Creeping_Dread AMA

Question from Polar_Starburst: what's your creepiest experience, paranormal or otherwise?

4:15 PM C<•Creeping_> Hmmm. I'm going to have to say Donald Trump's latest press conference. Holy crapola!  No, in all seriousness, I live in a 120 year old Victorian House, and even though I do not believe in the paranormal at all, I heard something say my name. Loud and clear. My heard started pounding and I looked around, no one was home. Frightening.

4:15 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from Pianoteeth: What is your favorite Twilight Zone Episode and why?

4:16 PM C<•Creeping_> The Monsters are Due on Maple Street
4:16 PM Love how the paranoia takes hold.

4:16 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: If you had to choose two nosleepers to be stranded with you on a deserted island, who would you choose?

4:19 PM C<•Creeping_> Dalek and boy in the clock, so I can steal any of their ideas for future stories.,

4:19 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from Pianoteeth: What are your writing rituals, if any?

4:20 PM C<•Creeping_> If I have an idea that involves a real place or person, I'll do a bunch of research to get the details right. I've never outlined before, but now I'm outlining the entire story (and writing all parts) before posting

4:21 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: What was the first story you remember reading on nosleep?

4:21 PM C<•Creeping_> Borrasca for sure. Always Borrasca. Still haven't been able to recreate that feeling.

4:21 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: Which of your NoSleep stories was your favorite to write, and why? Follow-up: Which was your least favorite, and why?

4:22 PM C<•Creeping_> I think my story about the journal in the abandoned house in arizona was the most fun, because it was in third person and sort of skirted the NoSleep rules by being a journal about the future. And had sci-fi/horror elements mixed together.
4:22 PM I've submitted it to several collections, all rejections. :)
4:23 PM LOL.

4:23 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from Pianoteeth: You spoke a little bit of how you desire criticism as you grow as an author.  How do you go about getting this?  Do you belong to any writers' groups or critique-based forums?  Share with friends and family?

4:24 PM C<•Creeping_> Friends and family usually. I really do crave criticism and don't get enough of it. I approach writing from a very humble standpoint (in my opinion). If you start from the position of an apprentice who knows he always has to improve, you never take criticism the wrong way. It's always helpful and wanted.

4:25 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: Would you have sex with a Neanderthal? Why or why not?

4:26 PM C<•Creeping_> LOL. Totally. I'm no prude.

4:26 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: If you could have dinner with any actor/actress, living or dead, who would you have dinner with? Where would you go?

4:27 PM C<•Creeping_> Elizabeth Shue. Every since Adventures in Babysitting, I've been hooked. If I could go anywhere, it would probably be in a seaside hut somewhere eating raw tuna caught that day and drinking a local beer.

4:27 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: Follow-up: Would you rather bang a Neanderthal, Cthulhu, or a minotaur?

4:28 PM C<•Creeping_> I guess Minotaur? Wouldn't have to buy shoes for our kids. They grow out of them every three months!!!!!

4:28 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from Pianoteeth: In terms of NoSleep submissions, do you feel that quality or quantity is more important?  That is, if someone posted an okay story every day, do you think they would be overall more successful or less successful than someone who posted less frequently, but with more content?

4:30 PM C<•Creeping_> I think it depends on your idea of "success". Some people want to write and are happy that others are reading. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Success for ME is getting better as a writer, and that means putting out stuff I feel is well-written. With all the eyes on No-Sleep, I'm starting to be a lot more cognizant about what I write.

4:30 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: Was it difficult writing the poetry that you used in your Terrifying Note story?

4:31 PM C<•Creeping_> Nope. Stuff like that just comes to me. I was an English major and spent years in college dissecting classic texts and poems. I've been writing poems since I was young, so mixing them with horror is really fun. Actually, come to think of it, the majority of my stories contain some kind of creepy rhyme or note.

4:31 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: You can pick any location in the world to live for 6 months while writing a novel, where do you go?

