We here at GLAHW have met so many amazing and talented people out in the big wide world (you know, OFF the internets) and thought it was high-time we introduced them to you. Who knows? You may end up discovering a favorite new artist, photographer, writer, or all-around awesome human. This time around, we will be talking to Melodie Bolt.
GLAHW: How long have you been writing? When did you get started?
I started writing as a child. My parents were conservative regarding TV, so I read voraciously and fell in love with Gothic Horror, namely Jane Eyre and Edgar Allen Poe. I started reading Stephen King in high school.
GLAHW: Why did you choose the horror genre?
My parents allowed me to watch black and white movies, so I grew up watching Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., and Boris Karloff. I love the classics. Probably the biggest moment was when I watched the original “Candy Man” and fell in love with the multiple takes on the movie. Is it a love story? Is it madness? Sweets for the sweet. I love to offer that to my readers.
GLAHW: Were you inspired by a person or event to begin your writing career?
I started writing fiction and poetry in elementary school as assignments, but found I loved creating characters and putting them in difficult situations. I also connected with poetry since it was a concise way of putting emotion on paper and evocating emotion from the reader. Now I’m more of an imagist but I still try to evoke a response from the reader. It may be disgust even, but why read without feeling something?
GLAHW: Are you a Plotter or Pantser?
I definitely plot. I like using a columnar pad to track characters, chapters, and events. Xcel would work just as well, but the paper version allows me hold it.
GLAHW: Have you ever had an encounter with the supernatural?
Yes, we lived in a house in Pittsburgh that had a presence when I was a child who like tossing my blinds up while I was home alone as a latch-key kid. Later, my youngest daughter had a friend she played with who liked jumping off the couch once the kids had gone to bed.
GLAHW: Are you superstitious? Why or why not?
I think superstitions are like family folk magic. Why get rid of the magic in your life?
GLAHW: What do you do for a living, outside of writing?
I work with numbers: accounts payable.
GLAHW: Do you keep a journal every day?
I really dislike journaling.
GLAHW: What do you prefer to write – short stories, poetry, novels, scripts, etc.?
I love novels but have been drawn-out in revision. Poetry comes a lot easier and is quicker to revise.
GLAHW: What truly scares you?
The death of my children before I die and losing personal freedoms under the government.
GLAHW: What sort of hobbies are you into?
I like to sew Christmas stocking kits out of felt.
GLAHW: Do you read outside of the horror genre? If so, what else have you read?
I love fantasy, epic and urban, science fiction, some YA. I have an MFA, so I’ve read a lot of poetry.
GLAHW: What’s your favorite genre to write?
I love writing contemporary dark fantasy.
GLAHW: Do you use a pseudonym?
No.
GLAHW: What do you think makes a good story?
I think good stories are a well-balanced mix of setting, characters, plot and dialog. If any one of these is over or under done, it’s like eating a spoiled dinner. There’s no satisfaction and you’re still hungry.
GLAHW: As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
First a garbage collector and then an Ambassador. For a while, I wanted to be a marine biologist and work with sharks but that came after watching Jaws.
GLAHW: Are you spiritual?
Yes. I identify as pagan.
GLAHW: What are your influences?
Charlotte Bronte. Roger Zelazny. Sheridan LeFanu. Frank Herbert. Joan Vinge. Tannith Lee. Holly Black. Poet, Lynda Hull.
GLAHW: What are you reading right now?
The Bitterwine Oath which includes, mystery, murder, witchcraft, and a vampire.
GLAHW: What else do you want your readers to know? Consider here your likes and dislikes, your interests, your favorite ways to unwind — whatever comes to mind.
I just recently had a personally essay come out in Death’s Garden Revisited which was edited by Loren Rhoads. I have my first novel debuting this year. Also, I love dark chocolate, dark humor, and the smell of compost.