WiHM Event Close - Q and A with Rebecca Besser

As you know, I've been hosting a Women in Horror Month event on my blog for Feb! Today is the last day, and to wrap things up, I've let all the women who've participated in my event ask me questions, since I asked them all questions. LOL Here are the questions and my answers:

Mariah Deitrich: Do you make up characters based on people you know?
 
Bec: Yes and no. I’ll take some traits from someone I know and hint at them in some way, but the characters I use are never entirely based on real people.
 
Joy Killar: If you could be published by any company, which would it be and why?
 
Bec: Random House. They literally have so many imprints they’re into everything, and they’ve been around long enough you know they aren’t going away anytime soon.
 
Amongst all of your work, what piece of writing were you happiest with when it was completed? Why?

Bec: I was pretty happy about how Nurse Blood turned out. I wrote a chapter a week and had it as an online serial. When it was done and I read it, it all came together well and moved at a steady/fast pace. I couldn’t have done it better if I’d planned it that way. LOL

Describe in detail who your favorite author of Zombie novels is:
 
Bec: Zombie novel/s author? I’ve read a few… LOL I guess it would be someone who is hunched over a key board, writing for days and days with no rest or sleep, so they themselves become the zombies in their stories. (Not the answer you expected? Well… ) So they themselves know what it is to have the tireless job of seeking what they really want… Braaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiinnnnnnnnns! (Of course they want them in a different way. They want people to read their story, which in a way is seeking out brains, right?!)

Which author in the horror genre do you feel you emulate?
 
Bec: No one really. I just want to be me. But, I have so many friends who write horror that I’ve bonded with over the genre who are good in their own ways. They would be: Mark Taylor, Shawn Riddle, Kelly Hudson, Jim Bronyaur, Dale Eldon, Brady Allen, Kim Sofia, Jessica Weiss, Suzanne Robb, Kim Curley (but not JUST in horror), Courtney Rene, Charles Day, Mark Scineaux, Jaime Johnesee, Jeffrey Kosh, Matt Nord, Michael Gardner, Patrick D’Orazio, Eric Dimbleby, Eric Brown, Rhiannon Mills, Daniel I. Russell, Justin T. Coons, Monique Snyman, all the women who have participated in my WiHM event (that I haven’t mentioned by name)… I could go on and on! There are so many awesome people in horror!

What was the one thing which drew you to the horror genre?

Bec: No limits and lots of action and emotion.

Maria Kelly: How many bodies do you have, at last count, in your basement? Because I know you must have a fair few. No, I understand you might not want to answer that one. I know I wouldn't…so, what do you enjoy most about world-building or creature-building within the horror genre?
 
Bec: First off, I don’t have a basement, soooo…where, oh, where could those bodies be? He he he! As far as world/creature building, I like the challenge of trying to think up something new or different, or putting an original spin on something that has already been done.

Is there a process you follow for characterization…do monsters just teem from your head?

Bec: Oh, it’s pretty random. I’ll just get an idea and go nuts until I get a chance to at least write the idea down.

Zombies or serial killers?

Bec: Both! Duel to the death! *evil giggle*
 
Butcher knife or buzz saw?

Bec: I’ll go with butcher knife because it’s quieter and there will be less mess to clean up (I hate cleaning most of the time).

Does real life ever have any influence on how you create a monster, a killer, or the way you kill characters off?

Bec: Only if something random gives me a new idea on how to kill someone or something!
 
Kim Curley: Your first love was poetry before you really dug into writing short stories and novellas. Have you written any particularly gruesome poetry I can check out?
 
Bec: Other than “My Turn to Deal,” which appeared in the fall/winter issue of The Stray Branch and is now posted on my blog, I haven’t written anything “poetry” that’s been hardcore lately.

Until the 'Alien' movies came around, our culture seemed bent and determined to put women in the 'oh-woe-is-me-save-me-from-the-ax-wielding-bad-guy-I'm-weak-and-helpless' category. Do you feel compelled to write women in as a strong female lead in your horror stories, just to prove women aren't as defenseless as we appear?
 
