17-Year-Old Filmmaker Working on Second Book

Stephen King might have a little competition in the world of horror fiction.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Bissell.

With his first book, Society of Dogs already under his belt, budding author and independent filmmaker Aaron Bissell is currently working on publishing his second novel. And, he’s only 17-years-old.

The name of Bissell’s second and upcoming book is called Dahmer: the Life and Times of a Killer Cobra. The book tells the story of a serial killer that happens to be a vicious snake. Bissell said the inspiration for his villain came when he saw a recent animated film starring Johnny Depp. He said he wanted to put a horror-type spin on the idea and make it into a world all his own that he could appreciate.

“I had seen the film Rango, in which the main villain was a snake,” Bissell said. “Of course, since the film is geared toward kids, he didn’t kill anyone. So, I thought why not make a book not only with a snake that kills, but also write another book with an animal theme.”

Bissell said his two books have steadily kept with the theme of animals because he feels they are more complex creatures than people think. He said the idea of putting animals in these situations is an interesting way to tell a story and convey his ideas.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Bissell.

“I think animals have a lot more to them than we think,” said Bissell. “I also need a place to express all of my insane ideas.”

While Bissell has been in love with reading and writing since he was a young child, he said what he finds the most interesting is his fascination with what he calls the “darker aspects” of fiction.

“I have an interest in the psychology of the human mind,” Bissell said. “Why do people hurt others? What motivates them? I also generally hate comedy. I feel you can tell more interesting stories using characters with either dark pasts or who are killers, murders, or even dogs.”

From Paper to Screen

Not only has Bissell been reading and writing fiction since he was 6-years-old, but he has also written and filmed a number of short, independent films he is very proud of. Out of the nearly seven films he has either written, directed or starred in, Bissell said his favorite is his 2011 psychological thriller Record.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Bissell.

 “It expresses exactly what my films are about,” Bissell said. “You could know nothing about my film style and still enjoy Record. It is also one of my darkest pieces, and I like that aspect about it as well.”

Bissell said he enjoys taking his interest in dark psychology and putting it into his films. Even though he has made most of his films into dramas or thrillers, he said there is always a possibility of him branching out into more genres.

 “I’ve really only branched out recently into dark dramas,” Bissell said. “My film Vengeance Is Mine was a dark drama and if drama is more your thing, I’d recommend it … I just write what comes to my head, so it is entirely possible I would make a comedy, action, etcetera, but my core genre will always be the psychological thriller genre.”

Photo courtesy of Aaron Bissell.

Bissell said he not only plans on writing more books in the future, but he also plans to continue his film hobby by writing and directing more short movies. Though, when it comes to what he really wants to do, he said his heart always belongs to writing.

“I like writing the best,” Bissell said. “Filming is fun, but not easy on a zero dollar budget. With writing though, it doesn’t matter, you can let your mind just wander.”