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Rated: 5.00/5 | Votes: 5 | Views: 149 |Submitted: 12/17/08

Q&A With Author Jeremy C. Shipp

By Heather Wixson

I recently had a chance to catch up with Author Jeremy C. Shipp, whose recent novel “Sheep and Wolves” is available to genre fans and is available for purchase here.

When did the idea of writing start appealing to you?

My parents always say that as a wee babe, my favorite toy was a pen.  So maybe even then, I had an inkling that I want to be a writer.  Later, in 4th grade, I had an assignment to write a short story, which turned out to be not-so-short.  The experience always stuck with me.  Later, when I was 13, I thought, “I should write book.”  And somehow, my desire to create vanquished the monsters of low self esteem, and I actually wrote my first novel.  I’ve been writing about a book a year ever since.

What is your creative process like? 

My process involves a lot of hard work, mixed with a dollop of madness.  I usually start out by brainstorming, letting my whole brain vomit onto the page.  I only end up using a small fraction of these ideas in my actual story.  Then I start writing.  And I tend to obsess over every word.  The rhythm of the sentences is especially important to me, maybe because my love for writing music bleeds over into this realm.  Early on, I usually know where my tale will end up, but I don’t know how I’m going to get there.  I like not knowing.  I like putting my characters in impossible situation, and having no idea how I’m going to get them out.

What is it about dark imagery that you find so appealing to explore in your work?

On the one hand, I have a childlike fascination with dark imagery.  Monsters especially.  For instance, I’ve always loved Halloween, and when I dream, I’m frequently in a haunted house.  More often than not, these haunted house dreams are my happiest.  On the other hand (or hook, speaking in pirate terms), some of the dark imagery I explore is extremely disturbing to me.  Most of my stories horrify me, and sometimes they’re difficult to write.  My goal, in writing dark tales, is to interest the reader, and to shine a light on aspects of our world that might usually remain shrouded.  I write because civilization, on the whole, disturbs me deeply.  And so, writing is cathartic, and empowering.

Is there an author(s) whose work influences you?

As a kid, a couple of my biggest influences were HG Wells and Ray Bradbury.  More recently, I find myself inspired by writersSheep_and_Wolves such as Arundhati Roy, Kurt Vonnegut, Brett Easton Ellis, Amy Hempel, George Orwell, Chuck Palahniuk, Anthony Burgess, and Aimee Bender.

Can you tell me more about Sheep and Wolves?

This story collection is a not-so-distant cousin of my debut novel, “Vacation.”  While “Vacation” explores twisted power dynamics on a global scale, “Sheep and Wolves” looks at manipulation and disrespect on a more domestic level.  These stories could be classified as horror, dark fantasy, bizarro.  In my skull, the greatest evil in these tales aren’t the human or inhuman monsters, but the systems they’re a part of.

Tell me a little bit more about your work on your short film.

EGG is a short film, written by the tiny goblins living in my head, and directed by Jayson Densman.  This project started because Jayson’s a fan of my writing, and I’m a fan of his work as well. 

Egg isn’t easily described.  Here’s what the director wrote, when asked to give a synopsis of the EGG script:

“Brain surgery while intoxicated would be preferable, but I’ll do my best. Envision a storyline that has the surreal, symbolic qualities of a David Lynch dream sequence, the universal dynamics and power of deep personal fear and hope...thread that with an undercurrent of a rare, undefined phobia that quietly waits to blossom and reveal its intent for you. That’s EGG. That’s Jeremy Shipp. It’s the story of a boy within a man’s temporally displaced consciousness...attempting to change the order of a truth and a pain. Maybe.  Physically, the story is a chameleon. To each person, it relays something different and does it without losing pungency.  It has such a broad landscape of everyday commons, but the blending of these elements allows the story a lot of space to romp and punch on the emotional keys. To force more out of EGG would be to negate its purpose. This is experimental storytelling at a crest and a challenging gift in return for the hidden things you brought in with you.  Check nothing at the door.”

We’re in the process of submitting the film to festivals, and the DVD is now available exclusively at rawdogscreaming.com/sheep.html.

The film trailer can be found here: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=25076212

What types of projects are you working on now?

Various short stories.  And I’m almost finished with a new novel called “Cursed.”  The story’s about a group of characters banding together, trying to cope with very strange problems.  I’m so fond of these characters, I almost hate to finish the book, as I probably won’t work with these imaginary people again.

Anyway, as far as other projects go, I’m gathering an army of yard gnomes to take over the world.  Or to start an interpretive dance studio.  We haven’t decided yet.

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