MASTERS OF HORROR: DAVID BLAIR

I met David Blair for the first time at this years AuthorCon. In a word the man is dynamic. He is a big ball of energy and I was immediately drawn to his positive energy and warmth for his tablemates and the readers that came up to talk to him. We connected through a common friend and got to talking and I was blown away by his writing experience both through writing novels but also his extensive list of screenwriting credits. The man can literally do it all. If you get a chance check out the movie he wrote: TRIM SEASON

Needless to say I was impressed. But not by his many movie credits and writing achievements, but by how open and honest he was about the business and how much he was willing to share about his own experiences in order to help someone like me.

David is an amazingly talented person and I feel honoured to call him a friend.

Now let's get to know this MASTER OF HORROR a little bit better...

1. What first drew you to horror—and was it something you experienced, feared, or imagined?

I was drawn to horror at a young age reading books like Bunnicula, The Celery Stalks at Midnight, and The Howlday Inn. I would check out the black-and-white movie monster books at the library and keep them until they were long past overdue (ooops!) There was something about the supernatural/monster genre that I found far more engaging than anything else. I LIKED being scared. And I liked the wide range of fantastical and terrifying stories the horror genre could offer. 

2. How do you tap into real fear when writing—do you draw from your own nightmares, or do you create new ones?

I definitely draw upon my own fears, or the fears of my friends. There are base fears that (most) human beings have, and then there are the fears that are created simply by living life. Having experiences. "New Fear Unlocked," that sort of thing. The fear of losing a close loved one is top tier for me, and there are thousands of scenarios where that could happen. 

3. Have you ever written something that disturbed even you—a moment where the story took a darker turn than expected?

Yes, usually involving a character I didn't initially intend to kill off, and the jolting way I did it! Muah ha ha ha! 

4. If your stories had the power to summon something into the real world... what do you think you've already unleashed?

Definitely a cryptid of some kind. Again, I'm a slut for monsters. Both Firebug and my current WIP are monster stories. I grew up loving Gremlins, Ghoulies, Jurassic Park, Jaws, Aliens...big monster movies like those. 

5. How do you keep horror feeling fresh and terrifying when so many tropes are well-trodden?

I try to assure myself that nobody has my voice or perspective, so no matter how well-trodden the trope is, the vision of it is fresh because its solely mine. It could have a funny spin with some sass *flips hair* or fleshed-out three-dimensional characters doing something completely unexpected. I really just tend to write stories that I would want to read and thats the best I can do. Nothing is truly original and I often remind myself of that. I write what I find scary, thrilling, or suspenseful. 

BONUS: Tell me about your latest project and where we can find it.

Firebug is my debut novel and is available through Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I'm still working on the next one, tentatively titled Timber! and it is an adventure/horror novel set in Montana--the location of the start of the American apocalypse. Without giving too much away, it involves a sinkhole and giants.

As always, a big thank you to David for agreeing to take some time out of his busy schedule and do this interview with me. I truly appreciate it!

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