Elias_Witherow AMA

<poppymoonray>
Question from the adorable and incorrigible poppymoonray: What story was the most difficult for you to write and why? Which one was the most fun?

<Elias> Elias Witherow
The most difficult for me was There's Something Wrong With Dad. I had to really dig up some bad memories for that one. But it was something I needed to do. And the most fun was the Goat Room because I've always wanted to write about goat people ahaha

<@poppymoonray>
Question from Zyclin: What is your plan in case of zombie outbreak?

<Elias> Elias Witherow
Probably ask if I can cover their story and pray to Christ some of them can still read. Or I'd just knock on my head and listen to the echo, then shrug my shoulders and tell them there's no brains here anyway

<@poppymoonray>
Question from KPants: Favorite Disney movie?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Uhhh....The Mighty Ducks. HA WASN'T EXPECTING THAT HUH? If the The Lion King was about hockey, I'd probably choose that one

<@poppymoonray>
Question from kneeod: How often do people mispronounce your name? Also, good time and date that works for you to get me that drink you owe me?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
If someone says my name CORRECTLY I immediately fall in love with the person. And seriously, it's like a daily struggle. And this Saturday should work. If you say my name correctly on arrival I'll buy you two drinks.

<@poppymoonray>
Question from Polar_Starburst: What is your weirdest/creepiest experience, paranormal or otherwise?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
When i was younger I would stand in my parents backyard in the middle of the night and try to scare myself. behind my parents house was this huge open field of long grass. One night I was standing back there and i thought I heard voices in the field followed by this long eerie animal noise. After a couple terrifying seconds I heard something start
5:15:09 PM running towards me from the long grass. I ran inside and immediately wrote a story

<@poppymoonray>
Question from deadnspread: What's your favorite author/book? Horror and or otherwise.


<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I don't think I have a fav author...there's just too many haha. Stephen King is amazing and I've taken a lot of inspiration from him. His monster stuff is just incredible...and obviously I like monster stuff haha. Ed Lee's The House is a disgusting and disturbing read. Top three fav books though? It by King...Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis...and House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski

<@poppymoonray>
Question from theephemera: What is your writing schedule?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
During my "ON" weeks i usually come home from work in the afternoon and write for two hours. I'll do this until a story is finished then take a week or so off. I try to write at least two big stories a month. Though there are weeks where my brain doesn't seem to work and I spend my hours weeping in a closet and doubting my future. Usually I'm just hungry though

<@poppymoonray>
Question from KPants: If you were to meet a vampire in real life, would you prefer Twilight or Interview with a Vampire?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I'd take the Interview with a Vampire crowd, go murder the Twilight people, and then go drinking with the What We Do in the Shadows crowd. I'd probably feel bad in the morning though.

<@poppymoonray>
Question from kneeod: You have a button in front of you that has a 50/50 chance of granting you one wish of your choosing with no strings attached, or horribly murdering you. Do you press it?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I'd press it twice and get two wishes because God loves me

<@poppymoonray>
Question from survivalprocedure: Do you feel it's easier to express your opinions on sensitive topics through writing?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Yeah absolutely. It's funny, my more violent or gory stories are the ones where I feel like I can actually say what I want to through the story. Growing up, there were so many times I had to keep my mouth shut, for various reasons.. But once I started writing I found it easier to finally say what i wanted to. And the more sensitive the issue, the darker my writing became.

<@poppymoonray>
Question from theephemera: Pick three movies or books or both that you feel define you as a person.


<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I'll choose movies...hmmm...I Saw the Devil....Planes Trains and Automobiles....and Oldboy

<@poppymoonray>
Question from KPants: What is your happiest childhood memory?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
My dad took us to Busch Gardens for a week once. It was amazing. I was there with all my brothers and my mom and it was the first time we had been to an amusement park. The music, the lights, the rides...being with my family. It was fantastic. We were all so damn happy.

<@poppymoonray>
Question from Stephchristine: Do you have any thoughts on a sequel for your stories or are you going to leave them as is?


<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Yeah, at some point I'm going to write The Black Farm, sequel to Feed the Pig. I've already thought so much about it, I have a pretty general idea where I want to go with it. But It would most likely be long, like forty or fifty pages. I typically don't like to do sequels, but sometimes an idea gets stuck in my head and i HAVE to write it out. I'd also love to do more with The Red West. There's a lot of stories that could come out of that

<@poppymoonray>
Question from survivalprocedure: Do you wear crazy socks like me? Can we be sock bros?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Does soaking your socks in blood count as "Crazy socks?" Because if so, then yes. I like to let people know where I've been. Though it gets me in trouble at work because of all the bloody footprints.

