It may seem odd to blog about writing on a website that primarily promotes artwork, but both creative activities have always been important to me. Often, one mode of expression rises to ascendancy, and later the other takes hold. Also, I have been fortunate to be able to combine my illustration, writing, and graphic design skills on many projects.

I’ve spoken before about my long-time fascination with science fiction. After I left secondary science teaching I wanted to hone my skills as a fiction writer. Fortunately, I connected with the Denver area science fiction writer’s group in the early 1970s under the leadership of Edward Bryant, a talented Wyoming writer of SF and horror. Writing short fiction is tough. A writer needs to develop character and plot quickly, engaging the reader without losing him with tons of expository backstory. Novel writing in that regard is easier. Writers have the leisure to meander more.

I sold a couple of pieces of short fiction—most notably a story called “Succession” in a now defunct magazine called Aboriginal Science Fiction. The story was also a quarter finalist in the L. Ron Hubbard competition in the early 90s. But making a living writing fiction is a dicey prospect at best. The graphic arts paid most of my bills as young family man. Writing was secondary. I did eventually earn income as a nonfiction science writer, but fiction put more smiles on my face when I spent time with it.

As I got older and less patient with the traditional publishing industry that often took months (and sometimes years) to respond to submissions, I used my graphic arts skills to enter the realm of self-publishing. Ultimately, I wrote four SF novels. Fulcrum Publishing (then in Golden, Colorado) published The Deep Time Diaries in 2000.  I published A Singular Prophecy under my company, Biostration, and published two “Dead Genius” novels under the name Penstemon Publications. All received recognition from various writing colleagues and organizations, although I never mustered the enthusiasm or bankroll to market the latter three properly. I did have fun writing them, however, and I do consider that a plus. Happiness and professional recognition trumps commercial success on my ledger.

But now I am writing short again. There is real challenge and skill involved writing short stories, although there are many fewer traditional markets than there used to be. (I have to note: various online options do exist.) I recently finished a story I have high hopes for called “My Little Genius,” a tale set in the same future universe as my “Dead Genius” novels. (See the book section of my website.) A few of the top SF magazines still publish: Analog Science Fiction, and Fantasy and Science Fiction at the top of the genre. I remember them fondly from my youth. I’ll try them first. Who knows, I might become the oldest author to publish with them for the first time.

It’s good to have goals, even when you’re a kid of 74. Someday I may have to get serious about the really tough writing form: poetry. 

Mark Twain once said, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” The same can be said for stories.