Using groundbreaking techniques, the first socially distanced feature film was shot entirely during the pandemic
The Central Authority, the horror-comedy brainchild of Kristin West and Dana Olita, has been a brave undertaking in these hazardous times. “We knew this was a huge endeavor going in,” said West, who co-directed with Armin Nasseri. “We were forced to use the technology available, which meant doing some unusual things.” Those “unusual things” included dusting off some archaic film techniques and using brand new processes. “We gave ourselves permission to fail,” says West, “but things worked out fine in the end.”
Those processes including having actors from all over the world come together on the screen. Actress Anna Elena Pepe, who plays Dr Zhivaga, a quarantine sex therapist, says it was an experience for her like no other, “I was in London, and my scene partner (Lachelle Allen) was in Los Angeles. ‘It was fantastic.'”
“The actors were the key,” according to Olita, “We basically let them pick and choose characters and wrote around their choices.” West agrees, “We gave our actors a tremendous amount of freedom, there was a lot of improvisation. Everyone gave great performances and the chemistry the actors have with one and other is magical.”
The Central Authority, takes place in a dystopian future, where entertainment is king. There is no content, so the government (“The Central Authority”) creates a streaming channel where “performers” can submit their material, in order to obtain items in short supply. The film takes place over one day of programming.
In addition to West, Olita and Nasseri, The Central Authority uses an ensemble cast of working actors, Tick Tock stars, comics and podcast hosts: Lachelle Allen, Brandy Bryant, April Monique Burrill, Jimmyo Burrill, Lily Burrill, Candice Callins, Charles Chudabala, Rodney Damon Collins, Michael Coulombe, Lauren Deleon, Vanessa Esparanza, Jonathan Freeman-Anderson, Sara Gaston, Katie Gordon, Nate Gordon, Joe Grisaffi, Josh Hutchinson, Betsy Johnson, Allison Michelle, Rory Ogden, Marco Antonio Parra, Anna Elena Pepe, Jake Red, Genoveva Rossi, Nailya Sharakova, Narlyia Sterling, Todd Stroik, and Cristina Vargas. Nasseri said he was “proud to work with such a strong group of diverse actors.” Inclusion has been a recurring theme in Nasseri’s films, with award-winning shorts The Carting Call, and Seeking Valentina, already under his belt, Nasseri felt like this was the perfect vehicle for him as a director, editor and actor.
The Central Authority is written by Dana Olita and Kristin West, directed by Armin Nasseri and Kristin West, and produced by Matt Chassin, Armin Nasseri, Dana Olita, Narlyia Sterling, Kristin West and Quarantini Productions.
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
PBH -Tell me a bit about yourself and what got you into horror writing?
KS – The earliest memories I have of loving spooky things were from trick-or-treating as a tiny child, and then an old Time-Life Library book about ghosts and the paranormal which I read at about 6 or 7, which really sparked my fascination. My dad bought me Stephen King books in the 80s when I was way too young, but I devoured them anyway and sought out more. I read Poe, Ambrose Bierce, and Lovecraft (the unholy trinity) as a teen, and then branched out into pop stuff like Anne Rice. Horror has always been my go-to for fun reading, and I enjoy most subgenres of horror films as well. I have been a fiction editor since 2013, working on romance, science fiction, and urban fantasy for Graythorn Publishing, and freelancing as well. Wendigogo is my first published novel, and the first in a planned series of at least four books with these characters.
PBH – You’ve covered a wide range of characters in the book, what inspired you to bring them all together?
KS – I knew I wanted to feature Ojibwe and other local Wisconsin folklore heavily. When I read about the lake monsters, the mishibizhu or mishipeshu, having one of them as a character seemed like a perfect devil’s advocate to pit against my bookseller protagonist Morty. Honestly Marie the mishibizhu wrote herself into the book! Also, with as much creature lore as there is in the Northwoods, having a cryptid hunter nosing around just made sense, and so Garwood Quell came to life. Morty’s best friend Kim and girlfriend Darcy are what anchor him to his humanity as things become progressively worse for him. Some of their interactions are comic; Morty and Marie in particular fell into such a wonderful bickering over the pros and cons of eating people. Kim and Morty have an easy, boisterous bromance going on. But then we have Quell desperately trying to hunt down the monster, because he feels it’s his duty to do so; and an ancient shaman who’s become bored and sees a wendigo as the perfect opportunity to inject a little chaos into the world for his own amusement. Morty has far more to deal with than he can handle sanely, just in interacting with the rest of the cast.