4:32 PM C<•Creeping_> The beach, somewhere exotic. An small island with a hut on the water and a bar with cold drinks would be pretty swell.

4:33 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: Who are some of your favorite poets?

4:34 PM C<•Creeping_> Kipling and Keats, for sure. Honestly I don't read much poetry these days. Favorite author? William Faulkner. His prose IS poetry.

4:35 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from MikeyKnutson: Please write a haiku about world renowned author MikeyKnutson

4:37 PM C<•Creeping_> He asks me to write. Who am I to say I won't? Gun's against my head.

4:37 PM P<•poppymoonray> A+

4:37 PM Question from Pianoteeth: Explain to me why the Oxford comma isn't just a waste of time.  Give me an example where it makes enough of an impact to change a reader's perception!

4:38 PM C<•Creeping_> Sure.
4:38 PM Let's eat, grandpa! vs....
4:38 PM Let's eat grandpa.
4:38 PM wait....

4:38 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: What's your favorite Backstreet Boys song? Did you know Howie's fart was included in one of them?
4:38 PM lol, oops, sorry

4:38 PM C<•Creeping_> Is that an Oxford comma?

4:38 PM P<•poppymoonray> You can finish responding
4:38 PM I thought an Oxford comma was when it's separating a series

4:39 PM C<•Creeping_> Okay, I really do care about the Comma. Yeah, I was joking.

4:39 PM P<•poppymoonray> Well. This is going smoothly, haha

4:39 PM C<•Creeping_> HAHAHA
4:39 PM I'm messing with you. You can move on.

4:39 PM P<•poppymoonray> Anyway. Backstreet Boys, yo. Farts. Music
4:40 PM Lol, if you don't wanna answer cmd's question, we can skip it

4:40 PM C<•Creeping_> Okay, I found one!
4:40 PM C<•Creeping_> My heroes are my parents, Superman and Wonderwoman.

4:41 PM P<•poppymoonray> Niiiice

4:41 PM C<•Creeping_> If you add the coma, it's a list.

4:41 PM P<•poppymoonray> TAKE THAT, PIANOHEAD

4:41 PM C<•Creeping_> Not saying the parents are Superman and Womerwoman.

4:41 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: What's your favorite Backstreet Boys song? Did you know Howie's fart was included in one of them?

4:41 PM C<•Creeping_> Never listnened to Backstreet, sorry. A fart in the song? Hmm....

4:42 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: What's your favorite flower?

4:42 PM C<•Creeping_> Not a big flower fan, but I'd say the jade is my favorite plant.

4:42 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from Pianoteeth: If you could choose only one platform to dispense your writing on the internet, what would it be?  A personal website?  A social media site? Reddit? FOLLOW-UP: Why?

4:43 PM C<•Creeping_> It would be Reddit/NoSleep for sure. It's got reach, yo. I heard about the TNT contest from a post on the OOC, and the three other options I've been involved with all began as messages on my Reddit account.

4:44 PM P<•poppymoonray> (Shoutout to Blindfate for being the one to post about the TNT contest! <3)
4:44 PM Question from MikeyKnutson: Do you think you could take MikeyKnutson in a fight?

4:45 PM C<•Creeping_> Back in the day, probably. These days I'm a lot more mellow. I'd just try to trip him and maybe pour scalding coffee on him. Or whatever, you know.

4:45 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from Pianoteeth: Have you written in any other genres?  If so, which ones?

4:46 PM C<•Creeping_> Nope, dark/weird/horror or bust. I think I could write sci-fi and sometimes weave that in.

4:46 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: Star Wars or Star Trek?

4:46 PM C<•Creeping_> Star Wars!

4:47 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from Pianoteeth: If you could write the perfect story for a given genre, what genre would you choose and why?

4:48 PM C<•Creeping_> Probably horror/thriller. Something that was dark/weird but had elements that would give it a broad appeal. Stephen Spielburg would direct.

4:48 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: Satan gives you an iPod full of Barney songs and tells you that whoever you give it to will forever have those songs stuck in their head. Who do you punish?