Bec: I don’t see women as being defenseless unless they CHOOSE to be that way. Women can be just as strong, if not stronger, than men character wise. Characters can be anything we make them to be. I write strong females most of the time because I’m a strong female and hate whiny women. But, I can’t say I wouldn’t write a weak, whiny woman if that character was suited to a role in the story. I try not to judge my characters, but to let them tell their story in whatever voice suits them best (I might tend to want to kill the whiners off first though, IF they get on my nerves. )

Which voice do you feel strongest writing in: male, or female?
 
Bec: That depends on the story. It depends on which voice is stronger in my head and wants to tell the story to me.
 
Nicole Zoltack: What is your favorite horror novel?
 
Bec: Why do I have to have a favorite? *pout* Can’t I like them all?!
 
Your favorite horror movie:

Bec: I’m going to go with “Fire in the Sky.” It’s about a dude getting abducted by aliens. The thought of getting abducted by REAL aliens scares the crap out of me. I mean, really, a human would be screwed at that point!

Favorite horror monster?
 
Bec: I don’t really have a favorite. I do like to make up my own monsters, though! That’s a fun challenge.

What do you love most about writing horror? And how do you come up with ideas for scaring your readers?

Bec: There aren’t any limits to horror – you can write whatever you want and it’s still acceptable within the genre as long as someone would find the content scary. As far as ideas… I get ideas from everywhere: people who piss me off; objects that make me think of how painful it would be to be tortured or killed with it; or just the basic messed up stuff human beings do. There’s a lot of things to prompt ideas if you’re open to them.

Author Suzi M: What is your favorite kind of writing to do, in what genre, and why? (This can range from short stories, horror to comedy romance horror, etc. go nuts!)
 
Bec: I actually like to write all genres. I’ve been published in many, ranging from children’s articles and poetry to adult scifi and horror. Mostly, what I write depends on who I’m writing it for (age group), and why I want to write it. I get an idea and then I decide how and who to right it for. Anything can be fun and appealing with the right voice and target audience!

What is your favorite work, be it yours or someone else's, and why?
 
Bec: My most recent fav read was “Please Let Me Go” by Eric Dimbleby; it was intense and didn’t end the way I thought it might, which is hard to pull off. I also love The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, because it’s just brilliant – there’s so much underlying complexity that ties it all together. There’s this other series, The Reluctant Demon Diaries by Linda Rios Brook, that I’m COMPLETELY in love with (Christian fiction series); it just opens my mind up and makes me think about things on a spiritual level.

When you're writing, what is your routine? (from the time you get up, to getting into writing mode, etc.)

Bec: I really don’t have a routine since I don’t have a steady schedule EVER! I write when I can and slam as much word count down as possible.

Anything else you'd like to add?
 
Bec: I write erotica under a pen name. Shhh! Don’t tell!

Monique-Cherie Snyman: 1.) What's your favorite scary movie? (I can add on a Sidney at the end for you?)
 
Bec: Nicole Zoltack asked this too, and I already answered (scroll up to read the answer – it was about aliens *shudder*)

If you were allowed to change one thing about the horror genre, what would you change?
 
Bec: That people who have never read horror wouldn’t run scared without trying it. There’s something in the genre (being as vast as it is) that could and should appeal to anyone.

Did horror change your life? Why?
 
Bec: I’d have to say yes, because apparently it’s my “niche,” and every writer needs to find that for themselves. Once you find it, you have a better chance of enjoying what you write and have more success with like-minded people to support you.

Chantal Noordeloos: What is the worst death you have ever given one of your characters?

Bec: In Hall of Twelve, I made a girl strangle herself with barbed wire in a fit of panic. That would truly suck.
 
Do you like your horror gory or spooky?
 
Bec: Depends on my mood. I actually enjoy both.
 
Which of your characters do you like most and why?
 
