
