Interview with Horror Author Nick Roberts

Nick Roberts exploded onto the literary horror scene in 2020 with the publication of his debut horror novel, Anathema, which went on to win the 2020-2021 Horror Authors Guild Award for Debut Novel of the Year. His second novel, The Exorcist's House, was released in 2022 by Crystal Lake Publishing to great acclaim. His newest release, a collection of short stories titled It Haunts the Mind and Other Stories was just released (also by Crystal Lake). Look for a review of that collection and The Exorcist's House on this site very soon. Now, on to my conversation with Nick Roberts, English teacher by day, horror author by night...

When did you first feel the writing bug?

I’ve always had this creative drive. As early as kindergarten, I started drawing vicious monsters and then progressed by giving them dialogue bubbles. I eventually abandoned the artwork in favor of the stories, and by junior high/high school, I wrote short stories, screenplays, and even filmed my own shitty movies.

What were your first attempts at writing? Have you always leaned into the horror genre?

The first time I wrote for an audience happened by chance. When we got our first family PC and I explored the World Wide Web, I found a website where you could post your stories and other writers would read and rate them. I can’t describe how exhilarating it was to get on that site the next day and see what someone said about the latest entry. This was also my first experience with positive and negative reviews. 

Who are the most prominent author influences on your writing? How have you incorporated those influences into your work without being derivative of them?

Clive Barker gave me permission to be unapologetic in service to the narrative. Cormac McCarthy inspired me to write the brutal in a beautiful, poetic way. Stephen King taught me the discipline and the joy of the craft.   

With self-publishing constantly gaining in popularity as an alternative option to writers, there are hundreds of new books being released every day. What do you feel makes your work stand out from the ever-enlarging crowd of new authors? 

An author needs to have a voice, something that is discernibly theirs; call it branding or style, whatever. My primary goal in writing horror is to SCARE the reader. I try to do this through character and tone. Hopefully, when people read my work, they get creeped out. A lot of horror authors don’t write scary material. (Yes, I know this is subjective.) When a reader puts down my book, I want them to feel like they just stepped off of a roller coaster.

Do you feel that you offer something unique within the current modern horror genre?

Yes, I do. The best horror has heart at its center. If you can make the readers love something about the story, whether that be the protagonist, antagonist, or premise, then it’s that much easier to catch them off guard and destroy their poor little souls. 

Most authors say marketing is one of their biggest challenges. What methods have you found to be most effective for getting your name out there and standing out from the crowd? How much of that do you see as your responsibility versus your publisher?

In the indie horror world, even with a mid-level publisher like Crystal Lake Publishing, I still view marketing as 100% my responsibility, even though they do plenty. An artist is the person at the party standing on top of a table, waving his or her work around, saying, “Hey guys, wait until you see this!” If you’re lucky enough to draw some attention, that story better be fire, or it’ll be that much more difficult to get a reader to give you a second chance. I also try to make marketing fun and interactive through contests, giveaways, and anything else that promotes reader engagement.

How much do your readers’ expectations factor into what you write? Does this ever cause you to hold back from any experimentation?

This is going to sound harsh, but it’s the mentality that’s gotten me to where I am now. I don’t care what readers expect from me. I have to tell the story I want to tell. Having said that, I’m a reader first and foremost. If the story I just told sucks, I’m not going to release it until it’s up to my standards. This collection that I just released and my upcoming novel, Mean Spirited, are different than my previous novels, and I’m excited to see how they are received. If people like them, great; if not, I’m not exactly running short on ideas. 

Tell us how you came up with the ideas for Anathema and The Exorcist’s House.

With Anathema, I wanted to depict a character in recovery from drug addiction in a way that is sorely lacking from current media. My protagonist has overcome her own demons and must now confront the evils of the world. The narrative is never whether or not she will stay clean, but whether or not her light can conquer the darkness targeting her.

The Exorcist’s House is more mainstream, but I didn’t hold back on the horror when the narrative called for it. My cousin had a farm in the 90s, so I knew I wanted to set the story there. I wrote the prologue not knowing what would happen in the next chapter. It was fun to watch each scene play out in my head like a movie. There were times when I regretted not outlining, but I kept the faith that I could write my way out of it. 

You inserted a few Easter Eggs into The Exorcist’s House, such as naming the exorcist Blatty. Is this something you think you’ll continue to do in your work? 

I don’t look at naming the exorcist Merle Blatty as being an Easter Egg. That’s more of a direct homage to the man who wrote the book that made me want to write scary horror. But I did insert quite a few connections to Anathema in that book because they exist in the same universe. I do plan on continuing to put thought into my characters’ names. If there’s an opportunity to honor someone, I’ll take it as long as it doesn’t distract from the story. 

Beyond the main genre of horror, do you affix any other labels to what you write (i.e. extreme horror, body horror, cosmic horror, etc.)?

Supernatural, psychological, occult, possession, haunted houses, etc.

How do you feel the horror genre has changed over the last few years?

For the most part, women are writing the scariest and most disturbing horror right now. There are a handful of successful mainstream male horror authors who are producing bestsellers—the King included—but authors like Catriona Ward, Ania Ahlborn, and Bridgett Nelson are the ones who are pushing the boundaries and not resting on their laurels. They’re crossing lines and not pulling punches, while telling engrossing and innovative tales.

You just released It Haunts the Mind and Other Stories, a short story collection. Do you approach short fiction differently than you do a novel?

Now that I think about it, I typically employ backward design with my short works. I’ll have a cool ending scene that I build toward in a story. It’s not every time though. Sometimes I’ll write to an anthology’s call and just see what happens.

There is a clear thread of addiction and substance abuse issues running throughout It Haunts the Mind and Other Stories, which seems to be a very personal and painful subject. Can you elaborate on the significance of this in your writing?

As a person in recovery nearing twelve years clean and sober, I have plenty of lived experience that is rife for exploration—both the addiction side and being in recovery. With the national opioid epidemic, substance use disorder remains a relevant topic in our world. If I can authentically embed these thematic elements into a story, they have the potential to help others. I don’t take that responsibility lightly, but in the end, my main goal is to entertain.

What are you currently working on?

My current project is The Exorcist’s House: Genesis. At the time of this writing, I am 20,000 words in, and it is going to be my longest and most epic-in-scope work to date. Initially, I had no desire to write a sequel to anything, but I had a flash of inspiration when I recalled the narrative structure of The Godfather Part II. Some fans of the first book wanted a prequel; others wanted a sequel. I might be crazy, but I’m aiming to pull off both, using Francis Ford Coppola’s classic mafia film as a framework.

What advice would you offer to new writers trying to break into the current horror scene?

If you are new to the horror scene, welcome. It’s full of authors who will go out of their way to help you succeed. It’s also full of cutthroat villains like me who will erase your hard drive moments before you type THE END on your polished manuscript. Reach out, market yourself, but most importantly, read and write every day!

Any updates on the film adaptations of your work that have been reported?

Both Anathema and The Exorcist’s House have active contracts for film development deals. I’m not at liberty to disclose any progress or lack thereof at this time, but I will be the first to share the good news if it happens!

Any final words?

“I’ll be right back!”