A SHOCK

TO THE SYSTEM


Late '00
 


JMF I'm ashamed to admit that I can no longer recall exactly when or with whom this interview took place (though from my answers, it was either November or December of 2000), but I rediscovered fragments of it recently when trawling through some old disks, and decided to reproduce it here.

How old were you when you first started to write stories?

For me this is one of those indefinable answers, like ‘how long is a piece of string?’. It’s just something which I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember. I think we all invent imaginary worlds when we’re young and we all have a wonderfully vivid imagination which can become restricted by growing up, and I turned mine towards acting out stories set in make-believe worlds, and also writing down tales and drawing my own comic books. I’ve certainly been doing it since I was about five or six, and maybe even before then. 

Have you always been interested in horror?

Yes, and again I think most children are. All children have this love of scaring themselves with thoughts of vampires and werewolves and the like, and I was no different and I still haven’t changed after all these years! There’s nothing quite like a good chill down the spine. I remember when I was young – again probably about five or six – staying up late at the weekends to watch the re-runs of the old Hammer Horror movies and I would spend half the time hiding behind a blanket. Yet there’s something that attracts us to that kind of thrill even if we avert our eyes at the critical moment – like looking over the edge of a cliff, or going on a roller coaster. Who can explain it? Perhaps it’s just a good shock to the system. Maybe we’re never more alive than when faced with the danger of death.

What books do you most enjoy reading and why?

All different kinds; I really do. I absolutely love books of all varieties, or all that I can think of anyway. There was a time were I read horror almost exclusively but I’ve never really limited myself in that way for any length of time. I’ve got so much enjoyment from branching off into other genres and reading stuff that I wouldn’t normally have considered that I’m not about to blinker myself and miss out on a world of pleasure. As long as a story is well-told and involving, with good characters and good structure then I’ll be hooked.  I’d urge everybody to read widely – no matter what subject is their number one love. I still very much enjoy reading horror, but it’s good to follow your nose into other avenues of interest. If you think something looks interesting or might be enjoyable, then give it a try. You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain.

What projects are you working on at the moment?

Right now I’ve two main areas of interest to focus my writing energies upon. There’s a new novel – THE LOST AND THE LONELY – which is a very grim and dark and disturbing ghost story, and there’s also a collection of stories which has recently been commissioned by a UK publisher, called INHUMAN NATURE. Both the novel and the collection have really just taken off, and should be finished sometime next spring. If all goes well, then the collection will be published by the end of 2001. As for the novel… well, we can only see if publishers are more willing to delve into the dark side by then… fingers crossed.

Have you had any out of the ordinary experiences happen to you?

Assuming that you mean of a supernatural nature, then it would have to be a yes. Over the years there have been several odd occurrences, but never – I feel – any definite proof (if such a thing exists, which it probably doesn’t) of the supernatural. I’ve heard the voices of people who were miles away speaking in the room next to mine as I lay in bed. I’ve seen UFOs. I had an encounter with a snarling black hound one night in Derbyshire after visiting a landmark on a lonely and infamous moor which was reputedly haunted by such a beast. Also, more recently my girlfriend and I became lost in some woods one evening and stumbled upon two weird little stone huts with thatched roofs and stone circles outside. You had to be there… that place had such an unnatural and disturbing atmosphere. The buildings were so weird. My girlfriend took a picture of them, and we eventually found our way back to our hotel. But when the photographs were developed, they showed only a small clearing in the forest… of the huts, there was no sign.

Are you sceptical of the unexplained?

Surprising as it may seem after all of the above, and more, that I’ve experienced, yes I still am. I’m a very scientific and rational person; the boring type who can explain everything that happens. I don’t want to – I would love something to happen that just defied any kind of ordinary explanation – and I think the thing in the woods with the cottages is the closest I’ve got to that stage. But still, I need more convincing. But it’s great – I love the mysteries of the paranormal and would love to know that these things are out there. It’s a shame that these days scientists can explain – or think they can explain – everything that occurs. I yearn for the days when fearful villagers bolted their doors on dark and misty nights through fear of what demons might stalk the moonlit streets.

What’s it like to be surrounded by all the many big names of horror being your friends?

