A Leyland man has released a horror story inspired by his own childhood in the Lake District, after being mentored by one of Hollywood’s most prominent screenwriters.
Tom Watts, 31, worked three jobs to pay for writing lessons with John Truby, who wrote three episodes of 21 Jump Street and was the co-writer for Disneynature documentary film African Cats.
Now, he’s penned All Dead Men – a post-apocalyptic zombie-horror novel set in the Lake District, which will be published on Amazon on 7 March and is currently available for pre-order here.
The fictional story follows James Bolland, a paranoid family man who is desperate to rebuild his broken family after his wife and brother had an affair.
But, when a deadly virus sweeps through his rural Cumbrian neighbourhood, James must team up with the one person he swore never to trust – his brother, a haunted ex-soldier – to rescue their sister from hordes of bloodthirsty undead.
The story is inspired by Tom’s own experiences as a child, being both terrified and intrigued by his visits to the Lake District, and features real locations – including Bowness, Ambleside, and Troutbeck Bridge.
After graduating from the University of Manchester top of his class with a First-Class degree in Drama and Screen Studies, he struggled to find employment and instead found solace in writing.
Tom worked in the NHS, as a bartender and in community radio at the same time, in order to afford screenwriting lessons from Hollywood legend Truby.
In 2022, he pitched an original short horror story idea at the highly competitive 2000ad talent search competition in Harrogate, beating 13 other applicants in front of a live audience and a panel of comic book legends, including Leah Moore, John Reppion and Al Ewing. His first-ever short story was then published in the iconic 2000ad science-fiction comic book.
But now, Tom is thrilled to be publishing his first-ever full-length novel, saying: “Growing up, I often stayed in the town of Bowness in the Lakes. It’s this beautiful lakeside community, full of luscious wildlife and amazing architecture.”
“But at night, I’ve always suffered from extremely vivid nightmares about zombies – even ones where I’ve woken up screaming and banging on my bedroom door. It was terrifying, especially as a child.”
“The Lakes are beautiful, but at night they can be very dark, very atmospheric, and cold! It can transform from a place of stunning landscapes, to somewhere dangerous and mysterious.”
“I’ve always been obsessed with the region’s legends and ghost stories – and drawing on my own experiences to help craft a terrifying story about a place I love, has been fantastic. I hope readers enjoy it!”
All Dead Men will launch on Friday 7 March on Amazon – and is available to pre-order in eBook and print here.
