[slideshow]
what is your name?
Thadd Presley
how would you describe what you do?
I am a writer. I jot down ideas and sentences on paper and then type them into a word program. In essence I simply document the tragedies that occur in my mind. I have recently realized that each one of my characters look to me for salvation and I take that very seriously.
what are you currently working on?
I am currently writing a story for “Among the Damned,” an anthology for Panic Press. I’m also working close with Stephen W. Roberts, Daniel Fabiani, and Stacy Bolli for The Dark Fiction Spotlight. Last year we published 3 issues of the magazine and this year we are focusing on a few anthologies. So, if you write horror, submit your stories. Until last year, I had only published one book which was my short story collection “Full Spectrum” and spent most of my time editing manuscripts for other writers. But, things have changed very quickly. In 2011 I have been published in seven books and have released a poetry collection entitle “Poetry Principia.”
what has had the greatest influence on your work?
Stephen King was an early influence, along with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I remember reading “Insomnia” and marveling at the effortless way he explained the story and the situations of each character. His way of telling a story just blows me away. Later in life, I began expanding my horizons by reading HP Lovecraft and Issac Asimov. It was then that I suddenly realized that readers didn’t always want a simple story. So, now, when I write I don’t just tell a story and let that be it. I want to use every story to build a world and every character is another person in that world, every story is another window into my imaginary universe.
what is the greatest misconception about you or your work?
I really don’t know how to answer that. I write stories and people read them. There’s not too much to get mixed up there. I don’t only write horror, or at least that’s not what I’ve always wrote. I also write poetry and mysteries. It’s just that right now I am interested in horror and have met some very good friends in the dark fiction community who have given me opportunities to share my passion of writing.
what do you see as the main strengths and weaknesses of the medium you work in?
I absolutely love writing. It a compulsion that I can’t seem to get past. I write everyday for hours and hours. One thing that I don’t do is tie myself down to a single genre. If I have a mystery in my head, I write mystery. If it is poetry, I write poetry. Sometimes I have deadline for a themed anthology or I’ll be working a certain story and have to write a certain way, but that is just what a writer does. I don’t suppose that’s a weakness. It’s just like any other job: things have to get done.
But I can say that the main strength about writing (whether it’s horror, mystery, or poetry) is that it allows a certain freedom that no other job does. I can use a story or poem to exorcise my own demons and vent frustration. Unlike many professions, a writer can go to work and kill that guy that cut him off at the intersection or better yet… he can capture him and take him into the woods and cover him with honey and video what happens when the bears find him. Ha! See. Writing is a great job.
how has technology impacted upon the work you do?
Technology has certainly helped every writer by providing new ways to connect with other writers and readers. The fact that I can now simply receive and sent work quickly through email has sped up the response time to submissions and allows me to get more jobs, find new clients, and it also helps with the research aspect of writing. No more going to the library and searching through encyclopedias to learn what date the Civil War ended.
And the fact that we are doing an interview is proof that technology has brought a new rush of interest to my writing.
what’s the greatest piece of advice you would like to pass on?
Be yourself. That’s the best advice I can give anyone. Besides writing I also play bass in a heavy metal band called “Dead in Tow.” Now, it would be really easy for me to act dark and sinister and wear black clothes, paint my finger nails, pierce me eye-lids, and say that I’m just evil by nature. After all i’m a horror writer, heavy metal guitarists, and Editor for a dark fiction magazine. Everyone would probably expect a certain element of evil from me. But, that’s not me. And I find that when people who meet me and ask if “I’m the guy that wrote that story…” they are glad to see I’m like they are. It kind of bothers me to see people who think they have to act a certain way to get attention. It’s all over TV and internet. I have learned that being yourself is very important and it’s the best advice I can give anyone.
where can we find you online?
My website is www.thaddpresley.com You’ll find all my links there. But, my blog is at http://storyblog.thaddpresley.com/ That’s where you can find all my stories and poetry. Also, I’d like to point out www.thedarkfiction.com is where I work as a technical editor.
what are you reading at the moment?
I have been reading “Monstrum” by Donald James. It’s a crime thriller set in Russia. For some odd reason I’ve been obsessed with Russia lately. Hopefully, I’ll visit the country someday. I have this sneaky suspicion that Russia will inspire many stories. Of course, I won’t know until I get there for a visit.
what are you listening to at the moment?
Lamb of God is probably the newest metal band I listen to. Of course AC/DC is very dear to me as is the “old” Metallica. I’m not too keen on new music. On the contrary, Adele has been playing in the background lately and I really love the way she writes and composes. It is a breath of fresh air to see a woman with talent that doesn’t think she has to strip on stage or out do the next performer with stupid stunts in order to sell albums. In the same vien, I want to say that Dolores O’Riordan from the Cranberries is also a favorite. Rush and Led Zeppelin are two of my all time favorite bands.
anything else we should know?
Well, here are some fun facts: I love British comedy. (The Mighty Boosh, Saxondale, Little Britain are some of my favorite television shows of all time)
I have just joined the Horror Writers Association. I look forward to being part of that wonderful organization and meeting new friends and writers from the group.
I don’t have an agent, but hope to find one this year.
One of my favorite writers is Richard O’Brian. I think he is great.
My favorite book is “The Life an Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman” and I also like “A Confederacy of Dunces”
Oh, and also, I have an honorary Ph.D in Metaphysics.