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2003 Interview
Fiction Forum: How long have you been writing?
Staci Layne Wilson: Hm, I'll resist the temptation to say something about how tired my hands are...
I sold my very first article at the age of 12 to Horse & Horseman magazine, and I've been regularly published in one form or another ever since. (I'm 12-1/2 now.)
Have horror and fantasy always been your favorite genres?
Horror and fantasy have always been faves.
When it comes to horror it takes a lot to scare me, though -- I think maybe my mom scarred me for life by taking me to see The Exorcist at the drive-in when I was just a tiny tot.
As for fantasy, as a kid I devoured The Chronicles of Narnia or anything by Tolkien. (And when I say devoured, I mean that -- there wasn't much to eat around our house.) Waaaaay back when I was a pre-teen, there was no Information Super Highway , no X-Box, and no multiplex, so reading was a great pastime.
Did you experiment with other genres before concentrating on horror and fantasy?
Not really. I did have a lot of success in writing nonfiction (concentrating mainly on horses and cats... but I never did try to 'concentrate' on orange juice -- I heard that blonde joke early on!). I think that is a very good way to break into writing, professionally; if you are good at something (whether it be knitting or flying airplanes), write about it and see which magazines might be good markets for your work.
How do you deal with the 'world building' involved in your stories? What do you do to draw your readers into your fictionalized reality?
I'm not the type of writer that creates whole new worlds (ala Barker, Tolkien, or Anthony). My fiction is usually either set right here in the world we all know and love, or it's in a similar, familiar realm -- for example, my latest novel Rock & Roll Fantasy has been compared to Alice in Wonderland -- while my heroine does go into a completely different dimension ruled by the tarot, it could just as well all have been a dream. (However, I assure you, Bobby Ewing doesn't pop up in the shower at the end.)
Can you tell us a bit about your creative process? Where and how do you get your ideas?
When it comes to my short stories, I almost always come up with an intriguing title, then work my story around that. As for books, the ideas usually just come to me -- I've been inspired by true crime TV shows, quickly warping reality and thinking, "Yeah, but what if... ?"
Are you a 'plotter' or do you just let the story flow? When you begin your stories do you have any idea of where they will end?
I am definitely not much of a plotter. Which probably makes it more difficult on myself, but I generally write a short outline (4 - 8 pages; more like a synopsis, really) and take it from there. In a way, it's a more harder row to hoe (as they say in the turnip biz) but it's also more freeing -- it's fun and exiting for me when my stories take an unexpected twist.
Yes, I usually do have an ending in mind before I begin writing a novel or short story.
A lot of writers say that their characters 'speak to them' have you found that to be true with your characters?
Only when I forget to take my medication.
For a beginning writer, where is the best place to start when considering writing a horror or fantasy book? Do you have any favorite authors that you recommend?
I wouldn't recommend starting right off the bat with a book. Unless, of course, you have a book that you are just dying to get on paper (you know who you are). I'd begin with short stories, and I'd definitely join several online writing communities (winding up with only a few -- join several at first to get a feel for the tone of the groups and their members. Like real world communities, each one attracts certain types of people). There are lots of good ones to be found at http://www.yahoogroups.com
As for favorite writers, I don't have a lot of new ones -- I'm sorry to say I haven't been keeping up even with my old faves. The last several offerings by Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and Michael Connelley are either laying in my mountainous "to be read" stack, or they are on my Amazon.com wish list, still unordered.
I have finally decided to catch up with the rest of the known universe and read the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. Over a recent holiday I read the first three, one right after another. I enjoyed them, and am about 70 pages into Book 4.
What should we be looking for from you next?
Oh, you are so impatient -- wondering what's next when you have perfectly good book of mine out right now! It's called Rock & Roll Fantasy, and as I mentioned above, it's set in a tarot-tinged world. Each chapter represents a card from the Major Arcana, and each card is personified by a person from the world of classic rock (guess who -- don't sue!).
I was absolutely thrilled to get blurbs for the back cover from some of my favorite writers (Piers Anthony) and musicians (Ray Manzarek from The Doors), and have been bowled over by the positive response from readers and reviewers.
Another great thing was the support from contributors -- several talented artists allowed me to use their tarot card illustrations inside, and two good friends of mine designed a cover way beyond my expectations (the cover is quite stunning -- especially if you hit someone over the head with it -- it's even up for a Quasar Award).
There's a lot of info online about Rock & Roll Fantasy here: http://www.staciwilson.com/rocknroll.html
As for "what's next" -- I've got two paperbacks due out from RFI (Rock N Roll Fantasy is published by Double Dragon). One is an adventure for young adults called "Horses By eMail", and the other is a light, humorous fantasy called "The Life & Times of Rapunzel". I have two horror novels ready to go, but no publishers for them yet.
What is your favorite book (that you have written) and why?
They are all different, but I would say the labor of Rock & Roll Fantasy had the most love. I put a lot of my heart into it, and a lot of thought weaving lyrics and song titles into the text and dialog, and choosing just right rock personality for each card's meaning. It was important to me that it be illustrated and have a beautiful, eye-catching cover, so I took of that on, myself. I'm very pleased with the end-result.
Your website seems quite ambitious, with all that you have going on -- writing, reviewing, etc. what kind of schedule do you set for yourself for your writing?
Do or die! Actually, the creative writing often falls by the wayside these days because being an entertainment reporter and movie reviewer is very much deadline oriented. I *have* to be there on the red carpet to get my interviews, and movie reviews *must* be published no later than the day of release. However, up until recently, I've written my novels on my own time without a publisher waiting for it, so it's easy to be "lazy" that way.
Is there any advice you can offer to our readers on the writing life and how they can pursue their dreams of publication?
I'd just reiterate the importance of being... earnest. Earnest about being part of a writing community, that is! (Yeah, keep those rim-shots coming.)
I think it's particularly important for those who aren't published yet. It really is a great help, and when you find the right group of folks, it's also very supportive.
Good luck, everyone, and thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about me and my books.
