Introducing Chris Harrison, a multi-talented writer, producer, and the creative mind behind the chilling "Crooked Tales" series. Born in North London, Chris's journey into the world of storytelling began with a deep-rooted fascination for the art, leading him to study Film at Middlesex University. While immersed in film analysis, Chris found the perfect opportunity to explore decades of literary and cinematic horror, a passion that has accompanied him since childhood. With previous experience writing for film and education, Chris now fulfills a lifelong dream by crafting immersive worlds of spine-tingling terror for a young adult audience.

The "Crooked Tales" series, starting with the gripping debut "Crooked Tales: The Rising," blends classic supernatural and macabre themes with contemporary urban mythology. Chris Harrison is on a mission to redefine the horror genre for a new generation, offering a fresh perspective on our deepest and darkest fears. Now residing on the south coast of England, Chris dedicates his time to writing and captivating readers with narratives that keep them on the edge of their seats. Beyond his literary pursuits, Chris is actively involved in coaching young basketball enthusiasts and shares his eerie artistic creations on Instagram.

Wicked Ink Publishing is excited to welcome Chris Harrison to our family. His unique vision, seamlessly blending classic horror elements with a contemporary twist, aligns perfectly with our commitment to exceptional storytelling. As part of our ongoing effort to connect readers with their favorite authors, we're thrilled to announce that Chris will be taking part in our exclusive author spotlight interview series.

Keep reading as we delve deeper into Chris's inspirations, experiences, and creative process, allowing readers to get to know the mastermind behind "Crooked Tales" on a personal level.

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as a writer?

I have a pretty eclectic background, both academically and professionally. I spent my early school life studying art and design with a view to becoming a graphic designer and followed that path all the way to art college. Towards the end of that journey, I discovered basketball and just fell in love with the sport. It was around the time Jordan was at his peak with the Bulls and I just got completely hooked. I pursued that as long as my body let me and ended up doing a stint professionally before returning to education to explore other avenues. I eventually landed on Film at university and co-founded a production company. That was my first real taste of writing anything meaningful, and I loved it, although I wasn’t as interested in the whole production aspect as I thought I ‘d be so gradually drifted into the background, helping with writing and ideation.
I then bounced around a few senior roles in finance and construction before being headhunted by a management consultancy firm in London. There I got my second taste of writing, eventually landing my own column in a business publication. I then went on to set up my own consulting firm and work with business leaders looking to grow, until a couple of years ago I decided I wanted to return to the world of fiction. It’s funny, looking back I’ve always wanted to tell stories, with art and with film. I guess it just took me a while to find the right medium. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.

2. What inspired you to start writing, and how did you discover your passion for storytelling?

I’ve been fascinated by storytelling ever since I can remember. Books, comics, movies; I was like a sponge when I was a kid – soaking up anything I could get my hands on. My dad introduced me to horror from an early age and it just stuck. He used to pick up old Batman comics from a second-hand shop on his way home from work, and I loved the macabre nature of Gotham. Looking back some of that material is pretty dark, so I’m fairly sure that’s where my interest in horror started.
My dad was also a big fan of classic horror, so I spent a lot of time watching old Universal and Hammer movies until I was old enough to graduate to the likes of Wes Craven and John Carpenter. By that time, I was a huge fan of Stephen King and Clive Barker, so horror ran through a lot of my creative writing at school. I remember being in secondary school and wanting to pursue a career in writing, but my English teacher at the time told me I was way too concise to be a writer and gave me a much lower predicted grade that I needed to take it any further.
Ironically, I ended up proving him wrong and getting an A, but by the time I got the grade, I’d already committed to pursuing art. I kept reading and watching the genre, but writing became a bit of a pipe dream, until now. I just believe there’s something magical about a good story, and I’ve always loved the way it can spark people’s imagination. It was only fitting I’d turn to horror when I eventually decided to pursue my dream. I’ve always been naturally drawn to the darkness and mystery of it all.

3. Could you share some insights into your creative process? Do you have any rituals or habits that help you write?

I suppose I’m halfway between a pantser and a planner in writing terms. I do create a loose plan, with key plot points, but then once I start, I tend to listen to my intuition and the characters to a certain extent. Once I have something I’m happy with I then back-fill the planning and detail, so I don’t contradict myself further down the line. I keep a spreadsheet with character and creature profiles, mood boards, floorplans of buildings and town maps.
I use the same personality profiling system for my characters that I used in my consulting days, so that really lets me put myself in their shoes when I’m writing. It also helps me stress-test key decisions they make to be sure they’re behaving in a believable and consistent way, even when faced with unbelievable circumstances. As a kid I used to get so frustrated by characters inexplicably falling over when running away from a monster or a killer, so I tend to avoid those kinds of devices in my books. If anyone gets caught in my stories, it’s because they weren’t quick enough or picked the wrong direction to run in.
Outside of that I make lots of notes using Google Keep. You never know where the next source of inspiration is going to come from so I’m always jotting things into my phone. I love the post-it style nature of the app, and the fact I can color-code ideas then group them together. I’m a huge fan of oval mapping (another trait from my years as a consultant) and it lets me work ideas up before I let them anywhere near my WIP. I once heard Stephen King say that a writer’s notebook was the best way in the world to immortalize bad ideas. He argues that if an idea is good enough, you won’t forget it, but I have so many ideas that I feel I have to keep them, at least initially. Once I’ve let an idea percolate a while I either take it forward or bin it and move on.

4. What themes or messages do you often explore in your writing, and why are they important to you?

I’ve had a difficult journey here in many ways and I think that’s influenced my view of the world. In fact, I know it has. Now my son is reaching an age where he’s going to start making decisions that will impact his future, I wanted to focus on themes that I wish I had a better understanding of when I was his age. Despite the grisly nature of my books, the themes are generally quite positive and revolve around hope and second chances. Resilience and acceptance are in there too, but the bleak backdrop serves as a constant reminder that the world can be a pretty dangerous place, and darkness exists in all of us.

5. Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style or storytelling approach?

Stephen King for sure. I love Salem’s Lot, it’s one of my all-time favorites. I’m also a fan of Clive Barker’s earlier work. Cabal was a standout for me, as was Books of Blood. At the time I remember being really taken by Barker’s creativity and how many different ways he could scare you. Aside from that, I dip in and out of Dean Koontz and revisit some of the classics from time to time. I’m still in awe of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and how ahead of its time it was. I like the darkness of Edgar Allan Poe’s work too. I also have a huge appreciation for Wes Craven and John Carpenter. They are both incredible storytellers in the horror genre and were the voices I was most drawn to in cinema when growing up.

6. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who are just starting their journey?

If you haven’t already, then make writing a habit. Time block. Commit to making it happen, and make sure you dedicate enough time to do it. I know it’s a cliché, but there really is no time like the present. There’s another old saying I’m a huge fan of and that is “if you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them”. Also, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Connect with other writers and readers. There are some incredibly supportive communities out there. Ones you can learn from and ones that will help you grow as a writer.

7. How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, such as work, family, and personal interests?

Time blocking is a must for me, plus I’m lucky to have a very understanding wife. I generally have dedicated writing days which are the same each week. On those days I tend to write pretty solid from 9am to 6pm, then occasionally I can rely on my wife’s love of soap operas and reality shows to get some extra writing time in the evening if I feel like it. I also coach basketball two evenings a week, but aside from that, the rest of my time is spent with family and friends so I’m fortunate to have a good balance.

8. How do you stay motivated and overcome writer's block when faced with challenges in your writing process?

So far (touch wood), I haven’t experienced much in the way of writer’s block. The most frequent challenge I encounter is choosing a direction to move a story in. Whenever I have a decision to make regarding the plot, or a character arc, I tend to have 4 or 5 alternative ideas to choose from, so I tend to spend time mulling those over. rolling them forward in my mind, before picking one to run with. I guess some might say that’s a form of procrastination, but I just like to know I’m maximizing every twist and turn for the reader. As for motivation, that’s never an issue. I could write all day, every day if I could. This is probably going to sound cheesy, but, outside my family, it’s my one passion in life. Yeah, that does sound cheesy. Maybe you should edit that out.

