Daring to thrill: Sinclair’s master of horror embarks on his next adventure

At this point in his career, it wouldn’t be a stretch to call Professor Tim Waggoner a Sinclair legend. On and off campus his skills as a writer have certainly earned the appellation. There’s the adoration of his students, the four Bram Stoker awards, the countless titles sold and translated around the world. Right when most people would be thinking of resting on their laurels, Waggoner is gearing up for his next literary adventure.

In a major announcement at the tail-end of summer, A24 unveiled the novelizations for the acclaimed X trilogy of films. And the author named on the cover of each book was none other than the college’s master of horror himself.

“It can be intimidating to write about a property that so many people love, whether it’s something like the X-Trilogy, Supernatural, or Doctor Who,” Waggoner told The Clarion. “Whenever I do a tie-in project, I try to keep the fans’ expectations in mind while at the same time writing my own story. I have to find my way to tell it, do the very best job I can, and hope that readers enjoy it.”

Beginning with “X” and “Pearl” (both released in 2022), the slasher-fest wrapped-up in this year’s “MaXXXine”. The trilogy is inextricably linked to writer-director Ti West and scream-queen Mia Goth. Each film displays a dedication to craft that helped earn the movies a cult-following. Waggoner himself is a fan.

“A24 has its own publishing arm, and the editors contacted me to ask if I’d be interested in writing the books. I wrote the novelization of Halloween Kills a few years ago, and that book has served as a kind calling for me with studios,” Waggoner said. “I was already a fan of Ti’s films, and what I found attractive about writing novelizations of them was getting to delve into the minds of his characters and trying to find ways to evoke his filmmaking style through language.”

A beautiful Matt Ryan Tober cover was unveiled for the novelization of “X”. Photo Credit: A24

That is one of many challenges the author has become adept at navigating in his career.

“All three movies – “X”, “Pearl”, and “MaXXXine” – are about the power of cinema, and they focus on strong, determined women trying to find their place in a world that doesn’t want them to succeed. The films are also intimately connected in terms of themes and imagery, making them seem like a single, larger work,” Waggoner said.

Previously, he’s worked on Ips as varied as “Alien”, “Stargate”, and “Resident Evil”. While renowned for his creator-owned work, Waggoner’s tie-in fiction has also helped him reach audiences that may not be as accessible otherwise, a fact readers in Brazil and Japan can attest to.

“In terms of writing the novelizations, what made these books different is that Ti West himself was involved in the process. I’d written a number of novelizations before, but usually writers and directors aren’t interested in being involved. They’re too busy making other movies! But Ti read each manuscript and offered suggestions, making sure my portrayal of the characters aligned with the way he originally wrote them,” the author said.

That, Waggoner notes, is why the novels are shorter than his usual work. Each book in the X-Trilogy, the author reckoned, was around 50,000 words each.

Supernatural is one of many franchises he’s written novelizations for. Photo Credit: Insight Editions

Pearls of wisdom

Despite his success off-campus, Waggoner remains the perennial professor, dishing out wisdom with the aplomb expected of a fictive sage. Like the experiences he draws on to tantalize and terrify readers, the advice is all too real.

He advises writers set short and long term goals for their literary projects. Distractions should be kept to an absolute minimum while writing. Time, additionally, needs to be managed wisely.

“You can make these goals general: I want one hour of uninterrupted work time a day for a week, by the end of the month I want to produce a polished ready-to-submit short story or whatever you want,” Waggoner said.

He’d be the first to tell you that what works for him may not work for everyone else. But some things are essential, such as making time to write and complete manuscripts.

“I’m naturally a fast writer, so that helps a lot. Licensed fiction often has very short deadlines, so you don’t have a lot of time to write. I tend to visualize scenes before I write them, and I revise/edit as I go, so when I finish a draft, I don’t have a lot of additional work to do,” Waggoner said.

Nekropolis remains one of Waggoner’s most popular works. Photo Credit: HarperCollins

Too early to talk about legacy

One thing Waggoner’s career can teach us is the importance of tenacity, of seizing the opportunities that come your way. A grade-school teacher once told him to take his writing as far as he could. Decades later he’s written dozens of books, won multiple awards, and has helped shaped a new generation of authors. Not to mention the respect of his peers, such as veteran author Kevin J. Anderson.

“Tim Waggoner and I have been colleagues in the horror/weird fiction genre for many years. His “Nekropolis” is a masterpiece, and I love how hard working and prolific he is. He’s generous with his time and he has helped a lot of writers,” Anderson said.

Fellow professor and author Crystal Echols added, “I like to say that Tim is the type of author I wanna be when I grow up. He’s mastered the art of doing great at both his day-job and his writing. I’m always impressed with what he has been able to achieve. While I don’t read horror I have read some of Tim’s work and he is exceptional.”

Unlike his twisty narratives, the one thing about Waggoner that’s predictable are his plans for the future. As long as he can write, you know that’s exactly what he’ll be doing.

Ismael David Mujahid