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Interview by Brian Yount, with Staci Layne Wilson
1. Your are the horse of different colors. You have written erotica (which, you say you are shy about), horse manuals, and even horror. You're not just a writer though, your a movie reviewer, celebrity interviewer, artist, photographer. It seems like you are the kind of person who can do whatever you put your mind to.
I'm sure you've still got a lot on your plate that you have yet to devour. Tell me about some of the things that you still want to accomplish.
Actually, I enjoy spreading myself way too thin – I'm a Type A Personality who says she'd like to be a Type B, but never could be. I'm always lamenting my lack of time to read or vege out in front of the TV but when I do find the time I feel guilty about not having anything productive to do. My To-Do list is never-ending! On that To-Do list, the big one in my head, is: Sell a Screenplay. I would be a real kick to see a marriage of the things I love – writing and movies – come to fruition.
2. As a photographer your vision has to be different than a normal persons. You have to see things as a art form, and not just for what they are. When writing a book you use a different vision, which comes from the eyes of the brain. Last but not least we have the vision of an artist. That is a mix between the eye-site and the mind-site.
Most people are lucky to have one of these gifts, but you have all three. You're like some female super hero.
Do you think you were born with these gifts, or do you think you just developed them as your life went on? I guess I've always wondered if we come into this world with talents, or do we develop them, as our lives go on.
I believe it's nature and nurture. I was raised by my mom, who is a writer and artist, and she always encouraged me to pursue my artistic visions – whether it was dressing up the cats and taking pictures of them, putting on plays in the living room, or hand-writing and illustrating my own little books.
3. What pulled you towards writing horror? It's funny because I'm sitting here asking myself that question and I can't even answer it. My parents never liked it, in fact they never really let me watch it. Shoot, at one time in my life I was not even allowed to go trick or treating. I use to be scared of the Hulk, somewhere between here and there I've grown to love the horror genre.
I've always loved horror. My dad showed me The Pit and the Pendulum when I was just a wee thing, and my mom let me see The Exorcist when I was about eight. Horror movies have always been a big thing for me, but I read mostly fantasy and horse stories when I was very young. I didn't discover Stephen King, Anne Rice, or Dean Koontz until I was in my late teens.
4. At the age of 12 you were published in a Horse & Horseman magazine, and you've been regularly published in one form or another ever since. I think I was still coloring outside of the lines at 12.
How did you learn to write at such an early age? Did this change your childhood in anyway?
As I mentioned, my mom was a writer. She was published regularly in the non-fiction and romance genres. I believe that was how I got my start.
5. The only card game I really know is Go Fish. After going over your site I found something on Tarot cards. Those crazy reading cards have always interested me. I've never had a reading done though. The Ouji board seemed interesting to, but I was always to scared to mess with that thing, for some reason.
Do you know about the history of Tarot cards? If so tell me a little bit about the ideas behind card reading. All I know is that they are used to read the future.
What do you think about the Ouiji board? Can you conjure up a spirit with it? Fact or Fiction? I think it is fiction, but it sure has been use to make some good horror tales and even movies.
I used to read tarot cards on an expert level, and my psychic ability has always been very good but I must confess that I haven't read the cards in many years. I'm just so focused on my writing and reporting that there is little brain power left for anything else!
I, too, believe that the Ouija board's conjuring powers are overrated. I have five boards here at the house for decoration, but that's it. I love the concept and the horror aspects of the Ouija, though. It's still scary, even if I don't believe… of course, there's always that little part of you that says, "Well, maybe it's possible…"
6. I've interviewed only five other people besides you. They all are involved in the horror genre, in some way or other. None of them seem to believe in anything supernatural. I'm the same way, nothing has ever happen to me to make me think other wise. One night I woke up and saw my reflection in the mirror, that scared me, because I thought it was a ghost. I've always wanted to see one, so I was disappointed when I found out it was just me.
Have you had any supernatural experiences? If not have you ever wanted to experience one? Explain why if so.
Yes, I've had several supernatural experiences. Some have been scary, others pleasant. A pleasant one was when one of my departed pets came back to visit me. The story will soon be published in an anthology called Haunted Encounters: Pets, by Atriad Press.
7. Like you I have red hair and some say red heads have bad tempers. I say I'm pretty calm, unless I'm watching my baseball team, blow a nine run lead, or if the brain in the X-Box defeats me. I think red heads have a fun personality. At least every red head I know does.
There are so many jokes about blondes and red heads. I think it is a bunch of hogwash. Some disagree. I'M CALM I SWEAR I AM ! :)
Do you think the color of your hair, has an effect on the attitude you have? What do you think about hair effecting personality traits?
I'm definitely not a "fiery redhead" of the stereotype. I don't think there's much validity to the whole hair color thing, but I must admit when I had horses (I was a breeder and trainer for many years), there was supposedly a link between a horse's color and its innate personality. I found it to be true, in several cases!
8. If you could borrow the mind of a certain, person for 24 hours, who's genius mind would you choose? (You can't pick mine. I blush too easy. ;)
Oh, too bad. Let's see… I'd like to really know what goes on in the mind of Stephen King or Rod Serling (that is, when Serling was alive; I'm sure he's not thinking very much at all these days).
9. It seems to me that a lot of old ideas are recycled and made into new ideas. Do you think originality is important, or is it over rated?
There's nothing new under the sun. It's a fact. I personally love to see new interpretations of old ideas. I, for one, liked Stephen Sommers' Van Helsing. And I just watched a great DVD of a recent production of Bram Stoker's Dracula. It's a faithful rendition, but with a little different twist: it's a ballet, it's silent, and it's got an Oriental Dracula. It's called 'Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary'. Good stuff!
10. Do you prefer the classic plots of old movies, or the gory special effects movies of today?
I like either. It's all in the telling of the story – if it holds my interest, whether it was shot in 1924 or 2004, makes no difference – a good story never feels too old or too new.
11. To you what horror movie in the last ten years has the most well thought out plot?
Probably The Sixth Sense. That one fooled me (I was lucky that no one spoiled it for me in advance).
