Today I have the pleasure of hosting horror writer
Brick Marlin. Brick has been writing since he was a child. From an early age, he was exposed to older, original horror movies and the works of Stephen King, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, Dean Koontz, Charles Dickens, Harper Lee, H.G. Wells, W. W. Jacobs, etc. Thus, he decided to engage himself and write horror and dark fantasy. In 2007 he decided to take a more professional approach with his work. Hence, as a member of the Horror Writers Association, already having eight books published by small presses with more in the works coming soon, nearly twenty-five short stories published, adding to the few anthologies and collaborations with other authors, Brick Marlin trudges onward, hoping to achieve more creations.
Adapted from Brick's Goodreads profile
In your author profile on Goodreads, you mention that you've been writing since you were a child; do you remember the moment when you felt that this could be more than a hobby?
I think it was when I sold my first piece of short fiction to Alienskin Magazine, which is unfortunately not around anymore. I only received a five dollar check in the mail, though it gave me a great feeling knowing someone out there would actually enjoy reading my work plus paying me for it!
What drew you to horror stories? What do you enjoy the most about the genre?
I’ve always loved horror tales growing up. I can still remember watching “The Wolfman” starring Lon Chaney Jr. and “The House of Wax” with Vincent Price as well as slipping under the amazement of the movie “Westworld” starring Yul Brynner.
In elementary school we read Edgar Allen Poe’s “A Tell Tale Heart”. Afterward that endeavor it was all I could do to read as much horror as I could find by this master. Later I stumbled on a great collection of short stories by Judith Stamper entitled “Tales for the Midnight Hour” by purchasing it from a book sale in the school’s library. That book still gives me chills! Of course this led to reading Stephen King, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, etc..
What I love most about the horror genre is not knowing what kind of terror is lying in wait in the darkness; perhaps a central processing unit programmed to cause pain and terror, sending a collage of servo cyclopean chrome spiders to traipse down your spine.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’ve been busy working on the Sectors series, continuing the saga of dark dimensional worlds involving werewolves, vampires, evil robot clowns, a creature called the Shepherd who steals souls and keeps them in glass jars in the depths of Purgatory and other bizarre oddities to fill tin he gaps.
Sectors all started on a whim, not knowing which way the tale would go, not really knowing what was going to happen, as a dark story evolved where an individual called Baron Fields controls a labyrinth of terror.
Painter Chuck Close Once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs - the rest of us just shows up and gets to work." How do you "get to work?" Do you have any ritual or specific requirements to get the juices flowing?
Oddly, the ideas I receive for creating characters and their bizarre worlds seem to come to me often; whether I’m working my day job or reading a book. Sometimes it’s all I can do to keep up, writing down the ideas which are given to me. And there are other times I blame the dreaded literary gremlins for their attempt to build a writer’s block or trying to stop transmission of any ideas sent.
What is your definition of a writer? What does it take to be one.
A lot of hard work and discipline goes into being a writer. As a lot of other writers I know say “Plant butt in the seat in front of your laptop or computer and write”. That is the truth. Veer away from Facebook and Twitter and whatever other sites you love to visit when you write. They’re distractions.
If one is willing to spend many hours inside their creation and don’t mind dealing with have a character or two whom may not act right until you threaten to eliminate him or her from the tale, then go for it!
What advice would you give to writers starting in your genre?
Read a lot and learn what the masters have done with their work. Read the books and learn the way the tales are written and how they are told. Write as much as you can and try not to let Discouragement pester you very much.
Nutritionist and previous guest Guillaume Couture would like to know: Horror novels seem to seep into your bones line after line. How do you make horror novels feel so real?
I think living behind the eyes of the characters you create helps this. I’ve always loved to write character-driven tales, bringing the reader inside the minds of the protagonist’s fears of the unknown as he or she travel into the darkness.
Our next guest is a real estate agent who left the corporate world to create his own agency. What would you like to ask him?
Why did you decide to become your own boss?
GIVEAWAY
Readers are in luck this month! Brick will offer a copy of one of his books to two winners! To enter, leave a question for Brick in the comment section before Tuesday Octobre 15th 11:59 ET. The name of the winners, along with the answers to the questions, will be posted on Thursday Octobre 17th.
Are you an author? Would you like me to interview you? Drop me a line at scbecauseican(at)gmail.com. It will be my pleasure to showcase your work!
