Bryce Warren was writing stories and drawing pictures at age five. At thirteen he read The Stand by Stephen King and knew he wanted to be a writer. He has a B.A. from Northern Kentucky University in Literature and Writing, an M.F.A. from Western Michigan University in Creative Writing, and an M.A.T. (Master of Arts in Teaching) from Northern Kentucky University in English Grades 8 – 12. He lives in Northern Kentucky and is currently at work on his next book.
KR: Coffee?
KR: Could you tell me a little about yourself please?
I wanted to be a writer when I read Stephen King’s The Stand. I read everything I could by him and everything about him. He is the reason I read Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived In The Castle. Ever since I was five years old, I would draw and write stories.
KR: What do you like to do when not writing?
I like to draw when I’m not writing. Sometimes it gets me started thinking about a new story. I like to watch movies. I used to want to direct movies, but I veered toward writing instead.
KR: What is your favourite childhood book?
My favorite childhood book was Three Billy Goats Gruff. When I was young it was scary and exciting.
KR: What is your favourite album, and does music play any role in your writing?
My favorite album is Disintegration by The Cure. When I was thirteen and starting to write short novels, I would listen to music while I wrote. I kept that habit up because it worked in a way to help keep me focused on the story. I listened to a lot of Gary Numan’s newer stuff while writing Waverly Hills Incursion. It helped me get into the mood and atmosphere of the story. I listened to Esben and the Witch while writing The Wretched. Sometimes I pick up on elements in the lyrics that influence what I’m writing, but only if it goes with the story.
KR: Do you have a favourite horror movie/director?
My all-time favorite movie is Angel Heart. I wanted to be like Mickey Rourke back in the late ‘80s. And I liked how the horror and noir elements mixed together. My favorite director is David Lynch. I love the surrealism and weirdness of his films. Twin Peaks is my favorite TV show.
KR: What are you reading now?
I’m reading the latest Best New Horror edited by Stephen Jones.
KR: Who were the authors that inspired you to write?
Stephen King started my intense interest in becoming a writer. I tried to write every day all through high school because of his advice to young writers. If I didn’t work on a short novel, I would write a story. If I couldn’t write a story, I would write a poem. I often wrote in a journal to keep writing each day. I went on to read Shirley Jackson and Ray Bradbury. Then I discovered Poppy Z. Brite. In college I read Joyce Carol Oates when I read “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” She is still one of my favorite writers.
KR: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
I’ve never been able to do an outline or plot out my stories. I usually start with an idea or a place and see where it leads me.
KR: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
With Waverly Hills Incursion, I had written a short novel that stopped before it got to the end. Eight years later I rewrote that story with the details, history, and stories about the old TB hospital. Visiting Waverly Hills gave me the whole experience of an old building filled with paranormal activity and details about what haunts it. I did more research and watched videos of the place to solidify the details I would use in my story.
KR: Describe your usual writing day?
Usually, I will read for a while, then go downstairs and put on whatever music goes with what I’m writing. I go over notes that I made from the last chapter that suggest where the story goes next. If I write about what happens next after I’ve finished writing the story for the day, then the next time I write it will be easier to pick up where I left off. This keeps me from writing everything I can think of and leaving me not knowing where to go next.
KR: Do you have a favourite story/short that you’ve written (published or not)?
My favorite short novel is Waverly Hills Incursion. I had a great time including details from the building and the tour I took from midnight until four in the morning. I really wanted to visit the actual building so that I would be able to describe it and know what it felt like to be there. It is my most popular book.
KR: Do you read your book reviews?
Yes, I read them all. When someone doesn’t like my book, I do feel bad but I realize that my books aren’t for everyone. You can’t please everyone. Those who do like my work tend to like it quite a lot. That helps me forget the bad reviews.
KR: Any advice for a fledgling author?
Read as much as you can, and don’t forget to read outside your chosen genre. If you don’t read, you will not be able to write.
KR: What scares you?
When I was younger, I was always afraid of people I didn’t know. I think some of that is still in me. I take a while to check people out before I open up to them.
KR: E-Book, Paperback or Hardback?
I read all formats, but I tend to like Hardback books the best. Paperbacks next and then E-books once in a great while. I guess I like the large format of Hardback and the heaviness in my hands.
KR: Can you tell me about your latest release please?
My latest release is The Wretched. It’s about four college students living in an old Gothic Victorian home who decide to create their own entity by thinking it into existence. The each end up creating their own entities that are formed from their subconscious desires. However, one of them seems not to have created anything at all.
KR: What are you working on now?
I’m working on the sequel to The Wretched which will be part of my Covedale Chronicles. It’s about two people working for a super-secret government agency that sends them to Covedale to investigate the Gothic Victorian of The Wretched. They don’t get much information on what their investigation will entail or how to go about it. They uncover hidden things that the government may want to know about for its own purposes.
KR: You find yourself on a desert island, which three people would you wish to be deserted with you and why?
You can choose…
a) One fictional character from your writing.
b) One fictional character from any other book.
c) One real life person that is not a family member or friend.
I would choose Serena Banister, a character from my book The Wretched, because she would be a person who likes dark stuff like me, and she would keep me motivated in my creative endeavors. A fictional character from any other book is difficult to choose because I would probably choose a villain like Sweeney Todd and then completely regret my choice.
A real life person that I would wish to be deserted with would have to be a writer, and if Anya Ahlborn wasn’t available, then it would have to be someone just a beautiful and with just as twisted of an imagination.
KR: Thank you very much Bryce.
You can follow Bryce on Twitter @Bryce_Warren
You can visit Bryce’s Author page here
Four college students rent an old Gothic Victorian. One night, they decide to create their own entity — by thinking it into existence. Things don’t always work the way you want them to.
You can buy The Wretched from Amazon UK & Amazon US
“Whatever roams the hallways up on the Hill . . . it isn’t alone.”
Waverly Hills Sanatorium has been converted into apartments. But only half of it is completed because of the bad economy. Ben Clausen, an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville, is moving in because the rent is so cheap. There’s a reason why. Waverly Hills is still haunted.
You can buy Waverly Hills Incursion from Amazon UK & Amazon US
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