Interview with Writer and Horror Podcaster Julie Saunders
Julie Saunders Interview
Julie Saunders
1. Thank you so much for joining me! For those who don’t know you, could you please introduce yourself?
Sure! I’m a bisexual former Mormon who was raised in the woods in Oregon (well, more or less). I grew up on a small farm in rural Oregon, went to Utah to study Acting and Playwriting, then spent a few years in denial working as a Human Resources rep in the San Francisco Bay Area. For the last six years or so, I’ve been living in Los Angeles and writing just about every kind of story that has ghosts, monsters, or aliens in it. I have two dogs, two cats, one spouse, and an irrational fear of moths.
2. In three words, how would you describe your podcast Believer?
X-Files, extra sarcasm
3. What inspired you to start this podcast?
Well, I first got into audio drama podcasts back in 2015, when I binged all of Limetown while driving back and forth between San Francisco and LA. I quickly fell in love with the medium as a whole. It didn’t occur to me to make my own, though, until a few years ago when the Austin Film Festival held their first Podcast Script Competition. I repurposed a TV pilot script idea I’d had, went to the festival, and learned a lot.
Once I realized that I could actually make my own production, without anyone else’s input or permission, I played around with a few ideas. I wanted the show to be something that I loved; a way to say, “If I could make anything in the world, I would make this.” And there was this character that just wouldn’t leave me alone. She was a paranormal problem-solver. She didn’t believe in ghosts, but she did believe that your perception shapes your reality, so manipulating someone else’s beliefs was often the best way to help them.
Looking back, I realize how much of this came about as I was formally breaking away from the religion I was raised with, and how much of Lara’s worldview captured my attempts to find a new line between what I believed was true, what I believed was useful, and how I wanted to live my life. But at the time, I just thought, “I can’t stop thinking about this character, and how much I want to challenge her over and over again.”
4. How did you go about finding the perfect voice actors?
I put together a casting notice with short bios of each character and audition sides for actors to read, then posted it on my show’s website. I shared that as widely as I could, mostly relying on online podcasting and voice acting networks that I knew about. The actors I found were a mix of complete strangers who found that notice, and people I knew or who were friends of friends.
For example, Camille and Jake were basically written for my next door neighbors at the time, Sara Gorsky and Jason Markoff. I’d met Alli Slice, the writer of Elaine’s Cooking for the Soul, and I loved Rosa Delgado’s performance on that show, so I asked if Alli could put me in touch. I saw two of the other actors at a staged reading for another script, chased them down after the show was over, and invited them to audition.
For season two I’m hoping to cast an even wider net, as I think casting mostly from my own social networks means I end up with a less diverse cast than I might otherwise find.
5. For those looking to start a fiction podcast, what tips would you give them?
Put your passion first. If you go into independent podcasting looking for a business opportunity, you’ll burn yourself out. So don’t focus on what’s been market-tested or what seems the most impressive and original. Instead, look for the idea that you love so much you’re willing to live with it for months at a time, with or without a reward at the end.
Also, network with other writers. Look for other producer/writers on whatever social network you’re on (I’m mostly on Twitter), reply to their posts, follow each other, send messages. There are some really great Discord communities as well - CastJunkie was vital for me in the beginning. For the most part, indie fiction podcasters are some of the nicest and most helpful people in the entire world. A lot of us work alone much of the time, so we love hearing from other people and helping them out.
And listen to fiction podcasts! There’s a bit of a meme in the community these days about production companies who show up claiming to have invented a new genre of show that’s been around for years. Learn what’s out there, think about what you like and don’t like or what you’d borrow and what you’d change about each show. That alone will give you such a great advantage.
6. Since the podcast is all about the paranormal…have you ever seen a ghost? If not, what would you do if you did encounter a spirit?
I have not seen a ghost, though I know people who claim to have interacted with dead relatives in various forms. But there’s a bit of old Mormon folklore that says the best way to test a spirit is to offer to shake its hand. An angel who’s been resurrected can return your handshake. An angel who hasn’t been born yet will decline to shake your hand. And an evil spirit pretending to be an angel will try to shake your hand, but be unable to because God hasn’t given it a body. So I have a feeling that if I saw a ghost, my first instinct would be to try to shake its hand.
7. Besides your own, what are your favorite spooky podcasts to listen to?
There are so many great ones! Lately I’ve been catching up on Hi Nay, Desperado, and The Silt Verses. As far as all-time favorites, though, The Magnus Archives, The Black Tapes, Archive 81, and Old Gods of Appalachia are all giants of the genre for good reasons. Mabel is surreal queer horror-romance that seeps into your bones and doesn’t let you go. Unwell, Call of the Void, and Parkdale Haunt all have casts of characters I just love to hang out with. And I have a special love for frozen isolation horror like The White Vault, Station Blue, and Tartarus. Stepping outside the indie world, BBC Sounds has a fantastic slate of horror audio - my favorites from them so far are The Lovecraft Investigations and The Harrowing.