4:49 PM C<•Creeping_> Today, probably Drumpf. That guy is really bothering me today.

4:49 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: When you eat broccoli, do you like to pretend you're one of the evil developers from Fern Gully destroying the rain forest?

4:51 PM C<•Creeping_> Just had to look that up. No, I would let all the forest creatures live.

4:51 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: Who do you think would win the fight: Pennywise or Freddy Krueger?

4:51 PM C<•Creeping_> Gonna go with Pennywise.

4:52 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from Pianoteeth: Your name is Max.  My name is Max.  Tell me why you think our names are the BEST names.

4:52 PM C<•Creeping_> Three letters. Holy Trinity. Triangle. Illumnati. Pizza.

4:52 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: Iia's name is also Max. Which NoSleep Max among you three would win in a fight to the death?

4:52 PM C<•Creeping_> Catching what I'm putting down?

4:53 PM P<•poppymoonray> Oh we caught it alright ;)

4:53 PM C<•Creeping_> I'm going with IIA

4:53 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: FMK: CreepingMax, PianoMax, IiaMax

4:54 PM C<•Creeping_> Yes, that order.

4:59 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: What is your least favorite horror trope?

4:59 PM C<•Creeping_> The too-wide smiles and skinwalkers are my least favorite on NoSleep. Horror I've been watching lately has been doing a pretty good job of originality. Just watched Split and actually really liked how the villain turned out.
5:00 PM C<•Creeping_> Another thing is the "I'm seeing someone outside my house" trope on NoSleep. Where nothing really happens.
5:00 PM Give me something!

4:59 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from Pianoteeth: Dude, you down for a sick Triple-Max NoSleep Collab or what?

5:01 PM C<•Creeping_> OOh, yeah that would be fun.
5:01 PM Haven't heard from IIA in a while.

Question from cmd102: If you could have an Ewok as a pet, what would you name it?

5:17 PM C<•Creeping_> Munchnugget.

5:17 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from MikeyKnutson: What would you name our love child?

5:19 PM C<•Creeping_> Barnaby.
5:19 PM No idea why.

5:19 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: If you could start a business, what kind of business would you start?

5:21 PM C<•Creeping_> I've started a couple, all mildly successful. If I could start something I knew would be successful, it would probably have something to do with technology. Maybe an app or website that actually connected people instead of making us all feel more alone and disconnected.

5:21 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: If you had to have one quote tattooed on you, what would it be, and why?

5:22 PM C<•Creeping_> This is the mystery of the quotient: upon us all a little rain must fall. ("The Rain Song" / Zeppelin).  It's important to have perspective. Bad things will happen. That's just the nature of life. It's how we respond that defines us.

5:22 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: What's your secret talent?

5:23 PM C<•Creeping_> I can throw a beer cap into a trash can at twenty yards.
5:23 PM C<•Creeping_> (not very impressive)
5:23 PM lol

5:23 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: Do you even lift, bro?

5:24 PM Used to, until I hurt my neck. Was actually extremely fit for most of my life.

5:24 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: If you could ask Stephen King one question, what would it be?

5:25 PM C<•Creeping_> Why do you feel the need to spray your political opinion all over Twitter. Seriously, all he tweets about is Donald Trump. Trump bugs me too, but I follow SK for fake horror shit, not real life horror!!!!!

5:25 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: Do you think MikeyKnutson is obsessed with you?

5:25 PM C<•Creeping_> Did he ask you to ask me that?
5:25 PM ...........yes.

5:26 PM P<•poppymoonray> ...He might have <_<

5:26 PM Question from Pianoteeth: What is your favorite type of music?  Do you ever get inspired by music in terms of your writing?

5:26 PM C<•Creeping_> *hides under desk*
5:27 PM Currently into alt-country/folk/americana. I don't I've ever been specifically inspired by a song, but when I'm listening to music I generally am in a better writing mood.

5:27 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from MikeyKnutson: Why don't you ever return my calls?

