At Gothic Bite Magazine we love welcoming new patients to become part of our asylum. We question them and learn about them. It doesn’t matter what creative field they are part of because they’re our patient now. This week, we welcome David Wilson.

Patient Name: David Wilson

Thank you for this opportunity! My name is David Wilson, and I was born in Bangor, Maine, a city known for a much more famous horror genre author. I’ve lived in Maine my entire life. 

As a kid, I was hooked on horror movies, especially the classics and anything specifically from George Romero, Sam Raimi, or Lucio Fulci. I also enjoyed the old stuff starring such greats as Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, and Boris Karloff. I was also an avid collector of comics, including the scary stuff.

www.twoseasons.org

As a young adult living in the land of Stephen King’s books, I became a huge fan of his movies, most of which were filmed, at least in part, in Maine. I had friends who worked on and even had parts in his films, and I even had my own opportunity to play a bit of part in one of them. 

I also became interested in art as a child, with pencil sketches being my medium of choice. This is where I became interested in character sketches and have incorporated that into my writings.

As much of a fan of books and movies of the horror genre, I didn’t become interested in writing until later, much later, after a fulfilling career. However, I couldn’t put my pen down once I began the journey. 

I enjoy writing and experiencing the benefits of reader feedback and reviews. I also enjoy interacting with my readers and knowing how much they enjoy my work.

The Questioning

GOTHIC BITE MAGAZINE: When did you find out you would want to write novels?

DAVID WILSON: It was several years ago that I began to “pen” a memoir, which, in the beginning, meant more of a diary for myself. I took my time and thoroughly enjoyed reminiscing and documenting my experiences using my own style of writing. 

Ultimately, it became more of a storytelling than a diary, and I believed I had something readers might enjoy. After that book was published and began to gain popularity, I decided to continue the journey and started writing more books in multiple genres.

GBM: Which genre should you write in, and what category best describes your writing?

DAVID WILSON: I have published in three genres so far; memoir, humour, and my horror novels. As much as I enjoy my work, it’s the horror genre I’ve steered toward and enjoy the most. 

If I had to choose a category that best describes my work, it would be anything with dark humour added to the story. Even in my horror genre books, excellent reviewers have mentioned their enjoyment of dark humour.

GBM: You mentioned your work, all in paranormal or Gothic settings. Please tell our readers why you are more attracted to that genre.

DAVID WILSON: When I was writing Last Stop, Ground Floor, my gothic horror, the book just flowed so well. I had so much fun deciding what would happen next and what was literally around every corner for the main character to experience. 

Both of the primary characters in that book are evil, and it was so much fun to have two evil characters battling wits against each other, with one as the obvious dominator. 

One character continually belittles the other, knowing well that the fates of both are something to fear. The story and setting are so dark. It was a blast writing that book. 

GBM: When writing about the paranormal, do you do research, and if so, how far do you go with your research?

DAVID WILSON: My research never ends until the book is completed. I think it’s so important to have facts, or at least what others perceive as facts. Readers are very smart; they can tell when you’re ‘guessing’ or simply making things up. Last Stop has many historical figures and events. I was constantly making certain that the facts were correct. 

Sure, as writers, we “make stuff up” to enhance the story and stretch the truth if we need to when we reference facts, but we also need to stay as close to what has been documented as we dare for the readers to believe in what we’re writing and enjoy it that much more.

GBM: What is most important to you when writing your novels?

DAVID WILSON: That I write something that not only will I enjoy, but I’m writing something that readers will enjoy. I also like to give the readers something to think about. 

A takeaway so that when they’re done with the book, it still lingers in their heads. The reviews for Last Stop have been so thought-provoking, and it has had such an impact on the readers. My reviews are unique, and I very much enjoy that. It lets me know that I did a good job getting into the readers’ heads. 

GBM: Which authors influenced your writing and why?

DAVID WILSON: To be honest, I don’t allow other authors to influence my own work. I want my style to stand alone. I read a lot, but I don’t read a book and think, “I like the way that was written, I’m going to try that.” 

It’s important that my work stands out and isn’t ‘compared’ to others, if possible. I don’t mind when a reader compares my work to someone’s style as long as it doesn’t mirror it.

GBM: Which of your novels is your favourite, and why is it your favourite?

DAVID WILSON: Definitely Last Stop, Ground Floor. Which is strange when you think about the fact that I’ve written a memoir. I simply had a lot of fun with that book. 

Plus, I could incorporate my opinions into it and still amuse the reader, whether readers realize that or not. I’m confident that they do, as I’ve taken the time to explain my influence on the book’s writing in its epilogue.

GBM: Do you believe in the paranormal?

DAVID WILSON: Absolutely. We can’t explain many things or brush them off as coincidence or “mice in the walls.” If you believe in life after death, then you must believe in the paranormal. I also believe that there’s a place for the good and a place for the wicked after death.

GBM: What made you decide to be self-published? 

DAVID WILSON: I had a “semi-traditional” publisher for a while. However, I found that I could do the same job with my books. I kept the copyrights to my book, and after my second one, I made the decision to self-publish. 

There are pros and cons to both. It’s a lot of work, but I also have the freedom of not having anyone suggest or tell me what to put in my books. I also enjoy that I now have a following of arc readers that I can turn to for assistance before I release the final draft of my work. 

I’m certain that I could increase sales with a traditional publisher, but then again, there are perks to doing it all myself that I enjoy.

GBM: What sets you apart from other paranormal and Gothic authors?

DAVID WILSON: As I mentioned, I don’t let other authors influence me. My writing style is my own. I write what I want to write in the style that I want to write it. Some authors who do this fail to find an audience, but I’ve been lucky. I think authors truly write for themselves, and we must enjoy our work. 

If we’re strictly writing for the reader, then the quality of our work isn’t where it should be. I thoroughly enjoy my own work and can go back and read it as if someone else had written it. Through my writings, I make the reader think, not just simply amuse them for a few minutes. This is also important.

GBM: What can readers look forward to from David Wilson in 2024?

DAVID WILSON: I left my most recent novel, There’s No More Room in Hell, open to a sequel. The reviews and feedback have been fantastic; readers want that sequel. I’ll start it soon and keep the story’s basis in mind. So, it will be another dystopian horror novel.