Dan from Staffordshire, has just won an award for his "The Soul That Screamed," Anthology and his script for the Legend of the Chained Oak, has been turned in to a film.
Hi Dan, Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?
Dan: Sure thing, well I’m relatively new to horror writing having only started penning my darkest desires last January, but I seem to have found my groove as every story I have written has been picked up for publication. My debut collection “The Soul That Screams” contains all the stories I put together in 2013 and won the ‘Preditors and Editors Best Anthology 0f 2013’! I’m pretty proud of that achievement
I also tried my hand at movie making; “Legend of the Chained Oak” which I wrote and co-produced will be featuring at various film festivals throughout 2014. We produced an impressive 30 minute short and our aim is to generate funds in order to film a full feature length version. I recently finished writing the script, which although was an entirely different task to that of writing a book, was still thoroughly enjoyable!
Dean: Do you prefer the term Horror, Weird Fiction or Dark Fiction?
Dan: To be honest, I am not one for labels. Of course I understand the necessity to classify, but when I write, when I read, labels are pretty far from my mind.
Dean: Who are some of your favourite authors?
Dan: I would have to say I am a huge fan of the masters that are Poe and Lovecraft. They prove the adage that true horror is timeless.
I tend not to read vast amounts of horror for fear they may influence my work on a subconscious level, but as an author and a professional, I admire Clive Barker immensely.
Dean: What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?
Dan: You know what? I’m going to throw a curve ball here. Though I do read books, the last piece I read that impressed me was the graphic novel “Preacher: Gone to Texas” by Garth Ennis. Gritty, twisted and oozing cool. I loved it and have since purchased other volumes. Personally, I find graphic novels a great tutorial in how to write great dialogue.
The last book that disappointed me, again this may prove controversial but I really struggled with “By the light of the moon” by Dean Koontz. I did not finish it which really upsets me. I think it was his writing style, I just found it a difficult read but each to his own!
Dean: How would you describe your writing style?
Dan: Largely classical in style, it has been compared to Lovecraft on many occasions. I do write the occasional modern piece where my style becomes a little looser, a little trashier. I enjoy writing in both styles equally!
Dean: What’s the most important lesson you have learned about writing?
Dan: Do not get into a habit of continuous re-edits. Finish a piece and walk away from it. Leave it a few weeks until it is out of your system, then when you come to edit it with fresh eyes you will find the process so much easier.
Dean: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
Dan: I think my writing has matured, even in a relatively short space of time. I would not say my story ideas necessarily have, they are still pretty outlandish, but I feel I am able to tell them a little more concisely now than when I first started to write properly.
Dean: What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?
Dan: Finish a piece and walk away from it. Leave it a few weeks until it is out of your system, then when you come to edit it with fresh eyes you will find the process so much easier. Saves a lot of headaches!
Dean: Who is your favourite character from your book and why?
Dan: Ah that’s easy! Agnes Ferry, a dear elderly woman with a penchant for murder and cannibalism. She is such a joy to write, I find I can add elements of humour and some really shocking action but still the readers love her. Currently she stars in two of my short stories, (“Once a butcher’s wife” and “Always a butcher’s wife”) but my readers are demanding another sequel!
Dean: Fame, fortune, or respect. What’s most important to you?
Dan: I’d like to leave behind something when I’m gone. Something my daughter and her children could be proud of. My work has brought about such positive responses and even brought people together, you cannot really ask for more.
Dean: What piece of your own work are you most proud of?
Dan: The book as a whole, I am proud of the variety of stories within and the clarity of my voice.
Dean: Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?
Dan: As mentioned above, “The Soul That Screamed” contains all of my short stories from 2013. All in some way relate to man’s obsession with curiosity, and the grave consequences that can entail!
Book two is currently untitled but is around a quarter of the way finished. It’s shaping up nicely and I’m fairly happy with the mix of stories thus far.
Then there’s the “Legend of the Chained Oak.” We hope that it does well on the festival circuit, I have a full length script ready to go, the dream is to make the film that time and budget constraints meant we could not the first time around. It’s based on one of England’s least known legends and I hope to draw much attention and admiration to it.
This year I intend to raise my profile even higher, the critters poll and the movie may go some way to achieving this but really it’s going to be down to hard work and pushing myself harder than ever.
Website: http://legendofthechainedoakmovie.co.uk
Blog: http://donvenucchi.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielweatherer
Twitter:dweatherer21
Amazon Author Page:
here 
