WELCOME TO THE STORYVILLE, AN INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD THOMAS

I think some people are born with gifts—to write, to play basketball, to speak, to teach. So there will always be those that are naturally strong at writing. BUT, I do believe that other authors can evolve and become excellent writers, even if it’s harder, or doesn’t come as easy. The talent, the passion, the vision—it can come from anywhere

Richard Thomas is the award-winning author of seven books: three novels--Disintegration and Breaker (Penguin Random House Alibi), as well as Transubstantiate (Otherworld Publications); three short story collections--Staring into the Abyss (Kraken Press), Herniated Roots (Snubnose Press), and Tribulations (Cemetery Dance); and one novella in The Soul Standard (Dzanc Books).

With over 140 stories published, his work is forthcoming or published in many places, including Cemetery Dance (twice), Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders (Bram Stoker winner), PANK, storySouth, PRISMS, Lost Highways: Dark Fiction from the Road, Shadows Over Main Street, Gargoyle, Weird Fiction Review, Midwestern Gothic, Pantheon, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Penumbra, Qualia Nous, Chiral Mad (numbers 2-4), Shivers VI (with Stephen King and Peter Straub), Menacing Hedge, Hypnos, Deciduous Tales, Blue Monday Review, Litro, Arcadia, Polluto, Pear Noir, Murky Depths, Fear the Reaper, Cipher Sisters, Into the Darkness, and at Great Jones Street. For a more complete list of his work in print, CLICK HERE, for online work, CLICK HERE.

He was also the editor of four anthologies: The New Black and Exigencies (Dark House Press), The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers (Black Lawrence Press) and Burnt Tongues (Medallion Press) with Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) and Dennis Widmyer (Starry Eyes).

He has won contests at ChiZine and One Buck Horror, has received five Pushcart Prize nominations, and has been long-listed for Best Horror of the Year six times. His story, “Golden Sun” written with Kristi DeMeester, Damien Angelica Walters, and Michael Wehunt was included in The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Eleven. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller awards.

In his spare time he is a columnist at Lit Reactor, teaches classes (at the University of Iowa, Story Studio Chicago, LitReactor.com, and his own classes as well), and was Editor-in-Chief at Dark House Press and Gamut Magazine.

He lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He was born in St. Louis, MO (Webster Groves) where he attended Webster Groves High School. He did his undergraduate studies at Bradley University, where he majored in Advertising and Communications, and minored in Psychology. He received his MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from Murray State University in 2012.

For more information visit www.whatdoesnotkillme.com.

Hello Richard, how are things with you? To begin, could you tell the readers a little bit about the man behind the writer? 
 
LOL, sure. I’ve been writing about 12 years now. Three novels, three collections, 150+ stories published, alongside Stephen King four times, ran Gamut magazine and Dark House Press, been nominated for a Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller award. I started out writing neo-noir, but write more new-weird now. So, across fantasy, science fiction, horror, transgressive, magical realism, etc. Right now, I spend my time writing, editing, and teaching online at Storyville.
 
What was it about going to see the movie Fight Club, that inspired you to start writing?
 
I think it just woke me up. I had been in advertising for 25 years, and had essentially forgotten my love of writing. That movie shook me up, and then I discovered Chuck’s books, and read everything he had at the time, and that reminded me how much I loved reading and writing. So I started taking classes. Craig Clevenger was the first, I loved his books, was a big fan of The Velvet (Craig, Stephen Graham Jones, and Will Christopher Baer). I wanted to see if I could write. He was very supportive, encouraged me to send out a story I wrote in his class, “Stillness,” and it ended up in Shivers VI alongside Stephen King. That was the moment I started to really care again, to take it seriously.
 
You’ve spoken previously about Brian Evenson, Will Christopher Baer and [Stephen Graham Jones] being influences, among others. How have they influenced you writing?  
 
Baer really got me excited about neo-noir in print. Previously, it had only really been in film--Mulholland Drive, Memento, Blade Runner, The Machinist—and his voice, the dense prose, the lyricism, the weirdness…that all appealed to me. I felt like I’d found my people. Stephen was more aligned with horror, though his novel All the Beautiful Sinners is a brilliant neo-noir/new-weird thriller. The Blackfoot influences, the mythology, the surrealism--Silence of the Lambs on LSD. So good. Brian really showed me how to weave in literary influences, to think outside the box, to get weird, not just for the sake of getting weird, but to manipulate my readers. Jeff VanderMeer did that will Annihilation, as did China Mieville with Perdido Street Station.
 
