Sci-fi horror author, Richard E. Rock, talks as regards his emotion for writing diverse stories, and the encouragement behind his new book, Frenzy Island.
I interviewed Richard E. Rock as regards his life and career, what inspires his writing, and the tale of his new sci-fi horror book, Frenzy Island.
Tell Richard E. Rock who you are:
I’m a teaser from South Wales where I live with my girlfriend and our cat. Until recently I was a professional writer and worked as a copywriter in the radio industry. My interests are Norwegian Black Metal, Russian prison literature, and Scooby Doo. My favorite authors are Stephen King, Zadie Smith, Cormac McCarthy, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Franz Kafka, and Joyce Carol Oates.
I write horror stories because I have nightmares and disturbing dreams, perhaps because of my imposter syndrome. I realize I make a bit of a living, but I can assure you I’m actually a pretty level-headed guy. Honest.
When did you first want to compose a book?
It all started with a nightmare. Or rather, two nightmares. The first involved a group of people being chased through abandoned underground tunnels by a silent Victorian driverless locomotive. In the second, I was being hunted, in this case by a demonic entity. If I let him too close, cobwebs will form in front of my eyes and my life force will drain. I thought these nightmares were too good to waste, so I wrote them before they went away, as dreams often do.
Then it occurred to me that they could be combined into one compelling story. When I finished the story, it occurred to me that I might develop it into a novella. This short story is DEEP LEVEL, which became my first published book. So it all happened quite organically.
When did you decide to start writing?
In fact, I became a professional writer before I even dreamed of writing a novel. In 2002 I entered the radio industry as a copywriter. The most important thing that taught me about writing a novel was to make every word count. You have so little time to write 30-second ads that every word has to earn its place.
How long did it take you to full your first book, from notion to publication?
Writing DEEP LEVEL was pretty quick. In about three months he went from dream to story to story. Then it sat on my hard drive for several years before I started sending it to publishers. Without Corona, this might never have happened. When I was fired from my job, like many others, I suddenly found myself with a lot of free time. This time I thought it was a gift, so I used it to introduce DEEP LEVEL to various publishers and start writing a new novel. That new novel was FRENZY ISLAND.
How long did it take for thine latest book to go from notion to publication?
Frenzy Island took a little longer to write than my first book. I’m thinking a total of six months. This is because the story takes place on a much larger canvas and features many more characters. DEEP LEVEL is quite claustrophobic and features four character hardcore. On the other hand, FRENZY ISLAND is set on two continents, with intertwined subplots and numerous supporting characters. It’s a much richer novel and much more difficult to write. But the effects are worth it.
Zoom to the latest version. What drew you to write Frenzy Island?
Once again it all started with a nightmare. Make it a nightmare series indeed. I’ve had a slew of dreams about people trapped on an island full of bizarre horrors, oddly large, blue-skinned savages, UFOs, and aliens. I quickly realized that all of them together would make for a pretty unique and compelling story, so I set to work. I’ve always been interested in the UFO phenomenon, alien abductions, etc., so I really enjoyed researching and writing this. It was a pleasure.
What was thine biggest exception in writing Frenzy Island?
Time zone! The action unfolds in East Africa and Arizona, and if I keep in mind correctly there is a fourteen-hour time variety between them. Trying to discuss the interlocking plot considering the time variety was a nightmare!
Who or what inspired thou when creating thine Protagonist?
In FRENZY ISLAND I have three of them. In Arizona, there is Cynthia Dowley, who works as a monitoring station employee. She’s a young woman of about 25 or 26 and a bit scruffy. When I created him, I started with his looks. He has a blonde mohican, multiple tattoos, multiple piercings, a massive collection of heavy metal t-shirts, and a leather jacket. From this came his personality; his interest in music, his addiction to computer games, and his habit of eating hot dogs for breakfast or fiddling with his clothes.
Eventually, she took her own life and started telling me things about herself, like that she has a cat named Mashed Potatoes and an occasional girlfriend named Alison who adores Whitney Houston! Meanwhile, sisters Esperance and Godiva Watara are stranded on an island in East Africa. These guys needed a lot more research to create something.
They are refugees so I had to think about where they fled to (Burundi) and why (political and social unrest). Then there was what they did at home for work (a nurse and a teacher respectively) and what they did for fun (both are runners). As one of them has a child, I had to inquire about childcare too! something I’ve never had to do before!
Zoom to the latest version. What drew you to write Frenzy Island?
Once again it all started with a nightmare. Make it a nightmare series indeed. I’ve had a slew of dreams about people trapped on an island full of bizarre horrors, oddly large, blue-skinned savages, UFOs, and aliens. I quickly realized that all of them together would make for a pretty unique and compelling story, so I set to work. I’ve always been interested in the UFO phenomenon, alien abductions, etc., so I really enjoyed researching and writing this. It was a pleasure.