Bec: I LOVE Sonya Garret from Nurse Blood. She just doesn’t care about much and does whatever she wants. She goes by her moral compass and no one else’s – it’s too bad it’s WAY off! LOL

Crystal Connor: As a submissions editor do you force yourself to finish and accept stories that are well written but you didn't really enjoy?
 
Bec: Oh, now you want to get me into serious trouble! LOL The answer, honestly, is no. If the writing sucks so bad that I can’t make it through the first couple paragraphs, I know I’m not going to take the story so I stop wasting my time and move on to other submissions. I mean, shouldn’t a submission actually be readable?! On another note, if I’m reviewing something, I do force myself to read it even if it’s a total suck-fest.

Coke or Pepsi?

Bec: 100% Coke lover over here!

If you could 'live' through any horror book or movie, which would it be and what if anything would you do differently to change the course of the story?

Bec: My all-time fav book series is The Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel. It’s ice age kind of stuff, and I think I would have rocked life back then – hunting and making everything myself (I love to make stuff!). So, I’d have to go with that. I don’t know that I would change anything in the actual stories, but would rather just “be” in that time period. Things weren’t as complicated and there was nothing wrong with being human.
 
Kim Sofia: Is there someone in your life that wishes you wrote something other than gory horror, and what do they offer as a suggestion?
 
Bec: My eight-year-old son told me he didn’t like that I wrote scary stuff and wanted me to stop. LOL I didn’t, because I don’t think he really understands. Besides, when he gets a little older I’ll be the coolest mom in the world for what I write!

My hub and his cousin thinks it’s hilarious that I took a writing course to write for children and ended up writing mostly adult horror, though. They support me and love my writing, they just think it’s amusing.
 
Tonia Brown: If you could put the memory everything you ever remembered that was super awesome, fun or just really pleasant, what would you label the box so you wouldn't lose it among your other memory boxes?
 
Bec: Awesome Fucking Stuff! (Fucking because there would be some of that in the box. *snicker/giggle*)
 
Aside from vegetable oil or fossil fuel, what would you think would be the most interesting thing for cars to run off of?

Bec: Toenail clippings.
 
If a chicken and a half could lay an egg and a half in a day and a half, how long would it take a one legged grasshopper to kick all of the seeds out of a dill pickle.
 
Bec: Oh, well, let’s see… One and a half by one and a half by one and a half, plus a dill pickle, minus one legs, equals 1.3521637 weeks. But that’s only if it’s sunny on Tuesday and rains on Sunday. Otherwise, I’ll have to refigure.
 
Rhiannon Mills: Do movies influence you and your writing?

Bec: No, not really. Most movies have a BUNCH of plot whole and I get disappointed with them. I’ve learned just to focus on the positives (like action and badassness) to get me through to the ends.
 
If so, which movies are favorites and why?
 
Bec: I watch a lot of comedies, because I love to laugh. It’s hard to be disappointed in a movie when you laughed hysterically through the entire thing!

Rebecca Snow: If you could be one of the characters in any of your stories, who would it be and why?
 
Bec: Pfft! One? I’m all the characters in all my stories, silly! Sometimes I don’t want to be, but I have to be to make them come alive… *leans in close to whisper…* Some of them are really evil and sick!
 
You find a locked and battered wooden box on the side of the road. What's in it?
 
Bec: Well, assuming the key fits the lock on the box…. Chocolate. But then, you have to decide if it’s safe to eat, because you have to wonder: Was it locked up because its super yummy, or because its poison? At that point, you give a piece/bite to a friend, you know, because you’re generous like that. If they live you know it’s okay to eat!
 
Christine Sutton: Do you find it difficult to write men?
 
Bec: Not really. Men are people too, and they make good characters to mess with.
 
Do you find in your writing that there is an automatic assumption that your work will not be scary because you're a woman?

Bec: Sometimes, but only by people who haven’t read anything by me yet. Once they do though, I think they come to expect a certain level of scary/twisted from me.
 
Author Kizzy Lee: What genre did you favor to read as a child?
 
