As the days heat up, give yourself the chills reading about Derrick Chow’s (horror) debut novel, Ravenous Things, which comes out in nine days’ time! Obviously, we’re all waiting very impatiently, but in the meantime, perhaps this interview can ease that agitation.
And don’t forget that you can follow Derrick on twitter too!
Have you always known you wanted to be a writer? How old were you when you wrote your first story?
I’ve wanted to be a writer since the moment I learned that picture books don’t simply magic themselves into existence. I have a distinct childhood memory of my father explaining to me that an author and illustrator had created my favorite book. From that point forward, storytelling was my obsession. That took the form of scrawling short stories on the backs of cereal boxes and doodling comics in the margins of my books. I was nine years old when I created my first fully-formed product: a picture book about devious bunny rabbits. It’s likely somewhere in the back of my grandparents’ attic now.
What are your favourite genres to read and write, and are there any genres or tropes you wouldn’t write?
Horror was definitely one of the first genres I did a deep dive into as a reader. I’m also a big horror movie fan, so I think it’s safe to say that I love the experience of being frightened (in a safe and controlled manner, of course). I also read a lot of romance and coming-of-age YA. Particularly when I’m stressed, I find the latter two genres such a soothing balm. There’s something inherently optimistic and hopeful about those types of stories.
When it comes to writing, I’d definitely like to work in multiple genres. My debut novel, Ravenous Things, is a horror, but my next book is a coming-of-age tale with lots of romance. I can’t say much more about it until it’s announced though.
There aren’t any genres that I think of as completely beyond interest for me. My story ideas always tend to start with a character in a situation I find compelling. And that could really take me in any direction.
When you close your eyes and imagine an apple, what do you see? An actual apple, a sketch of one, a blackness? Do you think that impacts your writing process?
I have very vivid visualisations, so not only do I see said apple, I can pluck it off the branch, take a big bite of it, and taste the juice running down my throat.
To both my benefit and detriment, I’m an incurable daydreamer. Whether I’m washing the dishes, or having a conversation, or drafting a story, my mind is always summoning up images and scenes for me to peruse.
It’s definitely a big component of my creative process. So much of my drafting and writing process involves simply sitting still and seeing the story in my mind. Inner visualizations are also a big part of my process as an illustrator. And certainly, when I was painting the chapter illustrations for Ravenous Things, I was spending a lot of time replaying the scenes in my mind, and reaquainting myself with the aesthetics of the world I had created.
Which three authors would you say influenced your writing the most?
As a kid, my favorite picture books were all by Robert Munsch. His stories always have an element of the surreal and bizarre. As a writer, I have a similar impulse to lean towards the weirder elements in any story.
Neil Gaiman has had a big influence on my writing also. I’ve always admired how deftly he moves between genres and mediums. And his stories, no matter how fantastical, have such a strong sense of humanity and empathy.
And lastly, I’d have to say N.K. Jemisin. Her books are always a highwire act of the fantastical and the political. And the intricacy of her worldbuilding is astonishing.
When you’re building your world, what do you focus on? How do you try to make it come to life?
Ravenous Things is set in modern-day Toronto, but it incorporates a lot of entirely made up locations—labyrinthine subway tunnels, sinister subterranean fields of flowers, a gothic cemetery under a highway overpass. My main focus when creating all of these locations was to make them match the texture and feel of the real-life Toronto. I didn’t want the reader to feel as if they’d stepped through a portal and entered a high fantasy neverland. I wanted these fantastical locations to feel like organic outgrowths of my city. They needed to be roughshod and grotty, like something that has always been there.
What projects are you currently working on? Can you share any details yet?
I’m currently working on a graphic novel project, and I’ll be able to share more details about it in the coming months.
Three images that capture the aesthetic of your book?
A grease-blackened subway rat chewing through a live wire. A bleached skull contained in the spotlight of a grand antique theater. An enormous pile of forgotten keepsakes rising up at the center of a rocky cavern.
Three songs you would put in your book’s soundtrack?
Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush. That song oozes such a strong sense of longing, and that’s the main motivating emotion of my protagonist. His longing to be reunited with his deceased father is what leaves him vulnerable to the machinations of the villain.
Be Prepared by Elton John and Tim Rice. The villain of my tale, the Conductor, is a sort of modern day version of the Pied Piper. He is a man with a twisted plan, which involves the kidnapping of most of the city’s children. While writing him, I was very much inspired by the villains of classic Disney animes from the ‘90s. Villains who delighted in being evil, and who had lots of flair. The Lion King’s Scar has what I believe to be the creepiest of all villain songs, so I think it’s a perfect fit for my horror story.
Lost and Found by Katie Herzig. This is a song I actually listened to a lot while writing the concluding chapters of my book. It’s a song that’s filled with hope and the promise of fractured lives being made whole – sentiments I wanted my readers to feel at the conclusion of this creepy adventure.
What would be your dream project?
Ravenous Things truly was my dream project. Writing the book of my heart and being able to work with my phenomenal editors at Disney-Hyperion (Kieran Viola and Cassidy Leyendecker) truly was a dream come true.
Also, I’d love to write a book set in the Buffyverse. I watched my uncle’s DVDs of that show religiously growing up, so it would be incredible to play in that particular sandbox.
Which of your characters would you most want to fight a zombie apocalypse with?
My main character, Reggie Wong. He has a short fuse and a hot temper. Two traits I think would come in handy during hand-to-undead-hand combat.
You’re stuck on a desert island and you’re allowed only three (LGBT) books. What are you taking?
Maurice by E.M Forster. That was the first book I ever read centering gay characters. I went through a period fiction phase when I was in high school, which meant a lot of Jane Austen. But when I discovered Maurice, my head exploded in just the best possible way. Two men falling in love on the grounds of an English manor house? It was everything my gay teen heart needed.
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters. He writes characters that feel so real, so three-dimensional. You can’t help but root for them.
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen. This graphic novel is a masterpiece – from the lyrical writing to the absolutely gorgeous artwork.
You can collaborate on anything with anyone in the LGBT community: who would it be and why?
One thing I love to do in my spare time is make-up my own showtunes. I don’t have any musical ability, so it’s really just an exercise in lyric-writing. That’s why I’d love, love, love to team up with Troye Sivan to write a musical version of Maurice. It’s clear from his songs that he’s a natural storyteller, so I think he would be very well-suited to Broadway.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Derrick Chow is a writer, comic creator, and illustrator.
His debut prose novel, Ravenous Things, comes out July 2022 from Disney-Hyperion. It is a middle-grade horror about grief, friendship, and the horrors lurking in the wild, uncharted subway tunnels beneath Toronto.
His comic short stories have been featured in several anthologies, including Shout Out (TO Comix Press) and Rainbow Reflections: Body Image Comics For Queer Men (Ad Astra Comix).
His illustrations have been published in many newspapers and magazines, including The Literary Review of Canada, This Magazine, and The Toronto Star.
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