Terry M. West
Age 48
Resides in Southern California
1) How long have you been writing?
Over twenty years.
2) What or who was your inspiration to write?
My grandmother was an avid reader, and it rubbed off on me. I read a lot of scary stories as a child, but I also read a lot of high literary fiction as well. I guess I try to combine the both.
3) Which genre do you like to read? Why?
Horror is my favorite. I can get into a little science fiction and fantasy, too. But horror is my true first love.
4) Do you write this genre or others? Why?
Again, heavy childhood influences. I adore horror. I was writing horror when it wasn’t fashionable.
5) Who are your favorite authors?
Rod Serling, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Richard Matheson, Poe and Lovecraft.
6) How do you create your characters?
I am a people observer, and every character I create comes from someone I have watched or encountered. A lot of people have given my fiction a lot of credit in the “characters” department. They live and breathe, and once you have your readers believing in them, the rest is a cakewalk.
7) Do you give them names before you develop them?
Sometimes.
8) How do you choose your characters names?
I hit a telephone book or the Internet equivalent for names: I read my Facebook news feed and see a lot of great names there. So, if you’re a FB friend, beware! A portion of your name may end up in a tale!
9) Do you edit as you write or after you get your manuscript written?
I edit after I have completed a first draft. And I edit several times.
10) Do you have an agent, publisher, or self-publish? If you’ve used more than one which was most profitable?
I have been traditionally published and I have self-published. I have also created my own comics and films. I have made some decent money as a writer for hire, but in many instances I prefer to put my own work out. As long as you hold yourself to high professional standards, I really don’t feel it matters. But if the circumstances were right on a project and I felt that a publisher believed in me and was going to promote me and my work, I wouldn’t be unwilling to talk. It would have to be a company that had a game plan and would sweat as hard as I do to promote my work. I don’t plan on doing all of the heavy lifting for half the pay.
11) What advice have you received to help you and what advice would you give a new writer?
Take your time, ask for feedback on your work, and LISTEN to it. Polish, polish, polish. And use the back end of deadlines. There is no need to be the first submission in a pile of them. Use your time and make sure that your fiction is as golden as possible before you submit.
Everything I have available is on Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/Terry-M.-West/e/B000AQ1C10/
here is my official site: www.terrymwest.com
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