I grew up in an abusive family. One way I could escape was to lose myself in books and stories. I found I enjoyed dreaming of characters and different worlds and making them come alive on paper. I’ve never stopped writing since, and I doubt I ever will.

My youngest once asked me, “Why did you pick writing?” Without thinking I told him, “I’m not sure I picked writing as much as it picked me.” Later, I realized there was a lot of truth in that statement. I’ve tried to quit, but there are too many words inside me wanting to get out. I don’t always like the process of writing, but I always get satisfaction from a completed story. Even when I’m struggling with a story that doesn’t quite come together and doesn’t sell. (I know, go figure.)

A lot of them come from stories I’ve already written. A fragment, a scene, an emotion, or wondering how to approach the same problem but from a different angle. They all give me the impetus to write new stories. The Haxan stories came about from wanting to write a dark fantasy Western using something other than the usual tropes. I also read a great deal and pay close attention to people. All good writers people-watch. This, too, serves as source material and helps generate workable ideas.

Many professional writers insist you must write everyday or you're not a real writer. I’m much more sanguine about this. I believe it’s not how much you write, it’s the quality of what you write. If you spend eight hours a day for an entire year writing dreck...well, you’ll have a lot of dreck. But you won't have anything publishable.

As for myself, I write almost everyday. On those days I’m not physically writing (i.e. putting something on paper), I’m reading, editing, studying, researching, planning, and handling the myriad thousand other details that comes with writing. Frankly, it’s a full-time job, and if you're serious about your craft you will have to put in those hours, too.

Believe it or not, I answered this on my Favorites page.

Glad to see you’re thinking in the right direction. Too many neo-writers don’t understand the unsold story is the unread story. Again, there are many resource books and web sites for writers to resource this problem. One of the best is Ralan.com . It’s very comprehensive and always up to date. It's the one I use most.  Duotrope's Digest is also very good.

Surprisingly, they are! Forget the horror stories you may have heard. Most editors of most magazines, be they professional or semi-professional, print or webzine, are decent people and easy to work with. They want a good story to present to the public and you want to sell them a good story. If that’s true (and it is) then you’re halfway there....

Being around other writers and fans of the genre gives a tremendous boost to both new and professional writers. You can air out ideas, learn something new about the field, make contacts with editors and publishers of magazines, and pretty much have a good ol’ fashioned time.

As for writer organizations like SFWA or HWA, membership certainly doesn’t hurt. You may find some editors will give your manuscript a closer look if you belong to a professional organization. But, in any case, you should definitely attend a Con or two every year if you’re serious about writing science fiction or fantasy or any other genre fiction. It’s a good way to keep your finger on the pulse of the business and network, which is often invaluable.

There's a rule that says money must flow to the writer. Writing is a profession. You get paid for your work, you don't work and then pay someone to publish it. This holds true in all cases. A car mechanic doesn't pay you to fix your engine. A plumber doesn't pay you to unclog a drain in your bathroom.

I don't care how desperate you become to see your stuff published. Money flows to the writer. Period. But there is a new dynamic operating now wherein writers publish their work on Amazon and get a cut. Truth be told, that's the way the profession has changed now and if you wnat to be successful you will have to change with it. I still advise you to avoid vanit presses at all costs. But putting your own stories out there yourself is now a viable way to generate money.

I will always continue to urge you to submit your stories to other magazines. That synergy only helps drive eyeballs to your other work. Bottom line, this industry is changing month by month. Keep abreast of these changes and be ready and willing to adapt.

If you check my Bibliography Page there is a listing of all my stories that are in print and online. Unfortunately, over time some of these go out of print, so they might be hard to find. But you can always check my News Page for upcoming stories or you can read a sample story on my Sample Story page. The stories on that page are changed out every two to three months.  And if you like Haxan don't forget to click on the Haxan Page, including the brand new Haxan Gallery.

HAXAN is my own little dark corner of the universe where I can play with matches. The setting and the people in that mythical Western town allow me to tell any story I want, about any subject, in any conceivable way I can imagine. It's completely open to experimentation and interpretation. The setting gives me a lot of running room and I really enjoy that sense of liberation.

I would say no for this reason alone. Weird Westerns use an Old West setting to explore supernatural themes. I'm coming from the opposite direction. I'm using dark fantasy to explore Western themes.

Another aspect of Weird Westerns is they are often stocked with the usual suspects: werewolves, vampires, and Cthulhu-type monsters. I have nothing against them. I actually like those creatures. But they don't fit with what I imagine Haxan to be.

So, all in all, Haxan is dark fantasy which explores Western mores and ideas. That's the real difference between it and Weird Westerns. Finally, not every Haxan story has supernatural or dark fantasy elements. Like I said, the setting gives me a lot of running room.

Quite the contrary. There are lots of monsters in Haxan. But, as you may suspect, the worst ones, the most memorable monsters, are often human.  *grin*

Theater 13 is an Old Time Radio station I built which broadcasts over the Internet. We broadcast horror, suspense and dark fantasy. Hopefully in the future we will be able to broadcast writer interviews, reviews, and podcasts. Check us out!