Ask the Author: Rob E. Boley
Answered Questions (8)
Rob E. Boley
Oh gosh, Eddy! Somehow this question slipped past me and I never answered it. My apologies! I finished a pretty solid draft of Book 8 - THAT BLOODTHIRSTY ROSE - a few weeks ago. I'm letting it sit for a few weeks, and then I'm going to do final edits after the first of the year. So, I'd imagine it'll be out . . . March 2021.
Again, sorry for taking so long to respond. Drop me a direct message with your mailing address, and I'll mail you a signed Scary Tales postcard. THANKS for your question!
Again, sorry for taking so long to respond. Drop me a direct message with your mailing address, and I'll mail you a signed Scary Tales postcard. THANKS for your question!
Rob E. Boley
Ooh. Great question, Olusola. THANKS! I guess the answer is two-fold.
First, I've always loved horror. Growing up, my dad, my sister, and I watched horror movies as often as we could. I think there's a wonderful magic in embracing the monstrous, the terrible. My wife and I have been watching Dragula lately on Netflix and one of the contestants said something about how so often in horror, the monsters represent "the other" or "the different." There's something very empowering about embracing that otherness and finding joy where others might find filth or disgust. To put it more succinctly, I've always found a wicked delight in horror.
Second, when it comes to the actual writing process, I've found writing horror to be a wonderful distraction for my restless mind. I tend toward being slightly anxious, so if left to my own devices, I'll often worry about terrible things happening to me, or more frequently, my loves ones. So when I'm writing a horror story, I can focus instead on thinking of wonderfully terrible things happening to my characters.
First, I've always loved horror. Growing up, my dad, my sister, and I watched horror movies as often as we could. I think there's a wonderful magic in embracing the monstrous, the terrible. My wife and I have been watching Dragula lately on Netflix and one of the contestants said something about how so often in horror, the monsters represent "the other" or "the different." There's something very empowering about embracing that otherness and finding joy where others might find filth or disgust. To put it more succinctly, I've always found a wicked delight in horror.
Second, when it comes to the actual writing process, I've found writing horror to be a wonderful distraction for my restless mind. I tend toward being slightly anxious, so if left to my own devices, I'll often worry about terrible things happening to me, or more frequently, my loves ones. So when I'm writing a horror story, I can focus instead on thinking of wonderfully terrible things happening to my characters.
Rob E. Boley
Hi, Ken. Thanks for your questions.
Glad you liked that story. That's a great book, and I was thrilled to have my story in such amazing company!
Q1: If memory serves, I saw a general call for submissions for Best New Werewolf Tales, probably on a site like or . Both are great resources for finding horror markets. I submitted the story (after it went through much editing, of course) following whatever directions they called for. Simple as that!
Q2: I had already written Stink of Animosity before Best New Werewolf Tales. In fact, it had been rejected a handful of times by some other great markets. That's how it goes. You can have a great story, but it has to find the right editor's desk at the right time.
Incidentally, that story was later adapted by the amazing team at Pseudopod in audio format. If you'd like to listen, here's the link:
Again, thanks! Hope this helps.
Glad you liked that story. That's a great book, and I was thrilled to have my story in such amazing company!
Q1: If memory serves, I saw a general call for submissions for Best New Werewolf Tales, probably on a site like or . Both are great resources for finding horror markets. I submitted the story (after it went through much editing, of course) following whatever directions they called for. Simple as that!
Q2: I had already written Stink of Animosity before Best New Werewolf Tales. In fact, it had been rejected a handful of times by some other great markets. That's how it goes. You can have a great story, but it has to find the right editor's desk at the right time.
Incidentally, that story was later adapted by the amazing team at Pseudopod in audio format. If you'd like to listen, here's the link:
Again, thanks! Hope this helps.
Rob E. Boley
First, thank you so much for reading! Much obliged--and I'm glad you enjoyed That Risen Snow.
I'd say my favorite dwarfs from the original Disney movie were Dopey and Grouchy. I liked Dopey because I always had the sense that there was much more to his goofy grin. And I liked Grouchy because he had the strongest character arc--going from this woman-hating grouch to someone who genuinely cared for Snow White.
