Well as a special Halloween Treat here is our exclusive interview with Nick G witer of many horror Novels inclueding Halloween 4! He talks inspirations, life at school, Halloween 9 and hair!
How did you first decide you wanted to be a writer and how
did you get into writing?
I’d imagine stories since kindergarten and kept them largely
to myself except for when at recess time my vampire fantasy self came alive and
I’d flap my jacket around the playground, chasing girls and biting them,
calling myself “Bat Nick” and “The King of the Monsters.” I was a little whacked. But later my third grade teacher began
showing us films…I loved it when the classroom window shades where pulled down
along with the projector screen over the chalkboard…..and they were all Disney
shorts of tall tales like Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. The teacher then had us all write our own
tall tale as a homework assignment, and since then I knew I wanted to be a
writer. I wrote tall tales the rest of
the semester, read them to the class once or twice a week long after the
assignment was over. In the fifth and
sixth grades I created a whole mythology surrounding a comic strip I circulated
around school called “Gooneyville.” This
Bio can go on and on, but I’d been writing all my life since then and finally
got noticed by a publisher in 1987 who accepted “Pray Serpent’s Prey.”
Is there anything about you’re life, childhood etc that
inspires your writing?
Just about everything.
My memories are filled with a life I can fill a Vatican
library with if I put it down on paper with all the time in the world and some
imagination.
Being a master of horror you scare a lot of people. What
scares you the most?
My ex-girlfriends. My
landlady back in Anaheim. Some insects and spiders, when I’m
sober. Being preconditioned by
television commercials to develop a serious ailment I’ll need medicine for.
What’s the worst way if you had to choose that you could
die?
Any way, if it involves my family watching, or not knowing I’d
fulfilled some worthy purpose here on earth.
I think maybe an impalement ala Vlad or the way Jesus died would be
terrible, but stick me in a 14th century dungeon for the rest of my
life alone (or a similar situation) and I’ll drive myself insane. Mental issues scare me.
Are there any other horror writers that you feel your work
is inspired by?
Oh, certainly. The
first horror novel I ever read, “The Rats”, inspired me onward towards a darker
imagination, so James Herbert is one.
Clive Barker is an ultimate inspiration, for many reasons. The splatterpunks of the late ‘80’s, early
‘90’s. King, of course. There’s a wide list.
What is your opinion on the direction the Halloween series
has taken with the remake being made?
Let the dice roll.
Better Rob Zombie than most, and he’ll show passion in doing it. It might in itself be a great work of art for
a change.
You were originally supposed to be in the Halloween 25 years
of terror DVD can you tell us a little bit about what you talked about in your
interviews?
I talked a lot about the ol’ history of how I got the gig
writing the novel, how I made the deal with Trancas to release the special
edition with my own company, and how writer Dennis Etchison wrote an original
draft of a Halloween IV for which he was to write the novel (he wrote the first
three film novels) but after a debate in court the franchise was shifted to the
Akkad’s total control and the story was started over from scratch with Alan B.
McElroy’s script ultimately accepted and me to do its novel.
You also had a shot at Halloween 9 which seemed like a dream
come true for you and the fans. Would your idea have been a final film to the
series or did you plan for there to be even more sequels?
There would have been doors open for endless sequel
possibilities.
You had plans to make further Halloween Novels and expand
the Halloween universe in other books. Could you elaborate on these plans?
Well, they weren’t concrete plans though I anticipated them
to be, but if I had all the legal go-ahead I would have definitely wrote and
published the novels for 5 and Farrand’s 6 and an entirely new one that would
have branched off from the films the way the Star Wars expanded universe did
with its books.
Is there at present the opportunity to still do novels for
5, 6 h20 and Resurrection?
I don’t think I’m ever going to have an opportunity. If I could all of a sudden do whatever I
wanted, I’d go ahead with the original plans.
But I don’t think the studios are interested in me doing that. Technically, novelizations of films long gone
have already missed their greatest period of selling potential if their
publishing dates didn’t happen in time to ride the wave of exposure. I’d love to do the novel for Zombie’s film,
but nobody’s approached me.
You’ve become quiet well known in the horror community with
the likes of Clive Barker commenting on you’re work. Do you consider yourself
famous like say Stephen King or would you say you’re still one of the little
guys?
By no means do I consider myself anywhere near the likes of
any of my inspirations. I wouldn’t be
doing this full time if I didn’t have my own degree of status which I’d like to
see continue to grow so people can be inspired by me, too. But little guys, big guys, it’s all just a
frame of mind. I’m more successful as a
horror writer with each day that passes and not one day of my life have I
slipped even so much as a rung down the ladder;
I’ve come a long ways up but I have a long ways to go.
You’re also working on films now with Cutting Edges
currently in preproduction, can you tell us about that and what projects you
plan on working on in the future?
Though I’m not emphasizing it, Cutting Edges
has stopped production, for now, and I’m full steam on an apocalyptic vampire
novel called RED AFTERWORLD. I want to
go forward again with Cutting Edges, once
certain other elements are in place first.
Cutting Edges is a pet project of mine,
where an unemployed suburban househusband is introduced to a demon that comes
out of his shaving cream can and empowers him with invincibility as long as he
utilizes razor blades in the weapons he uses to implement his wrath on the
world. That was a mouthful.
Some day, hopefully soon, my project will be on its way full
swing again and will grace the eyes of horror nuts everywhere.
You’ve recently worked on a children’s book, something that
is quite left field for a horror writer and you received critical success with
The Everborn. What are you’re future literary plans? More children’s books, more horror or
something else?
Well, horror isn’t exactly in left field from
children’s…..look at Roald Dahl and even Disney. I hope to one day dominate the literary world
of horror and use the money to retire in a castle where I spend a lot of my
time in the west tower writing more stuff and not have to worry about a
thing. More conventions. I’ll be publishing more works out of my own
company, Diverse Media, like other author’s works like Jake
Istre’s and another children’s book with Phyllis. RED AFTERWORLD is my project as I write this,
and I plan it to spawn a music CD, comic books, damn good artwork, and, heck,
maybe t-shirts. I’m in an anthology or
two lately. I plan on two Everborn
sequels as soon as the novel is re-released as a mass market paperback. At some point CUTTING EDGES or some other
film project. I’m always working.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to get into a
career in writing?
Develop a style and perfection to your craft. Treat it as an art form and look at it from
all angles. Develop a business plan for
yourself. Get your work out there. Surround yourself with people who love to do
what you do and network. Develop a good
reputation with respect and kindness to all.
And then just write……
And what advice would you give to anyone wanting to get into
a career in film?
Start with your resources.
Some times, if you want to get something done, you’ve got to first do it
yourself. Don’t wait for anyone to buy
your script or to discover you. If you
haven’t already, some times you have to discover yourself first.
Thank you for your time Nick, we look forward to seeing and
reading more terrifying works from you in the future, then of course there’s
always Flatty Kat!
You’re very welcome, and the best of luck to you! Oh……and do check out Flatty Kat…..it’s great
stuff….teachers are actually reading it to their grade school classes now, and
it’s about roadkill and fart jokes…..!
Copywrite Wes Casey Productions 2006
