Ian Kidd

Ian Kidd is a freelance writer, published author and qualified editor and proofreader. He has also ghostwritten fiction and non-fiction e-books, served as script/dialogue editor on two proposed horror feature film scripts for director Aleksandr Sokolyn, and had a short comic skit shortlisted for inclusion in the 2012 Sydney Fringe Festival.

Please tell us  little about yourself, Ian.

I grew up in South Yorkshire, England, before emigrating to South Australia at the age of sixteen. I have written everything from non-fiction ebooks to published short fiction, and served as script editor on two proposed horror feature film scripts for an LA based director. In terms of fiction I have written more than a hundred e-books, most of which will become available to purchase via Amazon over the coming weeks and months. The “Ian’s Gang” series will be available in ongoing separate installments and then anthology versions that collect together the most recent releases (normally around six).

I still live in South Australia, where I work as a freelance writer.

When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre?

Ian: The writing bug bit when I was just a child, and it was in the science fiction/horror genre even back then. I became quite notorious for writing these little horror stories which the teachers would get me to read out to class in junior school. I can’t help but think that nowadays they’d be more likely to be calling in the child psychologists than doing that!

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish?

Ian: I think my goals when I started writing were pretty much the same as they are now – which is just to write the kind of stories that I would enjoy reading, and hopefully therefore other people would too.

Briefly tell us about your latest book.

Ian: My latest book is Bloodlust, which was published in mid July 2012 by Andrews UK Ltd’s House of Erotica Books division. It’s something of a departure for me being an erotic horror, which is not a genre I’ve written before, but I enjoyed it so much, and it turned out so well, that I’m already going back to it again.

What’s the hook for the book?

Ian: It’s a pretty saucy piece about a lesbian vampire who enjoys seducing and murdering young women. I think if I read a description for a book like that, I’d be hooked right off lol!

Who’s the most likeable character?

Ian: Well, it’s funny, but I think the most likeable character is one who I originally didn’t give much thought to when planning the piece – Evan, who is the best friend of Lucy, the girl who’s targeted by the lesbian bloodsucker. Evan turned out to be so much fun, and so unwavering in her devotion to Lucy, that she became a much bigger part of the story,and I really started to like her and root for her.

Do you have any specific techniques to help you maintain the course of the plot?

Ian: Honestly, no! With only a few exceptions (namely a couple of novel-length Ian’s Gang stories which were so complex and involved I had to have a game plan or I would have got lost) I don’t generally like to plan too much. I like to have a general idea of where a story is headed, but if you over-plan I think it limits the possibilities that you can uncover with plot and characters while actually writing it.

Share the best review you’ve ever had?

Ian: Getting any reviews has been a struggle, as it is for many authors when they’re starting out, but I literally just got my first review this morning for The Bad Ian, the first in my “Ian’s Gang” series:

Really fun, self-aware short with an abundance of witty dialogue and creative storytelling, and style akin to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It should definitely please sci-fi enthusiasts.

Needless to say, I was pretty chuffed with that!

What are your current projects?

Ian: Well, the “Ian’s Gang” series continues apace, with around two new e-books being published per week, largely because it is going to take quite a while to catch up (in terms of publication) with what’s already been written. I have also just had another erotic horror novella called Whisper In Your Ear accepted, again by Andrews UK Ltd’s House of Erotica Books division, so that should hopefully show up in the next month or so as well.

Where can folks learn more about your books?

Ian: People can keep up with my latest books by visiting my Twitter account at http://twitter.com/codyw1or my blog at http://ianrobertkidd.wordpress.com