JWC901@aol.com from New Jersey: By writing an entire novel in email form, don't you worry about the fact that many people simply don't like reading stuff online and prefer having an actual book in front of them? Douglas Clegg: I love having a book in front of me. I love it when a storyteller tells me a tale. I love when I see a movie. And I really enjoy reading on my Rocket eBook™ (I'm reading DAISY MILLER by Henry James right now). And I love reading cybernovels. So here's what I worry about more than anything: Is my story, NAOMI, or my collection of short stories like THE NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES or my novel THE HALLOWEEN MAN -- are they entertaining? Absorbing? Regardless of what format they're in, I want to involve people in my fictions. And I'm having more fun with NAOMI than I thought I would.
Bonnie from BcatS@aol.com: Hi, Doug. I am a big fan. Any chance we'll see some of the characters from THE HALLOWEEN MAN in another novel? Douglas Clegg: Bonnie -- I never say never, but truth is, each character lives in his or her own world for me -- and the world of THE HALLOWEEN MAN had a certain closure. Although, I guess if I came up with a strong enough story to entertain myself in the writing, I could do a sequel taking up at the moment THE HALLOWEEN MAN ends...who knows? Thanks also, Bonnie, for coming along on the NAOMI trip!
Brian Knight from Clarkston, WA: I am a writer, and my latest novel, BLACK DAY, has attracted some attention, but I have been unable to get published. How would I go about getting published online? Douglas Clegg: Brian -- I'm not a publisher, but I'd guess you could approach various places like Hardshell Word Factory or the other online publishers -- or you could publish it yourself on a web site. It depends on your goals. Writing fiction for me is about storytelling and about expressing all the worlds I can dream up. I've discovered that any way these stories can reach readers, I'll probably try. I would suggest that if you believe in your story, you decide where your ideal readers are for it -- and then get your novel where they can find it. Good luck!
Mark from NYC: How did this e-serial novel come about? Also, will you also be publishing the entire thing at any time? Douglas Clegg: Mark -- thanks for asking. I had wanted to write this novel for a few years (I guess since about '91 or so). I never had the time. Well, I have three books coming out in the next two years, and I thought: I really want to write NAOMI, but where will it appear? My publicist suggested doing something in email, and ta-da -- I went with it. I will publish the novel as an offline novel one day, but right now I'm not going to worry about that. I'm just going to focus on giving the subscribers to NAOMI a unique experience: a book that I'm writing week by week, creating as strong a story as I can.
Gary from Coos Bay, OR: I just finished HALLOWEEN MAN and enjoyed it immensely. It is the only one of your works I have read (with the exception of the NAOMI installments I have received via email). Which one of your books are you most proud of, and if you had to recommend only one (I know, it's a tough one), which one would it be? I love your writing and am anxious to read more. Thanks! Douglas Clegg: Gary -- I wish I had a million readers like you. Thanks. My first novel, GOAT DANCE, is still high on my list because I had to really dig in and explore what storytelling was with that one; my third novel, NEVERLAND, is my personal favorite because I put so much of my childhood in it, encoded in fiction. But they're all my kids: I even love the one with the warts and the hacking cough that can't quite spell right. Tough to choose.
Curious from USA: NAOMI is scheduled to arrive to subscribers, via email, until the middle of October. Is it possible it could continue beyond this time, due to new plot ideas you may come up with? Douglas Clegg: Curious -- no, NAOMI will pretty much not be an endless saga. This is a novel that will probably reach between 350 and 400 pages in book form were it to be published. I won't make it the dreaded never-ending tale. But I probably will present email novels or short stories over the Internet in the future -- I find the form really different and very much a challenge.
Fred from Pennsylvania: Do you feel more authors will go to the idea of releasing their work through the web type media? Douglas Clegg: Fred -- yes, and actually there are lots of novels on the Web -- by exciting new writers. I just am hoping a top bestselling novelist does this, too. I think it's a great way to get more in touch with readers -- who are, in many ways, coauthors, because they use their imaginations to re-create the novel.
