Interview with Lee Taylor
Author of the S.T.A.R.S Project
Hi, everyone - my name is Lee Andrew Taylor, author of 4 horror-style novels & 9 movie scripts. I tend to write what I see, so my stories read like movies playing out inside my mind. I wanted to get non-readers back into reading. Most of us are watchers now, so I've combined the two. A lot of my readers have said they saw themselves inside my story as they read it, and the characters were like people they knew. It's always great to hear someone say they've visited one of my imaginary worlds.
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Quick description of the book for a new reader - what should they expect?
- Readers of this novel have told me they felt like the rats were inside their homes. So, if you like reading stories that mess with your mind then give this a go. It's about a town that comes under attack by rats, but the police have to choose whether to kill them or catch them because their blood is used to help heal the sick.
What was your inspiration for this book?
- I read James Herbert's - The Rats - novel growing up. It stuck inside my mind, so I wanted to write a fresh take on the genre.
Which authors do you admire? How have they influenced your writing style?
- James Herbert. I remember reading - The Fog & The Rats - growing up. The fog freaked me out. I liked how he made me vision a movie inside my mind. I write in the same style. Many of my readers have said they saw the movie version inside their minds & felt like the rats were inside their houses.
Can you tell us a little about the locations in your book?
- It's a made-up town called Aaronsville. A kind of an English countryside town with farms.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- To keep at it. Our minds create stories all the time. We just have to write them down.
Could you talk a little about your writing process?
- I try to vision whether or not my ideas would make a great movie, & if the scenes would be likeable. If I can see it, I will try to write it. I try to be as unique with my ideas as possible. Even though most are based on other people's creations, I still try to add my take on it, my uniqueness, & my stamp.
Which character has had the greatest impact on readers?
- I don't want to mention characters. I want the reader to decide if they like one better than the others.
If the book were to be adapted for TV or film, who would you see in the lead role? Who did you have in your mind’s eye ?
- Not sure about this, but the likes of Josh Hartnett & Stephen Dorff would be cool.
How have readers responded ?
- Very well so far. This was released in 2017, so was my first as a writer the second time around. A lot of readers would like to see it as a movie, so that's cool.
Where next? What are you working on now?
- Right now, I am writing a ghost story set at the start of the Covid Lockdown.
