INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM STERLING
![Killer Be Killed by [William Sterling]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41pdpH3VLvL.jpg)
Boone Hampton had been dreading this day forever. The day when his baby girl would leave “the nest” to embark into the world on her own. He had hoped this moment wouldn’t come until college, or maybe a rebellious streak in high school, yet here he was, leaving her at a pre-teen summer camp.
Boone squeezes his daughter’s hands one last time and lets her go.
The day would have been hard enough if it had just ended there.
But now the counselors at Camp Green Pines have begun sacrificing the campers to resurrect a long-slumbering demonic entity, and Boone will have to risk everything to avenge his daughter.
Killer Be Killed takes the traditional camp serial killer formula and turns it on its head in a Splatterpunk-light homage to the slashers of the 80s with healthy doses of demonic possession and anti-cult related sub-plots cooked in for good measure.
Lanyards On. Masks Up. Machetes Out.
It’s time to play some camp games.
Who is William Sterling?
William Sterling is a laid back, friendly member of the horror family who occasionally gets the wild hair to create something of his own. He distrusts clowns and hopes that someday we’ll get the Trick ‘R’ Treat sequel that we deserve.
What was your favourite book as a kid?
The Redwall series. I didn’t get deep into horror until I was in college, so even though I read some Goosebumps, I totally missed the boat on things that were formative for other horror fans- Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Christopher Pike, etc. I’m trying to make up for lost time now!
If you found a winning lottery ticket, what is the first thing you would do?
Start production on a found footage/mockumentary TV series based on Paul Tremblay’s Head Full of Ghosts
What is your favourite band ever?
Hands down: Coheed and Cambria. Horror/SciFi Space Operatic Metal for the win.
Where did you get the idea, the seed, for your new release?
Last year there was a small discourse on twitter where people were talking about the reasons that they cheered for the killer in so many horror movies even though they were “supposed” to be cheering for the potential survivors. It got my wheels spinning about how to write a story where you’re just blatantly, openly supposed to love the murderer in the woods. What sort of a setup would that need? How do we make the murderous psychopath the ‘good’ guy with no guilt associated with rooting for them to commit the bloodiest, most ruthless kills possible? Killer Be Killed is my best crack at creating that sort of a story.
What is your advice for new authors, or what is the mistake you would avoid, looking back in time?
Gods, there are so many things. If I had to pick one, then let me just warn new authors against the WORST advice that I ever received. I was listening to a podcast that talked about the advantages of just cranking out lots of mediocre stories early in your career in order to rack up a “back catalogue.” Then when you write “the big one,” readers will have lots of things to go back to, and you’ll make lots of money from those people who back-track. I get the logic here. Sort of. But no. Don’t do that to readers. Instead of building a nest-egg of early works, all you’ll do is ruin your reputation by creating mediocre works. There are a number of stories that I self-published that have since been removed from print because I realised after the fact that what I was putting into the world was unpolished, unedited, and…honestly…embarrassing. Take your time. Do the work the right way early. Earn your readers’ respect. It might take you more time to ‘strike it big,’ but when you do, you’ll be able to be that much more proud of EVERYTHING you accomplished.
Coffee or wine?
Coffee injected directly into my veins. I’m a teacher who has to wake up at 5 in the morning. There is no avoiding it.
Which is the book you cannot put down?
Stephen Graham Jones’ My Heart Is A Chainsaw. It has been a looooooooong time since I’ve read a book where I was genuinely surprised by the third act. For the most part you know what’s coming in stories. Slasher novel? There will be a blood bath and the killer will be revealed and one person will (probably) survive. Ghost novel? The protag will come face to face with some representation of their past and will try to overcome it. MHIAC? Bat-sh*t insanity. I thought I knew where it was going. I really did. But nope. I’m obsessed with it. It’s a trick that I have been trying to pull in my own stories, but SGJ did it so perfectly that I almost want to stop trying myself. Almost 🙂
What is the best and the worst of the writing process?
Best Part- concept creation. Worst Part- Marketing. That’s considered part of the process. Right?
Ironman or Hellboy?
Hellboy. No hate towards Ironman, but he just doesn’t have a Rogues Gallery that’s half as fun as Hellboy. I love the “there are no rules” sort of a vibe that the Hellboy comics give off. Big love for the Wild Hunt.
Do you have a message for your readers?
Thanks! I know there are a lot of stories out there that you could choose to spend your time with, and the fact that you’re giving my characters the time of day means a lot to me.
Zombies or demons?