Dee Richter from Wisconsin: Your e-novel is a great idea, and I'm enjoying it immensely. Are there plans in your future for having a book signing in the Milwaukee area? Douglas Clegg: Dee -- I wish! I'd love to, but given my current schedule, I would not know when to plan this. However, a good friend is moving to Wisconsin shortly, novelist Beth Amos (SECOND SIGHT is her recent novel), and my friend Brian Rieselman lives there, too. So if I go visit them in the next 12 months, maybe I can swing by Milwaukee.
Don from New York: Hi, Doug. Are you approaching the writing of NAOMI differently than you do your other novels? Do you feel compelled to go back and make changes to parts of the book that have already been serialized? Douglas Clegg: Don -- actually, I'm creating more of a discipline for myself with NAOMI -- and enjoying it more than I ever thought was possible. I probably will try to use this same discipline when writing future novels -- that is, learn to focus more on story and not go off on tangents that don't serve the tale. But other than that, it's a very similar experience to writing my other novels -- I just get to fail or succeed with it in front of people every single week. Thanks for asking.
Randy from Columbus, GA: I have read all of your books, and I am looking forward to the next one. What is NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES, and when will it be published? Douglas Clegg: Randy -- hey! Long time no e! NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES is a collection of short stories linked by the story of a kidnapping and its consequences. One of my favorite books as a kid was THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES by Ray Bradbury -- and I wanted to do for nightmares what he did for Mars and its inhabitants -- tell short stories within the framework of a larger theme. I sort of discovered that many of my short stories were about horrific or wondrous transformations and that they really work together to create almost a novel via short fiction.
Joanne from Half Moon Bay: How can I subscribe to the email novel NAOMI? The concept sounds pretty interesting. Douglas Clegg: Joanne -- actually, if anyone wants to subscribe, just send a note to JPBelleair@aol.com, the list moderator. Or go to www.onelist.com, register with them, and then search for the DouglasClegg list (one word on DouglasClegg) and sign up. You can find back issues at www.douglasclegg.com. Thanks for asking.
Niki from Niki_palek@yahoo.com: Hello, Douglas Clegg! Good of you to join us this evening. What in your opinion is the best adaptation of a horror novel to the big screen? Douglas Clegg: Niki -- "Angel Heart" is a terrific film adaptation of FALLING ANGEL by William Hjortsberg. "The Haunting" is a terrific take on THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson (probably my favorite novel of this century). "Bad Dreams" was a really fascinating spin on Bari Wood's DOLL'S EYES.
Ratso Reilly from Statesboro, GA: This e-serial novel -- do have the entire thing already written, or do you write it as you send it? Also, do you still use an editor for a project like this? Douglas Clegg: Ratso -- I write it as I send it, but a good friend who has edited some anthologies looks over it first to make sure I don't do anything suicidally goofy.
Linda from New York: Are you working from an outline, and do you find the added pressure of having a weekly deadline stimulating or not? Douglas Clegg: Linda -- no outlines other than weekly ones, when I decide what needs to happen. And then I ignore it. I worked this novel out in my head, and I had to push down on my very small brain to let the characters come alive and take over so that they'd create the story and all I have to do is translate it as best I can. I'm at a point with my fiction where I trust that the story will go where it needs to and will pretty much drag me along with it.
Brooke from NYC: There is a lot going on so far in NAOMI, and I am just wondering if you have a preference for one particular story line and, if so, which one would that be. Douglas Clegg: Brooke -- weirdly enough, my favorite characters are always the forgotten ones of life: I really love the Diary of a Witch character, and Romeo, and Naomi herself -- and even Jake. And Maddy -- who is not a forgotten one, but she's definitely on the outside looking in and will soon find her destiny within the story. I hate to sound goofy, but I love them all.
Bill from Trenton: Who would you say are the most underrated authors in the horror field? The genre's best-kept secrets? Douglas Clegg: Bill -- best kept secrets? Tough question, since none of them seem like secrets to me. I loved Boston Teran's GOD IS A BULLET, I loved Bentley Little's THE HOUSE, but hey, Stephen King is amazing me again as if he just was born today when I read BAG OF BONES -- Lucy Taylor is terrific; I love anything by Elizabeth Engstrom. I'm a big fan of this genre.