5:28 PM C<•Creeping_> Was that you that left the voicemail on my phone? And by voicemail I mean I mean the sound of a fart followed by a little child singing "it wasn't me" by Shaggy?

5:28 PM P<•poppymoonray> hahahah
5:28 PM Question from cmd102: What was the last movie you saw in a theater?

5:29 PM C<•Creeping_> Oh man, can't even remember. It's been years since I've seen anything in a theatre. Probably four years.

5:29 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: What song gets stuck in your head most often?

5:30 PM C<•Creeping_> "Somewhere along the way" by Dawes

5:30 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: All time favorite song lyric?

5:30 PM C<•Creeping_> so good....
5:31 PM C<•Creeping_> Probably the Zeppelin lyric from the Rain Song I mentioned.

5:31 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from MikeyKnutson: FMK the NoSleepInterviews mod team

5:33 PM C<•Creeping_> Well, Poppy gets the F since he/she's doing it verbally right now. LMAO. CMD102 get the M, because she's just wifey material. Really not sure who is even a third NSI mod
5:33 PM Is Mikey one?

5:33 PM C<•cmd102> (That would be Mikey)

5:33 PM C<•Creeping_> I'll kill him.

5:33 PM P<•poppymoonray> Rip, bb bird

5:33 PM Question from cmd102: What would you do for a Klondike bar?

5:34 PM C<•Creeping_> Put truck balls on my SUV>

5:34 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: I think the real question is what WOULDN'T you do for a Klondike bar, amIright? ;) That's, that's it. That's the question. Is there anything you wouldn't do for enough Klondike bars?

5:35 PM C<•Creeping_> All's fair in death and ice cream.

5:35 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: You're trapped in a dungeon with a sadistic killer. He informs you that he plans to torture you for 1 hour before killing you, and that you can choose the method of torture and how you will die. What do you choose?

5:36 PM C<•Creeping_> Damn, that's cold. I'll take cigarette burns for 200 Alex. And for the Daily Double? Bullet to the head.

5:36 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from decahedra: Is there even such a thing as enough klondike bars?

5:37 PM C<•Creeping_> Never.
5:37 PM And get away from my freezer.

5:37 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: The zombie apocalypse has finally happened. What weapon do you choose? Where do you go?

5:38 PM C<•Creeping_> Gonna have to go with the sword, since it never runs out of ammunition and has some reach. I'd probably head for DC where there are buildings that can be secured.

5:39 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from poppymoonray: If you had to kill MikeyKnutson with a Klondike bar, how would you do it?

5:40 PM C<•Creeping_> I guess I'd make him inhale it......................................................................................literally. *looks around for laughs*

5:40 PM P<•poppymoonray> THUNDEROUS LAUGHTER
5:40 PM Question from decahedra: What would you do to keep me away from your chest freezer?

5:42 PM C<•Creeping_> "I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for Klondike Bars I can tell you I don't have many, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you leave my freezer alone that'll be the end of it. I will not
5:42 PM look for you, I will not pursue you, but if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you.

5:43 PM P<•poppymoonray> Question from cmd102: You're offered $10,000,000 to rewrite the Twilight series. Do you do it? What changes do you make?

5:43 PM C<•Creeping_> Didn't see Twilight, so yeah I'd definitely re write it because I don't know how much it already sucks.

5:43 PM P<•poppymoonray> Final question,from cmd102: Any advice for new or aspiring authors?

5:44 PM C<•Creeping_> Just do it. Hell, I just started writing a little over a year ago and have already been *mildly* successful at it. At least enough for it to have been worth the time and given me a lot of pleasure out of seeing how people respond to my work. There's really nothing to lose.

5:45 PM P<•poppymoonray> A huge thank you to the lovely and tremendously talented Creeping_Dread for taking the time to do this with us today, and thank you to everyone who asked questions! Tune back in to NoSleepInterviews Monday, August 28th when we catch up with the queen of NoSleep, The_Dalek_Emperor!