Your fiction treads the fine lines between horror, other types of genre-fiction, and literary. Are you more comfortable skirting the liminal areas of genre fiction, and if you were to write a more traditional horror story what would be your big evil of choice?  
 
Yes, I love hybrid work, stories that lean into genre, but innovate, surprise, and subvert the expectation. As long as I can deliver what I promised, I’m good. Much for the same reason that I’m drawn to A24 films, I’m interested in writing stories that can scare, unsettle, unnerve, inspire, hypnotize, and excite—but not with the same old monsters, plots, and characters. It’s not easy. I don’t write much hard science fiction, but Black Mirror is another example. Also, Tales From the Loop. I guess back in the day it would have been The Twilight Zone. That uncanny, weird, supernatural, unexplainable horror. Cosmic horror, too. For more traditional horror, I’ve been looking at dopplegangers lately, shapeshifters, things like that. People, places, and things that are not what they seem. It’s already IN THE HOUSE. You just didn’t know it.
 
What is your favourite thing about writing dark fiction?
 
That’s a great question. I love to write immersive stories. So what I want to do it transport you, have the world fall away, really get your full attention. Writing is so personal, and intimate, I want you right there with me, and I want to hold you hard as we traverse the darkness together. I don’t want my characters or readers to suffer needlessly. I want this to be an experience, something you maybe never had, or never could. I want to make you laugh, turn you on, scare you, get under your skin, unsettle you, and have you looking over your shoulder when it’s all over. I want you to cry, to go hug your wife and kids, to be grateful for what you have. I try very hard to be original, to write lyrical prose, to surprise you, and then earn the endings I’ve put together. I love telling stories.
 
Why should people read your work?
 
Whew, that’s a tough question! Probably for all of the reasons I just said in the last question. It’s very hard to find an author you can trust—that’s what I want, your trust. There are a handful of authors that when they have new work out, I immediately buy it, without even reading what it’s about. That used to be Stephen King, for many, many years. These days it’s probably Brian Evenson and Stephen Graham Jones. I want you to come to my work ready for something special, something exciting, that’s familiar enough that you can access it, but weird enough, unique enough, that you didn’t see it coming. Or if you DID, you get to the climax at the same time that I do. Yes, that’s what I just said—let’s all climax together. LOL. I also try to write hybrid stories, neo-noir and new-weird, so hopefully, if I do my job it’s not JUST a horror story, it’s not JUST science fiction—it’s literary, and visceral, and emotional. Much like Beloved by Toni Morrison is not just a literary story, but horror as well. Or, “The Paperhanger” by William Gay. Or Blade Runner. Or the A24 films. Lofty goals, I know. I may not always hit a home run, you may not always love my work, but hopefully, if you DO like my work, I’ll never let you down. The opposite of love is not hate, it’s apathy. I don’t ever want you to read a story of mine and go, “Meh.”
 
Your story “Golden Sun” was co-authored with Kristi DeMeester, Damien Angelica Walters, and Michael Wehunt, I’m interested in knowing about the mechanics of writing a short story with three other writers, how did you go about writing it, and how did you all decide on a final draft? 
 
LOL, where to begin? When Michael Bailey announced Chiral Mad 4, he said wanted stories that were written by several authors—pairs, threesomes, whatever. I thought—CM4, why not four? I wanted to write another Rashomon (my first was “Dyer”) and thought this would be the perfect time to write four experiences around one event. Four stories, four truths, four perspectives. I thought about the people I wanted to work with—authors that had a similar style to me, that I thought would be fun to partner with, and that could do something really special. I reached out to Kristi, Damien, and Michael—and they all said yes. We talked about the Rashomon idea, and decided to go for it. We kicked around tropes in horror, and wanted to work hard to do the OPPOSITE of anything that was expected—not at night, but in the day; not in winter or fall, but summer; not in the woods, or a haunted house, or an asylum, but the beach. That was where we started. How to scare you in the bright summer daylight? Wasn’t easy. We decided to do a family—mother, father, daughter, son, and a fifth child (also a daughter) that was missing. That’s all we had. We kicked around a few more ideas, we each claimed a role (Michael the father, Kristi the mother, Damien the daughter, myself with the son) and then Michael offered to start it. He wrote his, which set the tone, and made a lot of decisions. Then he handed it to Kristi, who continued. Then Damien, and then me, last. After the first round, we kicked it back around again and everyone made edits. Some stuck, some didn’t. Then did one last pass. Overall I was thrilled with it, and I sent it in to Michael (and Lucy Snyder). I didn’t know if we’d even get IN, let alone into The Best Horror of the Year (my first time). But when we did, we were all thrilled. And then to get that email from Ellen Datlow? I mean, that’s a dream come true.
 
