Here is William Cook interviewed by Karen Johnson Mead for the anthology. William Cook is a writer from Wellington, New Zealand.
William provided "Devil Inside".
Where did you come up with your anthology idea?
My short story, ‘Devil Inside,’ was inspired by a common childhood fear of the Boogeyman. Memories of leaping onto the bed as a kid to avoid what I imagined was lurking beneath sparked the idea for my story. Someone said to me recently that ‘real horror is human in origin,’ not wanting to relinquish the grip of my imagination fully I have combined this notion with the nightmare of suburbia, seen through the eyes of a boy on the brink of manhood.
How long did it take for you to put together your story?
I wrote my story over the course of two evenings especially for the MOH Anthology.
What research / preparation did you do for your story?
Decades of wild flights of imagination and personal fears have prepared me for an expedition into the literary landscape of Horror. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the hardcopy version of the Anthology and saving it for a stormy night; each story will be savored individually and enjoyed as a whole upon completion. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed from what I have seen already.
Why do you write horror? What is the fascination in it for you?
I have just recently started writing Horror fiction. The scope and depth of the genre allows for unlimited flights of imagination and material. Aside from being a great way to exorcize (and exercise) personal demons, there is something tantalizing about creating a new thought or image that has the potential to invade a reader’s dreams and get the adrenaline pumping. It sounds idealistic but I believe that good writing should transport the reader to another realm in order to make the world, upon return, a better place to be. In my view well-crafted Horror fiction is the ultimate literary antidote for humdrum reality.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing short fiction since the age of thirteen, this is my first published Horror story. I write part-time, whenever I can in between my duties as a full-time stay-at-home dad. I write to see my words on the page, to make the imaginary tangible. Hopefully others will like what they read and get some enjoyment from my writing.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently putting the finishing touches on a crime/horror novel manuscript, ready for submission in April. It is a story about a family of killers whose legacy snowballs down through the generations until its eventual realization, as seen through the eyes of the remaining family member. Essentially it is a serial killer novel with a new twist on the genre that will hopefully avoid tired clichés. I also do freelance illustration work in my spare time and maintain a blog or two. To view other examples of my writing see 3cagency.blogspot.com, for illustration work nzartist.blogspot.com.
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