What was thine biggest exception in writing Frenzy Island?
Time zone! The action unfolds in East Africa and Arizona, and if I keep in mind correctly there is a fourteen-hour time variety between them. Trying to discuss the interlocking plot considering the time variety was a nightmare!
Who or what inspired thou when creating thine Protagonist?
In FRENZY ISLAND I have three of them. In Arizona, there is Cynthia Dowley, who mill as a monitoring station servant. She’s a young woman of about 25 or 26 and a bit scruffy. When I created him, I started with his looks. He has a blonde mohican, multiple tattoos, multiple piercings, a massive collection of heavy metal t-shirts, and a leather jacket. From this came his personality; his interest in music, his addiction to computer games, and his habit of eating hot dogs for breakfast or fiddling with his clothes.
Eventually, she took her own life and started telling me things about herself, like that she has a cat named Mashed Potatoes and an occasional girlfriend named Alison who adores Whitney Houston! Meanwhile, sisters Esperance and Godiva Watara are stranded on an island in East Africa. These guys needed a lot more research to create something.
They are refugees so I had to think about where they fled to (Burundi) and why (political and social unrest). Then there was what they did at home for work (a nurse and a teacher respectively) and what they did for fun (both are runners). As one of them has a child, I had to inquire about childcare too! something I’ve never had to do before!
Who or what inspired thou to create The rival?
Byron Wurd was so much fun creating because he’s so bad. He doesn’t appear until the end of the story, but his presence is there all the time, hanging over everything like a dark cloud. He’s a Texas billionaire who made his fortune in a toy store chain called Wurd’s World. It then branched out into search engine technology, streaming services, and eventually commercial space travel. Throughout our story, however, SpaceWurd has yet to take off on its maiden flight. However, Bryon has no conscience and hates atheists, democrats, and homosexuals. don’t you already hate it Let’s face it, the world is full of inspiration to create such a character.
What is the inflammatory incident on Frenzy Island?
hurricane In particular, Cyclone Ava hit Madagascar in January 2018. This hurricane sank the ship containing the Espérance and the Godriva. Eventually, they end up on an island in East Africa owned by Byron Wurd. This ait is monitored by Cynthia Dowley of the SpaceWurd control station in Arizona. See how it all fits together?
What is the original conflict of Frenzy Island?
Sisters Esperance and Godriva are netted in an abandoned scientific facility on an island. Cynthia knows them because she overlooks the island and the settlement and learns from the sisters that things there are not what they seem. There was a project that could change the course of human history in this place, and they all fell right in the middle. Meanwhile, the site has become unstable and could explode at any moment, and strange things are happening in the sky. Something big is about to happen and Cynthia must race against time to get the refugees off the island before it happens. Meanwhile, Byron Wurd promises to continue his mysterious “project” regardless of the consequences for the world.
Did you plan Frenzy Island in advance, or did you fly seated in your pants and type freely?
The plot of FRENZY ISLAND was born out of my dreams. When I tried to sort them, I wasn’t sure what direction the story was going to go in, so it was a pretty organic process. I certainly didn’t sit down to think about it. But once I had a plot line in mind, I could follow it. Also, while working on the book, I had other dreams and ideas to add – twisted bullets – that helped take the story to unexpected places.
Did you get any assembly help and how much assembly did Frenzy Island take?
The editing involved mostly the grammar, and very little of the story itself. I can attribute that to my (earlier) career as a commercial screenwriter, which was nine-tenths self-published. I’ve learned to be very strict with myself about what gets left on the page and what gets cut out. I like my prose to be direct and concise, giving the reader enough information to proceed, which helps move the story forward.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give someone that inspired you to write a story?
Find an idea that excites you. I think the best things happen when a writer enjoys exploring their idea or their world. Working on a project should be fun, not a chore.
Can you pay me a hint as regards any therewithal books you are planning to write?
Of course, I can. I’ve been really busy. I once finished a goth vampire novel about a woman who hunts men who hunt women for vampires. In order. And a while ago I’ve been working on a sci-fi/fantasy trilogy. Volume 1 is done, Volume 2 is in the final stages and I have about 30,000 words for Volume 3. Finally, I recently had an idea for a popular horror story about a group of witch hunters who choose the wrong witch.
And finally, are you proud of your result?
Yes! I’m very proud of FRENZY ISLAND and can’t wait for it to be released to the world.
Add any links to your books, websites, and social media here so readers can find you:
Facebook Richard E. Rock – author
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Twitter @RichardERock1
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