Horror Author Carol Gore #Interview
Carol Gore Interview
1. I’m so excited to be interviewing a fellow Rewind or Die participant! What inspired the plot for your debut novel Infested? I live in a very rural area in the south. In the summer, bugs are everywhere. A couple of years ago, I was outside with my oldest son and we were pretending that the bugs had a zombie virus and were coming to eat us. (Kids are great improv partners!) When I saw the Unnerving Magazine call for pitches inspired by video store rentals in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I knew I had to do it. I was a child at that moment in history, and remember vividly the terrifying, mysterious covers of the videotapes. (Yes, videotapes!) My sleepovers always featured them. While brainstorming pitches, I thought of buggy terrors like The Nest, Ticks, and Night of the Creeps.
2. If Infested were made into a movie, who would you cast to play your leads Casey Lovitt and Dr. Phillip Edwards? I’d love to see Sarah Goldberg, who plays Sally on the HBO series Barry, as Casey. For Phillip, I’d love to cast John Reynolds, who plays Drew on TBS’s Search Party. They aren’t big blockbuster names but I adore both of those shows and those actors are immensely talented.
3. Is any of your writing autobiographical? Do you gain inspiration from real events or people? No, and yes! My writing isn’t autobiographical (a very normal, stable, happy life doesn’t make for good fiction), but I am inspired by real events and people. I was born and raised in the south which is full of interesting characters and tall tales. Most of what I write is set in the south. It’s what I know best!
4. When did you first discover your love of writing? My mom says that before I could read or write, I’d dictate stories to her and make her write them down. I’m sure as an exhausted mother of five she just LOVED that. I was a voracious reader as a child (and I still am!) and for as long as I can remember I was writing stories down. I guess it was always in me.
5. What attracted you to the horror genre? As I mentioned, I was a kid in the glory days of horror video rentals, so I’ve always loved that genre. Horror doesn’t really scare me anymore, but I enjoy the genre in the way that it can explore character, examine primal fears that have been around since humans gathered around fires at night, and either metaphorically or literally bring to light the terrors of contemporary, modern day existence.
6. What is one thing you wish you knew about the writing world before you sat down to write your first story? I wish I knew how hard it was, how much I’d need to study the craft before I ever wrote anything publishable. I got an MFA in writing, and sitting in a room of people criticizing your fiction makes you realize that story-telling so much more than putting words on the page. After completing my MFA, it took me close to a decade (Yes, a decade) of continuous self study and many, many terrible pieces to get where I am today. Still, it’s something I’ll never truly master and I’m okay with that because that means I’ll never get bored!
7. What book(s) are you reading right now? I’m currently reading Made For Love by Alissa Nutting. She’s one of my favorite authors working today. Her short story collection Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls is a wonderful mashup of horror and humor (she even writes about how the two genres work together in the introduction) and horror and humor are two of my favorite things ever.
8. What is next for you? Anything in the works? I just finished writing a novel that’s dark comedy/horror, and I plan to start querying agents once I’m done editing, so wish me luck!
9. Where can people find you online? I’m on Twitter: HERE Look me up and say hi!
10. Thank you so much! This is you chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts? I’ll take this opportunity to sell INFESTED! After seeing a grown man drained of blood by monstrous mosquitoes, Casey Lovitt and Dr. Phillip Edwards can’t deny there’s something wrong with the bugs in Green Swamp. What happened to them? Who’s responsible? And most importantly, can the infestation be stopped before the busy tourist season sees hundreds of visitors turned into bug food? Get ready for a suspenseful, twisty-turny thrill ride that is equal parts camp and heart. And please tell me what you think on Twitter or leave a review. Reader feedback helps me improve my craft, so I can achieve my main goal of writing enthralling, entertaining, and satisfying stories. Thank you, Nico! It was a pleasure.
