Jonathan Maberry

This week: Jonathan Maberry!

I've always had a knack for words, and in college, I reached out to some local writers who knew a thing or two about writing and getting published. One of the authors told me to get my name out before I get my story out. And here he is! Jonathan Maberry is a fountain of information - and take a look over his fascinating career so far! (Hint: Netflix is involved!)




Name: Jonathan Maberry
Social Media: Facebook: facebook.com/jonathanmaberry
Instagram: @jonathanmaberry
Twitter: @jonathanmaberry
Genre: Thrillers, Horror, Fantasy, Suspense



Where do you find inspiration?
Inspiration is everywhere you look. There are different methods for harvesting and developing it, though. On a basic level, inspiration comes from keeping your eyes and mind open, allowing everyday life to bring ideas to you. Another way to light fires is to read. I’m a knowledge junkie, so I read a lot of technical manuals, trade journals and nonfiction books on science, medicine, history, and politics. Lots of ideas there. 

The second part of that is developing an idea into a story. That requires a bit more of the storyteller’s craft, but the short version of it is, when considering any item or fact, asking yourself: What’s the worst that can happen? Fiction, after all, is about crisis. Even if things work out in the end, there is some kind of crisis, something that disturbs the orderly flow of day-to-day life. It could be a broken heart or an asteroid about to hit the Earth. We writers are not, after all, in the business of giving happy characters a pleasant day. 

Which character in literature do you associate yourself with the most? 
I’ve always felt a connection with Travis McGee, the crime-solving boat bum of the wonderful novels of John D. MacDonald. Trav was not a hero, not a cop…he did favors for friends. He was an intellectual, tougher-than-he-looked skeptic in a world that tries to fit people into predictable boxes. Trav was ethical, honorable, amused, and never took himself too seriously. And, though the books are somewhat dated by 21st century standards, they were very progressive for their day. Very humanist.

Which piece of your writing was the most entertaining/enjoyable to write? Why? 
There are two ways to answer that question. The one that as the most actual fun to write was PATIENT ZERO, the first of the Joe Ledger thrillers. It was my fourth novel and it allowed me to blend elements of horror with deep science in a special ops thriller, and stir in lots of sarcastic humor, pop culture references, and idealism.

The book that was the most satisfying overall was GLIMPSE, which currently stands as my favorite novel I’ve written. It was my biggest stretch as a writer, in terms of protagonist (a 26-year-old woman who is recovering from years of drug addiction), and structure (fractured time, unreliable narrators, and elements of horror, suspense and fantasy).

Was the first novel you published the first you ever wrote? What was? 
Yes, GHOST ROAD BLUES, was the first novel I wrote, and the first sold. It was the first of what became the Pine Deep Trilogy (followed by DEAD MAN’S SONG and BAD MOON RISING). I was able to get an agent moderately quickly and she sold it to the second publisher who read it. It came out from Kensington in 2006. I’m now writing my 36th novel.

When I’m not writing I’m usually…
I’m a big TV and movie junkie, so I watch a lot. But I live on the beach, so I like to be outdoors. And I travel quite a lot…mostly related to writing, but it gives me a chance to explore new places.

If you could tell or ask any character in literature or film anything, what would it be? (and where is the character from?)
Oh, I’d love to bring Sherlock Holmes into my life and see how accurate his inductive reasoning really is. And, for the record, he was not deducing – Conan Doyle got that wrong.


If you had lived a different life, made different choices, what would you be doing now? 

I have been a teacher at various times, so that would have been my other career choice. I’ve taught martial arts in dojos and at the university level (Temple U. for 14 years), and created specialty defense programs for women, children, the physically challenged, and the vision impaired. And more recently I’ve taught writing and publishing workshops all over. So…teaching would have been my other direction.

What are five things you couldn’t do without? 
Coffee, music, travel, animals, and open-hearted/open-minded people.

What do few people know about you? 
I have a bunch of oddball talents. I was involved in musical theater (semi-pro level) for years, starting with school shows and expanding to community theater. Way back when. I’m a fair artist, but not enough to go pro. And I’m a retired massage therapist.

Are you working on any current projects?
I’m always juggling several projects. Right now I’m revising a young adult novel –WATCH OVER ME, which will be the first of at least two Dylan Quinn mysteries for Simon & Schuster; I’m writing INK, my 36th novel, a horror thriller for St. Martin’s Griffin; writing PANDEMICA, my new science fiction/socio-political comic for IDW; doing edits on NEW SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK, a tribute anthology for HarperCollins; and serving as editorial director for the relaunch of Weird Tales Magazine.

What work of fiction made you want to be a writer? 
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, even before I could write. I told stories with toys as a little kid. There are, however, three novels that inspired me to write fiction, and they are equal importance –Shirley Jackson’s immortal THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE –which is perhaps the finest writing of psychological suspense ever; DANDELION WINE by Ray Bradbury, which explores the everyday magic of being young, when all things are possible; and I AM LEGEND by Richard Matheson, published in 1954 and which is the template for all apocalyptic thrillers from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD to the works of Michael Crichton and James Rollins.

What tools do you use for writing, organization, marketing?For writing, I just use Word. I’m not much into software beyond that.  For marketing, I tend to rely on social media, and I hit Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn every day, often multiple times per day. I like the engagement and the fun of the buzz.

Why do you write?
I’ve truly never wanted to do anything else as much. It’s the first thing I can remember wanting to do. And I find it enormously satisfying. After all, I get to play in my imagination all day long and get paid for it.

What are some profound experiences from your life you’ve worked into your fiction?
I explored the damage of child abuse as a subplot in my first three novels (the Pine Deep Trilogy). My sisters and I were rather badly abused and fiction allowed me to deconstruct that and work through it.

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Author Bio: JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, and comic book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, is in production as a Netflix original series, starring Ian Somerhalder (LOST, VAMPIRE DIARIES) and will debut in late 2019. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include the Joe Ledger thrillers, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, Mars One, and many others. Several of his works are in development for film and TV. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, New Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, and others. His comics include Black Panther: DoomWar, The Punisher: Naked Kills and Bad Blood. His Rot & Ruin books are being produced as webcomics. He is a board member of the Horror Writers Association and the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. He lives in Del Mar, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com

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