Born on September 27, 1969, Michael West has lived in Indiana all his life. He holds a degree in telecommunications from Indiana University and has been writing as long as he can remember. As a producer/director for Educational Television in Indianapolis, he created a multitude of programs--including Teen Terrors, the study of modern teenage stress and anxiety. Of Tomorrows Unknown, his student film from 1991, is featured on the Internet Movie Database and his first novel, The Wide Game, was published in 2003.
A member of the Horror Writers Association, West lives and works in the Indianapolis area with his wife and their two children.
Questions and Answers
What are you currently working on?
I've just finished my second novel, Poseidon's Children, which I hope will be released soon. I've also started work on another novel. It's a ghost story set in the same fictional Indiana town as The Wide Game.
Are you a member of any writing groups?
Yes. I am a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and the Indiana Horror Writers (IHW).
Who or what has been a major influence on your writing and why?
I would have to say love, especially the love of my wife. She has always been so supportive of me and of my dreams. Beneath all the blood and gore, I think all of my stories are really love stories. They're twisted, and yet romantic at the same time.
Is there a book or story you wish you had written?
I wish I had written The Lord of the Rings. I love epic storytelling. My son is reading the books now. To have a story that lives on, that new generations can discover and enjoy, that can start a huge fan culture long after you are gone…that would be amazing.
As a reader do you prefer Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?
Horror. I read all three genres, but there is just something about being alone in the house at night, a fire burning in the fireplace and a really good horror story in your lap... Heaven.
What was your first professional sale?
My novel The Wide Game.
How did it feel when you received the acceptance?
I stared at the acceptance letter in utter disbelief. After so many rejections, so many people saying "We like you, but...", it was just an incredible feeling. My heart was racing and I was actually dancing around the house. I think I cried a bit. Of course, my wife was not at home at the time, so I had to call her up and share the news over the phone. I then proceeded to email everyone I'd ever met in my life.
Who is your favourite author?
Stephen King, especially early Stephen King. He has the ability to introduce a minor character and, in a one or two page scene, make them as detailed, as real and as relevant, as any of the principle players.
If you could give one piece of advice to a would-be author, what would it be?
You have to learn to kill your babies. You can write this incredible passage or a wonderful subplot that you absolutely love, 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.
When did you first decide that you wanted to be an author?
I don't think I ever really made a conscious decision. I've been writing as long as I can remember. I would write stories and screenplays for movies I would make with my friends and my parents' video camera. In college, I took classes in creative writing. I was still focused on becoming the next Steven Spielberg or James Cameron at the time, but I also had stories that I could not tell with my camera--stories that were too large in scope. I turned to writing novels as a way to get these stories out.
Are you for or against e-books?
I know there are writers who have very strong negative opinions of both e-books and audio books, but I have enjoyed these formats. It is nice to take audio books on a trip to listen to while you're driving, and there have been books I could not find at local stores that I was able to purchase as an e-book. I did not have to wait for shipping. I could start reading it within minutes. In my opinion, they allow more people access to an artist's work.
Are you a music fan? If so, what?
I'm a huge music fan. I love 80's pop music--Duran Duran, Genesis, Howard Jones, Robert Palmer--but my current favorite is Evanescence. Amy Lee has such a haunting voice. I find it hard to work in absolute quiet, so I listen to film scores while I write--a lot of Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, and if I'm penning some really scary action moments, John Carpenter.
What is the scariest story you have read?
I'd say it was a tie between "The Mangler" by Stephen King and "The Midnight Meat Train" by Clive Barker.
What gives you nightmares?
My dreams tend to be really strange and surreal. I don't know that I have traditional nightmares. I never wake up screaming. I do suffer from arachnophobia, so spiders sometimes make an appearance. Having something happen to my wife or one of my boys is also a night terror that pops up from time to time. As a husband and father, I can't think of anything more nightmarish than that.
Have you ever used real life horrors for inspiration?
As a writer, everything that you see, hear, and experience gets used at one time or another. If you're a horror writer, it is often negative experiences that rear their ugly heads in your work. In The Wide Game, the main character is involved in a terrible car accident. This is a blow-by-blow retelling of an accident I had as a teenager. In Poseidon's Children, the events of September 11, 2001 are addressed by a few of the characters. And in the novel I'm currently working on, one of the characters states that she was in Intensive Care for a week after she was born because she turned blue. This happened to my oldest son. I've also been doing research into actual hauntings and real-life ghost stories. A horror story is much more frightening if you can believe that it could happen, that it could happen to you.
Given the high quality of horror fiction available, why do you think there are so few great horror movies?
In fiction, it's all about character. Characters are established. We grow to like them and we sympathize with their plights. Then, along comes the "big bad". We are worried about how the "big bad" will affect our characters. In movies, however, it's all about the "big bad". Characters are secondary.
Do You Always know a Story's Ending When You Begin Writing?
Yes. That's not to say that the ending doesn't change along the way. I had an ending in mind for The Wide Game, then realized that the characters, as I had written them, would not do what they were originally supposed to do, so the ending changed. Poseidon's Children is meant to be the first book in a series, and it ended more or less as I had originally planned. Some people that were originally supposed to live died, however, and some that were to die horribly lived to fight another day. I have an ending in mind for the book I am writing now, but it will depend on the characters.
What's the most memorable thing said in a review of your work?
"This thing is scary as Hell!"
Many Thanks, Michael!
Relevant LinksMichael West Main Bibliography
Michael West's Website