The
Short Review:
How long did it take you to write all the stories in your collection?
Heather
Beck: If I remember correctly, it took about a week to
pen one story, with ten tales in total. Taking into account the process
of editing, it took about three months.
TSR: Did you
have a collection in mind when you were writing them?
HB:
Yes. I had numerous short scary stories
outlined and knew I wanted to write and compile ten of them into an
anthology. Before Ten
Journeys Through The Unknown I wrote two volumes of the Fable Farm series
which consisted of four scary stories each. The Fable Farm series
is a bestseller for the publisher, Sparklesoup Studios so I was
confident in my ability to craft more anthologies in the same genre.
TSR: How did
you choose which stories to include and in what order?
HB: I
chose what stories to include before I wrote them. I have a massive
list of titles and synopses of would-be stories. As for the order of
the stories in Ten Journeys Through The Unknown, I started
with Gnome
Genome because it’s a tale which operates by
cycles and continuity. At the other end of the spectrum, I ended
with Long Live
the Bonsai which revolves around the notion of an
everlasting existence. The concepts which I use in my stories
masquerade as what I hope my work can achieve (e.g. continuity or a
prolonged existence).
TSR: Do you
have a "reader" in mind when you write stories?
HB: I
love to write in multiple genres but I always pay attention to my
readership. When I am writing for children I make sure that all the
included material is appropriate. I do not, however, belittle a younger
reader by using simple sentences and even simpler words. I will include
complex ideas and phrases because I believe reading should not just be
recreational but also educational. Finding that balance is difficult
but, if achieved, wholly worth the effort.
TSR: Is there
anything you'd like to ask someone who has read your
collection,
anything at all?
HB:
What a great question! I am not at all interested in asking my readers
how I can improve my writing or what I could do to improve sales.
Instead, I would like to ask if they received any entertainment from my
work or gained any knowledge which affected their lives in a positive
manner. If the answer to either of the latter two questions is yes,
then my efforts were not carried out in vain.
TSR: How does it feel knowing that people are buying your book?
HB:
It’s a sublime feeling to know that what I created is coming
to life for others. I am thrilled if even one person reads my work and
enjoys it (but don’t tell my publisher that). Making a living
from writing is, to say the least, extremely difficult so it has always
been about the love and passion rather than the profit.
TSR: What are
you working on now?
HB:
I have enough projects on the go right now to keep me busy for years. I
have two coming-of-age drama novellas being finalized for publication.
I also have two other scary story anthologies in the editing stage. I
have been writing screenplays for almost two years now and have several
projects in various stages of development. They include a few short
films, two feature length films and three television shows. I
absolutely adore writing and find it to be the most rewarding, as well
as therapeutic, career.
