The Science of Stephen King

Kelly:“You have since writtenGwendy’s Magic Feather, solo. We imagine it would be quite an honor to “borrow” Castle Rock and infuse your own style and creativity. It’s quite a unique writing challenge! How did you approach such a feat?”

Richard Chizmar: “It was a huge honor and responsibility. On one hand, having cowritten the first book with Steve really prepared me for the challenges of Magic Feather. On the other hand, the second book is set in 1999, so a lot of things had changed since the end of Button Box (not the least of which is that Castle Rock was supposed to be completely destroyed earlier that decade at the conclusion of Needful Things!). My main concern was getting the facts straight—people, places, times. I knew this was sacred territory for King’s constant readers, and I didn’t want to mess that up. For accuracy, I relied on my friends—and longtime King experts—Bev Vincent and Brian Freeman to give the various drafts a close read. And they did a terrific job. The rest was all about letting myself get lost in the story, lost in the small Maine town of Castle Rock, and following Gwendy wherever she took me. I’ve come to really trust her instincts.”

Meg:“Your career has spanned short stories, screenplays, novels, and everything in between! What sort of research do you prepare when working? Is it important for you to be scientifically or historically accurate, even in supernatural projects?”

Richard Chizmar: “It really just depends on the project. I’m writing a book now that is set back in 1988 in the town I grew up in. It’s crucial to the story that I get the time period correct. Geographically, socially, economically, right down to the movies and music and trends of the time period. It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of research. Other stories I’ve written, that kind of accuracy is not as important to the characters or plot. They could be set pretty much anywhere at any time.”

Kelly:“Since the inception ofCemetery Danceover thirty years ago, would you say horror literature has changed? Or, as an editor and reader, does it still come down to the same aspects of talent?”

Richard Chizmar: “I think it still comes down to the same aspects of talent. For me, it’s still all about story and narrative drive and caring about the people and places and moments that I’m reading about. Take me away to another place, another time, and (as a reader) I’m yours.”

Meg:“Do you get a particular satisfaction in discovering authors and then watching them flourish in their career? How would you describe that feeling?”

Richard Chizmar: “I love the feeling that kind of discovery brings. How to describe what that process actually feels like? Hmmm, I’d say a mixture of pride (for that particular writer seeing a dream come true and so much hard work realized) and gratitude (that I’m in a position to help do that) and awe (that, even after all these years, it feels like I’m doing exactly what I was put on this Earth to do).

Kelly:“Cemetery Dance Publicationshas published Stephen King’s work, including limited editions, as well as books about him. Recently there has been talk that Stephen King’s work is finding a new, younger audience, thus the sudden boom of television and film adaptations. Do you believe we are living in a ‘King Renaissance’ or that he has had a ‘comeback’ as some media assert?”