Know a Nominee Part Twenty-Four: John Mantooth
Welcome to the latest installment of “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you inside the minds of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s featured author is John Mantooth, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in a First Novel for The Year of the Storm (Berkley Trade).
DM: Can you please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work for which you’ve been nominated? In the case of a work wherein you’ve written multiple stories (like a collection) please choose your favorite part and discuss.
JM: That’s a tough one. I wrote most of the novel in 2010 and 2011, which suddenly seems like a long time ago. It’s hard for me to remember what I was thinking about then. I will say I’ve always been fascinated with missing people and all the ways a person can disappear, both literally and figuratively. So, I suppose it makes perfect sense that my first novel would be about a pair of disappearances.
DM: What was the most challenging part of bringing your idea to fruition? The most rewarding aspect of the process?
JM: Most challenging (by far) was the ending. I must have rewritten the thing six or seven times before it felt right. And because it did finally feel right, I think it became the most satisfying part for me as well.
DM: What do you think good horror/dark fiction should achieve? How do you feel the work for which you’ve been nominated fits into that ideal?
JM: I find it’s very difficult to “scare” people, and honestly, I don’t even try. As a reader, I haven’t been frightened by a book since I was a teenager, so I don’t think that’s really the important thing about horror (at least to me). I prefer atmosphere over cheap thrills any day of the week. What’s most important is that horror allows a story to dip into the very marrow of the human condition. Sometimes life is horror, yet we still must find light. That’s what I think the best horror novels achieve. A light–however pale and thin–in the darkness.
DM: I’m curious about your writing and/or editing process. Is there a certain setting or set of circumstances that help to move things along? Where do you often find yourself getting stuck, and why?
JM: I know it’s a cliché, but I typically do my best work in a coffee shop. The reason is pretty simple, I think. At home, it’s easy to watch Netflix or take a nap or play with the kids. At the coffee shop, I can’t do those things. I’m there for a purpose, to write. Plus, you know, coffee. And the occasional pastry as a reward for finishing a chapter doesn’t hurt either.
As for getting stuck, I often struggle with endings. Usually, I do set-ups quite well, but I like for my endings to be as satisfying as the set-ups are. I have a theory that most writers struggle with endings because they don’t practice them enough. Think about how many stories the average writer begins and then abandons. Writers get plenty of practice with openings, but a lot less with endings.
DM: As you probably know, many of our readers are writers themselves. What is the most valuable piece of advice you can share with someone who may be struggling to make their way in this life?
JM: This is always such a tough question. I think it varies from individual to individual. I suppose, if I had to say one thing, though it would this: Write your stories. Emphasis on YOUR. Don’t try to make them conform to anyone else’s preset ideas of genre or style. Each story is its own universe and therefore will succeed or fail on its own terms. The very best stories are hard to classify, they break all the rules, and you’ll never write one of those if you’re worried where it’ll fit in or which editor will like it.
DM: What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Bram Stoker Awards/WHC (if you are attending)? If not attending, what do you think is the significance of recognitions like the Bram Stoker Awards?
JM: I will be attending! I think I’m most looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting people in person that I’ve previously only connected with online.
About John Mantooth
John Mantooth is an award-winning author whose short stories have been recognized in numerous year’s best anthologies. His short fiction has been published in Fantasy Magazine, Crime Factory, Thuglit, and the Stoker-winning anthology, Haunted Legends (Tor, 2010), among others. His collection, Shoebox Train Wreck, was published in 2012 (Chizine), followed by his first novel, The Year of the Storm in 2013 (Berkley).
