HorrorWeb

HorrorWeb: Skull Full of Kisses is a very unusual and interesting title. Where did it come from?

MichaelWest: You should always have candy at conventions. People see candy, they stop at your table, they look at what you have to offer, they ask questions, and, with any luck, they buy your work. I have a skull-shaped candy dish filled to the brim with Hershey’s Kisses, often the Dark Chocolate variety, and I say to passers by, “My skull is full of dark kisses.” Sometimes it gets a laugh, sometimes an odd expression, but they usually stop for a look. The more I said this, the more I thought about it, and it really is a good metaphor for my fiction. My stories tend to be dark, some might even say twisted, but there is a romantic element to them as well. So I said to myself, if I was ever lucky enough to have a collection of my short fiction published, that’s what I’d call it: My Skull is Full of Dark Kisses. Later, while chatting with authors Alethea Kontis and Chesya Burke, I mentioned this to them, and, while they liked the sound of it, both agreed this was too long a title. So I took their advice and shortened it.

HW: How many years of your writing career does this collection cover?

MWest: It spans about five years, from my first short story sale, “God Like Me,” to last year’s “For Her.”

HW: Which story is your personal favorite?

MWest: Wow, that’s a tough one. That’s a bit like asking which of my children do I love more. I don’t know that I could single one out, but there are a few that I’m most proud of: “Jiki,” my ode to Asian Horror; “To Know How to See,” my first real stab at Sci-fi Horror; and “Goodnight,” which was named Best Horror Short Story of 2005 in the annual P&E Readers Poll. Those stories hold special places in my heart.

HW: Did you always know you were a writer? If not, when and how did you start writing?

MWest: I’ve always loved telling a good story. Before I could write, I drew pictures to illustrate the tales that were spinning inside my head. As I got older, I wrote screenplays and made films with my parents’ video camera. In high school and college, I continued pursuing my love of film, still wanting to be the next Steven Spielberg or James Cameron, and it wasn’t until the mid 90’s that I seriously considered writing prose.

HW: Why did you choose the horror genre?

MWest: It was never really a choice. I’ve loved Horror as long as I can remember. I used to trick babysitters into letting me stay up late to watch Night Gallery episodes and Hammer films. I’d collect toys based on the classic Universal monsters. In the eighties, when a new horror film opened, I was always first in line. Even when I wrote scripts for Educational Television, I found ways to sneak in horror themes. I pitched a program called Teen Terrors--a look at the stress, fears, and anxieties that all teenagers must face-- and filmed host segments in graveyards and the torture chambers of local haunted houses.
It was only natural that, when I finally put pen to paper, the result would be horrific.

HW: What have been your major influences? Did most of your inspirations come from film or print?

MWest: Well, it’s impossible to look at my work and not see the influence of Lovecraft, John Carpenter, and Takashi Miike. All forms of media get my gears turning. Songs tend to be a great muse for me. I’ll hear a dark melody or interesting lyric and reach for my laptop or notepad.

HW: Who are your favorite authors?

MWest: Oh my, so many…Growing up in the eighties, I read everything Stephen King and Clive Barker put out. I’ve always loved the writings of Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, and Rod Serling. I like contemporary authors such as Brian Keene, J.F. Gonzales, and Tim Lebbon, but Gary A. Braunbeck is one of the authors I admire most right now. He brings this emotional reality to his fiction that is simply amazing. His work elevates the entire genre, and I was so thrilled that he was able to write the introduction to Skull Full of Kisses, so honored and humbled by what he had to say.

HW: Since you began, how do you feel you’ve grown as a writer?

MWest: I can’t even read the stuff I wrote early on without cringing. Awkward, clumsy prose. And the dialogue…don’t even get me started on the dialogue. It’s always been difficult for me to craft believable dialogue. I can write what a character is thinking, feeling, or doing all day long with no problem, but once they open their mouths…my progress slows to a crawl. That’s become easier over time, but it’s still something I struggle with.

HW: What’s your writing process? Do you have any secret arcane rituals that get you in the mood?

MWest: I’ve got a coffee mug covered in artwork from my short story “Jiki.” I usually fill that up and turn on music, I can’t work when it’s totally quiet. I also like the room to be as dark as possible, so I will turn off lights or close blinds before I start. If I have a deadline, I try to map out the number of words I need to get done in a week or a month and I stick to that as much as possible. Then, when I finish a novel or short story, I will go to my favorite restaurant and order my favorite thing on the menu to celebrate. And then I start the whole thing over again.

HW: How has being a lifelong Hoosier colored your writing?

MWest: Well, for one thing, many of my stories are set in Indiana. The endless flatlands covered in cornfields, the limestone quarries, the farms and small towns…having traveled around the country, these are things that are unique to the Hoosier state, and, just as the characters in these stories are a product of their environment, so is their creator.

HW: What advice do you have for newer writers?

MWest: I think it’s important for writers to have readers who aren’t fans of their particular genre. Someone who likes horror is far more forgiving of the conventions of horror, where as someone who doesn’t read or watch the genre will take you to task on aspects of plot and character that don’t ring true. And, if these readers suggest edits, listen to them. As a writer, you have to learn to kill your babies. You may write a truly amazing passage, or a wonderful subplot, but, if they don't serve your story--if they bog down your action or obscure your theme, you need to make the edit. It's never easy, but in the end, the story will flow much better because of it. Which brings us to one final bit of advice: never throw anything away. I’ve cut things from novels that I’ve later turned into stand alone stories or parts of other novels. Just because something isn’t right for Project A doesn’t mean it won’t be a better fit for something in the future.

HW: What’s next for Michael West?

MWest: I’m working on a story for an upcoming anthology and mapping out a trilogy of books for a series I’m calling The Legacy of the Gods. It’s an epic story that blends elements of horror, dark fantasy, science fiction and action adventure. The first novel is done and I’m working on outlines for the next two. I also have two novels set in Indiana that I hope will be out within the next year or so. There are always more tales to tell, and I can’t wait to share them with new and faithful readers alike.