<@poppymoonray>
Question from kneeod: If you had to choose one sense to gain superhuman abilities in at the cost of permanently losing another, which would you choose?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I'm super sensitive to smell...so that can go. I don't need to smell. Unless there's trouble cooking....

<@poppymoonray>
Question from KPants: You wake up in the middle of the night and turn on the light. Standing all around your room are MUMMIES. They aren't really doing anything, just hanging out. What do you do?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Well thanks for the nightmares tonight. I literally can't think of anything more terrifying than waking up to see dark immobile figures chilling in my room. I'd probably scream. Then call my brother. Once I realized they were just hanging out I'd demand some FUCKING RENT

<@poppymoonray>
Questions from theephemera: What is your favorite piece of art? Star Wars or Star Trek?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I see what you did there. Star Wars all the way. And the new movie was amazing, I don't want to hear the haters haha. Maybe I'll take a break from horror and do some Star Wars Fanfiction. Jar jar falls in love with Darth Maul's severed top half and it becomes a really touching art piece about them caring for each other. No? NO? Ok...I'll stick to horror....

<@poppymoonray>
Question from cmd102: How did being asked to be featured on /r/nosleepinterviews and the AMA make you feel? Excited? Nervous? Homicidal?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I was stoked. Sometimes it really blows me away that I even have readers, so getting contacted to do an interview was awesome. I try to keep a humble head, but sometimes I'll allow my chest to puff a bit haha. I just like to write and if people want to read it, that's just really coo to mel

<@poppymoonray>
Question from deadnspread: How much ground chuck could a woodchuck eat if a woodchuck ate ground chuck?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Next time I see that bastard, I'll hold him down and ask him. But if I had to guess? I'd say about two donuts worth

<@poppymoonray>
Question from kneeod: You're trapped alone on a deserted island with only a knife and no other food available. Which limb do you cut off for sustenance first?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Well not my head because I lost my mind years ago. I'd cut off my arm, then paint a little face on it and train him to fish for me. His name would be...Army.

<@poppymoonray>
Question from Polar_Starburst: What is your least favorite tv show, film, or game? And why?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I HATE AMERICAN HORROR STORY. I think it is EVERYTHING that is wrong with horror. It's easy, cheap "horror" with bad writing. It's just not very creative. It's obvious. Can you tell I have strong feelings about this? lol.

<@poppymoonray>
Question from kneeod: A masked intruder is holding a gun to your head and says he will kill you if you don't read page 176 of 50 Shades Darker in the voice of Jefaar from Aladdin. Do you do it?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I would gladly eat that bullet. But really...what's on page 176? *does a quick internet search* JESUS CHRIST KILL ME NOW

<@poppymoonray>
Question from KPants: You have a horrible house fire. All of your pets and loved ones make it out safely, but you have time to run back in and save one thing. What will it be?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I'd probably grab my snowboards. One under each arm. If they were already burned up, I'd probably just start snatching as many books off my bookshelf as possible...then trip under the weight and die screaming under the world's greatest literature

P<@poppymoonray>
Question from theephemera: Favorite flavor jam/jelly?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Smuckers grape jelly. It's just a classic and really captures the amazing taste of Italy's finest vineyards

<@poppymoonray>
Question from kneeod: You have 1 more day to live. How do you spend it?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Do every single drug I've always been too scared to do, then climb a mountain and wait for death while the colors explode across the sky. But honestly? Probably call my brother and smoke a cig together

<@poppymoonray>
Question from KPants: If you woke up one day as a female, what is the first thing you would do?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Freak the shit out of my friends by seeing how they react to an attractive woman rattling off all their darkest secrets. And then I'd punch every fucking guy who cat called me

<@poppymoonray>
Question from theephemera: How does the world end?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
When God needs a nap. Or when the sun decides to explode. Or maybe it doesn't exist at all and we're just some celestial alien's nightmare!?

<@poppymoonray>
Question from deadnspread: If you could pit one of your monsters against another nosleep monster, which two would you choose?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
OH that's a cool question. I'd have the The Hanged Man fight the Creeping Crimson...they both seem to have a thing for red.

