Saturday, October 24, 2015

Author Interview: Tim McWhorter


Today I would like to welcome Tim McWhorter, author of 'Blackened' and 'Bone White'.

Natasha: Tell me about yourself. How long have you been writing? When you are not writing, how do you like to spend your spare time?

Tim: I mostly write thrillers with elements of horror in them. I have a couple of novels and a novella in that vein. I also have a collection of short stories that would be considered more literary fiction. I’ve been writing to some degree since high school. It started with really bad song lyrics in the 80s and 90s, moved into equally bad short stories, until I finally started taking it more seriously and went back to college about ten years ago. Even then, it took me awhile to start sharing my writing with the world. Like many writers, I suffered from the ‘I’m not good enough’ disease for too long and got a late start.

Other than writing and reading, I’m a big movie person. I love all kinds, even the occasional so-called chick flick. As long as it has a good story and interesting characters, I’ll give it a chance. Movies are probably my first love, even over books. A perfect snowy Saturday would have me on the couch enjoying a movie marathon of some sort. When I first started writing with some degree of seriousness, I actually started with screenwriting. I have a couple completed screenplays tucked away in a drawer. Otherwise, to round out the eHarmony portion of the interview, I enjoy cooking, sports and long walks in the park.

Natasha: Tell us a little about your current project. What was your favorite scene to write? What was your least favorite scene?

Tim: Well, I'm only a couple of chapters into my current project, so I’ll tell you a little about Blackened, my most recent project and the sequel to my first novel, Bone White. Blackened came out in August and is a continuation of the storyline originating in the first book. Nineteen-year-old, Luke has thwarted the efforts of a barbaric killer, but it wasn't without consequence. He's struggled to move on with his life with some sense of normalcy, but there's someone who is standing in his way: the barbaric killer himself. The sequel is just as dark and creepy as the first, and not only for the reader, but for the characters involved as well. Real damage was done in the first book and now those involved are left to deal with the aftermath.

My favorite scene to write was probably the climax. The epic confrontation. The scene was a culmination of two books worth of tension, anxiety and fear being channeled by the protagonist. He finally gets to confront the person responsible and I had a lot of fun building the confrontation. It practically wrote itself and even now, gets my heart pumping when I go back and read it. As a writer, you know you've done a good job when that happens, especially after having read it so many times through revisions.

As for my least favorite, I would have to say a graphic scene that occurs about ¾ the way through the book. Even though I write horror, I prefer to write scenes filled with tension and anxiety over the gory fare. But there was a scene in Blackened that required me to get my hands dirty, so to speak. I had to dig deep for that scene and I really didn’t enjoy the experience. It turned out well, though. It’s a good scene.



Natasha: Do you have any other exciting projects coming out?

Tim: I have a short story that will be released just before Halloween. It stems from a trip I took to Salem, Massachusetts last year. I wasn't surprised by the commercialization that I encountered there, but was a little surprised by the lack of preservation in some regards. But I guess, historic or not, events that don't shed such a great light on our society are seldom preserved. The story is called “Rope Burns” and deals with the present day aftermath of the wrongs that were committed in that town a few hundred years ago. It’s short, not so sweet and just something fun to help people get into the Halloween spirit.

Other than that, I’m working on my third novel. It’s another thriller/horror piece, a little more grown up than my first two. The writing is more mature. I’m pretty excited about it, but still have quite a ways to go before it’s completed. I'm shooting for late spring/early summer for that one.

Natasha: Do you have any advice for other authors trying to get published?

Tim: Write with blinders on. Don't listen to the doomsayers that tell you the odds are against you. I’ve found in life that most of the people who only offer discouragement usually don’t want you to succeed. It has more to do with their own failures or missed opportunities than with you and your journey.

On the other hand, don't listen to the people whose only feedback is to kiss your ass and tell you how great you are either. It’ll make you feel good, but won’t help you grow as a writer. And not growing and improving your writing skills won’t get you any closer to your goal of being published than you are now. Write, set attainable goals and keep trying to improve. The world can never have enough good writers. Readers are always looking for worthy, unique voices and it doesn’t matter if you’re with one of the big publishers or independent.



Natasha: What is the best way for readers to reach you?

Tim: I invite anyone and everyone to drop me an email or message me on Facebook anytime. I enjoy talking to readers, as well as fellow writers. I love talking story and books as both a reader and writer. I’m a great sounding board if you have an idea or question you want to run by someone, and at least half the advice I give is worthwhile! Haha And best of all, I haven’t made it big yet, so when you get a response from me, you can be sure it’s actually from me and not an assistant!

www.timmcwhorter.com

https://www.facebook.com/Tim-Mcwhorter-author-255841104553058

https://twitter.com/Tim_McWhorter

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4909605.Tim_McWhorter

BIO: Tim McWhorter was born under a waning crescent moon, and while he has no idea what thesignificance is, he thinks it sounds really cool to say. A graduate of Otterbein College with a BAin Creative Writing, he is the author of the novella Shadows Remain, the suspense-thrillers, BoneWhite, and its sequel,  Blackened, and a collection of short stories titled Swallowing The Wormand Other Stories.  He lives the suburban life just outside of Columbus, OH, with his wife, ahandful  of  children and a few obligatory 'family'  pets that  have somehow become solely hisresponsibility. He is currently hard at work on another thriller with just enough horror to keep youup at  night.  He  is  available  for  conversation  through Twitter  (@Tim_McWhorter),  Facebook(www.facebook.com/pages/Tim-Mcwhorter-author) or his website (www.timmcwhorter.com).

No comments: