A Closer Look at the works of Graham Masterton

For those who know me, I am completely taken by the works of Graham Masterton. He brings many positive influences to the genre, and has done so for decades (and in all probability decades to come).

Approximately one year ago, I read an article that Graham has an ‘underground following’ and it certainly appears true, at least in Australia, although I don’t know why. Horror has been closely related to Stephen King since I was a child, and although I enjoy some of his books, I am certainly no fan. I find his work to be too long, too boring, lacking in delivery and entertainment.

Back to Graham. In what he calls ‘the theatre of the mind’ (a phrase I also admit to using regularly these days), he paints a vivid portrait of what he is trying to communicate with us in very few words. It is a powerful way to write, unique, capturing my imagination with a zest for the genre I rarely see in a writer. He doesn’t dance with paper and cardboard, but with feeling and empathy for characters that transcend most writers of the genre.

I’ve lost count of the amount of people I have introduced to Graham’s work. His novels, especially the older ones, are very difficult to get a hold of. His first novel, The Manitou, was made into a movie starring Tony Curtis. I’ve never read the novel or watched the movie. I have checked libraries, bookshops, online stories, even eBay with no success. His books are literary gold and very collectable.

I love books, but I don’t collect authors other than Graham’s. He is a prolific writer, one who has developed his craft over the years, having scores of novels in various genres. Most of his work I like but occasionally he knocks one out I’m not that keen on, but I can’t like all of them all of the time. Generally, Graham delivers.

As well as his theatre of the mind, Graham adds to the genre by having common themes running through many of his horror novels. As he writes, he researches his subject matter so that upon reading, it gives the illusion that he is a master of what he is talking about. It is uncanny that he does this in every novel without sounding false or preachy. Using his characters to deliver this research material to better understand predicament, Masterton balances it against manipulating characters to the story’s advantage. It results in a natural progression which is not only easy to read, but easy to remember and understand. His art of transforming legend into the modern day is another reason why his books are so compelling.

I feel horror literature will never be the same post-Masterton. I have learned more from him as a writer than I could ever learn from a course, other writers, or studying. I look at his novels closely, asking myself why he used a particular colour or place, or why he wrote about three weather cracked steps instead of a pile of weather cracked bricks. He gives enough information to allow the imagination to fill out the rest of the detail without giving too little information for the imagination to run riot and cause conflict with the story, the place or character he is using as a tool for interaction.

The suggestion that Graham uses a place to interact with the reader is a deliberate one. He has a habit of using the environment or a place as a character, rather than a mere place. The best example of this is in his novel The House That Jack Built, where the house becomes the illusion of a main character. Essentially, it is flawed because houses can’t talk or walk around or have a drinking problem, but he makes it work, and I believe he worked hard at making it work. The house was a character in the novel and I believed it. It had problems, cause and effect, and if I was to ever buy a mansion, it wouldn’t be Stephen King’s Overlook hotel. It would be Graham’s Valhalla.

If house driven novels instead of character driven novels aren’t your thing (and you’re missing a treat if you don’t at least read it), then what about characters who live in walls, like his novel Walkers? Each novel is new and different, even if it uses an old idea such as his take on The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde? Using this as a basis for Family Portrait, Graham places his own slant on a literary classic. His novels aren’t just good to read. They shine, have a resonance that no other novelist consistently gives, and in every sentence, maintains the ‘theatre of the mind’.

As an aspiring writer, I try figure out how successful writers became successful. I don’t believe there’s a formula and I still can’t tell you how. I doubt any writer could specifically tell you, but with Graham’s work, it is so complete and full, many lessons can be learned and many traps avoided. I wanted to start documenting my thoughts on Graham for others to use so that when I become a writer as good as Graham, people will know who was my biggest influence.

This article serves as an introduction to what I feel will be more. His similies are fantastic and unique; the way similies should be. He allows you, the reader, to see everyday things in a new light, to think to yourself why he would use a particular scenario instead of the obvious, to take risks not only in storyline but in character development, maintaining questions in the reader’s mind which are answered, but not straight away. He has a knack for getting the reader to remember facts which are used later on in the novel.

Graham has never told me how to write, or how to write well. His website has some good information on writing, and his opinions may vary from other writers who have given advice on writing. He hasn’t written a book on how to write (not yet although I do ask from time to time). There is no procedure manual, no magic formula, otherwise everybody would be a novelist. What Graham has given the world, are scores of novels from which to learn. What he does do, is open himself up to comments and criticism through a message board linked to his website at www.grahammasterton.co.uk where his readers can visit, ask questions, and interact with a true craftsman.

After reading more than forty of his novels and studying a great many of them, I integrated what I learned into my own writing. In two weeks, I wrote a first draft to my first dark fiction romance story. This process of integrating many of Graham’s suggestions on writing enhanced my own work, tightened it, made my characters more believable and unique, as well as allowing the words to find a ‘theatre’ of their own. I wouldn’t say I copied his style because after writing a dozen novels in first draft myself, I have my own style, and I want to keep it. By the way, the story was a short novel and, unusually, was snapped up on my first submission.

Graham has forced me to re-examine each word I write in context with the preceding and succeeding word, why a particular colour is used, why there are X amounts of steps instead of Y, or how things smell, what’s happening to my left and right as well as to the front and behind, without losing focus on what is important. His methods are difficult to learn but simple when read. It is imaginative and more importantly, plausible, even when faced with terrors beyond your dreams, beyond that deep, dark place of your imagination. He truly is a magnificent writer.

Another reason why Graham makes a very good teacher is his writing routine. From my understanding he writes every day for a few hours, like most good writers do. He has a sketchy plan at best and researches as he writes, rather than does the research before putting pen to paper. Many writers have elaborate plans. Few sit down and write from the seat of their pants. It may be one of the very few things he has in common with Stephen King.

The reason I am saying this, is because I write the same way. No excuses, just sit down and write. That’s what it’s about for me. It’s about trying to get across ideas and entertain people, but how to get that message across is the fun part. I am mid-way through a Diploma in Novel Writing and Publishing (on hold due to chronic illness). The course talks about plans and formulas, what to do and what not to do and although the course is okay, there is basically just one viewpoint, and it isn’t that of a reputed writer. Everything it is telling me I should do, I don’t. I don’t sit down and formulate plans or characters, or what should happen. The ideas never come to me before I start writing.

The reason I am telling you all this is because since joining the course, I started to look at how novels were written by the masters in the genre I wish to specialise. I don’t understand why I need elaborate plans when, during the course of writing, I could have a holy moly of an idea and have to re-write the plan. What’s the point. Knowing that there are novelists out there who have similar methods as me, makes it worthwhile. Of course I’ll finish the course, as every bit helps, but it’s an easier pill to swallow now that I know that the only formula in writing, isn’t planning. It’s writing.

I have a lot of respect for Graham’s work and although I’ve never met him in person, he seems to be a nice man. He communicates to people through the message board. He donates to charity. He’s funny and sharp. These characteristics come through his work, too. Graham is a prolific writer, knocking out a few novels a year. If I had the money I would of course buy them all.

Whether these thoughts are old or new to you is irrelevant, but I wanted to share at least some thoughts on Graham, and how he has helped me indirectly to formulate my own dreams.