Bec: Hmmm… I guess it would have been drama. I don’t know what The Box Car Children would fall into. Never really thought about it as a child.
 
What genre do you favor to read as an adult?
 
Bec: I read a lot of romance, fantasy, scifi, and horror.
 
Which authors do you favor the most?
 
Bec: My fav authors are Jean M. Auel and Linda Rios Brook.
 
Jaime Johnesee: Do you feel like it's rough for women to make it in the horror genre?
 
Bec: No rougher than anyone else. It all comes down to the stories and the readers. What’s in the writer’s pants doesn’t much matter if the writer can deliver the story.
 
Do you have any advice for new authors?

Bec: READ and pay attention to punctuation in and around dialogue. This is a point most author struggle with.
 
Who are some of your favorite female horror authors?
 
Bec: Courtney Rene writes some good stuff – I LOVE all her books I’ve read. Gosh, there are so many! I listed some of my fav author friends above in Joy Killar’s questions. There are some awesome female writers in there!
 
What inspired you to become an author?
 
Bec: The stories that are always running through my head and my talent with words. (The skills God gave me, basically.)
 
Author, editor, wife, mother, employee; how do you do it all so gracefully?
 
Bec: Apparently you don’t see me on the days where I break down and bawl because I feel like an utter failure, so we’ll pretend they don’t happen. I’ll go with skill. How’s that?
 
Courtney Rene: What do you think of the zombie resurgence?

Bec: I think it’s cool, because the interpretations of what a zombie can be and mean a vast and can change from person to person – it’s something everyone can relate to.

Are you a fan of the zombie story line?
 
Bec: Yes and no. It can be too predictable sometimes, but when someone finds a way to change it up a bit, it’s fun again.
 
Do you believe in the possibilities of the paranormal?

Bec: Yes, very much.
 
What scares you the most in life?
 
Bec: In life? How about LIFE?! Life is like a living entity that seems to just wait for the worst moments possible to screw you over and everyone is the victim.
 
Berenice Wakefield: Does any other genre spark your creativity and interest, or just horror? Why?
 
Bec: I’ve said above that I write all genres because I like the challenge, and different moods suit different types of writing. Horror, scifi, and fantasy are my fav to write.
 
There's been a lot of debate about this recently, and I wondered what's your opinion/ experience with gore in horror? Do you think it's part and parcel of the genre, or do you think it can sometimes take away from the atmosphere?
 
Bec: I really don’t see why there is a debate on this. Gore is part of horror whether everyone likes it or uses it or not. You see blood and you know there’s something horrific going on. There’s no denying it. I’m not saying gore has to be in every story, I’m just staying it’s a vital part of recognition to the horror genre in general.
 
Jessica Weiss: Now Bec. You’ve had your chance to question me. I think it’s my turn, don’t you?

Bec: Yes. Interrogate me! *evil giggle*
 
First, what made you decide to send your creepy creations out into the world? (I speak from experience from reading many of your works)
 
Bec: It was never a question of “if” for me, it was “how.” When I started my writing course I learned how to do cover letters AND find markets. I was sending out submission before I sent in my first writing course assignment! I don’t really have any issues when it comes to submissions. All they can say is no, and I know the answer is no if I never send it.
 
Secondly, does your family support your writing career and do you let your child read your work?
 
Bec: My family doesn’t really understand all the “writing career” stuff, but yes, I get a lot of support. No, I don’t let my son read most of what I’ve written – he’s too young right now. When he’s older he can read as much of it as he wants!
 
Lastly, what is your most recent project that you’re proud of working on?

Bec: As far as proud… Earth’s End (scifi/apoc antho) I edited and have a story in just won Book of the Year in the Scifi category from Turning Pages Books! I’m pretty darn proud to be an award willing editor and author! I’m also extremely proud of all the authors in that antho! We all put a lot of hard work into it – I’m glad it paid off!


If you'd like to find out more about the ladies who questioned me, please visit the cache of interviews/posts for the WiHM event here: http://blog.rebeccabesser.com/categories/263/wihm-2013.aspx