Update 3: David Bergantino Is Back and Asks: Are You Afraid to…?

David Bergantino, author of the New Nightmare adaptation and several novels from the Freddy Krueger’s Tales of Terror series, is back with a new project and it may surprise you…

Known for his work in horror and suspense, David explores another genre of literature with his fresh novel initiative and wants you to participate in the journey. Contributor-driven, you have the opportunity to actually play a part in this venture! How will it work?

“I will take backers’ suggestions and “improv” the story based on what I’m provided,” David wrote. “While I have a basic framework for the novel, I can’t write it—and don’t know quite how it ends or what exactly will happen—until this [campaign] ends. For me, it’ll make writing the book a lot more enjoyable, and when you enjoy doing something, it shows in the quality of the work. For you, you’re not getting a pre-packaged novel I’ve had sitting in a folder on my computer. It’ll be something brand new.”

David also plans to revisit an approach he used when writing New Nightmare by taking on a role in the story:

“Those familiar with Wes Craven’s New Nightmare know that I had a key role in that novel—as the author. Reality and fiction blurred, in the spirit of the movie, and people even called my parents’ house after reading the book, expressing sympathy that I’d been killed by Freddy Krueger. Really. Life since then has seemed a surreal blur of fantasy and reality. In any case, I thought I’d use the convention again, in a less, um, tragic context.”

So just what is this novel about? Visit Kickstarter here for details and ask yourself: Are you afraid to…

Stay updated on David’s progress by visiting the following profiles on Facebook:

Author’s Page – David Bergantino | Book Page | Personal Page – Zed Sparkleton

…or follow David on Twitter: @davidbergantino

Want to know more about David’s involvement with A Nightmare on Elm Street? Read our exclusive interview with him from way back in 2005 where he discusses the Nightmare series, writing professionally and more.

October 31 Update: A troubling video was posted to David Bergantino’s “Afraid to Love” Kickstarter this morning and it leaves this question: What’s going on over there? Apparently someone else has taken over and abruptly cancelled David’s project. Additionally, this last week appears to have been a turbulent one as several backers withdraw their Kickstarter pledges over, what seems to be, threatening circumstances. See this link to watch the video. You can also review the project’s update history from this week where backers commented on withdrawing their pledges.

November 5 Update: David Bergantino reveals what happened to his “Afraid to Love” Kickstarter campaign and the secret behind last week’s disturbing video posting. As David explains:

“Several months ago, I had an idea to take the concept of a book like Wes Craven’s New Nightmare and go ‘uber meta.’ I envisioned a story told across social media in mosaic form, in the small chunks of information we are used to seeing each day as we browse the web. The audience would not just read or watch, but participate in the work. And if you’re reading this, it means you’ve been a crucial part of this experiment’s success.”

Click here for details and learn more about how you can be part of this transmedia storytelling experiment!

November 10 Update: David’s “Afraid to Live: The Real Story” Kickstarter is live! Stemming from his recent “Afraid to Love” campaign, “Afraid to Live” takes David’s experiment in transmedia storytelling to the next level by offering you the chance to be part of the story. As David explains in the Kickstarter summary:

“[Afraid to Live] carries on the ill-fated story begun in my previous Kickstarter campaign, Afraid to Love. What was intended to have been a romance novel morphed into a tale of terror told across social media. With Afraid to Live, the full, true story will continue to be revealed in words, pictures, video, tweets and posts. In success, all of this will be collected into a single volume spanning the fear of love to the love of fear, of less-than-divine intervention and deadly inspiration. Back the novel and join me in Afraid to Live as a key character. Suggest your favorite demise and I’ll weave you into the horrific events of the Afraid to Love novel campaign.”

Click here to learn more about the “Afraid to Live” project!

You can also visit the related Facebook profile here or David’s author profile here.