9. How do you manage your time and set goals to ensure consistent progress in your writing projects?

Most of the time I have wordcount targets, so I’ll work backwards from a deadline and figure out how many words I need to write each week. I’m usually conservative with my targets which allows me to overdeliver. That means if I chose to spend a few extra hours revisiting plot points or character arcs then I can afford to do it without impacting my workload. Come to think of it, this is actually another validation point in terms of how I feel about writing. When I was at school, and university, I was notorious for leaving assignments until the last minute. When I’m writing, I can’t wait to get started. I find the whole process exciting; even editing. I know that might sound a little glib, but I promise it’s true.

10. How do you handle moments of doubt or uncertainty in your writing process, and what strategies do you use to persevere through challenges?

I tend to use my wife as a sounding board; she’s extremely encouraging and supportive, but also honest. I try to listen to my body as much as possible too and don’t force things when I’m tired or feeling low on energy. Another thing I learned from my consulting days is the impact of willpower on general decision making. There are tons of things that can eat up your willpower over the course of a day and eventually lead you to make bad decisions. So, if you’re having a tough day, sometimes it’s best to down tools, get some rest and come back to it another time. Whenever I sit down to write, I always start by editing my previous day’s work. That helps keep the final editing time down but allows for a more iterative process throughout. Sometimes a good night’s sleep is all you need to come back and sharpen up an idea or a passage.

11. What role do emotions and empathy play in your writing, and how do you strive to evoke emotional responses from your readers?

I always look to get under the skin of the characters and draw upon similar experiences wherever possible when visualizing their response to a situation or plot development. I’m hoping readers can pick up those breadcrumbs and then layer their own experiences over the top to connect with them a little better. Ultimately, I want readers to care as much about the characters I create as I do, and care what happens to them next. That means vulnerability is always a huge area of focus for me with all my characters, even some of the evil ones.

12. Can you share any insights into the importance of a strong opening hook or first chapter in capturing readers' attention and setting the tone for the rest of the book?

It’s true what they say: you never get a second chance at a first impression. For me, the opening line carries such a huge responsibility as it can determine how the reader approaches the rest of the book. I think if you can create a line that piques the reader’s curiosity then you’ve done your first job as a writer. You’ve opened the door wide enough for them to want to peak inside. From there, you’ve got a paragraph to deliver something to justify them taking a chance on you. If you can do that, you should have enough of their attention to tell your story, provided you don’t screw it up beyond that point. For me that first page or chapter is your ticket to play as a writer. It’s got to pull people in. The same can be said for the last line or paragraph. You need to keep readers hooked and wanting to turn that page.

13. Can you discuss any experiences of writer's block or creative burnout, and how do you rejuvenate your creativity during those times?

I’m very conscious of my energy and never try to force things. Most of my ideas come to me at night and it would be easy to fire up my laptop and put in a couple of hours extra writing, but I tend to avoid that. Instead, I put an outline in my notes app and then sleep on it. If I’m still excited by the idea in the morning, then I’ll spend some time developing it. If I’m not, then I’ll circle back to it at a later date or bin it altogether.

14. Are there any upcoming projects or future plans that you're excited to share with your readers?

Right now, I’m busy working on book 3 of the Crooked Tales series, and it’s another shade darker than the previous two. There’s a great deal of paranoia in this one, with two very different monsters that the group must overcome in order to survive. It also has some huge twists and revelations which unfold early on in the story so I’m enjoying working though how the characters respond to those as their world continues to collapse around them. All the main characters go through some sort of evolutionary change in this book, and not all of those changes are for the better. It makes for some interesting interplay and dynamics as they try to work as a team. The question is, will they all make it through to book 4 alive?