We’re kicking off a brand new author interview series here at The Write Practice with an emphasis on published writers within our Becoming Writer community!
Our first author interview is with Edmund Stone, who just released his first short story compilation, Hush My Little Baby. Edmund has been an active member of Becoming Writer for over three years and has workshopped tons of short stories and a novel with us.
Author Spotlight: Edmund Stone
Edmund is a writer, poet, and artist who spins tales of strange worlds and horrifying encounters with the unknown. He lives in a quaint town on the Ohio River with his wife, a son, four dogs and two mischievous cats.
You can contact him at edmundstoneauthor.com, on Twitter @edmundstonehwr, or on Facebook. You can find his new book, and all his other works, on his Amazon page.
Let’s get down to it!
You predominantly write horror. Tell me a little about what attracts you to that genre.
I think the shock factor is what draws me most to horror. The thought something under my bed or standing in the shadows has always given me a thrill.
I originally cut my teeth on Poe, then moved on to Clive Barker and later Stephen King. The first horror film I ever watched all the way through was John Carpenter’s The Thing. I so loved the way the two genres of sci-fi and horror were meshed together, I was hooked.
Staying up for hours to read and watch horror books and movies gave me some wonderful nightmares. I suppose the thrill of those experiences helped to solidify the love of the genre.
Do you think you’ll always write horror, or are there other genres tickling the back of your mind?
I think there will always be some horror in any story I write, or at least a flair for the supernatural. I do plan to release a sci-fi/horror novella soon called Lost Hope. I’ve been a sci-fi nerd for some time now. The two genres seem to go together well.
Being alone in space with a homicidal cannibal could induce some good terror, I think. It actually has some romance in it, too. A bit twisted, but then, what do we expect?
You’ve been traditionally published before. What made you decide to self-publish this compilation of short stories now?
Mostly, the desire to create something of my own. I appreciate the people who first took a chance on me and I plan to submit further stories to some of those publications in the future.
I think in this brave new world of publishing, new avenues are being created all the time. I know of authors who have been picked up by traditional publishers by first going the self-publishing route. I’m sure they are in the minority but who knows? Maybe the bigs are starting to troll for the self-pubbers? If so, it would be great to have some quality stuff of mine for them to see, or maybe an agent.
I’m not sure where my journey as a writer will take me, but I plan to exploit every area I can.
What kinds of stories can we expect in Hush My Little Baby?
All the stories and poems have the same underlying mystery to them. From a vengeful ghost nurse to a demonic sister and cursed clown, this collection has a little bit for everyone’s taste.
I think the supernatural aspect will stand out in all of them. There’s also a connection to a seemingly normal world that gets turned upside down by some malevolent being.
Did you have to cut any stories out of this project? Was it difficult to choose the table of contents?
No, but I was lucky to get the last story of the collection back in time. The publication who owned the rights released it just in time for me to publish in my collection.
The table of contents went together well. I placed the stories in the order in which they were published, all except for two of them, as they were previously unpublished.
What’s your absolute favorite story in this compilation?
It’s so hard to pick one! They’re all my babies.
“Hush my Little Baby” is the one most personal to me, as I based it loosely on my youngest daughter. The whole being in a new apartment and trying to make it on your own kind of thing. It has a touching quality to it. It was also the first story I had published.
“Commitment” is my favorite poem. I wrote it with the idea everyone wants to live forever until they really get their wish.
You did the cover art yourself. Was that frustrating or fun?
Yes.
I sketched the cover for the eBook and embellished it digitally. The same image wouldn’t size properly for the paperback. So, I put together another cover, which I created digitally, and included the original art on the title page of the book. It turned out
better than I imagined.
It’s fun but frustrating at the same time. Like the issue with the paperback cover. Probably the biggest thing for me is the learning curve for creating digital art. I have a computer sketch pad now and it’s getting easier. I hope to bring that aspect into my cover art and build some wonderful images down the road.
For now though I’m sketching out the picture and loading it to the computer for adding details. It’s opened a new world for me.
Who’s your favorite author? Are they your greatest writing influence or is there someone else?
At the moment, it’s Joe Hill. NOS4A2 is my absolute favorite! I’ve read the book twice. I can’t wait for the series to come out.
In the horror genre, my all time favorite is probably Poe, with King a close second. I’m also a fan of Lovecraft, who inspired the writing of “Pound of Flesh”, one of the stories in my book. Clive Barker inspired me quite a bit when I was a teenager.
But my most influential author will always be my grandma Chloe. She was a hell of a poet! She gave me a passion for writing poetry and drawing. She passed away a while back but I still feel her influence on me today.
Since our blog focuses a lot on teaching writing, I have to ask: What’s the best writing resource you’ve come across?
It’s without a doubt The Write Practice. I’ve learned so much about the craft in the last three years, invaluable stuff, especially when editing my work.
Scrivener is another. That program made it possible to publish this book. The learning curve is marginal, but not too steep. It has a bunch of features and can be overwhelming if you are used to Word. But it works great when compiling your manuscript. I would highly recommend it to any writer.
What’s next for you?
As I mentioned earlier, I plan to release a sci-fi/horror novella called Lost Hope. It will be the first book in the Rebecca mythos, as I’m calling it now. The people who read my writing on The Write Practice will be familiar with Tent Revival. Rebecca is the key character in lots of my stories. I plan to have a whole series of books on her and the world I’m creating around her.
I hope to have Lost Hope together by the end of February. That’s tentative, mind you, but if I give myself a deadline, I usually stick to it. There will also be original art on the cover and maybe some inside.
You said Rebecca is a key character for you. Is she based on someone you know or is she a character that won’t leave you alone?
She’s a little of both. I base her description on my wife, dark hair, lighter skin. I think I had her in mind when I wrote her. But she is a character that won’t leave me alone and she continues to evolve.
I’ve told [my wife] this before and she doesn’t seem to be upset about it, maybe a little flattered. But she hasn’t read the whole book yet. So, we’ll see.
Check Out Hush My Little Baby
Thanks to Edmund for talking with us! You can find his short story compilation on Kindle or in paperback now!
Do you have a character that just won’t leave you alone? Let me know in the comments!
PRACTICE
Today, I want you to think back to what inspired you to write to begin with. Was it a person? A book or movie? Something else? Spend fifteen minutes writing about your original inspiration.
This is a very open prompt. If you want it to be a letter to the person who inspired you, it can be. If thinking of your original inspiration spawns a new story idea, go with it. Get creative and go where your muse takes you!
Share your writing in the comments and don’t forget to comment on your fellow writers’ work!
The post Author Spotlight: Edmund Stone on the Nightmarish Appeal of Horror appeared first on The Write Practice.
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