Welcome
back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between
the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s update features
Eric J. Grignard, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in Long
Fiction for
Dreams
of a Little Suicide.
DM:
Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for
which you’ve been nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If
nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly on each.
EG:
First, I love writing in historic settings, 1890s to 1950s range stuff. I
wanted to do a historic piece in the 30s (to tie in language for a novel I’m
working on), and I wanted to experiment with structure, delineating the story
into three or four distinct sections. For some reason, the story of Dorothy and
the witches just grew strong in my mind, and I started writing about the actors
who played munchkins being under the witches’ spells, and attacking guests in
Hollywood’s Culver Hotel. But the story evolved into something so much more
than that, powerful and beautiful (I daresay), and I deleted all the
zombie-monster nonsense, plunging instead into the tragic love story of a
shunned suitor, and its impact on his life. Such impact being (spoiler alert),
the legend of the Munchkin Suicide. My story, “Dreams of a Little Suicide,”
ended up at about 8,150 words and made its way into the Long Fiction category
of the Stoker Awards (thank you, dear voters!).
DM:
What was the most challenging part of bringing the concept(s) to fruition? The
most rewarding aspect of the process?
EG:
I wrote the story during mornings and lunch breaks at a cubicle in a financial
institution, and that’s a challenge in itself. The tale evolved in several
directions, but I enjoyed plumbing the emotional depths of a character who I
found relatable (though not the creepy stalking part). Just writing the words,
“The End,” and then having it published in my friend, Eric Miller’s anthology, Hell
Comes To Hollywood II, were the greatest rewards.
DM: What
do you think good horror/dark literature should achieve? How do you feel the
work(s) for which you’ve been nominated work fits into (or help give shape to)
that ideal?
Good
horror/ dark fiction should be cerebral, in that its fears are relatable to
people, not just a narrative relying upon tactics of violence or gore. Although
even monsters and serial killers are successful if they have emotional depth or
there’s some element about them we can empathize with. Nothing in life is
clearly “black and white,” and that should be reflected in writing. Bad guys
have a little “good” in them, and vice versa. Dark fiction that is most
successful relates to some conflict, whether internal or external, that causes
the reader to intellectualize. Generally the end result of the story may be one
of sorrow, violence, gloom, which is the nature of the genre, though dark
fiction can also end on an upbeat or inspirational note; protagonists can
overcome dismal scenarios to emerge victorious by closing; it is the conflict
itself which is considered “dark.”
DM: I’m
curious about your writing and/or editing process. Is there a certain setting
or set of circumstances that help to move things along? If you find yourself
getting stuck, where and why?
EG:
I try to write in the morning after I wake up, the earlier the better. I also,
oddly, have a time of greatest focus/ productivity in late afternoon. People’s
bodies cycle to rhythmic clocks and mine is set to pound out work at about 4:00
p.m. Of course all that also depends on other work, family, and life
obligations. I write technical documentation for my day job, and teach as
adjunct U.C. faculty, and have two small children, so it’s easy to let writing
take a back seat to everything else, though I force myself to write something
creative every day, even if it’s only fifty words or so. Regarding the second
part of your question, I also get writer’s block like most people. Sometimes I
have to step away from my desk and meditate or focus on one issue. If that
doesn’t work, I sleep on it and try again the next day! Reading lots of
different books, genres, and styles of writing also helps to keep my thoughts
invigorated.
DM: As
you probably know, many of our readers are writers and/or editors. What is the
most valuable piece of advice you can share?
EG:
I don’t have any advice that’s incredibly luminous or outrageous. What I tell
others, and what I repeat to myself like a mantra, is simply: Keep writing, and
remember that every rejection is an opportunity for improvement!
DM: If
you’re attending WHC this year, what are you most looking forward to at this
year’s event? If not attending, what do you think is the significance of
recognitions like the Bram Stoker Awards?
EG:
I’m most looking forward to seeing old friends and making new acquaintances!
Networking is very important and so is the sense of camaraderie one develops at
conventions. Most writers work in a bubble of solitude, save for social media
outreach, and I’m a strong believer in the importance of establishing in-person
relationships with peers.
DM: What
scares you most? Why? How (if at all) does that figure into your work or the
projects you’re attracted to?
EG:
My fears are private, psychological worries: Not being a good father, not
realizing long-standing dreams, stuff like that. No fears of anything tangible.
I suppose my writing often includes tones of angst and loneliness, loss and
ineptitude, all culled from personal experiences, none of which are anything
abnormal or overly-dramatic.
DM:
What are you reading for pleasure lately? Can you point us to new authors or
works we ought to know about?
EG:
I always read several books simultaneously! At the moment, I’m absorbed with:
Paradise
Sky by Joe R. Lansdale
The End of the End of Everything short story collection by Dale Bailey
The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer
Grunt Life by Weston Ochse
Charlie Martz and Other Stories: The Unpublished Stories by Elmore
Leonard
About Eric J. Guignard:
Eric J. Guignard writes dark and speculative fiction from the outskirts
of Los Angeles. His stories and non-fiction are recently published in Nightmare
Magazine, Black Static, Shock Totem, and Buzzy
Magazine, amongst others. As an editor, Eric’s also published the
anthologies, Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations and After Death…,
the latter of which won the 2013 Bram Stoker Award. Read his novella, Baggage
of Eternal Night (a finalist for the 2014 International Thriller Writers
Award), and watch for forthcoming books, including Chestnut ’Bo (TBP
2016). Outside of the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric’s
a technical writer and college professor, and he stumbles home each day to a
wife, children, cats, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles. Visit
Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or
Twitter: @ericjguignard
Book Title: Press Start to Play (Anthology)
