I’m so excited to introduce Douglas L. Wilson, author of “Affinity’s Window” and “Awakening”, who is today here with us to share his thoughts.
His books are terrifying and spine-chilling, with a psychological element which provokes you… a smile. Wilson is the kind of person you could talk for hours without losing a shade of interest. Evil and good, where is the line?
…Enjoy
What is your background in horror? What are your musts?
My background in horror is simple. I love it. I’ve been reading and enjoying it for over forty years, so when I decided to take up writing there was only one genre for me. While I enjoy all types and genres of literature, my must-haves are McCammon, Koontz, Gaiman, Simmons, and of course, the King.
When is Affinity born? In what moment she appeared in your mind?
Affinity was born from a television commercial. A sweet little girl selling something innocuous, something totally forgettable, but at a certain point she stared right into the camera. For one brief moment I was struck with the idea that she might not be as sweet as she seemed. The character grew in my mind from that moment forward, until eventually Affinity was born.
Was she always meant to be that double blade character, or did you mould her as you built up the story?
Like all my characters, Affinity was born from a basic idea. As the story grows, my characters grow. I rarely delve too deeply into a character’s identity before the story unfolds. One molds the other, so to speak. Sometimes I surprise myself with a character’s sudden transformation, like I didn’t see it coming either. It was like that with Affinity Bell.
Creepy as death Mr. Moppet, please tell us about him!
Like the rest of my characters, good or evil, there are at least two sides to Mr. Moppet. I like the idea of ‘opposites attract’, especially in a single personality. Mr. Moppet personifies that idea. Good versus evil, day versus night, love versus hate. He’s a biproduct of the evil that spawned him, but in his own twisted way he’s learned to love. Mr. Moppet will protect you, for a price. That payment is usually due in blood.
One thing I love about your plot is that the psychics are very “human”, wrong and broken like any other person. Who are they, to you?
To me, being psychic has no bearing on your humanity. Not that I’m psychic, LoL. Simply put, true psychics live their lives like anyone else. They have the same needs, wants, desires, and share the same burden of life as the rest of us. But imagine trying to live your life with that gift, or what Linda Cookmeyer calls ‘the curse’, and still deal with the daily struggles we all bear. It adds a depth of spirit and understanding that can also cut like a knife. In the end, making these characters psychics allowed me to give them more humanity, not less.
Your inner voice “forcing” you to do things. Where is the line? I mean, at what level we decide or not, to do something we will regret?
John Tyler, whose mental collapse and subsequent murder spree were a direct result of this ‘crossing of lines’ was based, in part, on a character from an old Star Trek episode. Some readers will no doubt have picked up on this, so I pay homage now to Gene Roddenberry and his writing staff. Captain Kirk’s personality is split in a transporter accident. One side is good, the other is evil. This always intrigued me, so much so that I based a large part of Tyler’s character on Kirk’s duality. This being said, Tyler is still my creation, body and soul. He represents a dark part of all of us, that voice that lies deep within, yet we still hear it from time to time. But do we act on it?
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You are writing the third book. Right? Right?!
The third and final installment of Affinity’s little trilogy is already written and undergoing editing. It’s called Ascension, and I plan to publish it early this fall. I also have a fourth book already written, a vampire epic called The Alignment. I hope to have this one out early next year.
Good and evil are constantly mixed, melted, twirled in your tales, something that fits perfectly with the human nature. Your entities reflect it, and your characters fall for it almost, every time. It sounds like a perfect metaphor to me.
Your question states my answer quite well. Good versus evil, or good balancing evil, is the perfect metaphor for the human experience. Without that epic struggle there is no conflict, and in turn, no reason to live, no reason to love, no lofty to perch from which to fall, no bottomless pit from which to rise. To me, writing any kind of a story requires a little dose of each.
How do you write? What do you need?
I tend to write in spurts. I’ll get into a story and write for days at a time, then I’ll walk away from it for a while. For me, these breaks are an absolute necessity. The only thing I require for writing is peace and quiet, and the occasional cold beer.
What would be your advice to young writers?
I know it sounds cliché, but never stop trying. Also, read other authors, famous and not so famous, and see how they do what they do. Never be afraid to learn something. Like anything else in life, writing is an evolution. It takes time and patience, and practice, and a willingness to let others help you. You will never learn everything there is to learn, but you’ve got to try.
The greatest lesson you have learned from experience in your career as a writer?
The publishing business is nothing like I expected. Like so many others that grew up loving to read, I fantasized about publishers lavishing great sums of cash on me for my work. I dreamed of book deals and screenplays, of seeing my name on movie credits and living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. The writing business, especially since the age of the internet has dawned with a vengeance, is hard work. It’s long hours and dedication to selling even one book. It’s marketing. It’s networking. It’s elbow grease. If you write to become rich and famous, and not for love of the art, you might want to find a new vocation.
[bctt tweet=”‘Like anything else in life, writing is an evolution. It takes time and patience, and practice, and a willingness to let others help you.’ Interview with Douglas L. Wilson @anglrsg9″ username=”theboldmom”]
About the author
Born and raised in Northern Virginia, I’ve spent over 35 years in the construction business as a mechanical contractor. Forced from the industry by health concerns, I’ve spent the last six years following my true passion, writing. I’ve always been a storyteller, just ask those closest to me and watch for the eye roll, but I’m finally putting down on paper what’s been trapped inside me these last 57 years. I enjoy reading supernatural thrillers above all else, and we can blame The King for that, so that’s the genre in which I work. I hope you will give my rough style and layered plots a chance. Let me tell you a story.
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