MARK TOWSE FACES THE MUSIC

When I mention to people that I write horror, you can tell they take two steps back in their minds. They look at me and think, how can somebody so clean-cut conjure such devilry? They imagine gorefests—flesh ripping, blood spilling, and all sorts of horrific nightmares, so convincing them that horror can be psychological is the first battle. A lot of people that were adamant they were against horror ending up reading my work and loving it. Of course, you have to throw some fleshy bits in from time to time to catch them off guard!

After a 30-year hiatus, Mark recently gave up a lucrative career in sales to pursue his dream of being a writer. His passion and belief have resulted in pieces in many prestigious magazines, including Flash Fiction Magazine, Raconteur, Breaking Rules Publishing, Books N' Pieces, Artpost, Colp, The Horror Zine, Antipodean SF, Page & Spine, Twenty-Two Twenty-Eight, and Montreal Writes. His work has also appeared twice on The No Sleep Podcast, The Grey Rooms, The Other Stories, and is soon to appear on Centropic Oracle. Twelve anthologies to date include his work, two of which are on the 2019 Horror Writers Association recommended list, and a further eight anthologies set for imminent release also contain his work. His first collection, ‘Face the Music’ has just been released by All Things That Matter Press.
Mark resides in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two children.

WEBSITE LINKS
 
https://twitter.com/MarkTowsey12
https://www.facebook.com/mark.towse.75
https://marktowsedarkfiction.wordpress.com/

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m 46 years old and a master of cringe-worthy dad jokes. I’m at an age where I’ve stopped caring what people think about me, and it’s particularly freeing. My day job is an advertising manager, but I would sell my soul to the devil, or anyone buying if it meant I could write full-time. I love red wine, hanging with my family, and all things horror.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life and have them complain at you about they way you treated them in your work.

Jeez, there are many, but if push came to shove, it would have to be Rachel from my story, ‘Happy Returns’ (featured in Hellfire Crossroads: Introducing by Midnight Street Press). That woman sends shivers down my spine—sickly sweet until you cross her.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?
 
My life. A cheesy answer, but I draw on the hurt and write what I know.
 
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?
 
When I mention to people that I write horror, you can tell they take two steps back in their minds. They look at me and think, how can somebody so clean-cut conjure such devilry? They imagine gorefests—flesh ripping, blood spilling, and all sorts of horrific nightmares, so convincing them that horror can be psychological is the first battle. A lot of people that were adamant they were against horror ending up reading my work and loving it. Of course, you have to throw some fleshy bits in from time to time to catch them off guard!

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?
 
Wow, that’s a tough one. I certainly think writers are somewhat influenced, if even subconsciously, by events in the world, but I certainly try to be different. Inevitably, there will be a big draw to virus and technology-related themes, but I still prefer old school horror themes that don’t always necessarily have an outside influence. Horror, in general, does have to adapt, and I guess I will come along kicking and screaming.


Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?
 
Pure escapism. It’s not for everyone, but I think for a lot of people, the worlds created are safer than their own. I don’t there are many outright human sadists out there, and the majority of people just enjoy it because it’s fantasy—something different.


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

I’m a big fan of M Night Shyamalan because he tells a tale without overloading on gore, and usually delivers an exceptional twist. The plot seems to have become secondary to special effects and CGI these days, so any film that can sucker-punch is a big plus for me.
 

In the past authors were able to write about almost anything with a far lesser degree of the fear of backlash, but this has all changed in recent years.  These days authors must be more aware of representation an the depiction of things such as race and gender in their works, how aware are you of these things and what steps have you taken to ensure that your writing can’t be viewed as being offensive to a minority group? 
 
It is tough. I remember some of the books I used to read that would now be frowned upon. Just because it isn’t written, doesn’t mean it’s not happening, and speaking as a creator, it can often interrupt the flow of a story if you have to somehow step around such powerful emotionally-charged moments in time.


Does horror fiction perpetuate it’s own ghettoization?
 
