# Please introduce yourself and your book(s)!
My name is L. Marie Wood and I am an award-winning psychological horror author and screenwriter. I won the Golden Stake Award for my novel The Promise Keeper. My screenplays have won Best Horror, Best Afrofuturism/Horror/Sci-Fi, and Best Short Screenplay awards at several film festivals. My short fiction has been published widely, most recently in Slay: Stories of the Vampire Noire and Bram Stoker Award Finalist anthology, Sycorax’s Daughters.
# Do you tend towards personal satisfaction or aim to serve your readers? Do you balance the two and how?
Writing isn’t ever really one thing, therefore it doesn’t satisfy one person. It is all-encompassing so I create stories that I enjoy writing for readers who like the kind of sub-genres my work taps into . So if you like psychological or quiet horror, you will enjoy the writing I am putting out into the world. The same if you enjoy mystery and thrillers. And I enjoy creating works in that space so it is a win/win for all parties.
# What role do emotions play in creativity?
Emotions are important to creativity because they keep authors in tuned to what is going on in the world. Writing in a vacuum separates the author from the writers in that the same stimuli isn’t being experiences by both and that can make it harder to connect. I say let the emotions be real, let the reactions be authentic and then you are writing from a place that can be mutually understood.
# Do you have any creativity tricks?
For me, creativity is all about being present. I pay attention to the things around me and take note when something interests me. That could be the colors in the evening sky, the sound of the cicadas in the trees, the… the way someone hurries from their car into their house. Never underestimate the importance of the every day. Gems can be found in the mundane and authors have to make sure they are open to that stimuli. That doesn’t mean that an author should copy down everything they see or an artist should paint every scene before them verbatim, but it does mean that those images can be used to form a storyline – one that is rich with detail because the visual was real and experienced. So, be present. Be aware. And remember.
# What are your plans for future books?
My first novel is being re-released by Cedar Grove Publishing in July 2021! A haunting tale that really dives into the psychological horror nature of horror, this story will have you wondering what is real and what isn’t all the way through. Great fun!
Book two of my series, The Realm, comes out in October 2021. It’s a horror/ sci-fi/ alternative reality mash-up that is just as fast-paced as book one.
Check me out at www.lmariewood.com!
