This Week at WildBlue: “You Never Say Goodbye to a Case”– Kevin Sullivan On The Psychological Toll Of Writing True Crime

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Author Kevin Sullivan Reflects On The Emotional Toll Of Writing True Crime by Kevin Sullivan

Ask An Author: Kevin Sullivan

Author Kevin Sullivan enjoying the lighter side of life with one of his grandchildren

When we ask our readers why they like to read about crime, they respond either that there is an element of catharsis–psycho-emotional effects resulting from the vicarious experience of danger and disaster, or they simply find it to be useful to understand the worst sorts of danger in the world.

One has to wonder, what happens to the people who “guide” you through these dark truths? Our selected Ask an Author question this month comes from Charlotte Reeves, who has pondered this very matter.

Charlotte:
“Is there a particular case that you’ve written about that stands out to you more so than other cases? If so, why?”

We turned this question over to Kevin Sullivan, whose latest true crime book KENTUCKY BLOODBATH brought him up close and personal with some of his home state’s most horrific crimes.

Kevin:
“Having written an in-depth biography of Ted Bundy, I will always feel a connection to that case and those days, simply because I lived with all of this day and night for over two years. I think of the victims often, and when I do, there is present that same sense of regret. Their lives were cut extremely short, their families were forever changed, and there’s nothing we can do about it. There’s no happy ending here, it’s just the way it is.

“Of course, some cases affect us more than others. This is especially true when certain aspects of the cases vary; depending on how the victims died, for example. I once wrote about a sweet teenage girl, a popular cheerleader, who was killed in the most horrendous of ways, the result of which was that I woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. It was weighing on my mind in ways I had not anticipated, such was the nightmare I was writing about.”

Kevin wrote a more in-depth response about the emotional toll of immersing himself in cases such as the Bundy murders and gruesome crimes of less renown found in KENTUCKY BLOODBATH. Read more from Kevin here!

Author Spotlight

Burl Barer

“All books are about sin, redemption, vindication and cash.”

This month’s featured author is Burl Barer, author of WildBlue Press crime classic, MAN OVERBOARD, the true tale of a man who faked his death to live a life of fraud under the name Harold Stegeman.

In addition to his writing, Burl is known for being a radio personality in the Pacific Northwest and most recently on the programs “Outlaw Radio” “True Crime Uncensored”.

Burl is a highly regarded investigative journalist. His true crime books are required reading in many criminology classes and among true crime fans. For a list of books by Burl Barer click here.

We asked Burl to give us insight into what he enjoys about writing. He responded with a message about breaking the rules and the role of the reader in bringing his stories to life.

“that’s what I find so thrilling–each reader sees the books transformed into a movie in their mind…”

Better to hear from the man himself:

“Wild Blue has so many super-cool books by excellent authors that I feel a bit sheepish about tugging their collective sleeve to publish every thing I come up with — but I’ll tell you something about me. No matter what I write — short story, novel or true crime non-fiction thriller — it isn’t complete until you read it.

It is the reader who makes the story come alive — it is the reader who does far more than decode the words on the page– the reader embellishes and personalizes…you provide the unwritten details of ambient room temperature, aroma and presence.

“here is where I write just about everything…”

I provide the skeletal structure where character is revealed through dialogue, and provide just enough “cues” or you, the reader, to take over as my creative collaborator filling in the details of body language, facial expressions, and, to wax cinematic, camera angles, close-ups, etc. That’s all you, and that’s what I find so thrilling — each reader sees the books transformed into a movie in their mind and no two are exactly alike– the plot points, characters and outcomes are provided, and books are never about the plot anyway.

All books are about sin, redemption, vindication and cash. One or more of those elements, sometimes all of them. And I make you my iron clad promise. If you buy one of my books, and you don’t like it at all, I promise I’ll keep writing more books until I write one that you absolutely love. I keep writing, you keep reading. It keeps us all on the same page.

For more of Burl’s musings on writing and rule-breaking, see his blog post at the WildBlue site!