I think it can, yes. A lot of my readers have suggested I should publish under a more generic category, but at the end of the day, some of my pieces will crossover to very dark themes. I would say 70% of my stories are psychological and could probably be classified as mystery/suspense/thriller, but then there are the others that contain sentences of outright horror.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?
 
I’m immediately going to become unpopular here. I’ve only been writing for two years, and in all that time, I’ve only attempted one novel (couldn’t finish it). I’ve tried to stay away from any other influences and develop my own style. It has worked well for me and allowed me to write all the bile that leaks from my mind without over-analysing or judging myself. I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come in this short space of time, and I don’t think I’d be saying that if I did it any other way.

What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author?
 
So many, but to pick a couple …
 
The Talisman – Stephen King and Peter Straub. An epic journey that left me awestruck as a kid.
The Ballad of Lee Cotton – Christopher Wilson – Totally off genre but incredibly funny and the narrator throughout made you feel as though you were in Mississippi.
Misery — a psychological masterclass. And Kathy Bates – Jeez!

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

They all stay with me. I think the worst negative one I had was regarding one of the stories I did for The No Sleep Podcast called ‘A Sense of Dread’. I regretted that one ever going live as it works well on paper but just wasn’t podcast material. It was also a very English character being narrated by an American. Somebody called it ‘boring’.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?
 
The ideas. I’ve written 83 stories to date, and each one becomes more difficult to give birth to. I find the process easy from beginning to end, but coming up with the idea that is going to transfix readers is the bane of my life.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?
 
No. There are areas I would dull down, but I don’t think anything should be off-limits.

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?

I’m a bit pants at choosing names to be honest. I think I’ve used similar names in my stories just because they sounded like strong English names. Tom is a go-to for me. I have to stop doing that. I’ve started using the names of our neighbours.
 
Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

I don’t have a degree in English or a master’s in creative writing. I got a degree in mathematics in 1991 and somehow drifted into a career in sales. Looking back to some of my earlier work, technically, it is below par, and this is an area I am constantly improving on.

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

I rarely ask for advice. I think that is because I am defensive rather than arrogant. There is lots of work to do still. Somebody once said to me, “Just get your head down and do it, and stop talking about it”. That’s probably the best piece of advice I’ve had.

To many writers, the characters they write become like children, who is your favorite child, and who is your least favorite to write for and why?

It doesn’t really apply. I write short stories and go through a lot of characters. Sometimes I feel for them and get reasonably close to them, but I never want to adopt then.

For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your books do you think best represents your work and why?

My debut ‘Face The Music’ is perfect for this. It’s a great mixture of stories that explore fear in many different forms and situations. There are 22 shorts here, each one very different, but each providing a unique and unsettling ride.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?
 
There are many. Sorry, I couldn’t possibly pick one.
 
Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?
 
Face The Music is my debut collection. I already have more than enough material for my second collection and already very excited about bringing those to light. The readers are in for a real treat.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?
 
The happy ending.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?
 
The book I mentioned above—the one I couldn’t finish. I found it very slow and hard-going, and it probably could have been a hundred pages shorter. I hate to say it as I used to be a huge fan, but it was ‘The Institute’ by Stephen King.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?
 
Q: Why do you write?
A: Because I have to.

In this collection of old-school style horror stories, Mark Towse takes readers on a wild ride with unexpected twists and turns. Once read, these tales will not be easily forgotten.

Seeing bad things happen to good people lends some stories a tragic, chilling atmosphere, especially when they involve circumstances beyond the character's control. Some are more straightforward morality plays, with people who are too greedy, too curious or too rotten to live being tracked down by various sinister forces. Most of the time this ends in blood, or the suggestion of blood to come, and it's those stories, teetering precariously on the verge of revealing someone's fate, that cut me the deepest. - Ben Walker, Ginger Nuts of Horror 

---

THE HEART AND SOUL OF HORROR PROMOTION WEBSITES ​