{"id":3343,"date":"2016-08-22T14:03:05","date_gmt":"2016-08-22T19:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/?p=3343"},"modified":"2016-08-22T14:03:05","modified_gmt":"2016-08-22T19:03:05","slug":"guest-interview-alex-kimmell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/?p=3343","title":{"rendered":"Guest Interview- Alex Kimmell"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"AlexAlexAlexAlex\"Hey! Today, I get to interview the very creepy and delightful Alex Kimmell, horror writer extraordinaire. Welcome, Alex!<\/div>\n
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1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>The Key To Everything scared the pants off me and kept me going, “whoa, wait, what the–?” I still can’t look at squirrels without my eyes widening. What inspired you to write it?<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
The original idea for the story came from a dream. It started as a short story that I put on my blog at the time. Some people at Booktrope read it and told me that if I extended the story into novel form, they wanted to publish it. Before that I never really considered myself an \u201cauthor\u201d. I wrote songs and lyrics for longer than I can remember. Obviously it\u2019s very different from writing prose. As a first experience, I was extremely lucky. Now that I am put in the position of finding new publishing outlets, the business side of writing is revealing itself to be very challenging. Though, it\u2019s not very different from the music business at all. The stories I hear from other authors are nearly identical to the tales we used to swap with other bands backstage and on the bus.<\/span><\/div>\n
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I can\u2019t tell you how happy it makes me that the book scared you of all people! Referring to the squirrel element, I wanted to find an animal that most people don\u2019t usually find frightening and is seen by most people commonly. At the time, the room I was writing in had a window looking over a short brick wall. I leaned back in my chair, looked out the window at the very moment a squirrel jumped off the wall toward the house. My heart jumped to my throat and I knew I had to use it somehow.<\/span><\/div>\n
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2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Tell me about your background in music. How much research did you need to do in order to write the Idea of North and the piano prodigy convincingly?<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>I grew up playing drums from the age of 9 or 10. I went to the Hamilton Academy of Music for my senior year in high school. From there I went on to get my Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the University of Southern California. I worked quite a bit in the industry up until about eight or nine years ago. That was when I turned my focus to writing fiction. I read a few books about composing for piano when I was in college. Most of my research came from my memories of that. I listen to a lot of solo piano music while I\u2019m writing. If the music is too big in my ears, it takes all of my attention away from the words I want to get down. I tried to steer clear of making the music sections in the story too technical and specific. I wanted to keep the story flowing and not make too many people turn to Google or Wikipedia for terminology and definitions.<\/span><\/div>\n
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3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Tell us a bit about your publishing journey before, during, and after Booktrope. Would you have any advice for writers considering a hybrid publisher or self-publishing as opposed to a small press or traditional large press?<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Booktrope was my first foray into publishing. I wrote primarily as an outlet to remain creative after I wasn\u2019t able to make music anymore. It turned out they liked some of the short stories I was putting on my blog and asked me to turn one into a novel. That eventually became \u201cthe Key to everything\u201d. From there, I released two more books with them before they closed shop. Currently, I have re-released \u201cthe Key to everything\u201d and \u201cthe idea of North\u201d with an indie press called Shadow Work Publishing that focuses primarily on the horror genre. My short story collection \u201cA Chorus of Wolves\u201d is forthcoming through Overlords Publishing hopefully later this year.<\/span><\/div>\n
I am researching agents right now and considering transitioning to a large press. I haven\u2019t gone in that direction yet because I didn\u2019t feel the need to look elsewhere with Booktrope essentially falling in my lap when they did. While I am working on my next large project, I\u2019ve been thinking more and more about attempting to release it with a company that can cast a wider net. Hopefully into bookstores and get my work in front of people who are in positions to option the stories for film or television. I see no reason not to try every venue that can help further my career. I\u2019m going to write no matter what because I enjoy it, so why not get more people exposed to what I do? I\u2019m not trying to be hip or the flavor of the day. I want to write my stories and make as close to a successful living financially doing it as I can.<\/span><\/div>\n
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4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Can you give us a hint as to what project(s) you’re currently working on?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Right now I am writing a handful of short stories for anthologies with small presses and great company of fellow writers. I am nearing the midpoint of a new book (I hope anyway). It\u2019s still in first draft form, so I keep plugging away at it. I have a lot of ideas for the world in which it\u2019s set and it just might end up being the beginning of a series of sorts. I\u2019ve been considering making all of my stories from this point on take place in this world. They won\u2019t necessarily have to be read in any specific order, but they\u2019ll all be in familiar places. We\u2019ll have to see where it goes.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\"3CoversWebsite\"5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Many artists need a very specific setting in which to create. When you work, do you have any quirks or use any aids to get you in the zone?<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>It\u2019s tough as a stay at home Dad. When the minions are at school is when I get the majority of my work done. When they\u2019re on vacations and summer break, I get as much accomplished as I can in a busy house full of teenagers. With my physical issues, sitting all day is a challenge. Then again, so is standing. A good friend of mine is an engineer\/carpenter. He took on a huge project and made me an amazing, adjustable desk so I can transition from sitting to standing when I work. It helps so much. I also enjoy switching things up on myself. I primarily work on my computer, but typewriters push me in different directions. Using the typed pages as a first draft is good for me. When I transcribe it into the computer, I make changes and see things in the stories a bit differently. I don\u2019t always have the option, but when I do, I like it.

