What drives your art? What forces you, rides you, hustles you, controls you until its latest needs have been met? What really drives you to create speculative fiction art, be it words or images?

Imagination and curiosity. Most of my stories begin with the question “what if?” No matter whether it begins with a theme, a particular character (or cast of characters), setting, or situation, my stories nearly always can be stripped down to the question of “what if?” My writing is basically an exploration and expression of that question. I tend to experience my stories nearly in total in my imagination. The editing stage tends to reveal places I failed to some extent to imagine the story clearly; and in other places, where I was distracted by tangential curiosity. In a way, it’s the stories themselves, and the characters, who drive me to tell each tale.

If there was the possibility of becoming any speculative fiction character ever created (except your own), would you? Who? Why?

On the condition that I could willfully return to this life, yes I would. Considering that I could be any, I would likely be many. I’d spend a couple weeks as John Carter to boot things off, because his is such a simple world. Afterward, I would trot off to The Land to be Lord Morham for a couple weeks, because he was very much a man of knowledge and lore (as well as fairly human and reasonable as well as rational). There’s got to be some time in which it would be cool to run around the Four Lands being Alanon. I think I could do a better job of being Antryg’s apprentice in the Darwath Trilogy, so I’d run around that world for a couple years. It would be a hard life, but I think I’d also like to spend a few months in Solomon Kane’s Puritan boots; he’s such a beast! Can I jump over into comics? I’d like to be Grimjack for an episode or ten. I’d also like to spend time in the boots of . . . too many to name. Mostly, I’d like to be the wallflower in most of the cool worlds created for us in the fiction of these adventurous genres. Everywhere from Narnia to Middle Earth to Andromeda 42-E-Alpha-Sigma-1 (wherever that is, if I didn’t just make it up). I’d actually hate to be one of my own characters, as they tend to get beat up pretty badly without having the good grace to die and get it over with.

If you could only take one author’s works compressed on an e-book reader on a “one-bag-only” one-way trip to another galaxy, whose works would it be and why?

What’s the climate? I would try to find something useful. If I’m going to be a diplomat for the race, I’m taking my Shakespeare. If I’m going to Water World, I’m taking Melville’s magnum opus. Put me in the desert, I’m likely to take Ghibran. Overall, I’m most likely to either die of anxiety trying to choose, or I’m taking Shakespeare.

Why Arnoux Trav? What initiated his story and made you complete this particular tale?

Trav began in a novelette I wrote for a fiction class back in 2003 or so. I liked the character. I also wanted to know where he began. The setting caught me up, too. I’m fascinated with archetypes and myth. Torkas Nahl is a sort of archetypal edge-of-empires city; its 1000-year history has seen it change hands multiple times, and its status as a trade-hub makes it a hot spot for all kinds of social drama and such, as well as cultural blending and contrast and all that issues from such.

In the privacy of your favorite writing nook, do you act out your protagonist’s actions? Do you know how to use his weapons? Do you wear his clothes? Do you talk like him?

Only in my imagination—and sometimes in dreams. I don’t physically take on their characteristics. At times, I do adopt their mannerisms, especially speech patterns. I tend to base weapons on something I’ve seen demonstrated skillfully in video media, whether in films or in games such as Dynasty Warriors, which is about the only video game I play these days.

Quick: List your first thought as your answers to these questions about the future of genre fiction:

Printing Methods: Offset or Print-on-Demand?

Yes. Both. But I think PoD will continue to grow before it plateaus. Offset is still far superior for longer runs—economically, ecologically, and logistically (for runs of 1000 or more, esp.).

Reading Formats: Electronic or Print?

Yes. Again, both. These are two very different consumer bases. I personally feel that print is far more preferable in fiction. For me, reading fiction holds as much tactile as visual element; I like the feel of a book, the smell of the ink and paper, the substantiality of the book’s bulk (I’ve moved almost totally to meatier books that suit my hands, especially trade paperbacks in 6×9).

Book Tours: Physical or Virtual?

As an author, I’d rather stick with virtual. However, I honestly believe that both are crucial for the success of any given book—unless the target audience is specifically Web-driven.

Reading Habits: Dead, Dying, Alive, Growing?

Alive. Thriving. Evolving. Yeah; I’m a dreamer. Honestly, though, everyone I know is reading more these days. Both fiction and non-fiction. But then, I am an editor with many associates in education and publishing and such.

Length: Flash, Short, Novella, 1970’s novel (60k), 1980’s novel (80k), 1990’s novel (120k), 2000’s novel (150k)

I recently did the copy edit on Sarah Wagner’s book Hardwired Humanity, which is a compilation of spec fiction pieces of varying length. Quite a wonderful book, actually. Her final story, “Evolution of a Shadow” is a novelette, and worth the cost of the book. So, I’m in the 30-60K range right now as a fan. As a writer, I’m a 60-120K novelist. My short stories tend to be around 4K or 10K, with not much middle ground. Anthologies are great for readers like me, as I get a dozen stories or more that I will read instead of a 400 page story I’ll get partly into and misplace somewhere for having to get other things done.

Robert E. Howard, Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allan Poe, Fritz Leiber, Karl Edward Wagner, Louis L’Amour, Frederick Faust, Ian Fleming, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Rafael Sabatini . . . the list could go on. Some lived long lives, some flared and burned out young. All lived life hard. All wrote pulse-pounding action-adventure, often dipping into the many different genres they share, yet each eventually establishing their name within a specific one. What do you believe you have in common with these authors, and what makes you so sure speculative fiction – heroic fantasy fiction to be precise – is your genre? Or is it?

It really isn’t. I love those guys. Especially Chandler and Hemingway. I outgrew Burroughs at 16 or so, but he’s an indelible influence on me. I’m more of an Epic Fantasy writer, which I think was pointed out by one critic, though not as succinctly . . . I’m really not familiar enough with the lives of those gentlemen to comment on what we have in common, other than the obvious fondness for writing fantastic tales. I’m still young as writers go – in the craft, I mean. I’ve felt the calling to write fiction, especially fantasy fiction, since I was about fifteen years old. Writing, whether poetry or fiction, is the one activity in which I feel most alive, and most consistently feel . . . at home (?).

Thanks for the thoughtful answers, David!

David M. Pitchford writes poetry and fiction from his home in central Illinois. David and his wife Siobhan co-authored Diminuendo Press’s After the Vows: Poems Between Lovers.

Review Praise for “Fatefist at Torkas Nahl: A Tale of Arnoux Trav”

“…Here are wisdom and stupidity, barbarian boastings and civilized chivalry, courage and skill, and a vicious demon sword that ups the ante. The unflappable Arnoux Trav reminds me of one of my favorite fictional heroes, Mr. Spock. His cool assessment of the battle situation, along with his almost superhuman prowess in the field, make a fascinating counterpoint to the rasher behavior of the leaders.…” ~ Janice Clark

An excerpt

Galwa spat from his high perch atop the wall of Torkas Nahl. His eyes narrowed. He gazed into the distance, into the dying sunlight of day’s end. Two armies besieged the ancient city. Primus Keinwhid of the Lands of Sunset had brought his son for his first blooding. Rajan Vace, second emperor of Maltopia, marched his armies opposite the Keinwhid forces, his renowned Maneguard clustered strategically on his front lines.

“Bring the Fist,” Galwa ordered a young monk in a cinnamon smock.

“Why the boy?” asked Badru Ibn Abbas, Prince of Torkas Nahl. “I am the general of my armies. I shall ride my chariot out and reclaim the splendor and glory of my ancestors.”

“You are welcome to your foolishness,” Galwa replied. “That is your choice.”…

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