Resources:
Lee Van Roth's Feature Article: From true crime to fictional murder stories, Ypsi authors’ new releases tread chilling ground
"Some People I Have Killed" by Ken MacGregor (paperback)
"Some People I Have Killed" by Ken MacGregor (e-book)
Transcription:
Lee Van Roth: You're listening to 89.1 WEMU. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is On the Ground Ypsi. As the days get shorter and pumpkins start popping up on porches, Ypsi's creative side comes alive with all things spooky, strange, and just a little bit funny. What better way to celebrate the season and Ypsi's ongoing growth into a premium Halloween destination than to pick up a spooky book from one of our community's own writers? Local author Ken MacGregor has found a way to capture that Halloween spirit year-round with his new short story collection, "Some People I Have Killed," a darkly clever project that turns real-life Ypsi residents into fictional victims in his twisted tales. Today, I'm joined by Ken to talk about how this idea came to life, what draws him to horror, and how Ypsi itself creeps into his stories. Hi, Ken! Thanks so much for being here today!
Ken MacGregor: Oh, it's my pleasure, Lee!
Lee Van Roth: So, let's talk about when this fictional killing spree started. So, this started with this interactive kind of element to your tabling opportunities you were taking part in. "Killed by Ken" was this way for readers or potential readers to interact with you in a pretty unique way. Can you kind of go over what that looked like and how that started?
Ken MacGregor: Yeah, yeah, of course! So, I have been vending at book festivals and craft fairs and conventions for about 10 years now, maybe 11. And I was working with Holly Schoenfeld, who is running an art gallery downtown for a while and is the organizer of Holy Bones and a bunch of festivals. And she and I were talking about how to get people more interactive and more engaged in real time. And we bounced ideas back and forth, and we came up with this me writing people into a short story. And of course, because I write horror, I decided to murder them, basically. So, the title, "Killed by Ken," sort of the alliteration just fell into place, and it was glorious!
Lee Van Roth: Now, how did you approach this transformation of what starts out as a questionnaire from folks that stop by your table and get to have a chat with you into these stories that are a complete and full account of this person's untimely demise?
Ken MacGregor: Yeah. So, the questions are fairly leading like: What's your name? What are your pronouns? What do you do for a living? What's your favorite color? Favorite food? What are you afraid of? What do you find distasteful or disturbing? So, with those as my guideline, I write a story, and I always use whatever I find in there as a prompt. Sometimes, it's favorite color. Sometimes, what they're afraid of. That's frequently the thing because that's an easy prompt to work from. And then, the story builds around those prompts. And then, if I don't know the person really well, it's like some of these have been relatives. One was my partner for her birthday. But if I don't know them well, I basically use the information they gave me plus just extrapolating from what I know about human nature and to figure out what they would probably do in a given circumstance.
Lee Van Roth: And when you're tabling, you mentioned having been in this line of work or in this line of sharing your work for the last 10 years around that and a lot of your victims have been from Ypsi as well. And I'm curious about what writing about folks from your own community, whether they are friends, loved ones, et cetera, or just folks that are stopping by and want to get to know your work. How does that kind of shape the work as you're going through?
Ken MacGregor: Well, it's interesting because, sometimes, I run into the people that I've killed in stories in the real world because they're local. And really, it's fun because usually like, if I'm with somebody else and I run it to somebody else, I'll say, "Oh, hey! I killed that guy!" And it's it's odd, but it's a fun thing. And I really appreciate the feedback that I get from people that actually know in the real world or have seen again in the real world once I've killed them in stories because I always love to hear what people think of my work, first of all, as I think every writer probably does.
Lee Van Roth: Sure.
Ken MacGregor: But to have somebody tell me that they loved something that I wrote about them, it's really gratifying, you know? It's cool!
Lee Van Roth: Has anything come up out of writing the stories that ended up within this collection? Was there anything that surprised you that came up, something interesting someone was afraid of or how the story came together itself?
Ken MacGregor: Yeah, for sure! One of the things I really love about doing these is because it challenges me to think outside the box and it challenges me to learn things that I might not otherwise know. Like, people have jobs, and I have no clue what they are or what they do, and I have to deep dive research into that, so I can use that as a basis for the story. And of course, I give myself a time limit. I have a month to get this done. So, I deep dive into research for a week or two and then try to find the inspiration for the actual story. And I think it's been fascinating. Some of them have been very strange. Like, one person was obsessed with the color brown, which was the whole focus of the story.
Lee Van Roth: I'm trying to figure out how that would work in my head.
