I was excited to be able to talk with Anthony about what it takes to be a writer of horror fiction. Here's what he had to say about being a weaver of the suspenseful haunting tales that keep us up late at night!
Let's start with you! Where are you from, and how did you get
into writing?
Suffolk County, New York. For those who don’t have any clue
where that is, I’m on the east side of Long Island (closer to the tail end of
the fish).
I started writing at a young age when I had trouble talking due
to my troubling stutter. I resorted to writing as a healthy communicative
alternative. In elementary school when we had poetry time everyone snickered
while I reveled in the subject. My first poem had so much depth and visuals
compared to the peers in my class. My classroom memoirs were descriptive and
heartfelt. It was later when I was given a journal that I wanted to write and
form creative stories. I was not much for recapping events in my life. What
always stayed with me was my imagination.
Why do you think people are fascinated with scary stories?
It plays and tickles their fears in a safe way. Scary stories
are like roller coasters or psychological adrenaline rushes. It’s up to the
readers to see how much they can handle before their skin begins to turn cold.
Where do you get the inspiration for your tales of horror? How
many books have you published so far?
Scary nightmares, from watching movies or from personal experience;
either inspired by actual events or conveyed emotions. Sometimes the ideas come
random. For ‘Stay Awhile’, I walked upstairs in my house until suddenly this
crazy idea came into my head.
I’ve only published one book thus far.
Who are your favorite horror authors?
The great ‘Stephen King’ of course and throughout public school
I was fascinated by Edgar Allen Poe. Growing up I read R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps.
In terms of scariness, what do you think is the key to writing a
good horror story?
Write a visually detailed atmosphere. I like when I can make
readers feel like they’re in that world. Adding a bit of mystery and finding
ways to tie in everything makes for a more versatile story. Character
development is also helpful. Challenge reader’s minds.
If you could dress up as any character for Halloween, who would
it be?
Slender Man; it would be fun to just stand in the grass and
scare people from afar without saying or doing anything else. I remember when I
was dressed as Michael Myers from ‘Halloween’; I terrified everyone in the
neighborhood.
What advice can you offer to those wishing to publish their own
novel?
First, before you publish the novel make sure the final draft is
perfect, meaning no one needs to make anymore edits, etc. Then I would try
publishing it as an Ebook on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) which is through
Amazon and set your promotion to five free days. Once you have that up promote
the novel on social media through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest,
LinkedIn, Instagram, and if you have a blog on WordPress or Tumblr. On Facebook
you can join several writing and author groups that have over 30000 members
each. Build your online presence and network with other like minded authors
willing to help out. Then after 90 days of exclusivity I would switch to
Lulu.com where you can turn that Ebook into a hard copy/paperback. You should
also try joining large writer associations. There is a large one in New York
called, Horror Writers Association where they help young indie authors get
heavy exposure. Some even got signed to major publishers after they got an
agent. HWA gives out awards during Stoker Con annually. Lastly, just continue
to write and read. Gaining reviews on your book is another huge step. The more
you publish, the more your name gets noticed.
Any upcoming projects or releases?
I have several projects I’m sort of working on simultaneously.
First I’m working on completing an extended/full version of ‘Stay Awhile’ that
goes more in depth with Troy’s background and explains why he’s the way he is
at the beginning of the story. Then there is a collection of 9 horror short
stories that I’m working on that deal with situations that take place in the
suburb and involve middle class employment and young adulthood. Moving from
horror, there is an epic fantasy that I’m determined to finish within the next
few years that is inspired by the Final
Fantasy video game franchise, The
Lord of the Rings, and A Song of Ice
and Fire series (Game of Thrones). At some point I’d like to write a
western with a strong female lead character, a science fiction crime noir about
a detective who stops people from repainting the black and white world, and a
girl who can rewind time. It’s a bit
crazy, but that’s how my mind works, I’m a Sagittarius.
Where can readers connect with you online? (website, blog,
etc.)
You can email me at anthonyvecch88@gmail.com
Tweet me @AnthonyVecch
Read my Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/Anthony-Vecchiarello
View my blog site at anthonyvecch.com
Check out my Facebook Author Page here, facebook.com/anthonyvecchiarello
Instagram - instagram.com/anthonyvecch
Pinterest - pinterest.com/anthonyvecch
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/anthonyvecch
Google+ - plus.google.com/+AnthonyVecchiarello
Thank you so much for visiting with Writing Belle today!
The pleasure is mine.
About the Author
Anthony began writing at an early age, which helped him communicate while having a stutter. Authors like Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe, and J.D. Salinger influenced his writing as well as years of being a movie buff and video game fanatic. His favorite genres consist of Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Adventure, and coming of age stories. Although he outgrew his stutter, he never lost his imagination.
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Get fictional - it's fun! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon!