Name: Louise Bohmer
Website: http://www.louisebohmer.com/
Publications: The Black Act – Debut dark fantasy novel now available from Lachesis Publishing, Amazon.com, and Fictionwise. Full bibliography: click here.
Genre: horror, dark fantasy
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Please tell us a little about yourself…
I’m a freelance writer and editor working out of New Brunswick, Canada. I’ve loved all things horror and fantasy (primarily dark fantasy in the vein of Clive Barker and H. P. Lovecraft) since I was quite young. I’m a folklore buff, which ties heavily into my debut novel, The Black Act. I’m the editor in chief of a small press now based in Spencerville, Ontario: Lachesis Publishing.
What drives you to write?
I’ve always been a bit of a daydreamer. It’s easy for me to get lost in my thoughts. I’m a very introspective person. One of the things that drives me to write is my overactive imagination. Since I was a little girl, I could scare myself with creatures I’d conjure up in my mind. It’s one of the reasons I started writing when I was young. So, for starters, I guess it’s a purging of the imagination.
I think it becomes a bit of an addiction, though, once you get reader feedback. That’s what keeps you going—at least from my perspective—especially through those times you doubt yourself. Once you start to realize you’re communicating with people you’ve never even met, all through the power of the words you wrote on these pages, I think that’s so affecting you can’t stop. In my case, I find it is one of the biggest reasons I write now. I want to see my stories interpreted through other people’s perspectives. I want to talk about my books with them, and learn why a character, scene, or plot point worked for them or didn’t work.
What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishment?
At this point in my career, learning to be an editor in chief while writing my book. And, above that, my first book stands out for me as my crowning glory. I didn’t think I could create a fictional world as involved as I managed to imagine within The Black Act. Writing it while learning to make galleys and publication schedules was a huge feat accomplished for me. There were definitely times I doubted I’d pull it off.
How would you describe your muse?
Fickle and strange—it’s very erratic. Sometimes it ‘speaks’ in a feminine voice, others a masculine. I really have to go with it, try not to force it, if I want the story to work well, flow well. It definitely likes to play tricks on me, and the story can often take me places I never expected to go.
What would you say is the best cure for “writer’s block”?
People often chuckle when I say this, but interview your characters. I think it was when I interviewed Simon Clark—or read an interview with him—that he gave this advice, and it stuck with me and worked for me. Either write questions down you’d ask your character if they were a real being, or imagine an interview and role play it out in your head (the latter is my method). It might sound bizarre, but it works. In essence, it’s almost like method acting—you become the character through this process, and it can really help you learn the story through the character’s viewpoint.
Outside of writing, what are your other passions/interests?
I love to go for walks on the public access roads that border our property. We live rurally, so I have tons of great walking trails. Love to spend time with my animals (two cats, a dog, and two rats), and I love to read. I like to photo shop occasionally as well.
What is your advice to young writers/first time authors?
Research the industry inside and out, research grammar and spelling again. Buy a copy of the Elements of Style. No matter how strong you think your English is, hone the editor as well as the writer in you. A polished manuscript really can make the difference between a rejection or an acceptance from a publisher. Find out all you can about freelance writing if you want to make a career out of it. Learn about contract terms, standard industry rates for royalties, agents, and advances, and research the markets thoroughly so you know which publishers have the author’s interests at heart, not just their own.
What do you want the world to remember you for the most?
I’d like people to remember me as a good, solid entertaining storyteller. I’d like to take folk’s breath away with a well placed image conjured in their imaginations. When a person tells you something like: “You scared the crap out of me with ‘X’ scene, and I had trouble sleeping last night because of you!” Well, in my opinion that’s magic.
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