Let’s Split Up, an author interview with Bill Wood on YA Fiction and the Appeal of Scooby Doo
Hello Bill, Congratulations on the release of Let’s Split Up. I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of it, and I loved it. How do you feel about the novel’s imminent release?
Let’s Split Up was something I started writing it in the summer of 2021, so I’m just eager to have it out in the world now. But I think there will always be some nerves when releasing something you’ve spent so much time on.
It’s being billed as a YA horror novel with tinges of Scooby-Doo and Buffy; what made you decide to target a YA audience?
Well, my initial idea for this book was making an aged-up version of Scooby-Doo, so the idea stemmed from there. But as I developed the story, it became so inspired by the teenage media of the ‘90s and ‘00s – that just felt right.
YA fiction, and in particular YA horror fiction, is seeing a great deal of success among both young and adult readers. Why do you think that is?
With most YA fiction having mostly teenage casts, I think it has a wider range of reader appeal, as you say. Young readers are drawn to it because they’re a similar age to the characters and can relate. Older readers are drawn to it because it’s nostalgic in a sense. YA horror, in particular as so many of the iconic horror films feature teenage casts.
Can you give an elevator pitch to readers who have not heard about the book?
Let’s Split Up is a YA horror-thriller that follows a group of teens who investigate a double murder in a manor on the edge of town. It combines the mystery of Scooby-Doo and the scares of Scream.
The book is set in the US. Is there a reason for setting it in the US rather than the UK?
Yes, it was purposeful! I wanted to emulate the ‘90s/’00s teen horror movie and so many of them just happened to be set in the US. Those same films tend to have the same quirks and stereotypes, so it gave me the chance to subvert them too.
Writing believable dialogue for teenagers is often tricky, something that you pulled off perfectly in Let’s Split Up. Do you have any tips for other authors on how to do this?
I think watching so much of the media Let’s Split Up is based on really helped, even if it was passive learning. But when it comes to dialogue, it really helps when I read it aloud. If it sounds clunky or too polished, a teenager will never say it.
One of the many things I loved about this book, over and above the narrative, was the wonderful cast of characters. Did you know who the characters would be before you started writing the book, or did their characteristics and motivations develop as you wrote the book?
I’m not a huge plotter when it comes to writing my books, but the characters are always something I do work out before the story. I know who they are, what they look like, and how they’ll react to these situations before I start writing.
An excellent and believable romance story is also at the novel’s heart. How did you decide which characters fell in love? And how would their romance develop?
It just happened naturally, believe it or not. As I was writing, I realized there was a tension there, so I decided to play it up and let it unfold by itself.
Queer representation in YA books is, as always, a hot topic; how important to you was it to tackle this in Let’s Split Up?
Very important. I was a teenager in the 2010s and most of the queer representation in YA were books that I adored, but were, for the lack of a better word, depressing. Those books are so vital in our landscape, but I think the opposite is just as important. Let’s Split Up features a queer relationship, but it’s not questioned and definitely not tragic.
It is often said that authors sometimes put themselves into their characters. Are any of the characters in Let’s Split Up a representation of you at that age, or are they all facets of you?
Unintentionally, I think so! I’d say Jonesy and I would share the same reaction in being terrified of what was happening. Haha!
It’s hard to talk about this subject without giving away any spoilers to the book, so you don’t have to answer this question. Was there a clear path to you having the resolution to who the killer was, as supernatural or non-supernatural reveal? And do you think the readers will like what you did?
Very interesting question! With this book being an homage to Scooby-Doo, I really wanted to play up the supernatural or not reveal. In the classic version of the franchise, it was always a mask, but nowadays the answer isn’t always so clear. But I’m excited to see how readers react.
We can’t talk about Let’s Split Up without mentioning some of your inspirations, especially as it is being likened to Scooby Doo, Buffy, Pretty Little Liars, and even Scream. So let us get the elephant out of the room first, what’s your opinion on Scrappy Doo?
This is the question I’ve been waiting for. Scrappy has never been a favourite of mine, but he was a lot more tolerable in the Scooby-Scrappy show.
I have always said that Scooby Doo is the most important and successful horror franchise of all time. But also, the reveal of who the villain is in the first Scooby Doo movie is the most significant reveal of all time. What are your thoughts on this?
I 100% agree about Scooby-Doo being the most important and successful horror franchise of all time. I feel like it’s the biggest stepping stone to people getting into the genre. And I’ve always said that Scooby kids become Scream adults as both share so many similarities. And if you’re referring to the villain reveal in the live action movie, I agree with that too.