Demons. For similar reasons to my Hellboy/Ironman answer. Zombies are great, but there’s only so much you can do with them. “The mob is coming” fear well is only so deep. But with demons you can go the haunting route like with Anything for Jackson, or you can go the mob is coming route like with Constantine, or you can go the possession route like ::MILD SPOILERS. TAKE A BREATH. MAYBE DON’T READ THIS NEXT PART IF YOU’RE CONSIDERING READING MY STORIES:: I do in Killer Be Killed.
Do you like poetry or graphic art? If so, do you have a favourite one?
I’m more into graphic art. Poetry can be gorgeous, but the amount of added impact that a solid image can add to a story can’t be oversold.
Which kind of horror do you like for your own enjoyment?
Honestly that’s going to depend on the day. I think there’s a time and a place for everything from the moody, atmospheric A24 kinds of nights to just stupid bloodfests like Ready or Not. I’ve found that I prefer writing ‘fun’ horror more than I like writing dark, grimy horror. But there’s room in my empty little heart for everything.
Where do you find inspiration?
Anywhere and everywhere. “Hey wouldn’t it be cool if…” conversations with other horror friends, reading others’ stories and getting excited about an idea or a mood that they conveyed that I would like to take a stab at. Another way is by watching trailers for upcoming movies. I love watching a good trailer, coming up with an idea in my head for what could happen in that movie, then watching the movie and seeing just how DIFFERENT the director went than I would have. A lot of times that’ll leave me with a seed for my own project. Those ‘I wish they would have done xxx instead of xxx’ instances are great imagination fuel.
What scares you the most?
Freaking clowns
What is the greatest challenge you have overcome?
The fact that nothing immediately sprang to mind with this question is telling about how fortunate I am. I haven’t had any huge obstacles that I’ve had to overcome. I have a great support system. I have had friends around me constantly who encourage me and help offer guidance where I need it. I’m going to count my blessings where I have them. 🙂 I guess maybe getting exposure/visibility as an Indie Author? But even with that I know how lucky I am (thanks TBM!)
What would you tell a reader that has still not started one of your books?
Give me a chance. If you like closed room “mysteries” then Through Frozen Veins might be for you. If you like the Resident Evil games, then Through Withered Roots might suit you. If you like the old Friday the 13th movies, but really just wish Jason would go NUTS one time, then Killer Be Killed was written for you. My biggest promise and sales point is that you’ll never be able to call my endings (see my love letter about My Heart Is A Chainsaw from earlier).
If you ended up on a deserted island, what two items would you want to have with you (beyond water and food)?
I’m 100% channelling my “The Forest” playthroughs here, but a lighter and a big, thick blanket.
Choose a superpower.
Flight. No more traffic? Yes please.
Where can readers find you?
Twitter! I still haven’t taken the plunge into Insta or TikTok, but my bird app handle is @spooky_sterling. Come say hey!
Who is/are your biggest supporter/s?
My wife and my sister have both been ridiculously supportive since the beginning. They read so, so, so many bad rough drafts of early books.
Pineapple on pizza?
Yes. But I know that I just lost about a thousand readers with that answer.
Are you a day or night person?
Day person. Unfortunately. I used to be a night person and life was so much more fun, but now with teaching as my day job my body has just sort of accepted early mornings and early nights as the routine. It hurts my soul.
Have you always been a writer?
No. I’ve always loved telling stories, but actually getting them down on pen and paper didn’t start until college when I attempted NanoWriMo on a whim.
What is your favourite quote?
“You’re all going to die tonight.” The Evil Dead. Good luck naming another quote where you immediately know that shit is going to hit the fan, the whole fan, and nothing but the fan.
If an apocalypse broke loose, what is the first thing you would do?
At Berry College there’a a place called the “House of Dreams.” It’s built three miles up a mountain with all the trees cleared to give it sight lines over the rest of Georgia. That’s where we make our stand. All survivors should meet up there. Survive together. Die alone.
Do you have new projects going on?
Of course. I’ve got a puppet horror novel that’s in late stages of development and looking for a home, then I’m also working on the outline for a possible sequel to Killer Be Killed. We’ll see how KBK does on its own before I really dive into that, though!
Is there anything else you’d want to tell our audience? Not really. Thanks in advance for any follows, likes, retweets, preorders, emails or other interactions that this inspires with me. Horror Fam for life.
About William Sterling
Welcome to my page! Thanks for stopping by. I am an independent novelist who hails from OTP Georgia.
I am especially into horror, suspense, and science fiction, with a particular soft spot for unexpected endings.
I currently have a few self-published novels out in the wild, and a couple of short stories included in various places. Please check out the BOOKS tab above for a complete bibliography.
To contact, please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @Spooky_Sterling, or feel free to email me directly at TheWilliamSterling@gmail.com