Could you tell us about your [novelette] Ring of Fire from the anthology The Seven Deadliest? It’s a story that you took great care to develop to avoid falling into a number of pitfalls?  Sexist and “rapey” concepts in horror is still a problem area, how do we, as a genre, address these problematic themes. And the need for some authors to perpetuate their use as tropes in their fiction?
 
Sure, yeah, that was a tough one. As you said, with the idea of lust and horror, I was immediately concerned about the tone. I struggled for a long time to get this story started. I didn’t want Hellraiser, I didn’t want pain and pleasure. So I kept watching movies and reading stories searching for something to inspire me, influence me, show me the way. For a long time I wanted to write about the 100th monkey (which is a real phenomenon, I believe). So that was one idea. I also wanted to think about lust, and what that might look like when it lacked control. The #metoo movement was on my mind, and without giving away the whole story, I knew that I needed a bad man to be my protagonist, since HE is the kind of guy that has to change, to be part of the evolution. He is the catalyst for change the story needed. But I couldn’t alienate the reader, either. I wrote scenes, backed up, rewrote them, cut lines, surrounded the dark moments with lighter ones, and then worked in two choruses around the main story—two disembodied voices, and a series of lists. It’s not an easy read. And the epilogue at the end, I didn’t see that coming, but when I got there, I knew I had to write it that way—we had to have HOPE, and that’s where it went. I think if you do your research, are thoughtful with your words and scenes, and don’t try to titillate or add unnecessary sex or violence, it can work. You have to be careful. I couldn’t write The Girl Next Door. Ketchum is amazing, but that’s a tough book to read. You feel complicit. These days, I’m leaning into hopepunk, making it worth the journey, not looking to be edgy and shock people, break their spirit. There’s enough of that in the world right now as it is.
 
You have edited anthologies such as The New Black, Exigencies, Burnt Tongues, and The Line-Up. What is it about anthologies that you find enjoyable to work in as an editor?
 
Oh man, so many things. I love the idea of finding a cool theme, something maybe I haven’t seen done before. I love reaching out to authors that inspire me to solicit stories. I get excited opening up for submissions and reading new work, or work by my peers, by friends—compelling, intense, layered stories. It’s a GIFT to me when I get work that is special. I think about Letitia Trent’s story, “Wilderness,” in Exigencies, that got rejected by EVERYONE. I loved it, and not only did the anthology get a Shirley Jackson nomination, but so did her story. And then it got into The Best Horror of the Year. That meant a lot to Letitia, and to me, too. I think about publishing an early story by Usman T. Malik, “The Last Manuscript,” and how he went on to win the Bram Stoker Award not long after, the first Pakistani author to do that. I love his voice, he is doing some powerful work. I am just as excited to get a story by a new, emerging, unknown author that I LOVE, as I am to get somebody like Brian Evenson or Stephen Graham Jones to send me a reprint, or write me something new. The cover art, the interior illustrations—it’s all thrilling to me. I’ve been thinking of putting a new one together, with a hopepunk theme, just have to make sure I have the time, and can partner with the right press. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also a blast. You should do one! I’d be happy to send you a reprint LOL!
 
You have been writing for Litreactor for almost a decade now with your teaching Storyville column, how did you get started with them? And what was the aim of the column in the early days?
 
Yeah, hard to believe, right? We talked about Fight Club earlier, that got me to The Cult, Chuck’s website, and I just hung out there at first. Then there were some workshops, and forums, and then classes that I took there—with Chuck, Monica Drake, Max Barry, and Jack Ketchum. When that all moved to LitReactor.com, I went with it. For a while I just hung out, workshopped stories, had fun. One day, not long after I got my MFA, I asked Dennis if I could write a column. I felt like I finally had something to say, valuable information from MY journey, that I could share with the readers over there. He said to go for it. And then a few years later, I asked to teach my Short Story Mechanics class, and again Dennis was very supportive, saying he had just been waiting for me to ask. In the beginning, I just wanted to talk about the basics, things I’d learned in my classes and MFA, and from there, it grew—getting more complex, writing about more topics. Now, today, some 130 columns later, I’m still trying to find something to say. My next column is about universal truths. LOL. So, I keep going until the well runs dry, I guess.
 
You must have seen some significant changes over recent years; what difference do you think has had the largest impact on the writing world?
 
