Behind the Screams #25: Kyle Winkler.
A 'From Pitch to Published Q&A.'
The third Professor featured on Behind the Screams, Ohioan Kyle Winkler takes us behind the story of his recent release, Tone-Bone, published through Castalgne Publishing.
Pitch me Tone-Bone in one sentence.
Tone-Bone is about a woman, an anarchic biker, who is running/combatting an eldritch entity and Nazis with the help of a trailer park priestess.
What came first, the idea or the title?
The idea.
Where did the idea originate from?
Tone-Bone had been a character in my first novella, The Nothing That Is. I kept wondering what happened to her after that book. What her life might’ve been like, so I wrote this new book to find out.
How long did it take to write?
All said, probably a couple of months, but not in linear order. I had maybe 75% done and then it sat for a long time before I finished it.
Are you a plotter or pantser?
I’m a pantser with the heart of a plotter.
Paper or screen?
Both. I often start on a computer but when I get stuck or bored, I switch to longhand and find myself re-inspired.
Edit as you go or at the end?
I write a full first draft before I go back and make any significant changes. Sometimes if I’m reading over the previous day’s work, I may change a word or phrase here and there.
Do you beta?
Nope.
How did you approach your publisher?
I had met them at a horror author con, and we shared a similar aesthetic.
Who designed the cover art?
Kris McClanahan. https://deeplydappergames.com/portfolio
How many times was the book rejected?
A handful, I think. My agent at the time also didn’t want it. I let him go not long after that. I ended up selling without representation.
Recommend another indie writer who doesn’t get enough love.
Michael Tichy. He’s a fellow Ohioan who writes deeply disturbing stuff. His most recent book was The Winnowing Draw, a strange ass western.
Intrigued? You can grab your copy from Amazon. While you’re there, why not take a look at Kyle’s other works, including the un-official prequel in the UK and elsewhere. Also, do yourself a favour and follow Kyle on his socials; search for bleakhousing.