What Fiction I Choose to Write - and Why.

Looking over my many interests and areas of specialty, I see that if I am to compose really good, original stories, relatively free of cliches, that I should stick to writing in two genres mainly: Celtic Fiction and Mythos (Lovecraftian) Horror. 

Mythos Fiction and literature does have its own cliches within its self however, certain elements that always seem to exist (insanity, malice minded Elder Gods, unknowable secrets, etc), but it is how that array of elements is handled that matters. Since the time of H.P. Lovecraft there have been so many stories and novellas derivative of him written and published, but it doesn't take long before someone comes along and reinvents the thinking in the genre. I have a large pile of original stories of my own to add to that body of work, and this will be seen in Spring 2013 with my first novel 'Bring Me the Head of the Preacher Man' in my Weird West series involving Cage O'Brien. Maybe in this pile of my ideas some new thinking might be introduced in the genre? 

I have been a Lovecraft fan since I was twelve and have embraced his horrific perspective fully finding little satisfaction in the other forms of horror (all of them being so overdone and recycled to this day). Werewolves, vampires, ghosts, zombies and the rest are still so overwritten and old staple horror creatures that there is little one can do to bring innovation or originality to except to write a good compelling story around, if even that.   

Steampunk is another genre I do write in, and plan to complete my series in the works but the genre has succumbed to being trendy and cheapening itself over time by selling out. Oddly for a genre as big as it is, its diverse world of ideas from literature cannot be seen as easily as in other milieu of writing. This genre is less about literature and more about Cosplay and crafts. The Steampunk feel has rarely hit on in the media with only a minute number of movies and shows that can be said to be in that genre, but that isn't always certain. My Silent War series, Steampunk Horror, will be completed and maybe make an impression in places and then my input in the field will be largely over.

Sci-Fi is not a genre that I plan to write in for several simple reasons: my early ideas from over 20+ years ago have all been used by others already and in that intervening time I spent my efforts in Celtic Studies and academics and gaming instead. To this day I am a major Sci-Fi fan and love such good settings and films as Alien/Prometheus, Chronicles of Riddick, etc. 

Celtic Fiction however is my thing. My expertise is in Celtic Studies, and has been for as long as my other interests and I had always imagined writing some good stories using the Celtic imagination and history as a source of inspiration. In the 90's Celtic Fiction was big, with such writers like Morgan Llewellyn and others but it didn't last. I read from this fad for a time but found it sadly lacking in depth or accuracy on many levels (history, mythology, etc) and was never satisfied with it. Most of these stories would have better off as just straightforward fantasy and not attempted the 'Celtic' aspect since the author's knowledge of the culture was not intimate as it should have been. 

Due to my long interest and research in the field I have endless stories in my head that need to see print. The adventure modules for Troll Lord Games are just the beginning to a much greater world of ideas running around madly in my head that must see the light of day. These adventures all tie within my old 'Rainbow Eyes Project' that dates back to the late 90's.  

'The Girl with the Rainbow Eyes' and its sequels are just one set of tales I have in mind to publish in the field of Celtic Fiction, with these geared more towards a slightly younger crowd. I have many other stories, some of them horror by definition, that will be written over this next year and hopefully will see publication in some form. At the present there is no gigantic trend in Celtic literature or fiction and this might be a blessing. There are plenty of novels that has a Celtic spin, or attempt to, and from all glances the author(s) only have a bare passing knowledge of the culture, but they are pure enthusiast fiction without care to accuracy or details. That is where I step in.

With each adventure module I have written for Troll Lord Games know that I have two more in mind that could be added, this is no lie. I will see about what to do with those many extra stories and ideas as they center around the warlord Arthur and his band of legendary champions from Old Welsh/Cornish/Breton legend. Expect a lot of new and fun things to come your way from this month on starting with the Codex Celtarum. Being a Troll Lord myself now, I can tell you that amidst my many Celtic books coming out for them I will have fiction as well to supplement it all and put it into context for those people who are really into Celtic civilization. From a gaming standpoint, this means LOTS of new stuff to use and be inspired by, and that is never a bad thing!