Wow. Yeah, that’s tough. Um, I guess you can’t just write racist, sexist bullshit anymore. Thank GOD. People are being called out on it. I’m so glad to see so many old, straight, white, rich dudes disappearing. As a SWM myself, I understand I still have a place, but this was never MY world, my dominion, it has always been for ALL OF US. Too many gatekeepers turned away powerful voices. Editing those four anthologies, I learned a lot. Running Dark House Press, and then Gamut? Even more. With Gamut we made a HUGE effort to say that we wanted diversity, and we read blind. We reached out to marginalized voices and groups, and encouraged them to submit. We wanted more women, more authors of color, more authors from all over the world, a wider range of sexual orientation, and gender identity. And man, wow, did we get so many amazing stories. 60% of our stories were from women. The first EIGHT stories I took, in fact. I hired women as editors, and we have to keep doing that—women as editors and publishers, more people of color, etc. It has opened my mind, has taught me so much, and I KNOW that Gamut especially was a much more exciting, original, passionate project because of it.
 
If a new author were to only read one of your columns over at LitReactor which one should it be?  
 
Most definitely the first column I wrote--on finding your voice. If you don’t understand who you are, what your influences are, and what kind of stories you want to write, it’s going to be SO much more difficult to grow. Read in the genres you write, study the masters, and then find your contemporaries. It’s crucial. So you don’t repeat what’s been done, and so you can find a path toward innovation, originality, and subversion.
 
You’ve been doing lots of teaching. What do you get from education, what’s the most enjoyable aspect of it, and what’s the least pleasant aspect?  
 
I love seeing authors have those AHA moments. I’ve been lucky, that authors who take my Short Story Mechanics (SSM) class, and then Contemporary Dark Fiction (CDF), and finally my Advanced Creative Writing Workshop (ACWW), tend to do really well. It goes from understanding the basics, and being able to create, to getting way more in-depth with CDF for 16 weeks, and then improving critical analysis skills in ACWW. It’s a joy to see these stories improve, to see authors doing really original things, to see them get published, win awards, land agents, and get into MFA programs. I have the whole, “Give a man a fish he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime” mentality. I want my students to graduate, and not need me anymore. That means I’ve succeeded. The least pleasant is when they are less than professional, or are rough on each other, or don’t do the work. My students are adults, and I shouldn’t have to referee or jump in to handle tense moments. I mean, I’m always there for my students, but it can be stressful. LOL
 
Your latest teaching endeavours is Storyville. Would you like to give the readers a quick lowdown on what Storyville is all about?
 
So we talked about my SSM class, and over time, I wanted to expand and teach more classes, go farther. So that’s where CDF and ACWW came in, developed over time, based on requests I got from friends, peers, and past students. That lead to my Novel Workshop 365 (where you write a book in a year) as well as the Day of Reckoning classes. I wanted to design a professional website, and house all of my classes, and editing, there.
 
You run a novel in a year class, Novel Workshop 365, to help writers develop the craft of novel-writing. When designing this class, did you find that it influenced your approach to writing novels?
 
Me personally? No. LOL I’m too impatient. If I took a year, I’d freak out. But I think what I did learn is that the components of the class can help me as well. January has prompts for pre-writing, which I also do. Then there are prompts from February to July on writing, and those are important, too. August to November prompts cover editing, so I study all of those passes, so I don’t forget anything. And December is all about submitting, and so that’s great for me as well, even though I now have an agent. My hope is that if people spend a year with me, they’ll be able to take all of that guidance, support, and those prompts, and apply it to any FUTURE novels, even if I’m not there to help. It’s kind of a safety net, I think.
 
Do you think everyone can write, or does there have to be a germ of talent within the person?
 
I think some people are born with gifts—to write, to play basketball, to speak, to teach. So there will always be those that are naturally strong at writing. BUT, I do believe that other authors can evolve and become excellent writers, even if it’s harder, or doesn’t come as easy. The talent, the passion, the vision—it can come from anywhere. Sure, I learned to write from my undergraduate classes, as well as my MFA. But I also learned from my Psychology classes—I minored in it—the study of the mind and behavior. I also learned from getting out in the world—working, traveling, loving, having sex, doing drugs, failing, etc. I spent 25 years in advertising, and learned a lot from that field as well. So you take whatever you have, and you use it. If you are a doctor and you write medical thrillers, if you are biologist and you write science fiction, if you are a social worker and you write fantasy—that can all inform your writing. But it can also come from reading, writing, film, art, music, travel, food, and whatever you see out in the world, too.
 
