I am thrilled to have interviewed author Tas Kronby, who shared with us details of their writing life, their book ‘Phil, The Killer‘, which was released on 14th July 2023, and answered a few fun questions. This post contains affiliate links.

Tas is a disabled, autistic, trans, queer author. Tas studied English Literature with a focus on creative writing as an undergraduate at the University of Phoenix and graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2023.

They thrive on writing dark fiction, horror, and dark poetry. Due to their autistic mind having cognitive delays, they write short stories, novellas, poetry, and short form. They do their best work with a well-thought-out plot explained in a minimalist fashion.

Serial Killers. As an autistic person, one of my special interests is serial killers and how they operate. After decades of research on killers and the psychology behind them – I decided to create a killer! Influential fictional killers include Dexter and Joe from “You.” I love a murderer that is chaotic and neutral and wanted to put that into my story.

The idea of Phil, The Killer was sealed into my mind with the kiss of Dead Ringers. I love a story with a twist, so I included that
in my writing journey of this novella.

I love using a beat sheet for plotting! First I decide the ending of my books. It is easier for me to create the events of the story if I have an end goal. I use bullet points instead of detailed outlines which is why beat sheet format works perfectly for me! Bullet points make for quick reference when writing and easy edits if a change needs to be made in the sequence of events.

I picked the title before I began writing. It is a good anchor when I write to make sure I am staying true to the goal of the story. “Phil, The Killer” is a simple title, that is easy to remember, and the readers know exactly what type of book they are picking up.

I wanted to use common names to communicate the locations and timeframe of the story. Most of the events take place in the 80s and 90s and I feel the names show that. Also, I wanted names that show or contrast with each character’s personality. Phil seems like a harmless name versus naming him something with a more edgy vibe like Damien or Raven. Character names tell you who they may or may not be, so I put a lot of thought into the names I choose.

Actually, I didn’t remove anything. All of the scenes in Phil, The Killer are untouched. Aside from of course my editor fixing my grammatical errors. (big smile)

I am a horror writer by nature. All of my work is dark, bloody, and sometimes disturbing. Most of my fictional books will be horror with some sort of subgenre. Phil, The Killer is a horror, crime, and romance tale. Romance and horror go together very well in my mind, and having a serial killer in my story was a no-brainer.

The idea and writing phase were the quickest for me. I completed those in 30 days. I sent it off to my editor and they had a quick turnaround for me of about 7 days. I commissioned an artist to draw the characters for my book cover which was worked on simultaneously. I worked on all the promotional materials while waiting on the cover and edits. My book was published on July 14, 2023. In total, it took about 60 days.

●Heartfelt
●Gorey
●Twisty

The hardest part of being a writer for me was coming to terms with how the industry works. Writing is a subjective art form and people will ALWAYS judge you. I had to overcome the feelings of doubt and realize that I needed to create what I am passionate about. Part of why I am an indie author is creative control. I want to create the story, talk about the story, and not have any restrictions placed on me. As soon as I made that decision things got easier. Some people will not like my books, and that is okay because there will always be people who love them.

1.The Characters!

I fell in love with my own characters while writing this book. They leap off the page and will make you feel emotion. Whether that emotion is negative or positive will vary from person to person. But I think by the end of the book, you may find you like Phil (wink). If you enjoy gore, serial killers, and a romance that may be doomed to fail – you will like Phil, The Killer!

2.The Accessibility

As an autistic author, I wanted to increase the accessibility of stories! The book is neurodivergent accessible. The print book is in large print, and the size is 8.5×11 which helps to improve cognitive processing, prevent sensory overload, help with the dexterity of holding the book, and is vision accessible. Phil is a novella. It is not 300 pages of a story that goes on and on. For ADHDers, it can be hard to get through large books. Phil is a good story in a format that is accessible to my community.

I don’t have one. Just a plain ole desk with a laptop 🙂

Once I decide to write a book, I write 1k words per day until the story is done! It doesn’t matter the time of day, 1 am or 1 pm, I HAVE to get that 1k words done. That is why I could write Phil, The Killer in 30 days, 1k per day keeps writer’s block away.

I would cameo as the truck! The truck is one of the elements of the story that is present in all the timelines. So if I wanted to live the story! I would be the truck. (insert giggle here)

“Okay, I can never look at lemonade the same way again.”

A big thank you to Tas Kronby for sharing their writing life with us and for a wonderful interview.