Philip Fracassi

VICERAL HORROR

PHILIP FRACASSI

Exclusive Interview

Philip Fracassi is the Bram Stokernominated author of the story collections Behold the Void (named “Collection of the Year” from This Is Horror) and Beneath a Pale Sky (named “Collection of the Year” by Rue Morgue Magazine). His novels include A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, and Boys in the Valley. Philip’s work has been translated into multiple languages, and his stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, and Black Static.

The New York Times calls his work “terrifically scary.”

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOUR NEW BOOK, A CHILD ALONE WITH STRANGERS?

Although I’d written a few novels prior to A Child Alone with Strangers, this was my first genre novel. Specifically, my first attempt at a full-length (and then some) horror novel. I knew going into it that I wanted to pay my respects to all the great tropes I grew up with, having read healthy (unhealthy?) doses of King, Straub, Barker, and Koontz. I wanted the telepathic kid. I wanted the monster in the woods. I wanted the creepy house. But I also wanted to bring a large dose of humanity to the old tropes, to reimagine how characters would respond to supernatural elements. And I knew I wanted to dig into themes of loss and suffering, of bravery and resilience. So although this is a genre novel through-and-through, it’s cemented in characters that live and breathe, that hurt and feel, which I think gives the book a layer many readers don’t expect when picking up a horror book.

Q: USING ONLY THREE WORDS, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WRITING STYLE?

Emotional. Visceral. Aggressive.

Q: DO YOU OUTLINE YOUR BOOKS OR DO YOU JUST DIVE STRAIGHT INTO WRITING THEM?

When it comes to novels, I’m a big outliner. I like to know exactly where a story is going before I begin putting down the prose. I don’t want to be thinking about “what comes next” as it pertains to plot when I’m writing. I want to focus on the prose, the dialogue, the descriptions, the characters. If I’m doing all that and wondering what will be happening in the next chapter I’m doing myself a disservice.

Obviously, outlines will change as the story evolves, or characters develop differently (or act out, as is often the case) during the writing process. But it’s much easier to shift over to the outline and rework plot points than it is to do it all in my head.

Additionally, when writing thrillers or mysteries, it’s important to know the ending, to add misdirection and red herrings to throw off the reader, to drop little hints along the way, breadcrumbs to draw the reader deeper into the dark forest.

When it comes to short stories, I usually have the hook, the ending, and a character to root things in. Once that’s setup in my head, I just write. No outlining for the short work.

Q: WHAT THEMES WILL READERS FIND IN YOUR NEW NOVEL?

As mentioned above, A Child Alone with Strangers explores themes of loss and trauma. Primarily from a child’s perspective but also from the perspective of many of the adult characters – both good and bad. How loss and personal trauma shape us into the people we become, how different people respond in different ways – sometimes making them stronger, sometimes weaker. But there’s also a lot of hope infused within that exploration, so I’d like to think it’s a positive, exhilarating journey though the lives of these characters.

Q: Who are the main characters in your book?

Child has a large cast, but the primary character is a little boy – nine-year-old Henry Thorne. The majority of the book is spent with Henry and his many trials. There are a few other primary characters – some human, some not, some villains, some heroes – but Henry is the focus of the novel. It’s his world and everyone else is just living in it. Q: WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO ASPIRING WRITERS IN YOUR GENRE?

The number one piece of advice I give to any writer is to persevere.

Writing is not easy. You deal with countless rejections from editors, publishers, readers, agents... and then of course you get a lot of people telling you – quite publicly – what they think of your work. Sometimes this can be thrilling, and sometimes heartbreaking. But the only way to truly succeed in publishing is to persevere, to put on the blinders, put your nose to the grindstone and push through all the hard times. You can’t get too high and you can’t get too low, or you’ll go mad with the rollercoaster of being a working writer. But if you persevere, if you keep at it, you’ll find a way.

About Philip Fracassi

Philip Fracassi is the author of the award-winning story collection, Behold the Void, which won “Best Collection of the Year” from This Is Horror and Strange Aeons Magazine.

His newest collection, Beneath a Pale Sky, was published in 2021 by Lethe Press. It received a starred review from Library Journal, was named “Best Collection of the Year” by Rue Morgue Magazine, and was nominated for a Bram Stoker award.

His novels include A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, and Boys in the Valley.

Philip’s books have been translated into multiple languages and his stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, Dark Discoveries, and Cemetery Dance.

The New York Times calls his work “terrifically scary.”

As a screenwriter, his feature films have been distributed by Disney Entertainment and Lifetime Television. He currently has several stories under option for film/tv adaption.

Philip lives in Los Angeles and is represented by Elizabeth Copps at Copps Literary Services. For more information, visit his website at www.pfracassi.com. He also has active profiles on Facebook, Instagram (pfracassi) and Twitter (@philipfracassi).