Interview with author Ryan McSwain of Monsters All The Way Down

Interview With Author Ryan McSwain, Author of Monsters All The Way Down

Interview by: Brittany Perez (Oh My Bookness)

February 12, 2015

Monsters All The Way Down with inspiration from H.P Love Craft the master of Horror and psychological genius Philip K. Dick, with inspirational authors as these, this shall be a nod to the classic or both.

Today I'm very lucky to be interviewing Ryan McSwain, author of Monsters All The Way Down, can you tell the readers and myself a little about yourself?

Q. When did you first realize you wanted to start writing your own books? What was your first piece of writing ( novel, novella, essay, short story, liberal arts piece etc.)?

I’ve always enjoyed writing, whether it was for school or on my own. I vividly remember the first time I was paid for my writing, which was for a couple dozen articles on cult video games I wrote for http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/.

Q. When did you consider yourself officially a writer?

I think it was when the first proof of Monsters All the Way Down was printed and in my hands. I was no longer someone writing a book, I had actually gone and done it.

Q. Is writing a self fulfilled "prophecy" so to say or is it a revenue that you would like to make a career out of?

I’d love to live off my writing, definitely. That’s the dream. But as long as my work is connecting with an audience, I’ll be happy.

Q. What is the genre of your book? How long have you been interested in the genre and who has been your greatest influence?

I call it a horror-thriller or a horror/fantasy. I’ve enjoyed scary stuff since I was a kid, watching Universal Monster movies with my dad. Monsters is very consciously inspired by Philip K. Dick and H.P. Lovecraft.

Q. What is your writing approach?outline, rough draft final, or is their no specific order?

The first time I tried to write a novel, I outlined obsessively, and rewrote the first chapter a dozen times. I never finished. Stephen King’s On Writing was a game changer for me. I write by the seat of my pants, with a general idea where I want to end up. The first draft is written without any looking back, but I record any ideas in a supplemental file. Then I work my way through that file, deciding what to keep and add into the manuscript before I start revising it down.

Q.What cultural value do you see in writing/reading/storytelling/etc.?

I met someone once who didn’t see the point of fiction. That guy, I feel sorry for him. Stories give us a way to escape, to deal with emotions, to explore. People open up their minds differently to a book than to anything else, and it makes it possible to trade ideas around.

Q.Are there underrepresented groups or ideas featured if your book?  If so, discuss them.

There’s an older black woman that is a true crime writer. I’m very fond of her. A gay couple plays a pretty interesting role, and make for some of the most interesting sections in the book.

Q. What is the biggest thing that people THINK they know about your subject/genre, that isn't so?

I think folks might believe horror is only about violence and boogie men jumping out of closets. But you can explore interesting themes in a horror story, and a scary book can take you to some unusual places.

Book in Discussion:

Q. Authors often put themselves into their characters. Which of your characters is most like you and why?

Brennan overthinks things, which is one of my problems. And there’s a bit of the good or bad in me in other characters.

Q. What about "Philip K. Dick’s mind-bending paranoia and H. P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror" inspired your writing and conceptualization of Monsters All The Way Down?

Philip K. Dick’s writing changed the way I look at the world. The way he deals with reality and identity helped me understand how to approach the book, which was an idea that had bounced around in my head for a long time. As for Lovecraft, the horror elements crept in on their own.

Q.  Have you always been a fan of the Horror and the psychological suspense genre? The authors who clearly paved a path for it. Did you ever feel when writing Monsters All The Way Down, having any doubts that you would not meet a a certain expectation you've had for it, if its popularity, not living up to the genres influences etc? And anything you feel.

They’ve always been one of my favorite genres, and I’m glad I went with them for this book. I was nervous about releasing the book, definitely. I was worried it wasn’t scary, the twists weren’t twisty, and the tone wouldn’t come across like I wanted. But the feedback I’ve gotten has been predominantly positive, and I’m glad I put myself out there.

Q. There is a saying, authors tend to reveal more about themselves in their own books. Do you agree, if so why with example? If not why, example? If possible from your own works.

This is very true. I think the folks who know me have been surprised to see what goes on in my head, and I think many of my own insecurities and fears filtered through.

Q. What difficulties did you find in writing Monsters All The Way Down? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was just making time to write. I started this book after the birth of my son, and I had some messed up expectations about the time I would have to work. I wrote and revised almost entirely in the middle of the night, and getting to the finish line was tough.

Q. Can you share with the readers a excerpt from your book?

Sure! You can read an excerpt on Amazon, and the first three chapters are available here: http://ryanmcswain.wordpress.com/monsters-all-the-way-down-sample/

Q. If you could go back and redo Monsters All The Way Down, make any changes or add to it, would you? Why or why not? Are you happy with the end result?

I’m a firm believer in leaving things alone once they’re finished. There are always details I could nitpick, but I’m thrilled with how it turned out.

Q. In overall aspect horror and suspense genre has always been popular, but within the last few years it's got a "reboot" so to say, and has become more main stream both in movies and books. Did this have any influence in the way you market it or release timing?

Not at all. I had a story threatening to burst out of my head, and, for good or ill, that’s the book I wrote.

Q. When you look back at Monsters All The Way Down what did you find to be the most challenging when it came to publishing, and marketing this genre? What approach did you take?

I came close to finding a traditional outlet for Monsters, but it doesn’t quite fit the traditional genre trappings. It took me a long time to decide on the right label, and I’m still fighting to get it in front of the right people. Everyone who reads it tells me what a page turner it is, so I’m confident my audience will continue to grow.

Last But Not Least:

Q.What projects are you working on at the present?

I have several short stories I’m polishing, and my next novel is in revisions. It shares some themes, settings, and maybe some characters with Monsters All the Way Down, but the tone is totally different. It’s about comic books, obsession, and the nature of reality.

Q.What do your plans for future projects include?

Monsters will eventually be the first part of a loose trilogy. And I currently have more ideas than time to get them down on paper. There’s a young adult murder mystery I’m looking forward to writing.

Q. Is there anything you would like to add I did not go over?

Thanks so much for the opportunity and the thoughtful questions!

I think you covered just about everything. I’d like to add that Monsters All the Way Down is part of Amazon’s Kindle Select Program, so it’s available for free to anyone with a subscription to Amazon Unlimited.
                                                                                                          

Q. how can readers discover more about you?

-website/blog: http://ryanmcswain.wordpress.com/

-A podcast I help host: http://tellmeanother.net/

-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryanmcswainwrites

-Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanmcswain

-linkeden: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmcswain/

-Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ryanmcswain/

-Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Ryan-McSwain/e/B00KOV2FXA

-smash words: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ryanmcswain

-Book links (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, uk, etc.)

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N70Z58M/

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0990460770/

Signed copies: http://ryanmcswain.wordpress.com/monsters-all-the-way-down/-

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4878662.Ryan_McSwain

                       

Follow Oh Bookness

(keep up to date on book reviews, author interviews, author blog post, books to check out, free books, and more.)

Twitter 

( Oh My Bookness) @ohmybookness

Facebook

HTTPS://www.facebook.com/ohmybookness

Google +

https://plus.google.com/app/basic/116396686801399504580

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5891236-oh-my-booknes

Pinterest

http://www.pinterest.com/OhMyBookness/

Blog

http://ohmybookness.blogspot.com

Instagram:

http://instagram.com/oh_my_bookness.book_blogger

Twitter ( Design Wondeland)- illustrator designer, graphic designer, painter, digital designer, does/ worked in social media curating)

https://mobile.twitter.com/DesignWnderLand

All Rights Reserved to Oh My Bookness and The above and its Contributors. (©):

Published 4th November 2014