Hello ladies and gentlemen, Forsaken Press President and Editor in Chief Cameron Walker here. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Forsaken Press writer, our Head Graphic Artist and the maestro of madness, Mr. C. Priest Brumley for the next edition of our On Writing series of interviews. We discussed writing, horror and how writers can find inspiration for their imagination and ideas. I hope you enjoy reading the interview as much as we enjoyed conducting it……..

How did you first become interested in writing?

-Always was, growing up. I recall wanting to be a writer as far back as primary school. Hell, I tried writing my first novel in 6^th Grade. Fun times. I don’t know what drew me to it, it’s just always been, like sunlight or Ozzy.

Who are the major influences on your style?

-Lovecraft was a MASSIVE early inspiration. Others include Stephen King, Thomas Harris, Rosemary Edgehill, Piers Anthony, Jo Rowling, and Jim Butcher. I’m also greatly influenced by comics, in particular the works of Brian Michael Bendis, Warren Ellis, and Jeph Loeb.

You’re someone who is really into music, how does that impact upon your writing?

-Not as much as you’d think, to be honest. While I am a devoted metalhead, it’s rare for themes from the music I enjoy to find their way in to my works. My writing is much more inspired by film scores and recently synthwave albums. They both provide a proper ambiance conducive to me shutting my brain down long enough to write.

How do you find inspiration for stories?

-Nightmares and the human condition. I’ve had a number of medical issues over the years, primary of which is my eyesight. To combat that, I have to get injections IN my eyeball every four weeks or so. Ladies, Gentlemen, and that gorgeous technicolour rainbow in between, that is NIGHT TERROR fuel. So you save those terrors, write them down as best you can after waking, and expand on them later. Makes for effective subject matter, I’ll tell you that.

What is it about horror that makes you focus primarily on that genre?

-It’s fun and it’s versatile. Horror can be such a wide range of things, from campy and comedic to heart-stopping terror. It can be about something as generic as vampires to something as specific as spousal abuse. It’s literally anything you want it to be, and I love that.

Your first release is a collection of short stories, do you have plans to write any novels or are you primarily a short fiction writer?

-Short fiction. My span of attention is horrible, and every time I’ve tried writing longer narratives I lose track/interest/plot details/etc. super easily.So I circumvent that by not doing it. Seems like a reasonable solution to me, at least.

What part of the writing process do you find the most challenging?

-All of it. I see writing in much the same way Thomas Harris does: it’s torture. It’s a painful process that I have to be miserable to do in any meaningful capacity. Hence going 6 or so years between stories. There’s a reason I focus on my other big love, graphic design. Designing book covers gives me no end of pleasure, from the puzzle elements in finding just the right font or tweak, to the messages of elation when an author loves the cover I’ve made for them. Makes my entire day.

What is it about writing that you love the most?

-The feeling of completion after it’s done. That pure feeling never grows old.

Horror movies these days get a lot of criticism from old school fans of the genre, what’re your thoughts on the current horror movie scene?

-It’s a two-sided coin. On the one hand, there’s the studio-engineered stuff, the PG-13 bullshit that the big corporations want to shove down your throat purely to increase their profit margins. It produces the occasional gem (Occulus, etc.). On the other hand there are the artists, like always. The people who aren’t afraid to push boundaries. The Soska Sisters, Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, and more are beautifully changing the game one film at a time, and I love it. So long as there are always artists, there’s always hope.

Do you have a specific ritual in place for when you’re sitting down to write to get yourself in the mood?

-Not really. On the rare occasion that a story idea comes to me anymore, I just write it down as quickly as possible. When I go back to it for expanding/revision, I like to be in my living room where I’m comfortable, with a decent film score or synthwave album on in the background as white noise. That’s about it, really.

What’s your favourite story you’ve written and why? What’s it about?

-Nine times out of ten I’m going to say Conversations With Dead People. In the pseudo-Universe I’ve created in my stories, I’ve made zombies work slightly different than normal, being part of a hive system. This was the first true example of that, and also features my absolute favorite death across any of my stories (except maybe for The Red Recliner). As for what it’s about, well, you’ll have to read it for yourselves.

Is there any underlying social criticism or message to your stories that go beyond being entertainment?

-Yes. Take care of your eyesight, kids. It’s important. Joking aside, not really. They’re primarily morality plays, particularly the Masach stories.

Can you give us an example?

-Yes. Childish Negotiations is a warning about taking the time to be there for your children before they’re gone forever. Other stories follow along similar routes.

How much inspiration from your life experiences and surroundings can be found in your work?

– As much insofar as dreams are comprised of the collected events of the day combined with one’s rampant imagination. Sometimes they’re informed by exagerated versions of things I’ve witnessed in life, sometimes wild stories brought about from my younger days of wild drinking.

What do your friends and family think of your writing?

-They’ve been supportive from the off. The majority of my family has been really cool with the fact that I’m a creative type, even if they’re not too keen on the stories themselves. Now, I’m not too close with the majority of my family, mostly because I like to stay in my corner away from most people. But those that I do feel close to are supportive and I can only express gratitude at that fact.