Interview with Mark Wright (Author & Screenwriter)
“To read more interviews, book reviews and short stories, follow J.A. Sullivan at her blog Writing Scared https://writingscaredblog.wordpress.com”
Interview with Mark Wright (Author & Screenwriter)
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| Mark Wright (Writer MDW) |
Upon joining Twitter last summer, I began following @MidnightGore who had just released The Serial Killer Newsletter (TSKN).
“Imagine an “underground” newspaper where the editors and authors are those that committed the crimes. They write in and describe and justify their killings for the entertainment of their readers. The reader gets to follow these killers as they recount their experiences.” – excerpt from Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life, https://gbhbl.com/special-feature-the-serial-killer-newsletter-midnight-gore/
Within minutes of reading the first issue, which included two stories, each from the perspective of the perpetrator, I was hooked. So, I reached out and began a conversation with the man behind Midnight Gore, Mark Wright.
I soon found out that he had worked in the film industry for years, in many departments. His favorite departments were script writing and directing. And while Mark still loves being a storyteller, he’s begun to channel his creations through the written word, leaving the world of cinema behind him.
Since the first time I reached out to Mark, we’ve had great conversations about books, movies, and many other random life events. When I asked him for a formal interview, he was a little tentative, but decided to go along with it. While he may be new to the world of short stories and novels, this guy knows horror!
WS: Many times, horror movies get a lot of hype before release, but are a big let down to fans. Where do you think they go wrong?
MW: The hype is done as a promotional effort to help people gain an interest in a project ($) before it is released for wide public consumption. Me personally, when I see a large promotional endeavor taking place for a project, and see an overwhelmingly large amount of critics up-talking it, I lose interest. With that many people pushing it, there’s a reason why it is being overly promoted (usually not good).
WS: What do you look for in a great horror story, whether it be a film or a book?
MW: Action, Conflict, Thrill, Shock, Freight. Something that will make the story hard to forget when it is over; that is what makes a horror story memorable to me. These things can occur within a character, event, part of the plot (or plot change), and even if the antagonist prevails and lives at the end.
WS: Who has influenced your work the most?
MW: I am a big David Cronenberg fan. I love his imagination and how he puts a story on film. William S. Burroughs opens doors in books just like David Cronenberg does on films to me.
WS: What’s your favorite horror story?
MW: Oh geez, that’s a hard question! Movie: Videodrome; Book: not sure. Recently, Bret Easton Ellis has been on my mind.
WS: What was your proudest achievement in film?
MW: Kill Kill. I loved the people I worked with on it, and a version of it was released in black and white. It was meant to be a black and white noir film. I turned the story over to Eric Fisk and he is working on a pre-story to it. He will also be working on a part of the story where the film ended. He will be writing this in book format.
WS: In your latest issue of TSKN (#3), you announced joining Big Green Publishing. How did this partnership come about?
MW: My friend, Eric Fisk, owns Big Green Publishing and likes what I do. He was needing content and I was needing promotion, it worked out for the best of both of us. He is good at what he does, and I am very lucky to be on board.
WS: Your story, Deadly Dreams, which appears both in TSKN #3 and Big Green Publishing’s site, is based on a script you wrote. What’s been the biggest challenge in transitioning the script to written word? What’s been the easiest part to translate?
MW: The hardest part was creating more to the story. The story was taken from a short film script. When rewriting it, I needed to add to the beginning of the actual story and more to the end. The story, when in literary format, was freed because I didn’t have to worry about a shooting budget. I was able to add more conflicts and plots to the story (which have not been released yet) that lets the concept and main character become more entertaining to a reader. The easiest part of the story was putting the parts back in that I was limited from when writing the short film script.
WS: What has been your favorite short story to write so far?
MW: The Grindhouse 42nd Street Killer in TSKN #2.
WS: That’s still my favorite of your short stories too! Lastly, what advice would you give to new authors or screenwriters of horror?
MW: No matter if it is a reader or an audience never let them get bored. NEVER.
A big thanks to Mark Wright, for taking the time to speak with me. I hope you enjoyed this interview, and if you would like to know more about the author and his works, check out:
Subscribe to The Serial Killer Newsletter on Mark’s Blog: https://writermdw.blogspot.com for early release dates on Kindle
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