PBH – Wendigo! We love wendigos here at Puzzle Box Horror, what is it about the wendigo that made you bring that creature into the story?
KS -I ran across the concept of the wendigo while researching Wisconsin weird stuff in 2014, prior to moving here that same year, but my ideas fizzled out. It wasn’t until 2019 that the wendigo resurfaced in my head, right about the time I became utterly fed up with the current political climate. It hit me that what I needed was a wendigo to prey upon all the greedy people happily selling out their fellow humans for a fat paycheck. The wendigo has always been a symbol of greed and gluttony, eating their neighbors even when there was abundant game. I wanted to twist that a bit, to make my wendigo ravenously hungry like the monsters of lore, but to have him turn that hunger upon selfish people. The fact that descriptions of the wendigo vary widely and wildly even in original Native American sources gave me some leeway in fashioning him, as well. They’ve been described as anything from skeletal, lipless corpses to giants with hearts of ice. One legend says they can look like anything in the forest! They’re native to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Canada, and there’s even a Windigo Fest at Manitowoc, WI every October; I attended last year and was further inspired by the range of wendigook wandering the streets!
PBH It’s hard to write a novel, what kept you going and what advice would you give authors trying to finish a project?
KS – This book was a perfect stew in my brain: fascinating research into Ojibwe lore, my love of winter storms, my own rage at unfettered capitalism, and finding the right physical model for Morty. Once I knew how he looked and sounded, and knew I wanted him to eat the guilty, everything flowed easily from there. I wrote a complete draft over the course of nine months. I thought, dreamt, ate and breathed these characters, particularly Morty, so that every time I sat down to write another chapter, the dialogue practically wrote itself. I’ve always been more focused on characters than mapping out intricate plots and I feel like that helped. If you’re trying to write a novel, know your characters. Know exactly how they’d react in any given situation, what they would say to each other, why they would support or oppose each other. Love your characters! They should feel like old friends you know intimately. Even the antagonists. Explore their voices and points of view, make extensive notes about them each. Then drop them in the middle of whatever craziness you’ve planned and write down what they do. Keep writing it. Write out of order if you’re inspired by a scene farther ahead but don’t know how you get there yet; it’ll flesh itself out if you understand your characters well. Also, be prepared to rewrite. A lot. Especially after your editor is through shredding it! I’m in the midst of writing book 2 now (tentatively titled Love Song of the Murder Deer) and diving deeper into the relationships between the main characters as Morty struggles to control the ancient manitou inside him.
PBH – You must be a horror fan, can you give us some movie and book recommendations?
KS – Though Wendigogo’s plot is nothing like these films, Cabin in the Woods and Tucker and Dale vs Evil very much inspired the comic horror tone. Really anything that mixes comedy and horror is a must-see for me, even deliberately awful films like Velocipastor! I rewatch Cabin at least once a year; it’s my favorite movie, just brilliantly written, acted, and directed. And the last-act splatterfest manages to be both gory and hilarious! I love ghost stories and creature features, but well-done comic horror is my favorite subgenre. For books, I enjoy Rick Gualtieri’s “Tome of Bill” series, about a nerdy vampire struggling with truly evil vamps, Bigfeet, witches and more. The whole series is irreverent and geeky. For more serious fare, I devour Stephen Blackmore’s Eric Carter series about a modern-day necromancer in L.A., dealing with ancient Aztec gods and ghosts. His books are blood-soaked, moody candy. For scary films, The Ritual has a bit of a wendigo vibe to it despite being set in Europe. And I’m looking forward to seeing Antlers. Also, not strictly film, but the Netflix series “The Haunting of Hill House” is utterly masterful and genuinely frightening, well-paced, and with so much packed into each episode. Not to mention it has lots of in-jokes for Shirley Jackson fans.
PBH – Where can we find and follow you for updates on the book?
KS – Thank you very much! I really like your site and will frequent it. Lots to explore, and the tone is both smart and friendly. Glad I happened across it. —- PBH – awe thanks we have fun here.
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
How would you feel if you suddenly started receiving letters from someone you didn’t know? Personal letters, from someone who seemed to know more about you than you ever wanted to admit to yourself? The End of the Sentence (2014) delivers–it’s not only difficult to put down, (or stop listening to, if you opt to experience it as an audiobook) but it is also easily digestible and instantly gives the reader that desirable feeling of unease and fear.
