Blake Myers
What made you decide to become a writer?
I’ve always been fond of telling “whoppers” as a kid. Not to entertain, but I always felt telling a fib to be a bit of fun. As I got older, I always craved stories, either books or movies, that checked all the boxes of what I wanted. Often times I was left wanting. It all came to a head when I saw Netflix’s Stranger Things in 2016 and just fell in love with the premise. I wanted to create something that fun … and that got the ball rolling on my first WIP (which is still a work in progress).
How do you decide your plots? Are they taken from events that have happened to you? Do you base your characters on real people – or do you prefer to be fully creative and make them up?
Being a horror writer, these are not necessarily things that have happened to me! Characters, on the other hand, are stitched together from friends, family, and acquaintances. Personality traits are trans-genre, so it doesn’t matter where I find them, I can use them effectively in my works.
What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
That’s a tough one. I feel like they go hand-in-hand, but if I had to chose I would say plot first. From there I find the right characters that the plot necessitates for dramatic progress through the story.
How many books have you written and/or published and which is your favourite?
Easiest question on the list, as I’m a debut author, it is unequivocally Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? which releases today!
What is your favourite genre to write in?
Horror, without a doubt. As a child I was terrified of the dark and everything that goes bump in the night. Hell, the old comedy classic The Ghost and Mr Chicken scared the crap out of me the first time I saw it. I took up reading and watching horror because I wanted to master my fear–take control of my emotions. I had inadvertently discovered Exposure Therapy at a young age.
Did you need to do research for your book? If so, how much did you do, how did you do it?
For Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? I did extensive research for two reasons: First, it was based on a real-life crime and I wanted those depictions to be as accurate as possible. Second, being that it is set in the UK and I’m an American, I needed to do lots of research on English culture, expressions, and sayings in order to pass muster for any UK readers and to give the book some authenticity. My second novel – title not released yet – is set in the US and isn’t historical and has required far less research.
Would you travel to the area where your book is set?
I have never been to Hagley, UK, but it is without a doubt on my bucket-list. I will find that tree one day!
How do you feel about killing off popular characters? Is it something you enjoy doing in your own books? Have you done it?
Killing my darlings? That was hard to do in my first unpublished WIPs. And I even found it difficult to do in Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?. However, in my current WIP, I ensured there were no darlings so that I could kill folks off left and right.
Would you write any genre or do you stick to one?
So far all horror, although my first WIP is a grim-dark fantasy. I do hope one day I will finish it. I also have ideas for dark/horror sci-fi, so there is potential to eventually expand out.
Do you write under a pseudonym or your own name?
Me, for now. I do have some ideas for YA or children’s literature – in the spirit of RL Stine – so for those I will use a pen name.
Does your family read your work?
Absolutely. My family are voracious readers and I rely on their feedback extensively. My sister was my alpha reader and my father was my beta reader. My mother was the first person to physically read my novel as she had my proof copy. My wife on the other hand struggles with night-terrors, so she has yet to decide if she will read it, but she is a massive supporter of my writing, so it all works out.
How many hours a day or week would you say you spend writing? Is it a potential career for you, is it something you do outside your day job?
I teach ESL full time plus I have a side hustle of website design, so my time is very limited. I wrote Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? almost exclusively on my iPhone/iPad while on public transport, between classes, and on lunch breaks.
How do you market your books?
Facebook and X mostly. I have an Instagram account, but I haven’t figured out the most effective way to utilize it yet. I hear lots about Tiktok, but the idea of spending all that time learning a new social media platform is daunting.
How do you react to reviews? Would you prefer just good ones or are you okay to receive a bad one occasionally?
I take all criticism to the heart, always have. In this journey I’ve had to force myself to remember that my betas and editor were just there to help. I know my first one/two star review will come eventually and I’m just gonna have to weather it. It’s inevitable and I have to remind myself there are people who even dislike works of bestsellers and classic authors.
Blake’s new book, Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? is out TODAY!
You can purchase it on Amazon. Click on the book cover below to buy.