In my own story, I grew very attached to Merry. In fact, I'm always surprised when readers talk about how much they hated him. The little guy means well, and he's plagued by almost debilitating depression and anxiety. But I also love Grouchy and Dim. The scenes with Grouchy and Snow were my favorite of the first book.
My favorite fairy tale? Easy. Little Red Riding Hood. I love wolves. In fact, I've volunteered at a couple different wolf sanctuaries. So, despite the fact that the Red Riding Hood tale casts wolves in a negative light, it's still my favorite. In fact, you'll meet Red in Book Three of the Scary Tales, That Ravenous Moon: A Scary Tale of Red Riding Hood & Werewolves.
Again, thanks for reading!
I'd say my favorite dwarfs from the original Disney movie were Dopey and Grouchy. I liked Dopey because I always had the sense that there was much more to his goofy grin. And I liked Grouchy because he had the strongest character arc--going from this woman-hating grouch to someone who genuinely cared for Snow White.
In my own story, I grew very attached to Merry. In fact, I'm always surprised when readers talk about how much they hated him. The little guy means well, and he's plagued by almost debilitating depression and anxiety. But I also love Grouchy and Dim. The scenes with Grouchy and Snow were my favorite of the first book.
My favorite fairy tale? Easy. Little Red Riding Hood. I love wolves. In fact, I've volunteered at a couple different wolf sanctuaries. So, despite the fact that the Red Riding Hood tale casts wolves in a negative light, it's still my favorite. In fact, you'll meet Red in Book Three of the Scary Tales, That Ravenous Moon: A Scary Tale of Red Riding Hood & Werewolves.
Again, thanks for reading!
Rob E. Boley
When my daughter was much younger, one of her first movies was Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.� I had a great time watching it with her and seeing her reaction. Snow’s frightened dash through the woods really freaked her out! Over the course of the next few months, she wanted to watch that movie over and over again.
If you watch anything enough times, either your brain will melt or you’ll start to see the darkness between the lines just to keep yourself entertained. It seemed silly to me that Snow’s curse would end with a simple kiss. I mean, that’s too easy. Wouldn’t it be all the more sinister if that kiss was actually the catalyst for something far worse?
Plus, Snow White was such a weak character, like a lot of the fairy tale princesses. As my daughter said, “She wasn’t very smart to eat that apple.� So, I also wanted to update her and some of the other female fairy tale characters and make them less passive and stronger, yet realistic and relatable.
If you watch anything enough times, either your brain will melt or you’ll start to see the darkness between the lines just to keep yourself entertained. It seemed silly to me that Snow’s curse would end with a simple kiss. I mean, that’s too easy. Wouldn’t it be all the more sinister if that kiss was actually the catalyst for something far worse?
Plus, Snow White was such a weak character, like a lot of the fairy tale princesses. As my daughter said, “She wasn’t very smart to eat that apple.� So, I also wanted to update her and some of the other female fairy tale characters and make them less passive and stronger, yet realistic and relatable.
Rob E. Boley
First and most important, you have to make time to write every day. Make a daily goal for yourself, be it time or words. For example, I general aim for 1,000 words a day. That takes me about an hour. Treat your writing time as sacred. It’s not a chore. It’s a ritual.
Beyond that, pick up my favorite writing books: On Writing by Stephen King and Hooked by Les Edgerton. King’s book is a brilliant memoir of the craft, but also contains a ton of helpful, practical advice. Edgerton’s book focuses on how to craft a solid first chapter, but it also contains a lot of great pragmatic tips on writing a solid story.
Beyond that, pick up my favorite writing books: On Writing by Stephen King and Hooked by Les Edgerton. King’s book is a brilliant memoir of the craft, but also contains a ton of helpful, practical advice. Edgerton’s book focuses on how to craft a solid first chapter, but it also contains a lot of great pragmatic tips on writing a solid story.
Rob E. Boley
I don't believe in writer's block. You either write or your don't. But when I'm having trouble making a story work, I go for a long walk or a long drive - some mindless activity that allows my mind to chew and digest the plot issues.
Rob E. Boley
I'm working on completing the rest of THE SCARY TALES series, which will be comprised of nine dark fantasy novels when it's finished. Book Three is currently with my editors. I've sent Book Four to some trusted readers. I'm doing edits and rewrites on Books Five and Six, and the final three books are yet to be written. Exciting times!
About Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