With every turn of the page, we find ourselves more and more deeply immersed in the life of Malcolm Mays, a man whose life is falling apart as he moves into a foreclosed home in Ione, Oregon–what he doesn’t realize is that the original owner never left and doesn’t intend to. The end of his 117-year sentence is almost over…
Interview with Kat Howard
We found out that you’re not just a horror writer, but you have also explored the science fiction and fantasy genres, so what initially drew you to horror fiction?
I’ve always loved horror. Some of the first “grown up” books I read were by Stephen King, but even before that I loved stories that scared me. I like to write horror because sometimes that’s the genre that works best for what I have to say. Plus, it’s fun writing stories that might give people the shivers.
Can you tell me about how you and Maria Dahvana Headley decided to come together to co-write The End of the Sentence?
Maria’s a dear friend. We were guests at an annual convention (ConFusion) and made a comment about wanting to write something together in front of Bill Schafer, the head of Subterranean Press. He said he’d buy it, and we wrote a contract on his arm. (There was a much more official contract later.) It was honestly a joy of a project to write with her.
How did you come up with the idea of The End of the Sentence?
Maria had recently moved, and had been getting mistaken letters delivered to her address. Things kind of went from there.
Kat, we understand that this was your debut novella, how did it feel being named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2014?
I literally fell out of my chair when I found out. I’m really proud of the work we did on this novella. It remains one of my favorite things that I’ve written, and so I’m always extremely happy to see it find readers. Seeing it recognized like that meant so much.
A Cathedral of Myth and Bone
Is there anything new that you’ve published or are working on that you’d like to talk to us about?
As this is a horror venue, I have to say I was extremely pleased when my recent collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone, was long-listed for the [Bram Stoker Award]. It didn’t make the final ballot, but just to see it recognized was a delight. I’m currently working on A Sleight of Shadows, the sequel to my novel An Unkindness of Magicians.
A lot of our fans are actually aspiring writers and artists, do you have any advice for them?
I always feel a little weird about giving advice, because I feel like I’m still figuring things out myself. But I think that one of the great (and yes, sometimes terrifying!) things about writing or art is that there are so many ways to come into the field. Don’t cut yourself off because you think you’re too old, or you should have gone to a different school, or that people have already done what you’re interested in. No one else can make what you will.
Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares.
Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.
Tell me a bit about your background. I understand you were Pastor at one point in time?
Yes, I was in the ministry full-time for around twenty years. I served in churches across the South in just about every position imaginable. I have three religion/theology degrees because my passion has always been teaching and the intellectual side of things. My favorite areas of study are supernatural and psychic phenomena, as well as the compatibility between the Christian faith and evolution. I also enjoy philosophy. In fact, it was my faith which lead me into horror writing. Both the Bible and horror deal with the supernatural, fear, survival, overcoming terrible situations, and human depravity. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate display of these themes. For me, writing horror was a natural cross over.
My decision to write horror caused big waves in my circles. Few were supportive while most didn’t understand. The issue many have is the content of my writing. They balk at the violence and profanity at times. I have explained over and over again that in the Bible, we see the same thing. These issues are a part of human existence and God knows this. He meets us where we are, and the Bible does not shy away from presenting the harsh realities of what it means to be human. Therefore, if I as a still ordained ministers and committed to my faith, want to be faithful to the pattern of what I understand as inspired Scripture, why should I edit my content? This is the big issue I have with Christian fiction and why I would never write it. It’s fake and doesn’t face the grittiness of reality like the Bible does. It sacrifices the depths and complexity of life for some made up, stringent moral code.
I think when people found out I was writing horror, they thought it would be like Little House on the Prairie meets Casper. They were disappointed.
You have been writing about the paranormal and horror for a while now. What is your favorite bit of paranormal lore from your area?
I grew up in the small town of Central, just outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Anyone who keeps up with the paranormal and haunted places knows Louisiana is a hotbed of activity. In Central, there’s a haunted road. It goes by the name Frenchtown and was known for its ferocious curves. Toward the end of the wooded road, it opened up a little, and ahead of you would appear a bridge. This bridge was a once functional railroad trestle. The foreboding, rusty structure would glare down at you, covered in satanic graffiti. Near this bridge was where most of the paranormal activity had been reported. But it’s not just about the bridge. Rumors of a Satanic cult in the woods near the bridge, along with a witch who lived in the last house on the left (yes, Wes Craven would be proud) are the prominent legends which once swirled around this trestle. It was said that if you crossed under the bridge, the cult members would kidnap you and drag you back to their lair. In the forest behind the bridge was where the rituals took place. Some have even reported seeing dead cats hanging from underneath the trestle. There are also many other phenomena reported about this site, too many to list here. I am working on an article about it and going into detail about all the paranormal activity associated with the place.
