Today we are delighted to welcome back the bestselling author Bill Wood to celebrate his latest book One Last Scare which brings the story started in Let’s Split Up to its explosive conclusion. This series has landed extremely well with readers and our reviewers, promising to be the start of a glittering career for an exciting talent.
Hi Bill, thank you for joining us again today to celebrate the final chapter of the Let’s Split Up trilogy. Please could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your latest book One Last Scare?
Thank you for having me back! I’m Bill and One Last Scare is the final book in the Let’s Split Up trilogy. It takes the Sanera Four out of California and to the wintry Chillshore. It’s home to a creepy old theme park where tragedy once struck and is being revitalised for a new audience… What could go wrong, right?
This marks the end of the story of the Sanera Four and I was wondering, did you always envision this as a trilogy, or has it evolved alongside the story?
I didn’t always envision it as a trilogy but I did always have ideas for sequels. As soon as Let’s Split Up released and sequels were on the table, I planned out how I wanted it all to end and was able to leave clues (very fitting). Fun fact, actually – if you go back and read Let’s Split Up again, you’ll find all the titles of the trilogy written in there.
How does it feel to be bringing this trilogy to a close?
Bittersweet! This series and these characters have been my entire life for the past six years. I started writing Let’s Split Up in 2021 and I couldn’t have imagined where it has led. Despite this, I’m really proud of where it’s ending. I think there’s definitely more stories to tell in this world, but for now I really hope people love One Last Scare as much as the first two books.
As always, the characterisation is such a strong point in this book with the Sanera Four but also both some new and familiar faces. What key elements make a good character for you and who was your favourite character to write in One Last Scare?
It’s so easy for characters to meld into one, especially in novels, so it’s so key to make them distinct. Whether that’s by their name, their dialogue, their actions or anything that might set them apart. Because of that, Rick was actually my favourite character to write in One Last Scare. He’s just so different from the main four and sometimes it’s really fun to write someone who’s a bit of a meanie. Haha!
How has the writing process changed for you from Let’s Split Up to One Last Scare?
It’s changed a lot! I’ve definitely become more of a plotter as I’ve grown as an author and have developed how I write. Also, writing mysteries is so much easier when you know what you’re planning for. That being said, while I do plot my books out thoroughly now, if inspiration strikes I do let myself adjust the plot to keep things fresh while drafting.
I have always enjoyed the balance of dark comedy and horror in this trilogy; how do you strike that balance and also ensure it is always appropriate for the YA audience?
Thank you! It’s definitely just experimentation. It became clear after the first draft of Let’s Split Up that I wanted to have that balance of genres because that’s what I love to consume. This book is probably the darkest of the trilogy, and after finishing it, I realised I needed to go back and inject some of the humour into it again to keep it in line with the other books. In terms of going too far with the horror, I’ve never really had that issue because the humour always counteracted the scarier moments.
Off the back of that, how did your approach differ with your adult debut and what was that experience like?
Honestly, it was a real learning curve. I’ve been so used to writing short and snappy prose for my YA books so it took me a minute to write anything but that. My adult books are definitely more descriptive because that’s what the genre wants. With thrillers, especially YA, you’ve got to keep things short and leave the reader constantly on the edge of their seat.
Without giving anything away, this has a brilliant and very fitting ending. Was this always the plan or did the ending change through the editing process?
Yes and no! I’ve been so nervous about it so thank you for that! I knew how I wanted the book to end from the very start of drafting. But I did go back and forth on the final couple of paragraphs. I think I’ve just become so protective of the characters so I wanted to make sure they had the best send off possible.
How did you decide which narrative arcs you wanted to prioritise over the trilogy and without spoilers, what has been your favourite one?
The one I want to talk about is one I definitely cannot, hahaha! Once you’ve read One Last Scare you’ll know which character I’m hinting at. But Cam and Jonesy’s relationship will always be really special to me. It’s been super cathartic to write their journey but it’s also been incredible to see the reader’s reactions to their relationship as well.
If you had to place the Sanera Four in a different horror franchise (book and/or film), which would you choose and how would they fare?
I think they’d slot right into the Clown in a Cornfield series (love those books, by the way) and be able to help those guys out a lot. In terms of film, they could definitely hold their own in the Scream films. The amount of times the Sanera Four have survived… Ghostface has nothing on them.
What is one message or lingering thought that you’d like readers to take away from this trilogy?
I think I would just say a big thank you. I’ve said it before how much these books mean to me and now they’re the same books that enable me to write full time. On top of that, seeing how much people love them makes it ten times better. I’ve seen these books on people’s favourites of all time lists, there’s tattoos of my books, cosplays, fan art… it blows my mind.
What books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I’ve recently finished Tempest by Victoria Aveyard which I thoroughly enjoyed and I’m really anticipating book two next year. But my favourite of the year has been Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, which really surprised me. It isn’t something I’d usually pick up but I absolutely adored it.
If you were ever to return to the world of Let’s Split Up, what would be your choice of spin-off story or primary character? Would you prefer to pick a familiar face or create a whole new chilling story in a shared universe?
Oh, that’s so hard. I want to come back to this world so bad already and, if I did, I do think it would be the original characters. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of following the Sanera Four’s kids twenty years on or making a ‘requel’ like so many modern franchise reboots, but I’d want to make something a bit more unique.
Finally if you could only use five words to describe One Last Scare, what would they be?
Death. Rollercoaster. Mannequin. Ice. History.