Every teacher has that one pupil that just doesn’t get it, have you ever had a pupil for Storyville where you thought “this just isn’t for them”? And how did you broach the subject? 
 
LOL. I’m sure I’ve had many. Mostly in the SSM class. Yeah, in every SSM class, where I have 20 students, there are maybe 10-15 who finish the class. Those five that don’t, quite often this is it for them. They tried, it didn’t work, they realize they don’t have it, and they quit. I can’t help them if they give up, if they stop, if they don’t at least do the whole class. That’s on them. BUT, those that do make it through, even if they’re still struggling, they have a chance. I tend to focus on those that work hard, that ask questions, that edit and try again, and keep going. Those that take my CDF class—they are usually the ones that have figured out a few things, and are evolving right before my eyes. I never want to be the one to tell somebody to give up, to quit, that they don’t have it. Maybe it was a rough two weeks, maybe they need to study more, maybe they need to read more. If they come back to me, I will do my best to keep educating them, hoping they see the light.
 
The team of instructors at Storyville that you have assembled is a literal whose who of dark fiction writing. What criteria do you look for when recruiting someone to be an instructor?  
 
Usually it’s just an author I love reading. I start there. Do their stories, and novels, blow me away? Also, are they writing in the genres that I want to teach and encourage? I mostly focus on speculative fiction. Also, are they genuinely good people—have I worked with them in the past, were they nice, did they show up, and do a good job? Then yes, and yes again. Do they have any experience teaching? Are they publishing in the top markets? And less so, but are they getting nominations, winning awards, making it into the best of the year anthologies? I look at all of that.

 If you could have any author living or dead as part of your team at Storyville, who would it be and why?

I've been lucky that so many authors, friends, and peers have come aboard to be a part of the Day of Reckoning. I guess the guy I've learned from the most, and emulate all the time, has to be Stephen Graham Jones. He has been a huge influence on my writing, and has really encouraged me to take chances with my stories. I got to meet him at AWP Denver and Chicago, and then he had me out to UC-Riverside to be a guest author. Hanging out with Stephen is just as cool as you can imagine it—super relaxed, very funny, extra chill, and just so generous.
 
None of the instructors are known for writing “pulp horror” for want of a better word. Do you think that all forms of horror writing require the same sort of skill set? 
 
Pulp horror, classic horror, splatterpunk, slashers—whatever you want to call it, yeah, I think those stories rely on different tropes, characters, plots, and monsters. I am more drawn towards psychological horror, the new-weird, cosmic horror, anything that keeps me on my toes, and doesn’t use the same old stories.  If you want to write more complex, layered, “literary” horror then yes, you have to do more than the same old tricks, settings, and protagonists. It’s why a cat jumping in a window WILL scare you in a horror film, but something like Hereditary may stay with you for a very, long time.

Who would you say best embodies the Pulp end of the spectrum?

If you mean crime, noir, thriller, neo-noir, and Southern gothic (since I probably don't read a lot of "pulp fiction" these days, I've always enjoyed the work of Daniel Woodrell. Hard not to mention Joe Lansdale. Always been a fan of Donald Ray Pollock. Ron Rash is always a pleasure. William Gay has been a favorite for a long time, RIP. I'm not sure I'm reading much true pulp these days though?
 
You’ve used the phrase “Not enough meat on the bone” when discussing plotting out the initial ideas for a story, how do you judge whether there is enough meat on the bone?
 
Some story ideas don’t go that far. It may be flash fiction, or a short story, a novella, or a novel. Depends on the complexity, cast of characters, how much room you need to let the story breathe. You’ll know it when you see it. It’s why I teach flash fiction, it’s why I encourage authors to START with short stories. Write 1,000 words, write 3k, then 5k, then 10k, and more. You have to learn to expand. A sprinter is different than a long-distance runner, but whatever distance you run, you still have to tell a good story. It’s like when a closer gets stretched out to be a starter in baseball. Bit by bit, slowly expand, take on more, and let the story grow. A 6k story is MUCH different than a 60k novel.
 
And what’s the worst thing to do to beef out a lean bone idea?
 
Tangents, and scenes that have nothing to do with the heart of the story. In my classes I talk about, “All things serve the beam,” which comes from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. Build a framework, create a solid structure, and then you can go out on a limb here and there, get surreal, get weird, and expand the cast and story—as long as it serves the main narrative, and you always come back to the center.
 
All of this non-fiction work must take up so much of your time, have you been able to do much work on your fiction writing this year?  
 
