Stuart Keane Interview
So this week’s feature focused on an author that fits the Halloween season. Not to mention, he has a release coming out on Halloween:
Since I’ve yet to get any good at introductions, let’s just hop into this.
Michael Benavidez (Me): So your work ranges from realistic horror to the supernatural, crossing the two as much as you can. How would you describe your work to people who have yet to dive into your stories?
Stuart Keane (SK): I think my horror is more based in reality, I find I'm more comfortable in that realm. I've said it many times, the best horror is the stuff that can happen to anyone - a man standing in the dark corner of the room watching you as you sleep, someone invading your home, someone kidnapping a member of your family. I like to poke at people's fears, with only a hint of supernatural thrown in, something that the readers mention in reviews on occasion. Plus, as a horror writer, it's nice to work a story that can potentially terrify me.
Me: Looking at your book of short stories
, that really does show. With that said, do you find yourself trying to take out the supernatural element at times? Or do you just let yourself ride the wave of what comes?
SK: I usually find that I write without the supernatural element involved. With
, my only supernatural book to date, I started it with the idea in mind. It’s a decision I make before I put words to a page. Obviously, authors have a right to merge - for example, Rendezvous in Whispers started out as straight horror before I introduced the supernatural swerve to the tale. And there's a lot of fun in letting the wave take you, it can produce some amazing results.
I find not restricting yourself is a lot more relaxing, productively and creatively. I would still class myself as not 100% comfortable with the supernatural element mainly because a lot of the books I tend to prefer are mostly realistic – Laymon, Hutson, etc. Both of these authors dabble in the supernatural, but at heart, they are more urban horror – much like my own work.
Me: That's actually true. There's nothing like writing freely, and not caring how or where it's going. Which is kind of a segue into my next question(s). What is your process to writing? Because you do both, short story and novella/novel length formats. Also do you ever get to the point that maybe the content of the story is breaching that too far, or not far enough border?
SK: Good question. I have a variety of ways, but nothing concrete. It normally starts with an idea and goes from there. For example,
started as a novella/short novel (I was aiming for 30k) but it ended up at 50k. The characters just grew on the page and increased the length by quite a bit. However, I knew the story - beginning, middle, end - when I started, so the writing was immensely fun. I wasn't bothered about going over the 30k, I don't believe in restricting myself because it short changes the product and the readers. As a result, Cine came out fantastic and is one of my favourite books to date.
Short stories - I normally know if the tale will be short in length, but I started writing these for anthologies. Normally I have a theme and a word count provided by the submission call, so that already gives me something to aim towards. It's also a very fun way to challenge your writing ability – authors, I highly recommend doing this on a regular basis. As a result, to date, I haven't written a short for myself, but that's about to change, so watch this space.
I think any author knows if they have gone far enough or not enough, with both word length and story boundaries, it's an instinctual thing. Weird. Lol. It's instinctual, but a good tool. I like to think I have a grasp on when a story is exceeding the fun limit, becoming boring or dragging on and you can flip the same rule, which applies if it's too short or immediately boring.
MK: Haha that's always something that has interested me, far as the process goes. Speaking of Cine, which may be out by the time this goes live, from your updates it seems like this is one that may go farther than you anticipated. Is that right, or would you say this was a boundary free book once you started it? Were there any times where you had to go back and think, the fun is starting to dip a bit?
SK: Cine is out now, but I believe it went a bit further than my previous work. I think the book was boundary free - the ending is pretty graphic and I always envisioned this as the ending from the very start, but how the scene plays out, how it shaped over time, was the process I looked forward to the most. There's always an element of mystery to how things will flow onto the page, so I think boundaries were out the window pretty quickly. For Grin, which is due on Halloween, the boundaries were obliterated, this book went to a very dark place, as many will soon find out.
For All or Nothing, I removed an entire chapter because I felt it ruined the flow of the book. Luckily, so far, I have been able to get the length right on many stories. Some reviewers have said certain books should be longer, which is a great compliment, but the process speaks for itself. Sequels are always possible if that is the case, and an author needs to be the one who makes the decision of churning our sequels, but it's very thin ice, one of the most difficult parts of writing. Should you fit the story in one book or two or five? All depends on the writers style.
