A CHILLING DEEP DIVE INTO THE MIND OF DAN SHRADER

Dan Shrader is an author of extreme horror and splatter. He is the mastermind behind the Full Nasty series as well as the bestselling short, Cravens Freaks. Dan lives and writes in Southern Indiana. He was gracious enough to grant SPARREW newsletter this interview.

This interview took place between Jerry Blaze (JB) and Dan Shrader (DS).

JB: Hello! How are you?

DS: 35

JB: Tell us (for the sake of breaking the ice) who you are?

DS: A clown trapped in a man’s body.

JB: What inspired you to be a writer?

DS: I‘ve always had a passion for writing and storytelling—since I was young. It’s something that has constantly been a part of me, and I’ve felt an urge to pursue. I’ve got so many ideas bouncing around, I can’t relax until I write them down.  

JB: When did you decide you were going to write full-time or part-time or just period?

DS: I’ve always dreamt of being a professional writer or just actually doing it. It’s been my dream forever. My twenties were rough, and I stopped for a long time after high school. I was a mess, couldn’t stay sober, and that dream was a long way off. I struggled to write more than a page. Over ten years of binge-drinking and self-hatred destroyed my passion, but I’M BACK.

JB: What is your most successful book to date?

DS: Full Nasty Books and Cravens Freaks

JB: What is your process?

DS: I have thoughts in my head and I try to write them down, either by typing or by hand, in any way possible. I have scraps of notes. Can’t say I have a process. Sometimes, I work on three or four projects at a time.

JB: Do you prefer any legal drugs to help, nicotine? Caffeine? Whatever the hell they put in vapes?

DS: A lot of coffee. I vape now after fifteen years of smoking cigarettes. That is it.

JB: What is your favorite genre to write?

DS: I have explored various horror styles. In the past, I tried screenplays and crime drama, but I always preferred horror.

JB: Which of your books do you wish people knew more about?

DS: Banshee Graveyard and Soulless Lonesome

JB: Do you prefer to self-publish or small-press publish? Why?

DS: At the moment—Self-publish. I’m a control freak when it comes to my work.

JB: What are your thoughts on Amazon categories?

DS: They’re a hot mess. You only pick three (which don’t cater well to horror authors) and when the book is out, this odd algorithm throws you in stuff you never even put it in.

JB: What do you think about book awards?

DS: Been nominated for a few, but I’m not against them. I think it’s a good thing.

JB: What, in your opinion, makes or breaks a book?

DS: Characters and scenes that are too descriptive. Too much unnecessary backstory. Repeated material. Lack of authenticity. Or when you read and can just tell the author is being lazy, like they gave up or trying too hard to finish. It’s hard to explain, but you know it when you see it.

JB: What do you think about AI in covers, writing, etc.?

DS: If you use AI to write or even generate ideas for you, it’s best not to write at all. It’s disrespectful.

Plain and simple: AI is the devil. If you use it—please go fuck yourself very much on that—you're a cheat and it’s insulting to people who create.

JB: Who’s your favorite author?

DS: Clive Barker

JB: Who would be your ideal co-author for a book?

DS: Would love to work with Kristopher Triana one day.

JB: What do you think of book labels based on word count? Short, novelette, novella, novel?

DS: I write until the story is finished, without a specific word count in mind. Short stories are under 6K words. Novels are over 40K words. The middle ground is where the fun happens.

JB: Follow up, what’s your preferred word count?

DS: I seem to fall in the 15K to 22K bracket a lot with most of my work. I only have one novel.

JB: What are your dreams as a writer? Ultimate goal? Etc.?

DS: Keep creating. Build a fan base. Get my work out there. Maybe have a book into a movie one day when Hollywood pulls their heads out of their asses and stops remaking everything.

JB: Where do you see the horror community going?

DS: I’m not entirely certain, but it’s like a family. It changes and wraps back around. What wasn’t cool today might be cool tomorrow. It’s important to listen to our elders by reading their material, carrying the torch forward, and generating new ideas from it. This community is different from all others and I believe will be here forever.

I’m not sure I answered this great. I’m honestly still stuck in the 80s and 90s of horror. I mean, none of my stories have characters with cell phones. LOL

JB: Any advice for aspiring writers?

DS: Keep your head down, stay out of the drama, and write.

Write. Write. Write. Be the best you can.

Find Dan Shrader books on Amazon now!

ABOUT JERRY:

Jerry Blaze is an award-winning author of Horror and Bizarro fiction.

After achieving success in the erotic market, Jerry decided to undertake Extreme Horror/Splatterpunk/Bizarro fiction writing and released several books. Some of his books have been bestsellers on Amazon. He has been awarded the 2025 Golden Wizard Book Prize and the Literary Titan award.

Jerry is a fan of Grindhouse and exploitation films from the 70s and 80s, often modeling his work on them. He currently lives in the American Midwest, but travels often to get inspiration or to run away from angry mobs.