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Author Interview: Steven E. Wedel
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Horror author Steven E. Wedel is the creator of a multitude of novels including Little Graveyard on the Prairie, Ulrik, Seven Days in Benevolence, Shara, Darkscapes, Murdered by Human Wolves, Call to the Hunt. Specializing in the subgenre of werewolves, the Oklahoma native has been a professional writer for nearly twenty-four years. He appears regularly at book signings and conventions throughout Texas and Oklahoma. Influenced by a wide variety of literary styles from Charles Dickens to Stephen King, Wedel's literary style is dark, poetic and unmistakable. I was lucky enough to have him answer a few of my questions...
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Please tell us a little about yourself…
I was a mediocre student in high school. I took and liked a creative writing class, but it wasn’t until after high school that I thought about a career in writing. That’s when I wished I’d paid more attention in those grammar classes, as I wasn’t very good at things like verb conjugation. Now, 25 years after high school graduation and after having worked as a reporter and columnist for Oklahoma’s largest newspaper, plus several other publications and as a public relations writer, I’m back in high school as an English teacher. Life can be pretty weird.
What drives you to write?
Used to be, it was a desire for fame and fortune. Now it’s more therapy. I need to escape from the real world into a world I’ve created, which is strange because the worlds I create are often even worse than the real thing. Or, maybe I should say I’m closer to the bad stuff. But anyway, if I don’t get that creative outlet for a while, I get really grumpy, at which point my wife drives me to write so I’ll leave her alone.
What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishment?
Well, there was this one girl and they said she had never … Oh wait, that’s not what you mean, is it? In that case I would have to say the four books of The Werewolf Saga, probably with the most recent, ULRIK, being the most significant because it’s a more mature novel than the others.
How would you describe your muse?
Disappointed. Probably overweight from lack of exercise. Pissed off. Likely wondering how she got stuck with someone who’ll use any excuse to close a project and play Madden Football instead of working.
What would you say is the best cure for “writer’s block”?
I don’t believe in writer’s block. I believe in procrastination. One thing you learn from working at a major daily newspaper is that if you don’t write, you don’t get paid. I’ve never been able to not write. I just choose not to too often. To cure my own procrastination I’ll sometimes go read the blogs of writers I like, especially the really prolific ones like Angeline Hawkes, because that’ll make me jealous. Or I’ll open what I’m working on and read a little and find things that need to be fixed, then pretty soon I’m back to work.
Outside of writing, what are your other passions/interests?
I’m lucky in that I have a career that I’m passionate about. I love teaching and I spend a lot of time grading papers and planning lessons. Other than that, I have a wife and four kids who need constant attention. I’d like to say I fly airplanes, hike through virgin forests and that kind of stuff, but I just don’t have the time for it.
What is your advice to young writers/first time authors?
Here there by tygers! Those monsters usually come in the form of unscrupulous publishers and bad agents. I’ve had both, and they’ve cost me years in career advancement. Learn your basics, do your research, and submit from the top down in terms of where you want to see your work. Pay attention to those warning signs about people you deal with.
What do you want the world to remember you for the most?
I suffer from a severe George Bailey complex. I could say I want to be remembered as a great writer who moved people with his prose, but really, as long as I have changed some lives for the better, I’ll consider myself a success. I want to be remembered for making a difference, whether it’s as a writer, a teacher, or just a friend. Make the world a better place for those you come in contact with.
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For more information on Steven E. Wedel visit stevenewedel.wordpress.com.
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