FAQ

FAQ’s

.

Are you only interested in writing horror?

As a team, my wife, Cari Beltane and I intend to focus on horror, because that is what we both enjoy. We have very dark and twisted imaginations, so it works out well. Cari writes amazing experimental fiction too. She is working on a surreal and amazing novel entitled Shrink. As a screenwriter, I am interested in writing just about any genre that I enjoy. With my first screenplay, “Hunting the Moon Tribe”, my goal was to combine two of my favorite genres: the martial arts movie and gothic horror. I have outlines for other screenplays that would again marry those genres.

While my heart is often directed to horror, I also enjoy science fiction and action. My second full length screenplay was a political drama set against the Vietnam war. So I am open to any genre. I would also like to work on some science fiction short stories and a novel based on my sci-fi spec script “Last Warriors of the Earth”. The novel would also be very influenced by martial arts wuxia pan novels.

Who are your influences?

Well that is hard to pin down. I think being a writer requires being well read in fiction (as a screenwriter too) to understand how a story works. When it comes to horror fiction, Clive Barker, Poppy Brite and Thomas Liggoti are among my favorites. Of course I can’t discount Stephen King or Richard Matheson either. I am also quite influenced by several science fiction writers whose work I love: Phillip K. Dick, Urusla Le Guin, Clifford Simak, Asimov.

Screenwriting influences are even harder to nail down. I could list films all day from “Touch of Zen” and “Musa” to “Devils Backbone” and “Susperia”. I think influences are important in the sense that I believe we can relate to writers who share similar tastes. I just strive to develop my own unique style.

You are a politically active person; does it effect your fiction?

My fiction is mostly apolitical in the sense that story, character and commitment to the truth of the story is a 100% priority. It is hard for me often to have characters using language that I find misogynist and offensive for example. Or to have characters who drink, smoke, eat meat - all kinds of stuff I don’t do. Characters however, are who they are. Good stories tell themselves and reflect reality even if it’s reflected through a fantastic mirror. I don’t make excuses for my characters, some are just bad people.

That being said I think some stories reflect serious political realities. The protagonist of one short story Cari and I co-wrote is a killer who exemplifies many ways we see misogyny manifesting in our world today. The screenplay for “Last Warriors of the Earth” is very political, but not nearly as much as the novel is going to be. I hope however that it can be enjoyed by anyone despite personal politics. I enjoy political science fiction, but there is no need to be overbearing. The bottom line is story, character, truth.