Me: Ah yes, sorry haha I switched titles. It's hard to keep track, but that brings me to the next question. You're pretty fast with releases, be them for anthologies or your own novels. Do you ever feel overwhelmed at times with projects, or with ideas for future projects? Or, hell, even found some components of one story drifting into another?
SK: I haven't got to the point where I am overwhelmed. The end of 2015 has been an odd one, I started Cine and Grin back in March and then had the fortune to be invited to a couple of fantastic projects, which includes Kids Volumes 1 and 2, two new anthologies with Dark Chapter Press and an actual editing position with DCP too. The position has been massively rewarding, so I let the work slip a little, releasing Whispers - Volume 1 in the meantime. So, even though the slate has been busy, and multiple releases are happening, this isn't the norm for me and I may scale back a little heading into 2016. However, I am also a full time writer now, so we'll see.
So far, the only component that has mingled with another story is a scene in Grin, which I lifted from another piece I'm working on. It seemed right to combine the two, since the characters were similar. I feel it made Grin that much more interesting too, and it was one of the better scenes in the story.
Me: Wow so you're quite active aside from your regular writing duties. A couple things interested me though, we talked a little about short stories. You're constantly participating in anthologies and projects of the like. Is it something that you do as a challenge to see what comes out, or any other reason that makes these anthology participation a seemingly regular thing?
SK: I initially started anthologies to get some of my work out there. In 2014, I subbed to several and was accepted, which gave me a huge confidence boost. Since then, I have featured in 14 anthologies of varying theme and length. I love the challenge of the entire thing - the word count, a set theme, I find that actually hones my work, allows me to write faster because I usually have the idea down before I start, as I mentioned before. I haven't subbed as much this year, what with the vast workload, but I am currently working on Whispers 3, with Whispers – Volume 2 due in November.
Also, short stories are awesome for those ideas that just won't fit in a longer book, which means more ideas get used at some point. This is a crucial tool, one that any author should utilize to ensure maximum productivity.
Me: And it's also a great way to see the growth of an author from the beginning to current, and future projects. Do you see yourself continuing a growth in your style? Like do you feel you've hit that stride that says 'this is a Stuart Keane book because you can feel it has a Stuart Keane voice'?
SK: I've never felt that, but I have been told by multiple readers who notice that I am growing through my work. I feel my writing is getting better, which is a natural side effect of writing 3000 plus words a day, and why I strongly encourage writers to keep at it. I feel I have a certain style to my writing which is slowly becoming unique to me - again, through comments from avid readers - so it’s nice to have that feedback. I just want to write horror for horror fans and if the readers love it, that's awesome. I think I have a way to go before finding the 'Stuart Keane voice' but, if the feedback is anything to go by, I seem to be on the way.
Me: that's pretty excellent to hear haha. I think I just got a couple more questions. The first one being, your writing does space more towards reality than supernatural, but sometimes the supernatural does possess more of the story. So I was curious if you ever had any thoughts of moving into different genres to try them out, seeing as you have the ways to go all about expanding different genres.
SK: Hmmm. I would like to create a few more supernatural books, but I feel I need to develop a little more first. I actually have three ideas in the works which will test this, and one penciled in for early 2016. My reluctance to jump into the supernatural is cliché; most of it has been done before. The classic horror tropes like vampires, werewolves etc. have taken a bashing in the past few years, although some authors are nailing these monsters, and ghost stories seem to be a dime a dozen. I like to avoid cliché, avoid the same stories. However, sometimes the odd idea pops up that I haven't seen elsewhere, and this is when I will step up and think, 'Yeah, that could work.' I am an avid reader of thriller and espionage fiction, apocalypse stories, comic books and graphic novels, and I highly expect that to feature in my future works. Also, once people read Grin, you might get an idea of where I'm going with this...
