Today’s interview is with WD Lady, author of the breakthrough novel Nightmarish Reality.
Now this is a special interview because it is WD Lady’s FIRST interview and you’re reading it exclusively here at Erebus Horror
Here we go!
What made you choose horror as your primary genre?
I actually don’t think horror is my primary genre. However, I am pretty opened minded and have read a lot of different genres in my life. I constantly experiment with my writing styles, and one day I decided to do a horror story for a change. The majority of my stories are lighthearted comedies or fantasy/adventure. But I wanted to challenge myself and take on a new serious project. Horror was a genre that I never took on before, until now. Even though I have written some dark stories…they weren’t generally horror, so horror is in fact not my primary genre.
What made you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I really didn’t think much about becoming a writer, until I was in a screenplay writing class, back in high school. I had written a thirty page script once, and my teacher read it and told me he loved it. He said I should write more, so I took his advice. After that class, I decided for sure that I wanted to be a screenplay writer. All I did was write scripts and screenplays. However, writing a novel was still new to me. I still didn’t think I was good enough to be a writer and publish a book. If it wasn’t for some of my teachers and friends throughout high school and college, I probably wouldn’t be here. They were the ones who encouraged me to keep at it and practice. They saw the potential in my work, even when I didn’t believe it.
You’re a published author now; how hard was it to get to where you are?
I would have to say it was extremely difficult to get where I am today. At the time I started writing, I didn’t have much of a support system besides a few teachers and friends. Sometimes, I would throw away stories, because I couldn’t bear to look at them anymore. Not only that, but I’m still a perfectionist and I would rewrite a story over and over again till I felt that it sounded right. It took me nearly eleven years to finally accept that my stories will never be completely perfect and I had to train myself everyday to stop throwing away old drafts. I even had to discipline myself to take breaks and to write a little bit everyday, so I wouldn’t overdo it as well. It was hard enough for me to just focus on one story at a time, because I wouldn’t get anything done if I was working on multiple stories.
‘Nightmarish Reality’ is the first book in the Nightmarish Reality series. Can you give us more details as to what it’s about?
In simple terms, the series is about a boy who suffers from constant nightmares. He doesn’t know exactly what’s causing them and why they seem so real, which is why he has a hard time determining what is reality and what is just an illusion. He seems like an average student; however, he’s constantly picked on by school bullies. It isn’t until he meets a stranger that he begins to question his life and realize how very different he truly is. So, it’s only a matter of time before the dark demons of his past suddenly begin to reveal themselves. He does have a journal where he records what’s happening to him. If he can put back the missing pieces of the puzzle, he may be able to stop the nightmares before they start to take on a life of their own. You will have to find out if it’s too late for him to control what he’s already unleashed into the world…
What about the next books in the Nightmarish Reality series? What direction will they be going in?
The following books in my series will be much darker as the story progresses into a completely unique direction, revealing new characters and plot twists. I don’t want to give too much away, but readers will find themselves going back to the first novel to find the little bread crumbs I left behind, for I speed on straight ahead with the plot, so people’s heads may turn as they go further down the rabbit hole. When it comes down to the final conclusion, I’m hoping that it will not only leave readers speechless, but also breathless.
Do you have any plans to write a completely different novel from scratch?
Yes, I do. I already made plans to write several novels from scratch. If things do go well with this first series, I’ve been thinking about and planning for an alternative version that is separate in it’s own right, but has many of the same characters from the original story. Not to mention, I have other projects aside from this that have been simmering in my brain for over a decade now that I’m just dying to write it all out.
When you’re not writing or working, what are you generally doing?
I’ll be watching films, drawing, blogging, editing, or reading. I try to spend my time wisely on anything that’s constructive.
If you were to set a goal for your future what would it be?
Hopefully, in the next five to ten years, I’ll have a lot more books published by then. Also, I hope to be a film director, making scripts out of my books, so they can come to life on the big screen.
And finally who is your favourite horror icon?
I actually have three in fact. Stephen King, R.L. Stine, and Dean Koontz. If I had to pick one to save my life, I’d have to say that I read Stephen King’s books before anyone else. The first real horror book I read was IT.
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