It’s great – but I’ve had it since a very early age so I’m used to it. Besides which, these days there isn’t as big a horror scene for these people to be names in, but they’ll always be heroes to the real fans. I have some great friends that I’ve made over the years through my involvement in horror. And I’m lucky because of it because I’ve had some useful guidance and advice and inspiration – and some wonderful moments.

What do you do to relax?

I enjoy art – of many kinds. I’ve a great love for classical music and opera. I love movies. I like taking walks in the country or along the beach. Naturally I’ll read. Maybe go for a drive – go off and spend to cheer myself up like a kid on pocket money day. I play chess – though not very well, and might occasionally paint or play guitar. I like good food – the spicier the better, and enjoy eating out from time to time. Fine wine and cigars are a natural addition to this kind of lifestyle!

How often do you write, and do you write as though you are in the story yourself?

I try to write every weekday, at least 1,000 words which I feel is a nice, steady pace. And yes, I guess I do write as though I’m in the story myself. Whatever character I’m dealing with at any one time – I try to latch onto their mind so I can fully open them up and almost see things through their eyes. It’s method-writing I guess, like method-acting. You become that character – if only in your mind. It makes it easier for me to write about them, and I guess that’s why so much of my prose deals with character’s thoughts and feelings.

Anything new and exciting coming your way soon?

I look at my everyday life as new and exciting to be honest. Obviously I’ve got the books going on that we mentioned earlier, but aside from that – I fill my life with new experiences and pleasures, and live it to the full. You have to take great pleasure in the things that you enjoy or life would be bland and pointless.

Is there any one person who you’d like to meet?

I’m going to be really boring here and say that no, there isn’t. Not at the moment anyway. I’ve met many interesting people over the years as it is. I think when folk talk of somebody they’d like to meet they more often than not have a superficial reason – that it’s a celebrity whose work they enjoy, for instance. But what would you talk about if you met them? If you meet somebody and get along well with them then wonderful. But contrived meetings and introductions leave me cold. I prefer relationships to develop naturally.

Have you any hopes and dreams for the future?

Many, but I’m very much the kind of person who sets about building these early on. I don’t just sit back and dream of things – I go out and get them. Even if it’s one step at a time, one must work towards what one wants to be, because these things will never come to you. It’s all about self-improvement to me, and being a better person than you were last month or last year. Being good to those close to you, and achieving success in whatever field means something to you. I want to get my two current books finished more or less on time and see them in print (the story collection at least), launch into some new projects with great enthusiasm, whilst keeping my home and personal life improving constantly.

How well have your books sold since being published?

Sometimes surprisingly well, other times just comfortably so. It’s often related to advertising, and if that’s being done right – even moderately – then folk will pick up on your work. If it’s not then how can anyone be expected to hear of it? I’m not a man for numbers. I’ve no idea how many books or magazines or whatever I’ve sold or how many fan letters I’ve got or anything like that. I just know that the work is out there and from time to time it brings wonderful opportunities and feedback back home to you.

Are you finding it difficult to get published since horror books have been given a wide berth?

Absolutely. My novel THOSE LEFT BEHIND met with a surprisingly good reception from major UK publishers, but behind it all was this feeling of No, sorry, nobody will buy a horror book so we’re not publishing any. It’s very embittering at times, but what I do is borne from a desire to be doing it, not from a desire for money or big deals, so I do it. Or try to. I think it would be unbearable if I’d carved out a living from being a published horror novelist before all this shunning began, so in a way I’m lucky that it happened whilst I was still placing my first major novel. But it’s not going to stop me. I can see myself always writing horror, whether it’s getting published by the major publishing houses or not.

Do you know of any other authors who are finding it just as hard?

Oh absolutely. Harder. I can name several friends who’ve been earning their income from horror writing for a decade or more who’ve found themselves unable to negotiate a new contract with their publisher, and that must be awful.

Can we expect to see a lot more of you in years to come?

Without a doubt. Next year will see completion of at least two new books, with the publication of one of them (fingers crossed). After that… well I aim to write at least one novel a year, and then just throw a load of projects on top of that. I’m still interested in writing for film and TV, despite my initial ventures soon fizzling out. But I’m not going to vanish from the scene in any way – I’m going to be producing the work more and more as time goes by, without a doubt.

 

 


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