Alumni Authors 

He's a Soft-Spoken Author  
of Horror Novels                            By Lisa James 
 
With the soft-spoken and mild manner of an English teacher, Andrew Neiderman, B.A.’62, M.A.’64, surprises people when they learn he is a successful writer of horror novels. Nevertheless, his book, The Devil’s Advocate, about a law firm in New York City headedby the devil, was recently made into a major motion picture starring Keanu Reeves and Academy Award winner Al Pacino. 
     Neiderman is the author of 27 published novels, with topics ranging from androgynes (a race of sexual predators) to anatomical dummies. He is also well known as the author who continues the works of the late V.C. Andrews, a popular horror and suspense writer. Each one of the Andrews books has reached either No. 1 or No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list. 
     As for looking like an English teacher, he also did that, 
for 23 years at Fallsburgh Central School in Fallsburgh, N.Y., west of Poughkeepsie. In fact, Neiderman published 15 of his books while he was still teaching. During this time he also was chairman of the English Department and a wrestling coach. 
     Although he writes in the horror genre, Neiderman said he has been influenced by many writers. 
     “I think the greatest American novel today is still Huck Finn,” he said. “I used my education and it’s definitely part of who I am today. I had a good education at Albany and it was especially important to me in my writing. The kind of classes and teachers I had here were very influential.” Neiderman transferred from Hunter College, now part of the City University of New York, and said he felt more at home at Albany. A few of the professors of English he particularly admired were Arthur Collins, Tom Littlefield, and Walter Knotts, all now emeritus faculty. While at Albany, Neiderman was co-editor-in-chief and a contributing author of The Primer, a collection of writings produced by students. 
     The University celebrated the release of The Devil’s Advocate, and one of its most successful alumni, last fall with a weekend of book signings, receptions, and a screening of the film. Proceeds from the events supported Alumni Association student scholarships. 
     The Devil’s Advocate, about a New York law firm that represents only guilty people and never loses, received mostly glowing reviews. Warner Bros. bought the rights to the book more than six years ago. Neiderman said he sold it after a pitch meeting on the basis of its “high concept,” which he explained is a Hollywood term that means a book has such great scope that it would make a terrific movie. It has been described as a cross between The Firm and Rosemary’s Baby. 
     When asked how he felt about the movie and seeing his work on the big screen, Neiderman said, “I love the film, I think it’s terrific. Pacino is in Academy Award territory for his performance.” Neiderman said he worked extensively with the screenplay writers and joined creative discussions. It is unusual for the novelist to be that involved in the making of a film, he said. 
     “I have always had the creative impulse in me. I have always had the impetus to write and to be a writer. It’s part of who I am,” Neiderman said. “I guess in the caveman days, I would have been the storyteller, sitting around the fire telling stories.” 
     Neiderman said he didn’t really choose the horror genre. “I wrote a novel called Sisters and it was considered general fiction. So, I never saw myself as a suspense writer. But then, I wrote Pin, which became a terror best seller and before I knew it I was considered a terror writer,” he said. 
     He added that once you are pigeon-holed by the industry in a certain genre, it is difficult, if not impossible, to change. “But basically, I consider myself a suspense writer,” Neiderman said. 
     It takes Neiderman approximately four months to write a novel. He writes three novels a year, two of his and one under the name V.C. Andrews. His ghostwriting has produced five series of books. The sixth has already been written and will be published this year. A new series called “The Runaways” will begin soon. 
     Neiderman’s agent, Anita Diamant, was also the agent for V.C. Andrews and this helped in the decision to choose him to ghostwrite Andrews’s books after her death in 1986. It was not until 1991 that it became known that she had died and someone was ghostwriting the books. “As long as there’s a market for a V.C. Andrews book, Andrew Neiderman will continue writing them. The readers don’t care,” Diamant said. 
     Neiderman said ghostwriting is a challenge because the writer has to take on another persona. “Writing is very personal, so it takes a great deal of study and attention to be able to write in someone else’s voice,” he said. “ I feel successful at it because the V.C. Andrews books are growing in power, they are sold all over the world, and most people don’t know where V.C. Andrews stopped and I started. That, to me, is a good testament.” 
     With so many novels under his belt, one would think that Neiderman might run out of ideas, but he said he still has “at least half a dozen novels floating around in my mind, waiting to be written.” 
     The next novel under his own name will be The Dark, about the wife of a psychiatrist who believes her husband’s latest patient is Satan. The man comes in with a compulsion to do evil things. Another novel, called In Double Jeopardy, will be published this year. He is now working on books for 1999. In addition, Neiderman, along with Jaffe-Braunstein Productions, is producing a CBS miniseries based on the V.C. Andrews RUBY series of books. 
     Since the success of The Devil’s Advocate and other works made for the screen, including The Maddening, starring Burt Reynolds and Angie Dickinson, Neiderman said he would like to become more involved in films. He wrote the screenplay for “The Runaways” series, which will be made into a feature film. 
     Neiderman said he would tell potential writers that they must have 60 percent talent and 40 percent perseverance. “They have to be willing to experience rejection and have the grit to keep coming back,” he said. He added that determination is also very important. Neiderman said people frequently approach him and say they are going to write a book. He said when people say this to him, he wants to say, “You know, that’s funny because I want to be a brain surgeon. I think I’ll be one next week.” 
     Originally from Brooklyn, Neiderman and his wife, Diane, now live in Palm Springs, Calif., where he and his son own a microbrewery called Palm Springs Brewing Co. They also have a daughter who is a teacher. 
     “I guess writing looks easy because, when you read a book, you think, what’s the big deal?” he said. Those who have seen The Devil’s Advocate or read one of his books know that the big deal is Andrew Neiderman. His name and works will be appearing in a variety of places for years to come.