29 Oct 2026
EP 498 - Media Tie-In Novelizations with Tim Waggoner
Mark interviews horror author Tim Waggoner about writing media tie-in novelizations of properties such as the recent Crystal Lake TV series.
Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, welcomes a new patron, and offers a word about this episode's sponsors.
Prior to the main content, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsors.
This episode is sponsored in part by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report (https://manuscriptreport.com?atp=mark). Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report.
In their conversation, Mark and Tim talk about:
The concept of Halloween tourists, from the perspective of a horror author
Tim's recent novelization for the Crystal Lake TV series
How in the old days novelizations were done from scripts, but that now there's also early cuts of episodes that a writer has access to
The usual timelines for a writer to turn around a novelization
The leeway an author writing a novelization might have with a movie script and season of a TV series
How a writer gets into media/movie tie-in novelizations
The value and importance of working collaboratively when doing a novelization/media tie-in
How there are novelizations being done for much older/classic movies
Ways that an author might be able to break in to the realm of media tie-in writing
Tim's book JUST ADD WRITER about the craft and business of writing novelizations and media tie-ins
Some of the unique things you can do to movie novelizations that creatively fill in some of the confusing gaps or help explain inconsistencies in the film
Managing multiple deadlines in the midst of travel to writer conferences
Tim's book WRITING IN THE DARK and the idea of horror coming from a place that's quite uncomfortable
What other books and resources Tim would recommend for writers on helping to learn/improve the craft of writing and understand the business
And more...
After the interview Mark reflects on a few things Tim mentioned.
Links of Interest:
Tim Waggoner's Website (https://timwaggoner.com/)
Just Add Writer (https://timwaggoner.com/writing/just-add-writer/)
Writing in the Dark (https://timwaggoner.com/writing/writing-in-the-dark/)
EP 497 - A Look At The Current Publishing Landscape with Jane Friedman
Stark Reflections Substack - Embracing the Right Kind of Friction
Manuscript Report (https://manuscriptreport.com/?atp=mark) (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
Buy Mark a Coffee (https://buymeacoffee.com/markleslie)
Patreon for Stark Reflections (https://www.patreon.com/starkreflections)
Mark's YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/markleslielefebvre)
ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
Stark Reflections articles on Substack (https://starkreflections.substack.com/)
An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
The Relaxed Author (https://books2read.com/relaxedauthor/)
Buy eBook Direct (https://payhip.com/b/w7Gg1)
Buy Audiobook Direct (https://payhip.com/b/QK4ks)
Publishing Pitfalls for Authors (https://books2read.com/b/publishingpitfalls)
An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores
Wide for the Win (https://www.panoramaproject.org)
Stark Realities Book (https://markleslie.ca/starkrealities)
Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books (https://www.panoramaproject.org)
This Time Around (Short Story) (https://www.panoramaproject.org)
A Canadian Werewolf in New York (https://www.panoramaproject.org)
Stowe Away (Novella) (https://www.panoramaproject.org)
Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (https://www.panoramaproject.org)
Fright Nights, Big City (https://www.panoramaproject.org)
Lover's Moon (https://books2read.com/loversmoon)
Hex and the City (https://books2read.com/hexandcity)
Only Monsters in the Building (https://books2read.com/onlymonstersinthebuilding)
Once Bitten (Novella) (https://books2read.com/oncebittennovella)
The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles (https://books2read.com/b/thecanadianmounted)
Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard (https://books2read.com/diehardtrivia)
Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (https://books2read.com/christmasvacation)
I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises (https://books2read.com/ithinkitsasign/)
Tim Waggoner's first novel came out in 2001, and since then he's published over sixty novels and eight collections of short stories. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. His articles on writing have appeared in Writer's Digest, The Writer, The Writer's Chronicle. He's the author of the acclaimed horror-writing guide Writing in the Dark, which won the Bram Stoker Award in 2021. The follow-up, Writing in the Dark: The Workbook, also won a Stoker in the same category in 2023. He won another Stoker in 2021 in the category of Short Nonfiction for his article "Speaking of Horror," and in 2017 he received the Stoker for Long Fiction for his novella The Winter Box. In addition, he's twice won the Scribe Award, given by the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and he's been a two-time finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and a one-time finalist for the Splatterpunk Award. He's served as a mentor for HWA for many years, and in 2015, he was given the organization's Mentor of the Year Award. He's also served on HWA's Lifetime Achievement Award committee several times. His fiction has received numerous Honorable Mentions in volumes of Best Horror of the Year, and he's had several stories selected for inclusion in volumes of Year's Best Hardcore Horror. His work has been translated into Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Hungarian, and Turkish. He's also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. His papers are collected by the University of Pittsburgh's Horror Studies Program.
The introductory, end, and bumper music ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and was licenced for use on this podcast.