Stan from Concord, CA: Have you read the latest Harris novel yet? I am looking for a legitimate source who has read it. Douglas Clegg: Stan -- yes, I read it! He's a genius. It's a wild ride, it's outrageous and audacious, and if you're looking for a repeat of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, you won't find it. But it's a gothic revenge story that is both bizarre and believable, and I think Thomas Harris is a guy I'd like to meet.
Curious from USA: I imagine you could pretty much write whatever type of fiction you chose. Why have you chosen horror/dark fantasy? Has anything ever happened to you that would lead to a fascination with the paranormal? Douglas Clegg: I have always believed in ghosts, and I have always loved nightmares and dreams and all the things we don't know are true. But my biggest draw to horror is that I fell in love with it early -- whether it was my mom reading the scary parts of the Bible or Edgar Allan Poe to us as kids, or whether it was watching "The Twilight Zone" and "Night Gallery," or even when I discovered Thomas Tryon's THE OTHER and Shirley Jackson -- I just felt drawn to terror.
Danielle from San Francisco: Doug -- I must say I am quite enjoying the novel. The fact that it is coming to me via email makes me feel like I am hearing about an experience with a friend rather than reading a book. Do you think you will continue releasing novels in this form? Douglas Clegg: Danielle -- absolutely! This is a fun experience, and I hope to find other ways to present my fiction to readers in addition to the more traditional modes. Other writers are doing it: Look at Michael Prescott, whose STEALING FACES is out now in electronic form in Rocket ebook well before the paperback comes out in the coming year. It's an exciting time for writers.
Bill from New York City: Would you ever collaborate with another author on a story or novel? If you would, who would it be with? Douglas Clegg: Bill -- I guess I'd just have to take this on, case by case. I never really think about writing a novel. I pretty much get a story that won't let go and then write it down. I'm not sure how well this would work in collaborations. But it's a thought!
Matt from New York City: Leisure Books is incredible. God bless them for releasing such great horror books. Do you think that there's a chance other publishers could follow suit and start publishing more horror paperbacks? Douglas Clegg: I hope so, but I also hope that other publishers also look at what horror novels they're publishing -- you can't fool readers, and if a story ain't there, it won't find a receptive audience. I would hate for publishers to suddenly start publishing horror novels that no one wanted to read. On the other hand, I'd love to walk in a bookstore and find hundreds of horror novels -- I'd probably read them all.
BcatS@aol.com from Tennessee: I'm fascinated with the forbidden city. Will it be fully explained by the end of NAOMI? Douglas Clegg: Bonnie -- patience! You will experience everything about the world of this novel before it is over. Hope it continues to hold your interest.
DS from Texas: You've probably been asked this question millions of times, but I'll go ahead and ask it anyway: What scares Douglas Clegg? Douglas Clegg: DS -- what scares me? God, just about everything. Come up behind me and tap me on the shoulder, and I'll jump three feet. The big question is: What doesn't scare me?
PlanetX from aol.com: So tell us...what did ya think of "The Phantom Menace"? I loved BAD KARMA, by the way -- any chance for the return of Andrew Harper? Douglas Clegg: PlanetX -- thanks for the word on Andrew Harper. Hey, if my then-publisher had been more supportive, there would've been another one. I have a sequel, but I'm holding it back for now. Meantime: "Phantom Menace": I enjoyed it. I must be the perfect audience for it. I laughed at all the places other people groaned at, and I really liked Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor and all the aliens and that pod race!
Mario from Texas: With the reputation that Hollywood has of totally screwing up film adaptations of horror novels, would you ever consider a film adaptation of any of your novels? Douglas Clegg: Oh sure. I invite Hollywood to come screw with my stories so that I can then do chats and say, "Man, they really screwed up my stories!" while I'm on my yacht.
Fred from Pennsylvania: When cranking out the stories do you have a special thing you do, like listen to the radio? Drink a soda? Wear a certain shirt? Do ten jumping jacks? Douglas Clegg: Well, I drink a lot of water. And soda. My favorite is Tab, but I seem to end up with just Coke. Sometimes I wear no shirt; sometimes I wear a shirt; half the time, I'm not sure what I'm wearing. Naw, nothing special, although I do like to play with my cat's mind while I'm writing.
