Performed by Hugh Ritchie
Get to know the winning writer:
What is your novel about?
It is anthology of 5 dark short stories and 3 poems that drag into the light the deepest parts of us we wish to keep hidden.
What genres would you say this novel is in?
Well, there is a little sci-fi and some ghostly business, but generally, I would say it leans toward horror, but not the bloody kind.
How would you describe this story in two words?
Thought provoking.
What movie have you seen the most in your life?
It’s a wonderful life.
How long have you been working on this story?
About a year in between screenwriting.
Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
I don’t really have an all-time favorite, but there have been some that stuck with me. Stephen King’s “IT,” Dean Koontz’s “Watchers,” H. Beam Piper’s “The Fuzzy Papers” and Bradbury’s “The Martian Chronicles,” just to name a few. Some are old, but they are still out there and have withstood the test of time.
What motivated you to write this story?
Well, I got the idea a few years back on a trip to an amusement park, and mulled it over while writing a script. I knew if I wrote it I would take a sh!@ ton of crap from my family. I wrote it anyway.
What artist would you love to have dinner with?
The dude with the creepiest mind of all – the one, the only – Mr. Stephen King.
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Those I care about, but Dragons are very close second.
Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Don’t write just for the sake of telling a story or shock value. Hit them in the gut and they will never forget it.
*****
Producer/Director: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Editor: John Johnson
Casting: Sean Ballantyne
Novel Writing Festival 