Uilleam Whitedale
What made you decide to become a writer?
I’ve always written, but mostly non-fiction – papers, blogs, lengthy social media posts, etc. - although I did write a screenplay for a vampire movie. That was back in high school. I’ve also been a non-fiction reader most of my life. But what drove me into writing fiction was, unfortunately and ironically, a string of personal tragedies and an ugly betrayal. It’s ironic because all of that grief let me find that I actually love writing fiction. You could say that I became a novelist because of someone else’s ugliness, and, for that, at least, I guess I can thank them.
How do you decide your plots? Are they taken from events that have happened to you? Do you base your characters on real people – or do you prefer to be fully creative and make them up?
Yes, most of my plots have elements of real life in them and a number of my characters are based upon real people. But I think it’s still a fully creative endeavor because I try to stress and exaggerate their faults and inner demons while keeping them believable … people you know. But I’m a confirmed pantser. I only have a vague idea of where I’m going with any story, and my stories are usually character-driven. So, even though I write horror, my stuff verges on lit fic.
How many books have you written and/or published and which is your favourite? Why?
I’ve just finished my seventh novel/novella, but I’ve also written two compilations of short stories, three poetry books, and one pseudo-memoir, which was my debut. I also have three in the works. “Favorites” is a concept I have a hard time with in any context. I like all of my works for different reasons. If I were forced to pick one to highlight, it would probably be “The Plastic Valley Monster,” because I think I really nailed down the abysses of human selfishness and degradation while presenting it in a straightforward horror story. Oddly, that’s the book that’s gotten the most flack too.
What is your favourite genre to write in? Tell me why.
I like writing horror, but my horror is almost always blended with something else– the speculative, social criticism, dystopian elements, etc. so, as one of my Dark Veil Society colleagues called it, it’s sort of “alternative horror.” As I said before, almost lit fic.
Would you travel to the area where your book is set? Do you already know the area? Have you written about that area because it’s a place you know? Have you used the original name of the area or manipulated place names?
I’ve only written one book set in a definitive area–”La Noche de La Chankla.” Usually, I try to keep the setting familiar but unspecific, so that the story can happen anywhere. I think that gives things more of a horror vibe–a “this could happen to you” feeling.
“Chankla” is different because I grew up in El Paso, TX, in the Southwestern desert, and I wanted to showcase the culture there. So it’s set in a small, fictional town on the Texas/New Mexico border that could be any town out there. In my dystopian novel “Merittown,” I use New York as a setting, but it’s a post-apocalyptic vision of it. And the “The Plastic Valley Monster” is set in the Hudson River Valley, since I live there now, but nowhere specific.
Do you write under a pseudonym or your own name?
I write under the pen name Uilleam Whitedale, which is a Gaelicization of my middle name and an Anglicization of my last name. I, essentially, flipped them.
How many hours a day or week would you say you spend writing? Is it a potential career for you, is it something you do outside your day job?
It really fluctuates. I don’t see myself ever becoming a household name, so it hasn’t ever really been in my mind as a career. Sometimes I write for days straight, when I have free time. My novella “Malignant”was written in three days that way. Other times, I take long breaks from it, sometimes weeks, and wait for my brain to figure out which way I should go with something.
Is writing therapeutic for you, or does it cause you to stress out?
I try not to let myself stress about it. I find it cathartic. After all, I don’t have any deadlines, but I started writing novels precisely because of a need to get things out. That said, as I’ve continued writing, my novels have become more of a fun but obsessive hobby, while I find my therapy in writing dark poetry. Of course, there’s always a little room for metaphorical revenge in my stories as well.
How do you react to reviews? Would you prefer just good ones or are you okay to receive a bad one occasionally? How does this make you feel?
Hard to say. I don’t think even the people who claim they like constructive criticism really enjoy getting bad reviews, and, as an indie author, bad reviews can be seriously damaging for sales. I have no problem with thoughtful bad reviews, when I believe the reviewer made a serious effort to get into the book. The shallow ones are crap though, and I think most writers would agree. Readers today have an ample opportunity to assess a book before they delve into it, so there really isn’t any excuse for the “I hate this genre” or “I didn’t like the prose” or “Horrible!” that authors get. Just DNF it. And, if you’re going to review, make it substantive, not just a rating. That’s how I read.
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