8. Where can readers find you?
I’m on Twitter and occasionally Instagram . I love to connect with other creators and help each other out, so feel free to reach out - or just tweet at me for podcast recommendations. Believer: A Paranormal Mystery is available on every major podcast platform, online at http://www.believerpodcast.com, and on most social networks as @believerpod.
Horror Author Kit Mann #Interview
Kit Mann Interview
1. Congratulations on the release of your horror novel A Distant Whisper! Can you please tell us a little about it?
Ya know. I am proud of that novel for personal reasons. Professionally, it is a bit outside my comfort zone, with the romance story that weaves throughout. But there is a wild story behind that novel and how it came to be. The story itself is about a man who has kind of lost himself, until he meets a woman who changes his perceptions of what love is…and then tragedy strikes. He begins seeing her as a ghost, even though she is still alive….and the ghost has a message for him that leads him to some big decisions.
2. Can you give us a little peak behind the curtain? What is your writing process like? Are you a pantser or plotter?
I plot. I don’t understand how you can’t, really. I know people that pants it and they ALL, invariably, hit road blocks and plot holes and contradictions – it’s my experience that plotting and outlining and committing to the story, keeps me from giving up and moving on to something else. It’s an investment. Also, there are FAR less revisions to do when you’re done, because you have been faithful to your story arc from the beginning. But hey, that’s how I do it. I have an extremely specific process for outlining and doing character profiles before I even start writing. I don’t write a word until I have a beginning and an end. I know where I need to go and THAT enables me to get there more efficiently and it enables me to have a high daily output. If you don’t have to worry about what to do next, it makes the writing so much easier.
3. What have you learned about self-publishing that you wish you knew before starting the process?
I went into with my eyes open. I have some traditional publishing experience, so I knew the obstacles. There are two things that I wish others would know, however and that is…Put some money behind your work. The biggest difference between Trad and Indie publishing is the marketing and final product. Pay for a professional editor and pay for a cover designer. And, if your goal is to sell books, then realize that you must invest in marketing. It doesn’t always mean an investment of money. It could be time. But the less money you have for marketing, the more time you will have to spend and vice versa. There it a lot more to marketing without a budget than sitting on Twitter all day begging other authors to buy your books. I know that my next book will have a FAR different approach than I had with DISTANT WHISPER. I have a marketing strategy and I have hired an amazing cover artist and an editor with more of a horror background.
4. What was the first horror book you ever bought?
Not counting children’s books? First adult book that I ever bought was THE EXORCIST. In fact I can quote you from my bio: "The first book I ever bought with my own money was The Exorcist. My junior high school (that's what middle school was called back then) principal took it away from me, tore it in half and handed me a Bible.
And then he called my mom.
My grandmother, seeing how distraught I was, took me to a used bookstore and told me I could spend $2.50 for any of the $0.50 paperbacks that were in there.
I bought the Exorcist again. Amityville Horror. Ghost Story by Peter Straub. Salem's Lot by Stephen King and an Edgar Allan Poe anthology. And I was hooked…..
6. Just for fun: Would you rather spend a night in The Overlook hotel with Jack Torrance or the high school gym during prom with Carrie?
Probably the Overlook. I think I could take him. Carrie always freaked me out. There was something about her that actually gave me the willies. I think I could kick Jack’s ass though.
7. What are some of your hobbies outside of writing and reading?
I play the guitar. I think I am pretty good. I used to play in front of people, but now it’s more of a meditative thing. I pick it up and everything else just fades away. I play disc golf in the summer and I like working in the yard and building stuff for the house.
8. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?
My next book is DRAW BLOOD and it’s back to traditional horror for me. Its an old west Vampire story with kind of a True Detective eeriness to it. eArcs will be available in September and we’re shooting for release in late October. By Halloween for sure.
9. Where can people find you online?
Instagram and I have a Patreon page as well.
10. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?
I appreciate you letting me ramble here. I love that there are people out there that are into supporting horror or whatever genre they dig. As writers, when we do things to help each other, it makes the process of being indie more enjoyable. There are already so many people trying to kill your dreams because they are jealous. It is nice to have support. That all being said, my goals in 2021 are to connect more with READERS through the internet and in person. We have extremely high hopes for DRAW BLOOD and am already getting some amazing feedback. Unlike A DISTANT WHISPER which was more of a personal thing for me to publish, the next three books are all aiming at the traditional horror reader. I can’t wait!
Author Kit Mann