PAC Interview: Rob Ulitski
In the second of my interviews
with members of the Portsmouth Authors Collective I
talk to the filmmaker and horror writer Rob Ulitski.
Author Bio: Rob writes visceral, concept-driven horror
stories, anchored by complex characters and offbeat narratives. Having trained
in filmmaking, and working as a director and producer on everything from music
videos to shorts to feature-length anthology films, Rob’s official writing
journey started in 2020. When not writing, he can be found watching cheesy 90’s
films, baking cakes and haunting local bookstores.
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Loree: I’ve only met you once—at the launch of Fleshed
Out, your collection of body horror short stories (congratulations, by
the way)—so perhaps you can tell us a bit more about yourself. Where are you
from, what kind of dog do you have…that sort of thing. Oh yeah—and you also
make films. Tell us about that, too.
Rob: Thank you so much! I’m from Portsmouth,
studied at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham and then spent a
year in London, before moving back here. Filmmaking was my first passion, I’ve
loved horror since I was about ten years old, and my driving goal in life has
always been to create horror projects. Initially, this was just through
filmmaking, but it’s now grown to fiction too. Aside from that, I love baking,
photography and walking.
Loree: So—body horror. What’s that about?
You seem like a pretty mild-mannered kind of guy, but clearly there’s a lot of
weird stuff going on beneath the surface. Perhaps you can start out with a
definition. What exactly is body horror?
Loree: Okay, let’s get down to the nitty gritty.
What draws you to this particular sub-genre of the long-respected field of
horror writing? Feel free to tell us your darkest secrets. We’re all friends,
here.
Rob: Of all of the forms of horror, I find body
horror the scariest. If you think about it, we are all trapped within our
bodies, and there is very little we can do if they get harmed or altered in any
way. The fact that we can’t run away from or escape these scenarios is a form
of primal fear, and not only can I create some really horrific concepts from
these, but it’s much easier to create empathy for a character if they’re going
through such an ordeal.
Loree: Ever freak yourself out?
Rob: If I get freaked out by the first spark of an idea, that’s how I know
it’s a good one. I just have to make sure I carry that fear through to the
final story, and if it’s still there once I’ve shaped it, I think my work is
done!
Loree: At
your book launch, I believe you said your favourite story in the collection is
‘Carnage’. Can you give us a synopsis and say more about why that story has a
particular importance for you?
Rob: Sure thing. I’m actually going to borrow the synopsis that one reviewer on Goodreads wrote, as I think it sums it up perfectly. Lezlie The Nerdy Narrative says:
Carnage is Speed meets The Blob if it were directed by Michael Bay. Morgan finds himself in a situation that many of us will sadly relate to: his girlfriend admits to cheating on him…with his brother. Fuelled by rage, explosive anger and deadly intent, Morgan starts a chain of events that leads to unimaginable horrors that have long lasting repercussions.
‘Carnage’ is just pure
anger instilled into a story. My work is usually quite nuanced, the characters
all live in the grey area of right vs wrong, so writing this story allowed me
to just go full throttle descent into rage. It was my favourite writing
experience to date, and arguably the most cinematic story of this collection
(though it would probably be that B-movie you’d find on VHS at the back of the
video store back in the 80’s).
Loree: Who are your favourite writers, and what have
they taught you about story writing?
Rob: My favourite writers are Junji Ito (who
creates a lot of body horror manga) and Koji Suzuki, who wrote The Ring (which
was later adapted into Ringu in Japan, and The Ring in the US in 2002). Ito
taught me about the nuance of body horror and character, and the uncanny nature
of the subgenre. Suzuki taught me patience with how a story should unfold—I’ve
always been a get in and get it done kind of writer, yet Suzuki is
excellent at drawing out dramatic situations, and allowing the horror to come
from a slow build, so it’s really helped me get a little more patient.
Loree: Did you study prose story writing at all when
you were at university, or were you focused solely on film?
Rob: I haven’t had any formal training in writing
fiction in an educational setting. However, I have worked extensively with my
mentor and friend Alex Davis, who is a brilliant author and teacher in his own
right. When I was writing Fleshed Out, we had weekly review
sessions, and I owe a huge amount to him for really helping get me ready to
write in this format.
Loree: What does the writing process look like for
you? Do the stories arrive fully formed, or do they take time to develop? Do
you test your writing out on beta readers or workshop partners?
Rob: I usually get a scene, or a vignette. With
‘Crystalline’, it was a woman who had crystals in her face, and popped them out
like acne. From there, I try and give it context—e.g. why is this happening to
this character at this time?—and then build the story from there. This is my
first release, so I haven’t use beta readers per se, but Alex (mentioned above)
and my sister read my drafts at different stages, so they were very much
integral to the process.
Loree: You’re from the mean streets of Portsmouth, I
believe. Has the city influenced your writing at all?
Rob: That’s right! I wouldn’t say the city has
influenced my writing as such, but I do find a parallel between Portsmouth and
the settings of stories I’m really drawn to, such as The Ring – wet, somewhat
isolated and crawling with interesting characters.
Loree: The collection is self-published—is that
right? What was the experience like?
Rob: That’s right! For me, there wasn’t really
another viable option, as it’s my first release, and I’m not sure I would have
gone for a publishing deal even if it had somehow been offered. For me,
self-publishing means I get to stay in control of the marketing and every
aspect of the process. Aside from the actual writing, it was important to me
that I got to commission and lead the design of the cover and the book, the launch
plan, the merch etc, as the book was just one part of the overall release plan.
So whilst it was definitely a learning experience, I am committed to being
self-published now, and slotting it within a wider horror ecosystem as I move
forward.
Loree: Merch? You have merch!? Now I am
impressed.
Film making has formed a
big part of your career. Any plans to make films of your stories?
Rob: It has, I started working on film sets when I
was 13, and it’s always been my main passion. The big problem, as with every
other filmmaker I know, is getting the money to fund projects that are of a
good enough quality to represent you as a filmmaker. Exploring fiction has been
very freeing in terms of writing ideas that are big, bold and unabashed, and
that has been one of the highlights of the journey for me. I was looking at
adapting ‘Crystalline’ into a feature, initially, but realised it works best as
a short story. So I am now considering packaging it as an anthology project for
streaming. We’ll see how that develops!
Loree: Have you had any particular surprises along
the way?
Rob: I think quite honestly, the biggest surprise is
just the fact that I can do it. I’ve always had a knack for visuals, and for
scriptwriting, but both processes are entirely different beasts. At the start
of this journey, I wasn’t sure that I would be able to tackle fiction in a way
that would translate well to a reader, but I’ve now gained so much confidence
with my writing, that I can’t wait to write another one!
Loree: What’s next?
Rob: I’ve just finished outlining my next project,
a novella that explores body horror and technology, which I’m really excited
about. I’ve also just finished the first draft of a feature film script, and am
launching my horror production company at the end of January. So plenty to keep
me busy!
Find Out More About Rob
Website: RobWritesHorror
RobWritesHorror on Instagram
Twitter: @robulitski
Buy the Book: Fleshed Out
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Loree Westron is the author of Missing Words. She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, and is the founder of the Portsmouth Authors Collective.
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