<@poppymoonray>
Question from YamiOswald: have you ever been to Italy?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
Clearly you didn't you read my commentary about The Great Smuckers Vineyards?! Haha actually no I haven't, but I'd love to one day. Though I'd probably be so paranoid about not coming off as annoying tourist I'd have a meltdown

<@poppymoonray>
Question from kneeod: You find yourself out in the Woods in the dead of winter. Behind you, you hear a low, deep growling sound. You turn around and discover that you are being hunted by Shia Lebouf. The first item directly to your left at this moment is your weapon. How fucked are you?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I would beat him to bloody death with my giant couch. Screaming...lost in madness...he wouldn't stand a chance. THIS IS FOR TRANSFORMERS YOU PSYCHO

<@poppymoonray>
Question from KPants: Name one guilty pleasure for each: food, TV, movie and phrase.

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
One day I'll have a house with a Pizza Hut in it. That's my big dream. I'M DISGUSTING I KNOW haha...Tv? Jesus don't tell anyone, but Hell's Kitchen. Gordon Ramsey is me if I was a chef. And had amazing blond hair...and deep....deep blue eyes...and a HUGE MONSTER C- *looks around*.......ehehehe a monster chef hat....and phrase? Sometimes I say "How you doin" like Joey and then i want to kill myself once i realize what I've done

<@poppymoonray>
Question from theephemera: Is there anyone you'd bury a body for?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I'd do it for a stranger. I'd even show them my spot...let them use my shovel...I-I mean no way!

<@poppymoonray>
Question from kneeod: One day, mantis shrimp become the size of medium size dogs, live above water, and fly. Do you ever leave the house again,  or do you brave being hyper punched in the mouth by the heinous crustaceans?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I'd let one try to punch me, then wrestle it to the ground and mount it. Then i would fly the skies and become their God...God of the Shrimp....eh nevermind, that sounds pretty shitty. I'd probably just have elaborate cocktail parties with a shrimp pit

<@poppymoonray>
Question from theephemera: You've been stranded on Mars eating potatoes. You come home. First meal?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
You really can't beat Mars 'taters...everything would taste like GARBAGE after that...but if i had too...I'd kill me some sushi

<@poppymoonray>
Question from poppymoonray: What fruit do you empathize with most strongly? What fruit fills you with unbridled fury?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
I feel like kiwis get a bad rap. I mean, they're like the fat kids of fruit. Kinda hairy...no one really pays attention to them...poor kiwis...and unbridled fury? Tomatoes. BECAUSE STOP LYING TO AMERICA YOU'RE NOT A FRUIT

<@poppymoonray>
Question from kneeod: You hear a strange whispering from a pile of dirty laundry in the middle of your bedroom. Do you leave it alone, examine it, or recognize that you're finally going senile and whisper back at it angrily?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
First of all, my bedroom is sparkling clean thank you very much ahahaha. But really, if it didn't talk to me, how would I know that it's time to do laundry? You mean this isn't a thing?!

<@poppymoonray>
Question from Colorthebooks: Has there ever been a monster movie that has kept you up at night? Has that or any other monster story influenced any of your own writing?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
When I first saw The Village with a friend, that shit kept us up ALL night...I know, I know...The Village?! Also when I saw Exorcist for the first time...Watched it alone at 2am...no thanks. As far as influence, I obviously like monster stuff and I'd have to say Lovecraft always impressed me with his weirdness. And Stephen King. Their monsters are
6:57:44 PM just so different and when I decide to do a monster story, I really try and make sure mine are their own brand of weird

<@poppymoonray>
Question from poppymoonray: What is your favorite thing about the nosleep and NoSleepOOC community?

<+Elias> Elias Witherow
There's just so many passionate people on Nosleep, it's really been an amazing experience since i joined 10 months ago. It's cool to be in a community that shares so many of your views on horror. And everyone is so helpful, constantly encouraging one another to keep on keeping on. It's something special and that's what's kept me here

<@poppymoonray>
Final question- from kneeod: What advice do you have for new and aspiring writers?

7:01:35 PM E<+Elias> Elias Witherow
If YOU feel confidant about what you've written then don't let downvotes or comments say you. Believing in what you're producing is huge. There's always going to be haters. If you can build a confidence in yourself and keep on writing, you'll be unstoppable

<@poppymoonray>
Tune in to /r/nosleepinterviews for our next victom, survivalprocedure!