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6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Do you find that your writing style changes at all with the conflicts or challenges that you’re juggling in your real life? That your day-to-day experiences colour your writing?<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Of course they do. Nobody lives or creates in a vacuum. On days when I\u2019m experiencing physical pain, my writing is very different than on days when I feel \u201cgood\u201d. If I\u2019m sad or depressed, that\u2019s reflected in the writing as well. It happens more than I realise too. I\u2019ve had friends recognise things that I never intended to express outwardly. Of course, they were privy to what was going on in my real world at that time, so they could read between the lines more than someone who doesn\u2019t know me might.<\/span><\/div>\n
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7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>What books, games, TV shows, or movies do you go nuts for? (Get it? Squirrels? Nuts? NEVERmind, sorry!) Does fandom sneak into your writing, and if so, how much?<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Hardy har har! I don\u2019t think my geeky fandom comes through any deeper than the horror genre. Most of the books and movies I enjoy are scary. Though I love watching all the superhero\/comic book stuff with my kids. Netflix binges are common in our house for sure. Whether that\u2019s a good thing or not, who knows? All that being said, I love that I can wear my geek flags on my sleeves proudly now. When I was a kid, liking comics and reading horror meant I was a freak and left me prone to getting my ass kicked. Now that all my fellow beat down survivors have grown and taken over the entertainment industry. They\u2019ve brought it to the mainstream and we don\u2019t have to cower in the shadows anymore. Not that I ever did. I was raised by a creative family who taught me to be proud of my tastes and opinions and not follow the flock without question. Besides, I get to do nasty things in my books to all the kids who were mean to me. Revenge is indeed sweet!<\/span><\/div>\n
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8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Do you shy away from writing open-door sex scenes if the plot calls for it? Is there subject matter that you will not write? If so, where is that line and how do you feel your way around it?<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>I wouldn\u2019t shy away from it. I just haven\u2019t written a story that calls for a sweaty sex scene yet. Though, my books might sell more if they had some! It\u2019s funny. There really aren\u2019t many subjects I can think of that I won\u2019t touch on. I don\u2019t go for child abuse or violence solely for violence\u2019s sake. Exploitation and gore as shock value tools aren\u2019t things I\u2019ve ever been interested in. There are entire book and film series\u2019 that made a ton of money simply by grossing people out and making them jump in their seats. I prefer scares that last long after the last page is turned. I feel the best way to get around those tools by not using them in the first place. I don\u2019t think that way, so I don\u2019t write that way.<\/span><\/div>\n
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9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Many of your reviews highlight the creepy, bizarre, “WTF horror” nature of your work. How do you aim to top that going forward? What plans do you have for your next book? No big spoilers, please!\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>I honestly hope that I can top it! I want to keep writing stories that interest me, that make me think \u201cwhat if?\u201d and \u201cWTF?\u201d I want to be as surprised as I hope the reader will be. I know many writers who outline their stories and know what\u2019s coming long before they put pen to paper (or pixel to screen). I\u2019ve been trying to do that and it doesn\u2019t work for me right now. In many ways it might help prevent me from making mistakes with my stories and writing myself into corners I don\u2019t know how to get out of. I\u2019ve come to understand that I\u2019m a \u201cpantser\u201d. As a musician I spent most of my life improvising, playing jazz, etc. I feel that the experience of doing that helps me quite a bit when I\u2019m writing.<\/span><\/div>\n
What frightens me personally is, not knowing the answers to all of the questions a given story might bring up. Sometimes the WTF is the most terrifying thing. Understanding everything is a comfort. Comfort is an opposite of fear. If everything is explained to you about why the antagonist does what he does or how it is all happening, you don\u2019t have to be afraid of it anymore. Irrational fears run the deepest. As a species, we generally all have a fear of the dark. Not because something happened to us personally per se, but we instinctively know that not being able to see makes the environment around us more dangerous. Not knowing why the squirrels in \u201cthe Key to everything\u201d are so demented or why the music and storms are connected in \u201cthe Idea of North\u201d frightened me while I was writing. I left those concepts open ended intentionally so they would leave the hanging question of \u201cWhy?\u201d
\u201cThe Key to everything\u201d was released almost five years ago. I still get squirrel related things from people who\u2019ve read the book all the time. I didn\u2019t mean for the squirrels to be what people primarily took away from the book, but the idea seems to have resonated. Now if only someone would send me a Steinway Grand Piano\u2026<\/span><\/div>\n
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10. <\/span><\/span><\/span>How do you get inside your antagonist’s head without that taint rubbing off on you personally? Do you have any tricks when it comes to compartmentalising and keeping yourself separate from your baddies?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>So far my antagonists have all been so \u201cunhuman\u201d that I haven\u2019t had difficulty taking myself out of their headspace. Though I must say that creating the bad guys can be extremely fun. I might throw in some personality traits of people from the past that have \u201cdone me wrong\u201d. Bullies from childhood, you know. What are they going to do to me now right? It might be childish, but it\u2019s certainly enjoyable!<\/span><\/div>\n

Follow Alex wherever he goes! No really, he likes it. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

website<\/a><\/p>\n

Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy Now<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hey! Today, I get to interview the very creepy and delightful Alex Kimmell, horror writer extraordinaire. Welcome, Alex! 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Key To Everything scared the pants off me and kept me going, “whoa, wait, what the–?” I still can’t look at squirrels without my eyes widening. What inspired you to write it? The original idea […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indie-interviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3343"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3343"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3346,"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3343\/revisions\/3346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ajaalto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}