Beth from Virginia: Doug -- you say you've had this story worked out to some degree for a while but you're letting the characters take you where they need to go. Have there been any surprises for you in the development of NAOMI? Douglas Clegg: Beth -- it's all surprises, because in a way, while I never work out the movement in the book, I just work out who these people are, where they're from, and what world they occupy. In my head, I pretty much need to feel I'm living in their world; then the story just begins to move where it needs to as if fulfilling that world. Okay, it sounds nuts. But I just go with it. I trust my absolutely absurd sense that my imagination has created this world in three dimensions.
Randi from Dover, NJ: Do you think writing horror ever negatively affects your state of mind? Do you ever creep yourself out and put yourself in a horror-filled or nightmarish state of mind? Douglas Clegg: It never negatively affects my state of mind -- I actually find a lot of hope and redemption and fascination within tales of horror. But I do creep myself out at times and also get some cool nightmares out of it. I think horror is both a recognition and release -- a recognition of chaos at the heart of existence, and also a release of id and energy from the readers and the writers in fiction -- and a healthy, life-enhancing release, too.
Lenea from Lenea734@aol.com: How far into NAOMI are you? Is it too late to sign up? Douglas Clegg: Lenea -- it will never be too late to sign up. Come on board -- and tell your friends. I think this is an event that we'll all look back on years from now and just say: what fun. I think the electronic frontier needs to be crossed in covered wagons -- or with e-books -- and I hope that the more adventurous writers and readers will do it.
Dave M. from Texas: How come everyone seems to be steering away from full-blown horror? Thank God you're still doing pure horror -- I love it. Keep up the good work. Do you plan on sticking to the horror genre? Douglas Clegg: Dave -- probably because they're not enjoying the landscape. Me, I love full-blown horror, I love the dark secret within the walls, I love the chimes at midnight and the pale specter in the dark corridor, and yep, I write what I write -- it's horror even when I try to make it a love story, and it's horror even when I try to turn it into a fantasy novel. It's my bent.
Don from New York: The earlier question about film adaptations of books made me wonder: Which of your books do you think would most lend itself to being a movie? THE HALLOWEEN MAN was incredibly cinematic, I think. Douglas Clegg: Don -- I think HALLOWEEN MAN, CHILDREN'S HOUR, and NEVERLAND, although BREEDER might make a really good B-horror movie matinee.
Sunny from Minneapolis: I must admit I never read anything in the horror genre till a friend of mine sent me the first two installments of your email novel...now I am hooked. I went out and purchased all your books, read three so far, and found them incredible...not at all what I thought horror was. So I just wanted to say thank you for bring me into a new genre, and I love your email novel so far -- reminds me of the old cliffhangers from when I was younger. Douglas Clegg: Sunny -- that's very generous and great of you. Thanks. Yeah, I love cliffhangers, and I love that aspect of NAOMI. I hope all of you here will give THE NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES a spin, as well as NAOMI, and just keep readin'.
Tim from Oklahoma: Doug -- I would just like to say thanks for the inspiration to actively start submitting my short stories once again. I am currently in my tenth year of service with the USAF and find it very hard to find the time to write, let alone submit them. (Although that's the world's most common excuse.) Reading NAOMI has been very enjoyable and has brought that itch back, and I am sending out another story tomorrow. Persistence, persistence, persistence.... Thanks! Douglas Clegg: Tim -- scratch that itch! Write what you dream up, use that imagination, keep it sharp, and aim high. And don't forget to feed the dog now and then and mow the lawn when the grass is too high. Keep at it.
Moderator: Thank you, Douglas Clegg, and best of luck with HALLOWEEN MAN and your serial novel, NAOMI. Before you leave us, do you have any parting thoughts for the online audience? Douglas Clegg: Well, I want to thank everyone here who has subscribed to NAOMI and who has followed my novels since 1989 -- I hope THE NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES and my upcoming novel, YOU COME WHEN I CALL, will enthrall you further and keep you turning pages. Goodnight.
