E.C. HANSON E. C. Hanson earned his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and was the recipient of an “Outstanding Writing For The Screen” certificate. His work has been published by Smith & Kraus and Applause Books in 8 play anthologies. More than 35 of his short plays have been developed and produced in the United States. Curious Blue Press, Trembling With Fear, Ghost Orchid Press, Collective Tales, and The Parliament House have published his fiction. WEBSITE LINKS Facebook: Erik Hanson Instagram: haddonfieldhanson Twitter: @ECHanson21 Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself? My name is E.C. Hanson. I am a reading tutor, adjunct professor, and wine store clerk. I teach a horror-themed writing class at Sacred Heart University. While I attended NYU for playwriting and screenwriting, I made the shift to fiction at the start of COVID. My debut collection, All Things Deadly (Salem Stories), comes out on August 6th, which coincidentally is my birthday. It is being released by D&T Publishing. Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life? William Smith in Crunchy Bits. There is something about him that makes me uncomfortable. People will have to read my book to find out why. Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing? The work of Sylvia Plath is everything to me. I don’t think her influence is obvious in my work, but she helped shaped my overall sensibility when I started writing plays during my senior year of college. The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations. What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions? Great question. It carries such a negative stigma for a lot of people. Some people dismiss it as gore without substance. But there are so many different shades of horror where gore isn’t even prevalent. When the university allowed professors to choose the theme for their writing classes, I picked horror because it is so polarizing. I don’t let my students write about whether they liked the film or not. I ask them to hone in on what the content is doing. Where is the value? Yes, the movie Maniac (1980) is insanely violent. But it’s truly about how a parent can ruin their child’s entire life. That is a valuable message to spread. The future of horror is bright with the contributions of Ari Aster and Robert Eggers. They’re changing what horror means. While Jordan Peele gets credit for injecting a social aspect into his first two films, I’m less impressed by him because I know what his major influences are. Go watch the original Candyman and Craven’s The People Under the Stairs and you’ll see what I mean. Or maybe you won’t if you’re obsessed with Peele. A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years? Okay, so I just mentioned Peele. But I don’t want to belabor the point on what he’s doing. I think more films like The Hunt and The Purge will come out. Then again, I think audience members want escapism and originality. They don’t want to be frequently reminded of our daily problems. The United States is at such odds right now. That is scarier to me than any film a director can make. Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it? Forgive me, but it has balls. It takes you places other genres can’t. For example, I hate violence. Any form of it scares me. But I can watch and appreciate something like Saw because that villain’s purpose has meaning. I don’t think anyone should partake in such acts, but he’s trying to teach people a lesson about their daily behavior. It’s why we connect with the show (and lead character) Dexter so much. He only wants to kill the bad guys. That’s kind of awesome. And it’s watchable. Equally watchable but tough to stomach is Rooker’s performance in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. I can’t take my eyes off the screen when it’s on, but that is an eerie film because it’s played so straight. What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre? Female directors. Jennifer Kent and Karyn Kusama are terrific. But we need to bust open the door and let the women try their hand at the genre. Most of them have more nerve and style than the men in this industry. What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice of? Ruthann Jagge, Mark Towse, and Robert Ottone. End of story. Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you? My collection went to Godless.com recently. You can get it as an e-book there. Then it goes to Amazon. Early reviews seem to be going in my favor. It’s a nice change. Even though many of my short plays have been staged around the map, I wouldn’t say that any of them got a decent review. Not a single one. What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult? I love the process. Every step of it. The only aspect that can be tough is during the rewrite stage. Aside from all the things one can edit, it’s a difficult job finding potential holes in the narrative. You have to play detective and be objective as all hell. Otherwise, the work will suffer. Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? I would have answered “no” six months ago. But ever since my daughter entered the world in February, I feel like my creative brain is changing. Hopefully this changes or I will blame her. Just kidding! She makes me want to be a better person. Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years? I go with my gut and just crank. Some days I would draft a short play. Other times, I would map out a TV series or screenplay. When I don’t feel like writing, I read a variety of material to keep my brain stimulated. Being open to all types of writing allows anyone to develop. What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing? Get weird. Which of your characters is your favourite? Sutton in The Frost storyline. Which of your books best represents you? It has to be the collection. But the novella I finished recently wouldn’t have come about without my father. He passed away a few months back. Even though we weren’t close, he’s got a big hand on that material. The book will be dedicated to him. Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us? I like my work, but not that much. Never that much. Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next? Well, this is my first book. I’ve had some stories published in the fall and spring. As for the next projects, I completed the aforementioned novella. I had to tweak the ending before I felt good about it. I am going to team up with Demain Publishing for that in 2022. And I just drafted book one in a YA series. It’s too early to predict what, if anything, will happen with that. If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice? If the dead cell phone counts, my vote is for that one. We need some new tropes. What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you? I loved Boarded Windows, Dead Leaves by Michael Jess Alexander. It was released by Spooky House Press. Everyone should read that. Alexander wastes no words in that book. I admire him for it. As for what disappointed me… I’m going to ruffle some feathers here, but I didn’t love Horrostor by Grady Hendrix. He is super talented, but it didn’t leave me with anything. It’s like a great popcorn movie. You rush off to see it, it ends, and by the time you hit the parking lot, you forget about it. What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do? And what would be the answer? I don’t mean it to be snarky, but I always like to asked one less question. I talk for my jobs. I talk to promote my writing. But I prefer silence. All Things Deadly |
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