Today’s guest is a writer who is always supportive and encouraging to a wide range of authors. He’s written some really bleak, dark work and continues to put pen to paper on his writing journey!

Please, do welcome Isaac today!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Isaac: Once upon a time, I tried to follow the Stephen King routine: read and write for eight hours a day and strive for up to 2,500 words. Because I have a full-time job and other responsibilities, that quickly became an impossible goal. I generally reserve 8 p.m. through midnight for my writing time these days. I’ll do all my reading, research, and writing at that time. On a good night, I’ll produce somewhere around 1,500 words.

That said, I don’t write creatively every single day. That’s another impossible goal for me, given my lifestyle and circumstances. I think the “you have to write every day even if it’s shit” advice is a bridge too far. It’s too easy to punish myself for not meeting a goal like that, regardless of what life throws in my way. Instead of adapting Stephen King’s goals for myself, I decided to set reasonable ones for who I am and what I do. That way, I can celebrate small wins and still hold myself accountable.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?

Isaac: Alive or dead? I’ll assume alive. It would be difficult to invite anyone because I’m an incredibly solitary soul. I’d ensure we all have our separate writing rooms and only meet for meals, to stream a movie, or to talk shop. I’d go with somebody like Danger Slater because I figure he’d be a great icebreaker. Gemma Amor would be a good addition for some mystery and depth, especially after we’ve all been drinking and our conversations inevitably turn inward. The third would need to be someone with a long career who could occasionally remind us why we’re all there. Maybe a Stephen King or a Joe Lansdale, or a John Bloom.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Isaac: Hell Spring is my new novel. I released it on Sept. 21, 2022. It’s a horror story, but at its core, it leans literary and historical. It’s set in rural Tennessee in 1955. Eight everyday small-town folks are trapped by flood waters in their local general store with a shame-hungry demon who takes the shape of Marilyn Monroe. They must battle their guilt and shame as well as the monster and the rising waters to survive the night.

Why should someone read it? It’s possible that they shouldn’t! I won’t pretend that my stuff is for everyone. It’s not even for every horror fan. That said, I think Hell Spring shares important messages about toxic shame in a time and culture that, in some ways, thrives on sameness and judgment. Aside from that, there’s also the frank terror of extreme weather. We’ve seen a lot of that lately in the news.

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?

Isaac: Dracula because there’s a greater chance I will survive the evening in some form, even if it’s not strictly human. Or strictly alive. I think Dr. Frankenstein would be more likely to slaughter me for parts.

Excellent thought-process behind that one! Thank you so much, Isaac!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Isaac-Thorne/e/B00CF4B3UU/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/isaacrthorne

Website: https://isaacthorne.contactin.bio/