#384 Inside the Emotion of Fiction AMONG DEMONS by D.N. Biehl
What is the date you began writing this piece of fiction and the date when you finished the piece of fiction? I began writing Among Demons in January of 2020 and finished in June of that same year. I absolutely loved writing it, the storyline came out quite easily for me.
Where did you do most of your writing for this fiction work? And please describe in detail. Since I was a stay at home parent, most of my writing was spent in my living room while my son napped next to me on our couch. Often I wrote at night as well, after he had gone to bed.
I did something different while writing this book and that was I traveled to Colorado. In Among Demons, Anya lived in a home that was out in the country with no neighbors nearby. I wanted to feel a sense of isolation, much like Wendy or Jack did in the Shining.
Fortunately for me, at that time, my uncle lived near the famous Stanley Hotel. It was there that I gained that perspective on what could go through someone’s mind if put in a troubling situation where you’re not only alone, but help could not get to you.
What were your writing habits while writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? For this book, all of my writing was done on my laptop, without notes, which is something I normally wouldn’t do. Everything in the story just came out so easily. But also, I wanted this story to be dark and twisted, and I felt like if I wrote it down on paper first, I would be second guessing myself. I wanted my first thoughts to be where the story went, no hesitations. I always write with music playing, often using my headphones, to assist with placing whatever vibes I’m trying to convey. The feelings in the story needed to be sinister, mysterious, anger, and even show despair. To help me achieve those dark vibes, I listened to a lot of bands in the gothic rock or dark ambient genres.
Please include just one excerpt and include page numbers as reference. This one excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer. I don’t really have a specific page in Among Demons to call my favorite, but I will say I absolutely loved the dynamic between Anya and her best friend, Vicki, in the beginning of the book. You have Anya, who has always been reserved, and Vicki, who is adventurous and outgoing with no filter. On a personal level, I have two best friends that I have known since junior high, who I absolutely love and cherish who definitely have parts of Vicki in them.
Why is this excerpt so emotional for you as a writer to write? And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? This emotional moment must not be from the character’s emotion but from your emotion as a writer. There really wasn’t anything in the story But I felt attached to on a personal or emotional level. Writing this was purely a wonder, a thought that simply came to me while I sat on my couch in the living room when I noticed my basement door was open: I wonder what I would do if someone broke into my house.
