Women in Horror: Interview with Alexandrea Weis
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. She has taught at major universities and worked in nursing for thirty years, dealing with victims of sexual assault, abuse, and mental illness in a clinical setting at many New Orleans area hospitals.
Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.
The St. Benedict series is optioned and in development for a TV series, and APA Agency is handling Weis’s 2021 thriller Have You Seen Me? for film/TV adaptation.
A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured animals. She lives with her husband and pets outside of New Orleans. Weis is a member of the International Thriller Writers Association and the Horror Writers Association.
What inspired you to start writing?
Writing was something I’d always felt captivated by since the age of eight when I penned poems for a third-grade class. I knew then it was what I would one day pursue. It wasn’t until after I had established a career in nursing education that I decided to invest in my writing. I’d discovered a short story I wrote in high school. My mother had cried when I read it to her. Her reaction, love for the piece, and loss inspired me to write my first novel.
What was it about the horror genre that drew you to it?
I love horror! All my life, I’ve been drawn to the dark and disturbing. I blame a childhood spent in front of the TV on Sunday mornings when all the old horror movies would air. I grew up on a hefty dose of Vincent Price movies. Any new horror movie in theaters, I was the first in line. I love a good scare, but what I loved more was the creative outlet horror offered. Nothing is off-limits.
Do you make a conscious effort to include female characters and themes in your writing and if so, what do you want to portray?
Women always play lead roles in my books. I strive to make my heroines able to face any challenge or danger without wanting or needing to lean on a man. The damsel in distress trope doesn’t reflect the lives modern women lead. I want to portray a smarter, savvier, stronger woman taking care of business. I believe it’s important to show women in such light and encourage girls to do or be whatever they want.
What has writing horror taught you about the world and yourself?
That the world is changing faster than ever, and you have to keep up. That concept has pushed me to make sure what I write remains fresh, and even if my novels become dated because of technology in a few years, I would like them to give the reader an accurate snapshot of that time. Horror has also taught me a great deal about my creative ability. It’s one of the few genres where you can push the boundaries of a story or characters.
How have you seen the horror genre change over the years? And how do you think it will continue to evolve?
Horror is no longer the vampire or zombie genre I knew as a child. It’s becoming more complicated thanks to technology. Stories across many genres have changed because of computers, cell phones, tablets, and all the gadgets we’ve learned we can’t live without. I believe that the ever-changing climate of science will continue to push horror to new limits. But horror writers are also developing a reverence for the past. Old stories are getting retold with a modern twist. Also, the internet allows writers to expand their story ideas by introducing inspiring information on myths, legends, or beliefs from remote corners of the earth. Where horror is headed will be the best of both worlds, old and new. What comes from this mix will be amazing.
How do you feel women have been represented thus far in the genre and what hopes do you have for representation in the genre going forward?
Women were afterthoughts in most stories until what is often called the Ripley Effect changed everything. The woman rescued by the hero, or the final girl who survived the slasher’s rampage, fit a specific mold. But Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) changed that. Women received expanded roles, directed storylines, and were no longer considered decorations in a scene. Now that more women are writing horror, we are bound to see the representation of our sex grow into more powerful heroines. I create positive, headstrong, resilient women in my novels, and I’m glad to see other female writers embracing the same narrative. I do not doubt that trend will continue to grow.
Who are some of your favorite female characters in horror?
I loved the unpredictability of Annie Wilkes and how she dominated Misery. I’ve mentioned Ellen Ripley, even though she’s considered more sci-fi than horror. Not only is she brilliant, but she also became a seminal character in reshaping how women appeared in film. Clarice Starling’s grit and brilliance always appealed to me. Buffy Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer is another one I loved because she offered young women an empowered role model. And Claudia in Interview with a Vampire is a character dear to me. She’s an intriguing blend of woman and child, wrapped in the skin of a vampire.
Who are some women who write horror you recommend our audience check out?
Anne Rice is always at the top of my list. I’m from New Orleans, and I had the privilege of knowing her. Shirley Jackson, Mary Shelley, Joyce Carol Oates, V. C. Andrews, and Charlotte Riddell are others.
What is one piece of advice you would give horror authors today?
Don’t think you must remain devoted to certain horror tropes to gain readers. Stretch a story’s boundaries, and readers will love you for it. Some of the best horror novels I’ve read lately take tried-and-true concepts about werewolves, vampires, ghosts, or demons and flip them around, creating a refreshing take. Embrace what’s different or untried, and don’t be afraid to challenge old stereotypes. How else can we move our genre forward?
And to the women who write horror out there who are just getting started, what advice would you give them?
Be true to the voice in your head. Write what’s in your heart. Don’t chase fads or what’s topping bestsellers lists. And don’t give up, ever! Writing often feels like an exercise in futility, but in the end, when you hold your book or see your name on the cover, it’s worth it. Keep writing, no matter what.