I am also working on Omerta (gangster horror/thriller), The Cerebral Series (a zombie trilogy) and Aftermath (an apocalypse trilogy). Genre bending is a skill in itself, one I cherish experimenting with, so watch this space. Note, I will only try genres I am familiar with, I'm a stickler for accuracy – for example, writing Omerta will be fun because I have an actual Sicilian Italian as a consultant. So far, she's been amazing and has really honed the mafia back story for me.
Me: That sounds pretty wicked, and can only imagine what they'll be like haha. You mentioned briefly the thought about sequels. Is this something you play with while writing the story, or more of an afterthought once it's been published? Also is there any that you would mention, or are they still under wraps?
SK: I don't ever plan for sequels...aside from my planned trilogies, but funnily enough there is demand for a sequel to Charlotte. I can confirm I plan to write it, it will be called Amy and released in late 2016 or 2017, schedule pending. Again, once people read Grin, they will understand my reluctance to discuss sequels in details…go get it and find out.
Me: Haha again that sounds like a pretty amazing thought, since Charlotte was the one that felt more open for a sequel. As for my final question, it's a bit cliché, but what should fans and new readers be expecting for these coming months?
SK: Other projects? When Darkness Falls is due in 2016, it's the tale of six boys who discover a dark evil lurking in a local abandoned world war two bunker, one that holds the town in a grip of terror. I am also writing 89, a short novella that details the horror of an author stuck on a long distance bus journey with a creepy fan.
In the coming months? Whispers - Volume 2 is out in November, I am currently working on a personalized horror novella with Zachary Walters of The Mouths of Madness. He won the prize in the Cine giveaway. Also, Kids Volume 1 should be finalized in the coming weeks. Otherwise, I think I mentioned everything else lol.
Me: I'll be sure to keep updated on all of that, and you're pretty sociable on your sites, so people should really follow and keep tabs on your work! That’s about all that i have for today, and would like to thank you for doing this interview.
Be sure to check out his library of work on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Stuart-Keane/e/...
Facebook:
facebook.com/stuartkeanewriter
Twitter:
@Skeane_Author
Since I’ve yet to get any good at introductions, let’s just hop into this.
Michael Benavidez (Me): So your work ranges from realistic horror to the supernatural, crossing the two as much as you can. How would you describe your work to people who have yet to dive into your stories?
Stuart Keane (SK): I think my horror is more based in reality, I find I'm more comfortable in that realm. I've said it many times, the best horror is the stuff that can happen to anyone - a man standing in the dark corner of the room watching you as you sleep, someone invading your home, someone kidnapping a member of your family. I like to poke at people's fears, with only a hint of supernatural thrown in, something that the readers mention in reviews on occasion. Plus, as a horror writer, it's nice to work a story that can potentially terrify me.
Me: Looking at your book of short stories
, that really does show. With that said, do you find yourself trying to take out the supernatural element at times? Or do you just let yourself ride the wave of what comes?SK: I usually find that I write without the supernatural element involved. With
, my only supernatural book to date, I started it with the idea in mind. It’s a decision I make before I put words to a page. Obviously, authors have a right to merge - for example, Rendezvous in Whispers started out as straight horror before I introduced the supernatural swerve to the tale. And there's a lot of fun in letting the wave take you, it can produce some amazing results.I find not restricting yourself is a lot more relaxing, productively and creatively. I would still class myself as not 100% comfortable with the supernatural element mainly because a lot of the books I tend to prefer are mostly realistic – Laymon, Hutson, etc. Both of these authors dabble in the supernatural, but at heart, they are more urban horror – much like my own work.
Me: That's actually true. There's nothing like writing freely, and not caring how or where it's going. Which is kind of a segue into my next question(s). What is your process to writing? Because you do both, short story and novella/novel length formats. Also do you ever get to the point that maybe the content of the story is breaching that too far, or not far enough border?
