CHRISTOPHER O‘HALLORAN IS FULL OF HOWLS (AUTHOR INTERVIEW)

3/6/2021

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a father of one with a day job at a milk plant in British Columbia. In addition to our son, my girlfriend and I have two cats, a dog, and a horse. I’m shopping around my debut novel, Pushing Daisy, while writing the first draft of a post-apocalyptic novel, Echoes.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

Roger Darling, the protagonist of Pushing Daisy would be a challenge. He’s a grumpy dude. Justifiably—to him—but really not fun to be around. Why I would write a novel about him is beyond me.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

The classics are classics for a reason! Steinbeck, Hemingway, Bradbury. They all shaped me and my writing. I dip into sci-fi as well as fantasy, but usually reluctantly. The reluctance isn’t warranted, though; I usually end up loving what I find in those genres.

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?

Horror is going through a renaissance! The literary elements that are being brought to the genre—Stephen Graham Jones, Paul Tremblay, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, all come to mind—are bringing the high-stakes horror is known for while using prose in a very unique and well-regarded way. The use of horror in the #OwnVoices community is also doing a lot to show different perspectives and bring in underrepresented demographics.

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?

We’ve been dealing with a lot of bleak circumstances, so I think we might want to start seeing some stories about hope and coming together. Either that, or some cathartic, Nazi-defeating tales of heroism. No matter which way horror goes, I think we’re going to want to avoid stories of devastating pandemics.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?

We want to feel the fear and exhilaration that comes with the gruesome while being reassured of our own safety! Stories are supposed to put characters through the ringer. What better ringer is Freddy Kreuger or Pennywise the Clown?

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

I don’t think anything is missing from the genre. There’s so many great stories coming out from new and established writers that there’s something for everyone.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?

I have two friends that I’m honored to be published with in Howls From Hell—Alex Wolfgang and Shane Hawk—that have some great short story collections out. Shane’s coming out with a splatter western soon and Alex is working on a novel as well, so I can’t wait to see what they do with the longer form.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

I had a relatively prominent horror reviewer subtweet about my story “Possess and Serve” in Howls From Hell. They claimed it was too long and they didn’t finish. I don’t blame them—it’s technically a novelette—but it sticks with me as my first negative review!

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Finding the time, for sure. My son is just over a year and a half, and when I’m not at work, I’m spending time with him while his mom works with horses. My main writing time is on my coffee/lunch breaks. Even now, I’m typing on a tablet while sitting in my car!

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

I’m trying to straddle the line between diversity and not stealing the stories from other communities. It’s been a challenge to write from other points of view as I’m exposed to different attitudes and opinions. I would never write about race or gender issues as the focus of a novel because no matter how much research I do, that would be telling a story that someone from that demographic would do better with.

Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

Constantly giving and receiving feedback from a consistent writing group has taught me so much about pacing and really slowing things down to create a mood and make everything in a scene clear. I’ve also been doing a lot to cut extraneous content which is emotionally taxing at times, but definitely necessary.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

Give as much feedback as you can. It’s a lot easier to notice plot/character/setting issues in someone else’s story than your own. Noticing these problems in the writing of others helps you look at your own writing through the same critical lens.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

I really like the character of Luisa in my new story “Jaws” that’s coming out later this year in The Dread Machine’s debut anthology. Every story takes place in the year 1986. Since I wasn’t yet born, I interviewed my mom and based the story off her life—with the addition of dangerous teddy bears!

Which of your books best represents you?

I like to think Pushing Daisy really represents me. All of my negative thoughts and feelings, my anxieties and selfishness, I put into my protagonist. Every feeling that I’m ashamed to feel.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?

My new novel features an apocalyptic event where younger versions of every adult appear in the midst of their defining childhood trauma; a touch from your youthful apparition is fatal. Henry, a blind teenager, philosophizes about the world that remains:

“The kind of people that are left. Any good Samaritan would help a kid, right? So, who does that leave?” His head bobbed left and right. “Cowards. Assholes.”

That line defines the conflict in the story pretty succinctly.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

Echoes is what I’m working on now, and Pushing Daisy was my last completed novel—the story of a vengeful ghost who haunts her selfish husband after her death.
If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?
Making jokes at moments of tension! It’s super hard to make a book scary if your protagonist is making little quips when there should be heightened stakes.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

The last book that really blew my mind was The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman. His characters are incredible, and his stories are thrilling. I can’t wait to get through more of his books!

The last book that disappointed me was Ghost Story by Peter Straub. It’s so beloved by many, but just wasn’t my bag.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do? And what would be the answer?

“Does empathizing with a bad person make you in some way a bad person?”

To that, I would say that it’s important to see villains as human. When you separate them from us, you miss the important lesson that villainy is within anyone. The real proving of character comes from the way you avoid resorting to the behavior that would make you a bad person. Empathy rarely leads you to bad behavior.

CHRISTOPHER O‘HALLORAN—HWA and HOWLS member—is a Canadian actor-turned-author who has been published by Hellbound Books, Tales to Terrify Podcast, The Dread Machine, and others. Despite making the transition to writing, Chris still puts his acting diploma to use; he acts like a fool for chuckles from his wife and son at home in British Columbia. He is co-editor and contributor for the anthology Howls From Hell. His work can be read at COauthor.ca where fans can find updates on his upcoming novel, Pushing Daisy. Contact him there or on twitter @Burgleinfernal.

WEBSITE LINKS

Coauthor.ca
Twitter.com/burgleinfernal

Spacefaring researchers disturb an ancient horror. An enchanted object curses a grieving widow. A haunted reel torments a film student. A murder trial hinges on a chilling testimony.

In Howls From Hell, sixteen emerging horror writers pave the way for the future of the genre. Fans of dark and macabre fiction will savor this exhibition of all-original tales born from one of the fastest-growing horror communities in the world: HOWL Society.

With a foreword by GRADY HENDRIX, this anthology unveils the horror writers of tomorrow with spine-tingling stories from:

P.L. McMillan, J.W. Donley
Shane Hawk, Christopher O'Halloran
Alex Wolfgang, Amanda Nevada DeMel
Lindsey Ragsdale, Solomon Forse
Justin Faull, M. David Clarkson
B.O.B. Jenkin, S.E. Denton
Thea Maeve, Joseph Andre Thomas
Joe Radkins, Quinn Fern