This has been so influential on me I have based an entire series of stories around it and am developing them into novels. The collections of shorts are called The Tetromet Chronicles and are forthcoming through Stitched Smile Publications. I have had several of these stories published already through other horror publishers
Have you ever experienced anything paranormal yourself?
Yes. I don’t talk about it much because one thing I have found to be true—the person who shouts about all of their paranormal experiences all the time and say they have them every day? They are full of crap. With that said, let me relay some of my experiences with brevity. One experience I will never forget is casting a demon out of a woman. It wasn’t anything like The Exorcist, but her husband had to try and hold her down. I bound the demon in Jesus’ name and the strength left. I was able to then cast the demons out. There were only two. I can’t even imagine how bad it would have been if there were more.
Me and my buddy were also shot at by a Satanic cult when we stumbled upon their meeting place late one night. This was in Louisiana and we had heard about the site and went to do a cleansing. We didn’t think anyone would be there since it was 2 a.m. on a weeknight. Boy, were we wrong.
I have also had an intense encounter with a ghost. She is the subject of one of my other forthcoming novels called Theodosia.
I’ve had psychic experiences of remote viewing, clairvoyance, and telekinesis.
Johnny Walker Ranger has some pretty interesting combinations within the name. Tell me a bit about this character and what inspired you to create him?
Ah, Johnny. My first fiction novel and the character I love so much. With all the serious stuff I just laid on everyone, there is something else you need to know about me. I love sarcasm and socially awkward humor. I am a HUGE Bruce Campbell fan and have been for decades. I was the guy in high school telling people they needed to watch Bruce Campbell movies. Their response? “Who is that?”
Yeah, you horror fans feel my pain.
Johnny is a Bruce Campbell tribute. It is taking us back to the days of VHS tapes and when we could joke about things and not get so butt-hurt and offended. But yeah, it is a nod to Bruce, but it is its own story and Johnny is his own character.
I came up with the story at a very low point in my life. Things with ministry went bad fast because of jealous colleagues and pissed off people who wanted me to be a puppet pastor. I was in a transitional period of my life and I needed something to make me laugh. So, I came up with Johnny.
And the name?
I just came up with something I thought sounded like a drunk and pissed off redneck. Johnny will always and forever be my favorite character I have come up with because he helped me through such a dark time in my life. Even now, when things get bad, I go back to writing Johnny. I am almost finished with Vol.2 and I have already started an anthology of stories written by Johnny.
As a horror writer what have been some of the biggest challenges in releasing this story?
Johnny is not for everyone. We had an editor bail because she kept getting triggered by the story. We also had to fire a cover artist because he couldn’t come through and give us a finished product. He got mad and went to social media and slandered me and Stitched Smile Publications. He really focused on me because I was a pastor and am an outspoken Christian. He went on and on for weeks and it finally died down. But still, he won’t let it go. He bought a copy of the book and gave it a one star review on Amazon…but at least he bought the book!
What was your favorite scene in the book to write and what did you enjoy most about it?
Without a doubt, the Bootcamp chapter. It is towards the end of the book and Johnny is training people in his church on how to kill demons. Here are some of the highlights.
The next few moments were beautiful. There’s nothing more melodic than the sound of someone huffing when they get kicked in the nuts. As I perused the rows, I came across a kid who looked to be about fifteen. Real nerdy looking fella; coke bottle glasses, button up shirt, and skinny jeans. Blood gushed from his mouth, and he was crying. I got in his face and went all-out Gunnery Sergeant Hartman on him. “What in the fuck is this? Are those tears, private?” He sniffed. “N-n-n-no, sir.” “It’s not? Well shit on me and call me Commodious. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a freak of nature here who can make it rain from his eyes. Is that rain coming from your eyes, private?” “N-n-n-no, sir.” “Well then what the hell is it? It damn sure can’t be tears, ‘cause you just told me it wasn’t. And I know for damn sure you aren’t fucking stupid enough to lie to me. So what are they, private?” He dried up real quick, but I kept at him. “Listen here, el nerdo. If you are crying here, do you know what’s gonna happen to you when you’re in war? Well, I’ll tell ya. You’re gonna piss yourself like a neutered dog and run home to your Xbox and action figures. Now, if I catch you crying again, I will body slam you to the ground and pee on you! Understood?” “Y-y-y-yes, s-s-sir, D-d-demon S-slayer s-s-sir.” He sniffled a few more times then got back into ready position. “Good. Carry on, private.”
