Not only is C.M. Forest, an amazing author, beard-grower, dad, and human being, but I (Michelle) and lucky to call him a great friend. He is also one our Eerie's first Horror Novel authors and a fellow Canadian.
We are ecstatic and honoured to be able to showcase our talented authors committed to the Kickstarter "The Earth Bleeds at Night". in these small and fun interviews.
Now, with that intro of a lifetime, Christian, tell us about yourself.
C.M. Forest, also known as Christian Laforet, is the author of the Benjamin Franklin award winning novel Infested, the novella We All Fall Before the Harvest, the short story collection The Space Between Houses, as well as the co-author of the short-story collection No Light Tomorrow. His short fiction has been featured is several anthologies across multiple genres. A self-proclaimed horror movie expert, he spent an embarrassing amount of his youth watching scary movies. When not writing, he lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife, kids, three cats and a pandemic dog named Sully who has an ongoing love affair with a blanket.
How and why did you pick up the pen and start writing? Have you always been drawn to the creative arts or is this something that started later in life?
As a child, I wanted to draw comic books. I would spend every second of every day filling sketchbooks. As an adult, I actually, sort of, attempted to pursue this by going to school for animation. After my love of drawing was beaten out of me by said schooling, I started writing instead. Horror stories (whether film or literature) have always been my jam, so it was only natural that I gravitate towards the penning the spooky stuff.
What are some of the influences for your horror stories?
I take influence from the things around me. The environments I’m in, the people I see. So, fair warning, if you do something a bit odd while out in public, and I’m around, you may end up in a story. As for influential writers, the top most would have to be Adam Nevill. I had a near-religious experience reading The Ritual some years back and it changed the way I approach writing a scary story.
How do you cope with criticism or feedback from readers or editors who may have different expectations or preferences for horror stories?
Alcohol! Just kidding. Honestly, it was hard to deal with in the beginning, but you develop a thick skin pretty quickly. Everyone has a different opinion on what is “good” storytelling. My work is not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay.
What are some of the skills or techniques that you have learned or improved as a writer?
Better time management. I’m the person that will easily spend five hours playing video games and then complain at the end of the day that I had no time to write. Making writing a daily priority has transformed my output.
If you were in a horror movie, which character would you be: the final girl, the comic relief, the first victim, or the killer?
I would be the first killed, and honestly, I’m okay with that. Listen, I’m fat and lazy, I don’t want to spend the whole night running through the woods or something, only to get killed anyway. I mean, I am definitely not final girl material, so I’m not surviving the night. Might as well get it over with and save some physical exertion.
Tell us about your recent works, where we can find them and all of your social media details.
My most recent books are Infested and We All Fall Before the Harvest. The former a love-letter to games like Resident Evil, the latter a cosmic-horror noir. I haunt most of the social media sites and this is where you can find me:
Website: Christianlaforet.com
Facebook: Author C.M. Forest
Instagram: @christianlaforet
Twitter: @C_Laforet
TikTok: @christian_writes_horror