LOL, honestly, no. I’ve been trying to write this new arctic horror novel and have been struggling for quite some time. I have two new stories coming out this year, “Battle Not with Monsters” in Cemetery Dance and “Saudade” in the PRISMS anthology (PS Publishing) but after that, I’m about out of new work. I wrote a few things last year, and the year before. But I have to get back to it. I’d be lying if I said the state of the world hasn’t effected what I’m doing. But I know that I can do it. I wrote Breaker in 25 days, and it was nominated for a Thriller Award. I’ve written 6,000-words stories in a day for a deadline, 40,000 words to end Disintegration in a week, and 12,000 words in one day wrapping up Breaker. If I can find my way in, find my voice (LOL), get the POV right, then I’m off to the races. It’s hard when you’ve published 150 stories. I want it to be special, and every time I start down a path that bores me, that feels too familiar, that doesn’t have enough “meat on the bone,” I rewind and start over. I’ll get there. Just trying not to die right now. LOL.

Could you tell us a bit more about your arctic story?  I’m a sucker for stories set in the cold expanses?

LOL I can try. Basically I wanted to write a horror novel, not neo-noir, not a thriller. I guess it starts with The Thing, and then heads off into Color Out of Space, picking up the influence of the new-weird authors (Brian Evenson, Jeff VanderMeer, China Mieville), while trying to tap into that A24 Films aesthetic. I am still getting it sorted, but I know the protagonist will be a sin-eater, and that he's protecting the world from certain demise. Whether he guards the LONE portal, or one of many, I'm not sure. Been watching other arctic things—Alone, Hold the Dark, Fortitude, and The Terror. But I want it to be more than just a monster horror story, more cosmic horror maybe. Still figuring it out.

The state of the world has affected many authors, do you have any tips for finding that elusive mojo beast?

Man, I've been struggling. Haven't written much this year. Have four stories out this year, a few out last year, but it's been tough. Trying not to die. The only thing I can say it tap into your strengths, write something you are REALLY interested in writing, and have the authority to talk about. So for me, I'm a maximalist. That means setting, atmosphere, tone, mood—that's all essential to my work. So that's one way into my book. I just don't have a handle on my protagonist yet, when I do...it's off to the races (hopefully). If you're struggling, go back and re-read work of your own that you love. There are a few stories, or books, I'm sure. I also fill my head with images, music, films, tv shows, whatever I can—to help build the backdrop of the narrative I'm trying to tell. Hope that helps!
 
We’ve just passed the halfway point of 2020, what can we expect from you in the second half, do you have any new publications or projects in the pipeline?
 
Ha, yeah, as I said, Cemetery Dance and PRISMS. I also have a weird Lovecraftian bit of flash fiction, an epistolary story, “In His House,” in The Nightside Codex, which should be out in August. And I have a reprint, “Chrysalis” in the Christmas Horror anthology out with Dark Regions Press this December. I think that’s it for now?
 
For those who aren’t familiar with your fiction, where would you suggest they start? 
 
Oh, great question. Well, my last collection, Tribulations, that’s my most current work. There are some fun stories in there. I have had a number of stories since then, in some pretty cool anthologies, which you can find on my Amazon profile—the aforementioned “Ring of Fire,” as well as “Hiraeth” in Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders, which won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Anthology. And for some free samples to see what I’m about, check out my online work via my blog HERE.
 
Thank you, Richard, for taking the time to do this interview, do you have any final thoughts for the readers of this interview? 
 
It’s been a pleasure, such excellent questions, man, I’m exhausted. If you’re out there reading this right now, whether you study with me, or somebody else, just do it. GO FOR IT. I woke up at the age of 40 and realized I missed writing. I have always loved reading and writing, telling stories, watching movies, all of that. If you want to be a writer, start small—figure out your influences. The quiz I give my students in the SSM class is this, the first question I ask them—name your top five authors, books, television shows, and movies. See what they all have in common. Think about your writing. What are the common threads? I say that I write neo-noir, transgressive, speculative stories with a literary bent. What do YOU write? Think about what you loved to read and watch as a child, in your twenties, and now. That’s what gets you excited; that’s probably what you should write. So go do it! Start now. It’s never too early or too late. And if I can help in any way, reach out, I’m easy to find. When I turned my attention away from advertising, after 25 years, and started writing? It felt like a weight had been lifted, like that barrier that had been in front of me just disappeared. It’s what I was meant to do, I think. It’s the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done. Tell us your stories, the ones that only YOU can tell. I want to hear them. The world does, too.
 

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