A few rows over, a fat dude who looked like Newman from Seinfeld raised his hand and called for me. “What do you want, Newman clone?” “You can’t be serious? You really want us to electrocute each other?” I marched double time and got in his face. “Serious? Serious?! Do you wanna know what serious is, Newman? Serious is rescuing your pure virgin bride-to-be from becoming a sacrifice to Satan. Serious is picking Toby brains out her hair before you make out with her. Serious is fighting an angel cause he done pissed you off. Serious? You damn better believe I’m serious. Ask me if I’m fucking serious again. Go ahead, Newman, I double damn dog dare you. You ever ask me that again, I’ll shove that stun gun so far up your ass, when I turn it on, it’ll shave your face, got it?” Newman started to mutter. “I can’t understand you, lard ass. Get your tongue outta the jar of Crisco and talk to me.” “Sir, yes, sir, Demon Slayer sir.” “Ya damn right! Now get to shocking, you pew-sitting, casserole-eating, toe-tapping shittards!”
You must be a pretty big horror fan yourself, can you give us some movie and book recommendations?
I am. I am going avoid suggesting the big names in horror because most of us have seen the movie or read the book. Before I give my suggestions, I will say The Exorcist and Legion by William Peter Blatty are my favorite horror novels.
For reading I recommend the following:
Mine, by Robert McCammon. Best opening chapter of any book I have ever read. Out Are The Lights, by Richard Laymon Mark Of The Werewolf, by Jeffery Sackett The Hunger Moon, by Ramsey Campbell Night Warriors, by Graham Masterton Hobgoblin, by John Coyne Light Source, by Bari Wood The Revelation, by Bentley Little
Again with movies, I will give some that are not mainstream
The Abomination, 1986 Galaxy of Terror, 1981The Nest, 1988 The Kindred, 1987 The Boogens, 1981 Witchboard, 1986 House II: The Second Story, 1987 The Beast Within, 1982 The Brain, 1988
Where can we find and stalk.. I mean follow you online?
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
Tell me a bit about yourself and what got you started in horror writing.
The truth is, I took to the writing game quite late. Although a life-long lover of horror, the idea to try my hand at writing my own novel didn’t come until I hit 30, and was the result of endless evenings dissecting the genre with my friend and horror analyst Ewan Rayner. Our conversations eventually led me to wondering whether the expanded understanding I’d developed from these challenging chats could translate into my own story.
In the three years it took to complete For Rye and find a publisher, I also wrote a novella, several short stories, and a bunch of non-fiction pieces, all of which have also been published in print and online. It’s funny how such an impulsive undertaking, born mostly of curiosity, can end up taking your life in a whole new direction. Guess I’ve got Ewan to thank (or blame) for that.
The story is set in a town called Millbury Peak. Can you tell me a bit about the town you created?
Millbury Peak is indeed my own invention. The most interesting kind of horror to me is that which festers behind closed doors, kept unseen behind a façade of normality. My mum summed up this kind of horror perfectly with two words: seems normal. I believe this brand of suspense resonates with us because there is an unspoken demand that we all go about our daily lives as functioning members of society, and to varying degrees bury our own writhing horrors within us. We must all seem normal.
Anyway, I had the feeling that a small country town would be the perfect setting for this high-standing, respected family whose lives are, in actuality, a living hell behind closed doors. The husband and father of the family, Thomas Wakefield, is the adored town vicar. He also happens to be the cause of the hell his family must endure.
Geographically, Millbury Peak effectively ‘replaces’ the town of Newark-on-Trent in the East Midlands, with the River Trent being overwritten by my fictional River Crove. The story opens in the city of Stonemount (again, made up) which replaces Nottingham, and I also created an island in the Outer Hebrides called Neo-Thorrach which features in the story. As you can see, I’m somewhat carving out my own fictional world within our own world. I’m afraid the reason for this is, at this time, strictly confidential.