SK: Good question. I have a variety of ways, but nothing concrete. It normally starts with an idea and goes from there. For example,
started as a novella/short novel (I was aiming for 30k) but it ended up at 50k. The characters just grew on the page and increased the length by quite a bit. However, I knew the story - beginning, middle, end - when I started, so the writing was immensely fun. I wasn't bothered about going over the 30k, I don't believe in restricting myself because it short changes the product and the readers. As a result, Cine came out fantastic and is one of my favourite books to date. Short stories - I normally know if the tale will be short in length, but I started writing these for anthologies. Normally I have a theme and a word count provided by the submission call, so that already gives me something to aim towards. It's also a very fun way to challenge your writing ability – authors, I highly recommend doing this on a regular basis. As a result, to date, I haven't written a short for myself, but that's about to change, so watch this space.
I think any author knows if they have gone far enough or not enough, with both word length and story boundaries, it's an instinctual thing. Weird. Lol. It's instinctual, but a good tool. I like to think I have a grasp on when a story is exceeding the fun limit, becoming boring or dragging on and you can flip the same rule, which applies if it's too short or immediately boring.
MK: Haha that's always something that has interested me, far as the process goes. Speaking of Cine, which may be out by the time this goes live, from your updates it seems like this is one that may go farther than you anticipated. Is that right, or would you say this was a boundary free book once you started it? Were there any times where you had to go back and think, the fun is starting to dip a bit?
SK: Cine is out now, but I believe it went a bit further than my previous work. I think the book was boundary free - the ending is pretty graphic and I always envisioned this as the ending from the very start, but how the scene plays out, how it shaped over time, was the process I looked forward to the most. There's always an element of mystery to how things will flow onto the page, so I think boundaries were out the window pretty quickly. For Grin, which is due on Halloween, the boundaries were obliterated, this book went to a very dark place, as many will soon find out.
For All or Nothing, I removed an entire chapter because I felt it ruined the flow of the book. Luckily, so far, I have been able to get the length right on many stories. Some reviewers have said certain books should be longer, which is a great compliment, but the process speaks for itself. Sequels are always possible if that is the case, and an author needs to be the one who makes the decision of churning our sequels, but it's very thin ice, one of the most difficult parts of writing. Should you fit the story in one book or two or five? All depends on the writers style.
Me: Ah yes, sorry haha I switched titles. It's hard to keep track, but that brings me to the next question. You're pretty fast with releases, be them for anthologies or your own novels. Do you ever feel overwhelmed at times with projects, or with ideas for future projects? Or, hell, even found some components of one story drifting into another?
SK: I haven't got to the point where I am overwhelmed. The end of 2015 has been an odd one, I started Cine and Grin back in March and then had the fortune to be invited to a couple of fantastic projects, which includes Kids Volumes 1 and 2, two new anthologies with Dark Chapter Press and an actual editing position with DCP too. The position has been massively rewarding, so I let the work slip a little, releasing Whispers - Volume 1 in the meantime. So, even though the slate has been busy, and multiple releases are happening, this isn't the norm for me and I may scale back a little heading into 2016. However, I am also a full time writer now, so we'll see.
So far, the only component that has mingled with another story is a scene in Grin, which I lifted from another piece I'm working on. It seemed right to combine the two, since the characters were similar. I feel it made Grin that much more interesting too, and it was one of the better scenes in the story.
Me: Wow so you're quite active aside from your regular writing duties. A couple things interested me though, we talked a little about short stories. You're constantly participating in anthologies and projects of the like. Is it something that you do as a challenge to see what comes out, or any other reason that makes these anthology participation a seemingly regular thing?
SK: I initially started anthologies to get some of my work out there. In 2014, I subbed to several and was accepted, which gave me a huge confidence boost. Since then, I have featured in 14 anthologies of varying theme and length. I love the challenge of the entire thing - the word count, a set theme, I find that actually hones my work, allows me to write faster because I usually have the idea down before I start, as I mentioned before. I haven't subbed as much this year, what with the vast workload, but I am currently working on Whispers 3, with Whispers – Volume 2 due in November.
