Chuggie and the Desecration of Stagwater by Brent Michael Kelley

I’ve learned a lot along the way.īut, because this business can be cruel to the beginner, I have lent a helping hand to quite a few since that lowly time.

I’m sure it would have been a lot easier to have someone to ask those burning, beginning writer questions, but I didn’t. I had to go through the good and the bad on my own. TS: I didn’t have a mentor when I started out 5 years ago. What would you say were the challenges you’ve faced as an editor of such anthologies in which many of those writers were first featured (Fem-Fangs, Fell Beasts, Relics & Remains)? Shut up, sit down and write.ĭH: You’ve helped many beginning writers, myself included, get their feet wet in the publishing world. You’ll put off finishing that story or novel because you’re just “too tired from the day job” or “kids are stressing me out” or “(insert whatever else you like HERE)”.ĭon’t bitch about it. You have to learn how to prioritize or you won’t get anything written. Believe me, I know how busy life can get when you have kids, a significant other, family obligations, everyday household duties AND a day job on top of it all. If you want to be a writer, you’ll find the time to do it.

TS: It’s all about being dedicated to your first love – writing. How do you manage to stay productive while having to carry the burden of a 9-5 job? TS: The Fields, if you want to experience a very atypical zombie tale (folks better get it quick, as it goes out of print on 10/31!).ĭH: Like many other writers, you have to keep a day job to help pay the bills. I also love taking an everyday situation, put unsuspecting characters in the middle of it, and see what they do when a bad situation presents itself.ĭH: Which of your books would you recommend to a first-time reader? There’s nothing better than some undead farm hands to help you out! It’s more about the trials and tribulations of the main character, a farmer, whose crops are dying and he is desperate to find a way to save them. For example, in my novella, The Fields, there are zombies in the story, but it’s really not about zombies. TY: My stories tend to be character driven. DH: For those not familiar with your work, how would you best describe your writing style?

Chuggie and the Desecration of Stagwater by Brent Michael Kelley