Richard Chizmar: Turning True-Crime Obsession Into Horror
Richard Chizmar is the co-author (with Stephen King) of the New York Times bestselling novella Gwendy’s Button Box and Gwendy’s Final Task, and author of the solo work Gwendy’s Magic Feather. Recent books include The Girl on the Porch; The Long Way Home, his fourth short story collection; and Widow’s Point, a chilling tale about a haunted lighthouse written with his son, Billy Chizmar, which was recently made into a feature film. His short fiction has appeared in dozens of publications, including Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. He has won two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild awards, and the HWA’s Board of Trustee’s award.
Chizmar’s work has been translated into more than 15 languages throughout the world, and he has appeared at numerous conferences as a writing instructor, guest speaker, panelist, and guest of honor. He is the author of Chasing the Boogeyman. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or visit his website at: RichardChizmar.com.
Richard Chizmar
In this post, Chizmar discusses how mowing the lawn led to his latest novel, the toughest task writers face, and more.
Name: Richard Chizmar
Literary agent: Kristin Nelson, The Nelson Agency
Book title: Becoming the Boogeyman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books
Release date: October 10, 2023
Genre/category: Thriller/Horror
Previous titles: Chasing the Boogeyman, The Gwendy Trilogy (with Stephen King)
Elevator pitch for the book: A novel of obsession and the adulation of evil, exploring modern society’s true-crime obsession with unflinching honesty, sparing no one from the harsh glare of the spotlight. Will those involved walk away from the story of a lifetime in order to keep their loved ones safe?
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What prompted you to write this book?
I never planned to write a sequel to Chasing the Boogeyman until one afternoon while mowing my lawn, the idea for the entire first chapter of Becoming the Boogeyman came to me in startling detail. Once that happened, I had no other choice but to sit down and write the story.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It probably took around two years from the day I first set pen to paper to the October 2023 publication date. The overall idea remained the same throughout. The story had “good bones,” and I just followed where it wanted to go.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
No real surprises, which is one of the many wonderful things about working with Ed Schlesinger and his team at Gallery Books. They have a first-rate system in place that involves the author during every step of the way.
As for learning moments, goodness, there were plenty of those. Everything from participating in the editorial process to sitting in on marketing and publicity meetings—there were so many eye-opening moments throughout.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
The main surprise was how much of my personal life I ended up including in the story. As with Chasing the Boogeyman, I served as the main character in Becoming the Boogeyman. Initially, I believed that I would be able to maintain a clear boundary between fact and fiction—but ultimately that wasn’t the case.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
A few days of escape and entertainment—and perhaps something to think about regarding a certain segment of society’s unhealthy attraction to the dark side of humanity.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Don’t try to be perfect and don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Get that first draft down on paper. Type THE END. That’s the toughest task you will face. Then get to work revising and do your best to tell a good story with characters that readers will care about.