Wiater - Dark Dreamers On Writing

Necon Non-Fiction #1

Cover by Jason Wojtowicz

A new digital edition published at Smashwordsby Necon E-Books

Revised Edition 2010 Stanley Wiater

Cover 2010 Jason Wojtowicz

This ebook is licensed for your personalenjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this book with anotherperson, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. Ifyoure reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was notpurchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.comand purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard workof this author.

Intimate Strangers: Tales Of DarkSuspense

Dark Dreamers: The TV Series

The Twilight And Other Zones: The Dark WorldsOf Richard Matheson

(Co-Authored With Matthew Bradley And PaulStuve)

The Richard Matheson Companion

(Co-Authored With Matthew Bradley And PaulStuve)

The Complete Stephen King Universe

(Co-Authored With Christopher Golden And HankWagner)

The Brian Lumley Companion (Editor)

Richard Mathesons Collected Stories(Editor)

The Stephen King Universe (Co-AuthoredWith Christopher Golden And Hank Wagner)

Dark Dreamers: Facing The Masters Of Fear

Richard Mathesons The Twilight ZoneScripts (Editor)

The Official Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTreasury

After The Darkness (Editor)

Comic Book Rebels: Conversations With TheCreators Of The New Comics

(Co-Authored With Stephen R. Bissette)

Dark Visions: Conversations With The MastersOf The Horror Film

Dark Dreamers: Conversations With The MastersOf Horror

Night Visions 7 (Editor)

Beyond their original newspaper or magazineappearances, portions of the material collected herein waspreviously published in the books Dark Dreamers: ConversationsWith The Masters Of Horror, Dark Visions: Conversations With TheMasters Of The Horror Film, and Comic Book Rebels:Conversations With The Creators Of The New Comics, (co-authoredwith Stephen R. Bissette). Other material collected herein,including author quotes, is previously unpublished. All quotesappearing in chapters are selected from exclusive interviewsconducted with the author.

Dark Dreamers: On Writing was originallypublished in a slightly different form as Dark Thoughts: OnWriting: Advice And Commentary From Fifty Masters Of Fear AndSuspense.

To Ray Bradbury

for showing me the way to The OctoberCountry

and inspiring me to join The AutumnPeople.

First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to allthe authors, artists, and filmmakers who have been kind enough tosit down with me through the years and do the lions share of thework for me. Thanks to Jason Wojtowicz and Bob Booth for bringingthis title back to life.

Last and still foremost, my deepest thanks ofall to Iris and Tanya-Emma, whose optimistic smiles are brightenough to guide me back from the ever present edge of darkness.

S.W.

Contributors: Clive Barker, Stephen R.Bissette, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Gary Brandner, RamseyCampbell, John Carpenter, Joseph A. Citro, Larry Cohen, Nancy A.Collins, Matthew J. Costello, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, LesDaniels, Dennis Etchison, John Farris, Neil Gaiman, Ed Gorman,Charles L. Grant, Rick Hautala, James Herbert, Jack Ketchum,Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Joe R. Lansdale, Richard Laymon, EdwardLee, Fritz Leiber, Ira Levin, Graham Masterton, Richard Matheson,Richard Christian Matheson, Robert R. McCammon, Michael McDowell,Frank Miller, Thomas F. Monteleone, Alan Moore, David Morrell,William F. Nolan, Anne Rice, George A. Romero, John Russo, JohnSaul, David J. Schow, Joseph Stefano, Peter Straub, WhitleyStrieber, Thomas Tessier, Chet Williamson, J.N. Williamson, F. PaulWilson, and Gahan Wilson.

If a way to the better there be, it lies intaking a full look at the worst.

Thomas Hardy

This thing of darkness I acknowledgemine.

William Shakespeare

A pearl of wisdom remains luminous regardlessof age or owner.

Edgar D. Pynchon

This may not be the wisest confession to makeafter all these years, but Ive always had a hidden agenda in mydual literary career as a journalist and a writer of darkfiction.

You see, although Ive enjoyed greatprofessional satisfaction profiling the major creative talents inthe overlapping genres of horror and dark suspense, I actuallybroke into the business of non-fiction because Ive always been,well, a sort of psychic vampire at heart. Or do I reveal too muchalready to those swallowing the stereotype that you must becertifiably warped to be appreciative of the dark side of life orthe arts?

All Im trying to say is, although Ive been afree-lance journalist since 1975, I originally intended to besolely a fiction writer. Like so many others represented here, Iwas twisted at an early age by the classic works of Edgar AllanPoe and H.P. Lovecraft, and knew I had to follow, howeverawkwardly, in their awe-inspiring, life-changing, exquisitelymonstrous footsteps.

So when an opportunity presented itself in 1974(while studying the Hollywood film industry for a summer on acollege scholarship) to meet my favorite writer, Ray Bradbury, howcould I not ignore making the most of this marvelous, possiblyonce-in-a-lifetime, encounter? The problem was, how to presentmyself to this world-famous author as a hip young professional not a gawking, all but incoherent fan who was also hoping tosomehow glean a few precious writers secrets from him?

Very simple solution: I instantly became areporter-at-large for a weekly newspaper back in Massachusetts before their editors ever knew I even existed. Armed with thispaper-thin disguise, I ultimately did spend an unforgettableevening with Bradbury at his home. (And then subsequently sold theinterview to that very same newspaper, in a clear case of goingback to the future.) Although it would be six more years before Isold my first piece of fiction (in a short story competition judgedby some obscure writer named Stephen King), I could truthfullydeclare myself a more than capable interviewer. And one alreadypossessed of an unusually keen appreciation and special insightinto this often misdiagnosed area of literature and popularculture.

With such a modest assessment of my skills, Iembarked on my initial literary career as an arts &entertainment reporter and critic. Of course, what I really hadwas a legitimate opportunity to meet my favorite writers, artists,and filmmakers. And the chance to learn, first-hand, each and everyone of their creative secrets.

So thats where the psychic vampire analogycomes in to play: if I could present myself as an unusuallydedicated journalist, perhaps I could then quench my unendingthirst for the secrets of creating truly memorable dark fiction.Fortunately, my interest was doubly sincere not only did I trulylove and respect this fiction of fear as a reader, but I deeplydesired to write professionally. Why not learn at the mouth of themasters, so to speak?

In a way, this lifelong devotion was my secretweapon my creative edge in terms of getting these wonderfullycreative people to tell me tales they might not reveal to justanother disinterested, assignment-for-the-day reporter. What betterinterviewer could a subject have than someone whod proudlydeclare: You dont have to worry about being portrayed foolishlyor unfeelingly in this interview. Ive read every one of your books or seen all of your movies. And, by the way, Ive most likelyread all the books of your favorite author, too.