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Brad Ricks on Exploring the Intersection of Horror and Action in Fiction

In this episode of the Killer Pros, Tanner interviews author Brad Ricks about his new series, 'The Night Crew.' They discuss the intricacies of blending horror with action thriller elements, the evolution of writing styles, and the challenges of creating authentic and engaging stories. Brad shares insights into his writing process, character development, and the motivation behind his vampire lore, while also touching on the importance of accurate details and the collaborative nature of indie publishing.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:46 Discussing the Night Crew

01:29 Blending Horror and Action

03:13 Writing Journey and Evolution

05:06 Character Development and Writing Style

12:21 Vampire Lore and World-Building

17:03 Series Development and Author Process

23:51 Beta Reader Feedback and Story Bible

24:17 Using AI for Story Bibles

24:43 Creating a Wiki for Your World

25:19 Leaving Room for Character Growth

25:47 Writer's Block and Character Authenticity

26:41 First Draft Strategies

28:15 Short Stories as Blueprints

29:18 Using Trello for Storyboarding

29:59 Importance of Logical Consistency

31:30 Research and Realism in Writing

35:39 Favorite Aspects of World-Building

36:19 Vampires as Characters

37:52 Where to Find Brad Ricks' Work

38:59 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

Connect with Brad at https://www.bradricks.com/

Connect with the show at: https://www.killerprose.com/voicemail/

Intro & Outro music: Super Strange Synths by YellowTree -- https://freesound.org/s/482961/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Connect with me on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/writingfright

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Tanner Rutledge

Tanner Rutledge writes small-town mysteries and supernatural thrillers. Before turning to fiction, he spent 15 years as a private investigator, working on everything from missing persons to homicide cases. Those years gave him an intimate understanding of motivation and the quick thinking it takes to crack a case.

Tanner’s love of storytelling started early. He was the kid who wrote spooky tales for his second-grade classmates and stayed was always up late reading Stephen King and RL Stine under the covers. In college, he studied criminal justice but couldn’t stay away from creative writing and literature classes. When the world shut down in 2020, he finally gave himself permission to shift his focus back to writing and hasn’t looked back since.

He also hosts The Killer Prose Podcast, where he talks about the craft of writing, creativity, and the strange overlap between true crime and the paranormal.

When he’s not writing, you can usually find him spending time with his family or hanging out with his little black cat, Broccoli—his constant companion and occasional editor.