1. When did you start writing?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I was always writing comic books, stories. My dad was a writer on the side, and both of my parents were huge readers, so I was always surrounded by books as a child, and I loved storytelling.

2. What was your journey towards becoming an author like?

It was really in high school that I started looking at my writing more as an art form and less as a fun hobby. I had a few English teachers that really encouraged me to take it more seriously, to explore it. I think that’s so important for teachers and parents alike to do. But it took me years to learn the discipline to actually sit down and finish something I had started, then take the time to edit it, to really think about it. I was very undisciplined when I was a young writer, and had a horrible habit of leaving projects unfinished. I had a lot wonderful ideas, and then they’d get pushed aside by other ones, and nothing would ever really get finished. I studied film and creative writing in college, and it took me a long time to learn that discipline. I coasted on raw talent for a long time, and it never got me anywhere.

3. What can you tell me about your latest book? (Feel free to include an excerpt.)  

It’s a ghost story set on a fictitious island on Lake Eerie, just off the coast of mainland Ohio. A woman, Sarah, had a traumatic incident as a child out on the lake, and now she’s bound to it forever by a phobia. But something from her past is coming back during a massive blizzard, and everyone on the island will have to face their pasts sins. It’s very much a slow-burn horror story. I was inspired by a lot of the classics when I wrote this. I’m less interested in jump scares and more drawn to the atmosphere itself. The mood. I’ve always wants to set a story in that part of Ohio, as I have so many wonderful memories there.

4. What sort of methods do you use for book promotion?  

Outside of my own social media, my MFA program and the Ohio chapter of the Horror Writers Association have been kind enough to promote my work. I have a number of readings and in-person book events coming up, so I’m very excited about that. This is the first time I’ve gotten this far along, so it’s definitely been eye-opening. 

5. Where do you get your ideas for stories?  

I always like how David Lynch said all the ideas were already out there, and you just had to “fish” for them. He talked about fishing for ideas all the time. So, for me, I try to start with a single image or place. Something that draws me in. I’ll go for a long walk, or do something active. I listen to a lot of music when I do this, so it’s almost a sort of meditative experience. With this novel, I knew I wanted that part of Ohio. Then I thought of a character that could never leave it because of past trauma. And then the rest of it started taking shape. Place is so important to me as a writer, so I typically start there. 

6. What are you working on right now?  

I just finished my first draft of my next novel. It’s a historical horror story set in Ohio during the Civil War. I’m very excited about it. This one came along a lot faster than my first novel. It’s different than The Girl Who Walked on Ice. It’s much more grounded in reality. Much more brutal.

7. Any advice for other authors?  

It may sound contradictory, but I’d say be patient, but write with a sense of urgency. Be patient with your story. Don’t rush to the end just so you can say you finished it. It has your name on it, so make it as good as it possibly can be. At the same time, make sure you’re always working. Always writing, even if it’s just a little every day. Try not to be between projects. A lot of people say they’ll write a novel or story one day, and so they kick that can down the road. And sadly, for many people, that day never comes. We only have so much time here, and we don’t know how much.  Also, I it’s good to read what’s hot on the market now, but always read the classics too. It’s what the best authors do. Sometimes it feels like the classics are being phased out in our classrooms, but the great works are great for a reason.

ABOUT JOSEPH:

Joseph Lewis received his MFA in Creative Writing from the NEOMFA program at Cleveland State University. His work has appeared in several literary magazines, including Coffin Bell, Novel Noctule and Black Works. His work has also been published in Piece by Piece, a horror anthology published by Dark Moon Rising Publications. His screenplay, Retribution, won second place in the Ohio Independent Screenplay Contest. A former Peace Corps volunteer, he taught Western Literature and Film Studies at Sichuan University of Arts and Science in China. He currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Please visit his website for links to his other creative work and news regarding his novel, The Girl Who Walked on Ice.