Could you tell us a little about your book, Let’s Split Up?

Let’s Split Up follows a group of teenagers who investigate the murders of the IT couple at their school. Their search takes them to the supposedly haunted Carrington Manor. This book is my ode to Scooby-Doo, as well as 90s/2000s horror movies!

You describe the book as a nostalgic tribute to the TV and films of your childhood. What were your favourite films and programmes from that period?

Honestly, anything Scooby-Doo. I had so many old VHS tapes that I watched over and over. Power Rangers was also a big one for me, but that didn’t exactly inspire this book. Then, as I got a bit older, and dipped my toes into horror, the late-90s films were my obsession for a while.

There seem to be a resurgence of 90s/2000s themed stories making a comeback at the moment (Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, to name a couple). Are you excited that Let’s Split Up is finding a home today?

Definitely! My favourite thing about those 90s/2000s themed stories is the aspect of teen friendship. So, when I set out to write a ‘scarier Scooby-Doo novel,’ channelling this era was a no-brainer. It just felt so right.

We love that you have a character called Buffy in this book (Still the best TV show!). Are any of the characters in Let’s Split Up inspired by people you know, or other characters you’ve come across?

Other than my dog, Macey, who is in the book (I had to!), the rest of the characters are not inspired by anyone. I did try and subvert a lot of cliché characters from horror movies though. Cam, for example, is the jock of the group but he’s not completely useless like a lot of depictions. He’s got a heart and has a lot more to him than you might expect.

Let’s Split Up begins with a prologue reminiscent of many slasher/horror movies. Can readers look forward to any other horror tropes and conventions as they read?

For sure! I guess you can say there’s an element of the final girl trope in Let’s Split Up, but that’s also something I’ve tried to play with as well. Another big one is obvious from the title. Splitting up… But again, when the characters do have to split up, I tried to make a very good reason for it so you’re not screaming at the pages!

You have a background in film and screenwriting. How helpful was that when writing Let’s Split Up?

I started writing this at university, so it was all really fresh in my mind. I’m unsure if Let’s Split Up would be so inspired by film if I hadn’t started writing it when I did. But screenwriting is so helpful when it comes to writing dialogue because scripts are ninety-percent dialogue. I’ve found studying that for three years has really strengthened how believable my characters are.

TikTok is such a great social media because it connects you with people who enjoy the exact same things as you do, so you’re finding the ‘perfect audience,’ …

You have such a great TikTok following. What do you think TikTok brings to the book world that perhaps wasn’t there before? How does it help authors?

There’s pros and cons to it, of course, but it’s really helped with promoting the book. That’s a given. TikTok is such a great social media because it connects you with people who enjoy the exact same things as you do, so you’re finding the ‘perfect audience,’ if you will. TikTok also demystifies the author, if that makes sense. When I grew up, I never met any authors, so they seemed like these faceless people. Social media has definitely changed that.

Are you able to tell us about anything else you’re working on, or anything else we can look forward to soon?

I have a new YA mystery horror releasing autumn 2025. Like Let’s Split Up, it follows a group of teenagers. But this time around, we find ourselves in the Scottish Highlands…

Bill Wood

Bill Wood was born and raised in Birmingham, England. He has always had a love for all kinds of media and graduated from Birmingham City University in 2023 with a degree in Film & Screenwriting. When not writing, he is often found with a book and an iced coffee in hand, or filming ‘bookish’ social media content for his TikTok channel billreads, where he has amassed a following of over 124K. He currently lives with his family and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Macey.

His debut novel Let’s Split Up (Scholastic, 2024) has become an instant bestseller and is a nail-biting and perfectly formed thriller for the YA BookTok generation – think Scooby Doo meets Pretty Little Liars.