The book sounds like a crossover between murder, psychological horror, and maybe the supernatural. Can you expand on that and give us some background on where that came from?
A crossover between murder and psychological horror is a great description! There are two mission statements about my work that I plan on sticking to for all my fiction. One of those is that my work will never be supernatural, and the other…well, that will be revealed in my next book.
Regarding my avoiding the supernatural: I want to make it clear that I have a deep love for supernatural horror. The Blair Witch Project is my all-time favourite horror (and perhaps film) and so it’s not that I lack an appreciation for it.
The decision to base everything I write in our own reality – on stuff that could happen – originates from my fascination with the human mind. Although the supernatural opens up exciting possibilities for a writer, where there are no limits to the things you can conjure up, I believe that no monster can be as terrifying as a monstrous human mind. This is probably why true crime has had such a resurgence and is so overwhelmingly popular at the moment: people are most disturbed by that which could be living next door, or the thought that even their own loved ones could become something truly horrifying.
Taking my work in this direction also compliments another interest of mine, which is moral complexity. This is something I feel had been lacking in horror for some years, and is somewhat becoming more prevalent, but not to the degree I want to explore it. When you read one of my books, there’s every chance the ‘goodie’ and ‘baddie’, in the traditional sense, will flip by the end of the story. I’ve thought a lot about our designations of good and evil – our insistence on drawing a line between us and them; our denial that the most despicable humans are not a different species, but in fact just a series of arbitrary conditions away from being you, me, or any of the cherished faces smiling warmly over the Christmas dinner table – and I have great interest in my work exploring not only what it takes to make a human monster, but also how slippery the spectrum of good and evil really is. Dealing solely with people, not ghosts or goblins, will allow me dig perversely deep into this theme.
We talk to a fair amount of new writers. What tips would you give yourself if you could go back to when you started based on what you know now?
Full disclosure: I’m a new writer! I only started my novel three years ago, but have worked my butt off in that time. I’ve remained mindful every step of the way as to what lessons I’ve had to learn, and have plans to start a YouTube series detailing these very lessons.
The list is endless, but if I could go back and give myself any advice, it would be that self-doubt is not only normal, but necessary. I really had a hard time with this, constantly doubting whether all my work was worth it, or whether the story was a waste of time. I still harbour massive doubts about every new writing project I take on, big or small, but I’ve come to the realisation that it’s that very same doubt that drives me to push my work as far as I can take it.
I was recently asked in another interview which part of the writing process I find the hardest. I answered (rather awkwardly) that they should all be as hard as each other. If any part of writing a book feels ‘easy’, or is a bit of a ‘break’ from the rest of the process, then you’re not working hard enough. It goes without saying that everyone is allowed to create something just for the fun of it and put that creation out there, but I always advise new writers to remain mindful of their objective. If that objective is to create something that’s going to truly grab a reader by the lapels and shake them, stay with them, and not let go, then they have to take a long, honest look at the effort they’re putting in and evaluate whether it’s enough to meet that objective.
So embrace the self-doubt, make it work for you, and never forget to push yourself and your work to the limits of your creativity and endurance. Greatness isn’t born out of nothing. Bleed for your work.
What/who are some of your major influences?
In terms of literature, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein shattered my perceptions of what a novel could achieve. Also, I doubt I’d ever have written a book had Jeff Long’s criminally underrated and not-spoken-about-enough The Descent (nothing to do with the brilliant film) didn’t exist.
I was deep into movies before literature, and my list of cinematic influences is wildly expansive. I think it’s important for a writer to seek inspiration from as many mediums as possible, and I’ve found films to be a useful way of expanding my storytelling palette. Absorb enough films, and you need only close your eyes during the writing of a difficult scene to see how a cinematographer or director or lighting technician might handle its execution.
We live in a fortunate time when we have a positively bloating wealth of cinema and literature to look back on, and I’d urge writers of every genre to gorge on it all, and find ways to channel it into their own work.
Where can we get this book after release?
My debut horror novel, For Rye, will be available from April 9th through most major outlets such as Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and Foyles, and you can also pre-order it now. Visit my website to whet your palate and see if you’re up to the horrors to come:
What are you working on next?
I’m currently knee-deep in the planning of my next novel, Witchcraft on Rücken Ridge, a folk horror set up a mountain full of caves, cults, and cannibals. As for how the ‘witchcraft’ element ties into my previously-detailed mission statement of ‘no supernatural stuff’, you’ll just have to wait and see…
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
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