Also, short stories are awesome for those ideas that just won't fit in a longer book, which means more ideas get used at some point. This is a crucial tool, one that any author should utilize to ensure maximum productivity.
Me: And it's also a great way to see the growth of an author from the beginning to current, and future projects. Do you see yourself continuing a growth in your style? Like do you feel you've hit that stride that says 'this is a Stuart Keane book because you can feel it has a Stuart Keane voice'?
SK: I've never felt that, but I have been told by multiple readers who notice that I am growing through my work. I feel my writing is getting better, which is a natural side effect of writing 3000 plus words a day, and why I strongly encourage writers to keep at it. I feel I have a certain style to my writing which is slowly becoming unique to me - again, through comments from avid readers - so it’s nice to have that feedback. I just want to write horror for horror fans and if the readers love it, that's awesome. I think I have a way to go before finding the 'Stuart Keane voice' but, if the feedback is anything to go by, I seem to be on the way.
Me: that's pretty excellent to hear haha. I think I just got a couple more questions. The first one being, your writing does space more towards reality than supernatural, but sometimes the supernatural does possess more of the story. So I was curious if you ever had any thoughts of moving into different genres to try them out, seeing as you have the ways to go all about expanding different genres.
SK: Hmmm. I would like to create a few more supernatural books, but I feel I need to develop a little more first. I actually have three ideas in the works which will test this, and one penciled in for early 2016. My reluctance to jump into the supernatural is cliché; most of it has been done before. The classic horror tropes like vampires, werewolves etc. have taken a bashing in the past few years, although some authors are nailing these monsters, and ghost stories seem to be a dime a dozen. I like to avoid cliché, avoid the same stories. However, sometimes the odd idea pops up that I haven't seen elsewhere, and this is when I will step up and think, 'Yeah, that could work.' I am an avid reader of thriller and espionage fiction, apocalypse stories, comic books and graphic novels, and I highly expect that to feature in my future works. Also, once people read Grin, you might get an idea of where I'm going with this...
I am also working on Omerta (gangster horror/thriller), The Cerebral Series (a zombie trilogy) and Aftermath (an apocalypse trilogy). Genre bending is a skill in itself, one I cherish experimenting with, so watch this space. Note, I will only try genres I am familiar with, I'm a stickler for accuracy – for example, writing Omerta will be fun because I have an actual Sicilian Italian as a consultant. So far, she's been amazing and has really honed the mafia back story for me.
Me: That sounds pretty wicked, and can only imagine what they'll be like haha. You mentioned briefly the thought about sequels. Is this something you play with while writing the story, or more of an afterthought once it's been published? Also is there any that you would mention, or are they still under wraps?
SK: I don't ever plan for sequels...aside from my planned trilogies, but funnily enough there is demand for a sequel to Charlotte. I can confirm I plan to write it, it will be called Amy and released in late 2016 or 2017, schedule pending. Again, once people read Grin, they will understand my reluctance to discuss sequels in details…go get it and find out.
Me: Haha again that sounds like a pretty amazing thought, since Charlotte was the one that felt more open for a sequel. As for my final question, it's a bit cliché, but what should fans and new readers be expecting for these coming months?
SK: Other projects? When Darkness Falls is due in 2016, it's the tale of six boys who discover a dark evil lurking in a local abandoned world war two bunker, one that holds the town in a grip of terror. I am also writing 89, a short novella that details the horror of an author stuck on a long distance bus journey with a creepy fan.
In the coming months? Whispers - Volume 2 is out in November, I am currently working on a personalized horror novella with Zachary Walters of The Mouths of Madness. He won the prize in the Cine giveaway. Also, Kids Volume 1 should be finalized in the coming weeks. Otherwise, I think I mentioned everything else lol.
Me: I'll be sure to keep updated on all of that, and you're pretty sociable on your sites, so people should really follow and keep tabs on your work! That’s about all that i have for today, and would like to thank you for doing this interview.
Be sure to check out his library of work on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Stuart-Keane/e/...
Facebook:
facebook.com/stuartkeanewriter
Twitter:
@Skeane_Author
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