Ken MacGregor: Well, I sent him to a museum that was having a color-themed exhibit. And when he got to the brown room, he ended up going through like a sort of a gauzy curtain, and I ended up pulling him into another dimension of complete brown. And he got stuck there forever. And it was interesting. It was fun to write. But it was one of those things that was weird, and it made me kind of pull my focus and my attention in ways that I wouldn't normally have done. And that's what I love about doing these. It gives me a really great opportunity to sort of stretch my creative muscles, and I have to work within the confines of what they give me. So, it's tricky and challenging, but super-fun!
Lee Van Roth: And speaking of fun, and like you just described too, there's some comedy and levity in some of these stories as well.
Ken MacGregor: Oh yeah!
Lee Van Roth: You mentioned being a horror writer. Is comedy/horror something that you dive into frequently?
Ken MacGregor: Oh yeah, yeah! For sure! I love comedy, first of all. I did improv comedy and sketch comedy for about six years total, somewhat professionally. And so, funny finds its way into everything I do.
Lee Van Roth: Sure.
Ken MacGregor: And I think "An American Werewolf in London" by John Landis is one of my all-time favorite films, and I love that pull back-and-forth between comedy and horror, because the scary gets you right on the edge of your seat. And so, when you deliver the laugh, the payoff is huge because everyone's already super tense and super like, "Ahhh!".
Lee Van Roth: For sure!
Ken MacGregor: And then, you can make them laugh. And they're like, "Oh my God! That's hilarious!" So, it's something that has always appealed to me. And honestly, I can't help working funny into the stories. It just happens whether I want it to or not.
Lee Van Roth: So, there was no way for this to be 100% terrifying horror straight up.
Ken MacGregor: No, no. And I mean, I can write that. I have written things that are just purely frightening and disturbing and gory. But I really much prefer mixing humor in it. I think that a) I think people appreciate it more, and b) I just have more fun writing it because if I can make myself laugh, it's a good day!
Lee Van Roth: It's a lot harder to be scared for long as you could be when you're laughing also.
Ken MacGregor: Yeah. And also, every story should have pacing. You want to keep people scared, but you also don't want to give them perpetually scared because it's exhausting.
Lee Van Roth: Yes. Yeah.
Ken MacGregor: Introducing levity is a really good way to break that up.
Lee Van Roth: This is WEMU's On The Ground Ypsi. I'm talking with Ypsi author, Ken MacGregor, about his newest collection, "Some People I Have Killed." So, we talked a little bit about the actual process of writing and what it's like to talk with the folks that you have killed, after the fact too. I'm interested in the process itself of when you have these conversations with folks and you go through their questionnaires and learn about them personally, how do you craft a story that is respectful of that person?
Ken MacGregor: That's a great question! And I really strive to make sure that, when I'm writing these, that they're going to resonate with the people who I'm writing about because it's them. You know, they're the characters which really, I think, is really vital to be respectful and to treat the information that they give me with kid gloves, which is a great expression because they're actually made out of goatskin, like baby goatskin. So, the horror's right in there. But I think it's really important to do that because a) the verisimilitude of the story needs to resonate with them and it's about them. So. That's super important. And b), because I think we all want to read quality fiction and we all want to read a story that's gonna be fun to read. And if it's about us, I think, it's doubly important to have it be fun and, again, respectful, because you also don't want to hurt people's feelings, especially if they're paying you.
Lee Van Roth: Sure. And as you know, and I'm sure you're more than well-aware of this, how writing can be maybe a little bit isolating, maybe even a little bit lonely at times, just the process of sitting down to write. It's a very solitary kind of thing. And I'm curious about the way community has kind of worked its way into this work and working directly with people who are your neighbors and people in the city that you're in. Have you found that that has impacted the other projects you've been working on as well?
Ken MacGregor: I mean, yeah, I think so. I think that this process, the last four years that I've been doing this, has pushed me to be a more creative and more flexible writer. And I think that that has had a positive impact on the rest of my writing. I think every time I do one of these, it forces me to really bring my A-game. And so, I think everything you do, everything you learn, everything you read, everything that you write, every project you take on is a building block of skill. And so, I think I've become a much better writer because I've been forced to work within some very narrow confines when I'm doing these. And I'm really grateful for that. So, thank you everyone who's hired me to kill you! I super appreciate you!
Lee Van Roth: Well, Ken, thank you so much for joining me today! It's been a real treat learning a little bit more about "Some People I Have Killed," some people you have killed, I suppose, how this came to life and how the creative community here in Ypsi continues to make our town so perfect for this time of year.
Ken MacGregor: I love this city so very much!
Lee Van Roth: We can tell! For more on today's conversation and a link to the full article, visit our website at WEMU.org. On the Ground Ypsi is brought to you in partnership with Concentrate Media. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU-FM Ypsilanti. Celebrating 60 years of broadcasting at Eastern Michigan University!
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