Most of the influences that ARC reviewers have mentioned are for shows that your YA target audience might not be aware of. Was this ever a worry when writing the novel?
That’s a tricky one. I think that Scooby-Doo is so universally known by all ages that it makes the other comparisons less vital for marketing the book, if that makes sense. Saying that, there’s plenty of more timely comparisons that reviewers have picked up on as well, Riverdale most notably.
And for any readers reading this interview, what are your top 5 episodes out of any of your inspirations for Let’s Split Up they should check out?
Great question.
- Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! – A Night of Fright Is No Delight
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Welcome to the Hellmouth
- What’s New Scooby-Doo? – Camp Comeoniwannascareya
- Pretty Little Liars – Pilot
I almost want to say The Body from Buffy the Vampire Slayer season five because of how emotional it is. It’s such a masterclass in television and has helped me navigate tougher issues on page.
I loved the book, and I’m not normally one for nostalgia trips. I never really connected with Stranger Things; however, Let’s Split Up is a genuine success in this regard. How did you temper the threads of nostalgia so the book felt natural and didn’t drown in it?
Thank you! I think nostalgia is great when there’s also something new being added. While I borrow tropes, I also try to subvert and modernise them for a new audience.
Let’s Split Up has a great “cinematic” feel; you can easily imagine it being a TV show or a film. You have a first-class honours degree in Film and screenwriting. How much of a help was your degree in writing this book?
I think it was the biggest help when it comes to writing dialogue. Scripts are dependent on how believe characters are so I had a lot of practice fine tuning how people speak, even down to stutters, interruptions, and losing trains of thought. It’s the imperfections that make things believable.
Do you have any advice for writers who want to create a cinematic feel for their books?
Research is the easiest thing to say here but I think being aware of location is just as important. If characters are in an indistinguishable room all the time, readers aren’t going to remember that. Instead of being at home, could they be at the library or a coffee shop – anything to make the scope of the story bigger.
The book is unleashed on 26 September. Are you doing anything to celebrate the release? (Readers, there is a great competition to win one of 20 Let’s Split Up T-shirts here if you enter here before midnight on 25 September)
I’ve been spoiled by the best launch event on the 26th! I’ll be at the Ritzy Picturehouse in conversation with Andy Darcy Theo and signing copies of Let’s Split Up. And finally, we’ll end the night with a screening of I Know What You Did Last Summer. It’s going to be such a great night. There’s tickets available now!
Tickets can be purchased for £10 which includes exclusive goody bags, snacks, the in convo and the screening: https://ticketing.picturehouses.com/Ticketing/visSelectTickets.aspx?cinemacode=004&txtSessionId=58292&visLang=1
The book has yet to be released but can you tell us what you are working on next?
I can share that I have another YA horror mystery releasing autumn 2025. This one is set in the UK and it’s a lot more ambitious. I’m so excited about it.
Let’s Split Up by Bill Wood
Can a group of friends crack the murder case before the killer finds them too?
Scooby Doo meets Pretty Little Liars
When hot ‘it-couple’ Brad and Shelley are brutally murdered in a manor on the edge of town, a group of teen friends investigate.
Set in Sanera, a small community in California where rumour spreads as fast as the fire on the day of the killings, the theory is the old ghoul who haunts the house after his own murder hundreds of years ago has finally taken revenge. As Cam, Jonesy, Amber and new-girl Buffy investigate, the rumour feels closer to the truth than they ever dared think possible, and as they enter the mansion themselves, the idea of splitting up to find evidence will prove to be either the best… or worst decision of all …
MORE PRAISE FOR LET’S SPLIT UP
“Full of loveable characters, fun action and creepy atmosphere – I loved it!’”Amy McCaw author of Mina and the Undead series
“A thrilling, heart-stopping debut. High stakes, mysterious ghouls and a group of teens who I wish I was part of. A horror mystery to be devoured in one sitting. Just incredible.” – Ben Alderson, author of A Betrayal of Storms
“An unmissable love letter to the spooks of Scream and Scooby Doo. Deeply atmospheric, tense, and propulsive.” Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb
Bill Wood
Bill Wood writes mysteries for young adult and adult audiences. He is a graduate of Birmingham City University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours in Film & Screenwriting.
Bill spreads his love for literature not only in his everyday life but also to his growing online audience. In less than three years, he has amassed a following of over 120,000 bookworms and 10 million likes on his TikTok, @billreads
