An Interview with Stephen Mark Rainey

Stephen Mark Rainey is a published horror author who has written numerous novels and short stories. He was also the editor for Deathrealm , a horror magazine, for a ten year span. During that time Stephen Mark Rainey won several awards for best editor.

How did you get into writing? At what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I became interested in writing fiction when I was very young, mainly because I was a voracious reader. I was either blessed or cursed with a very active imagination, and as a kid, I couldn't resist telling lots of tall tales—usually involving creepy critters, ghosts, aliens, and the like. Early on, I was equally interested in fine art, and I actually earned a bachelor of fine art degree in college, with a minor in journalism. Over time, my interest shifted more toward writing than producing art, and in the mid 80s, I started writing some short fiction with an eye toward getting it published. After a time, I managed to sell some work to a few low-paying, small-press magazines. Hardly glamorous, but it was sufficient to light the fire in me, and it wasn't long before I started getting my work into professional publications.

What was your first book or story that you completed? Did you ever get it published?

I wrote a short story called "Smiert Galgalith," a tale of demon possession, around 1985, I think it was; hardly a monumental work of literature, but a fairly decent small press magazine eventually picked it up, which encouraged me to work harder and aim higher. My first novel was BALAK, which I wrote in 1992; it wasn't published till quite a few years later. My first mass-market novel was actually a media tie-in novel—DARK SHADOWS: DREAMS OF THE DARK, which I co-wrote with Elizabeth Massie.

How did you finally get published? When were you able to write on a full time basis? Please explain your success story?

Well, first of all, I don't write full-time—or perhaps I should say it's not my primary or sole source of income. I have a day job producing workbooks for elementary school teachers. It's a good job; it suits my temperament and allows me to write to my heart's content on my own time. There have been plenty of periods where I devote the equivalent of full-time hours to my writing, though—particularly when a deadline is looming. It's a balancing act.

As for how I got published...well, it's the usual story. Submitting, submitting, submitting. I did my homework—learning which markets were most appropriate for what I was writing, getting to know which editors were looking for what, honing my craft and my presentation to put the most professional face on my work. I spent lots of time at conventions getting to know other writers and editors. For a decade, I produced DEATHREALM magazine, which helped keep my name at the forefront of the horror lit field. It opened some doors in the business; conversely, the amount of time I devoted to it—particularly during its peak period, during the early to mid 90s—in no small way diminished the amount of time I was able to spend on writing.

How do you stay motivated to finish a novel? How do you stay focused?

Mostly, it's a matter of discipline—acquired over a long period of time—and a desire to write something that keeps me excited. I figure if it's intriguing enough for me to keep going great guns on it, perhaps it will hook readers as well.

What is your writing schedule like? Do you write in the mornings, evenings, and for how long?

Of course, my day job occupies...well, the day. But evenings and weekends, I generally spend lots of hours in composing mode. When I'm on a roll, particularly if I have a project to deliver in a hurry, I've been known to put in a marathon, with little or no sleep for a couple of days.

How do you get your ideas? What is your method for remembering them?

A good many years ago, somebody gave me a gift certificate for ideas, and since it's yet to expire, I keep using it. If an idea comes that I figure is worth writing, it usually sticks in my brain; now and again, though, I'll jot down some details to make sure nothing slips away. Since I've turned 50, I find that I need to jot things down a bit more frequently than I did a few years ago.

How do you get over writer's block?

What's that?

What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a writer? What is a good starting point for them?

Read voraciously. Reading will teach you more about writing than anything else. Read both inside and outside your chosen field of endeavor. Write every day. Whether it's a story, a blog, an editorial, a synopsis, whatever...write. Do your homework. Learn how to format a manuscript. Check out market guides and determine which publications most suit the type of work you write.

Don't take shortcuts or avoid going through the traditional editorial process. If you're going to write, you need to be edited, and you need to know how to deal with being edited. It takes patience, a thick skin, and a willingness to learn.

A lot of writers who don't want to do the real work of writing—and writing IS work—take the self-publishing route. Self-publishing has its place, but in most cases, it's NOT what an aspiring writer should do, especially for someone who hopes to build a writing career. Self-published books are virtually never reviewed by reputable venues; few bookstores will carry them; and unless you're a better businessperson than you are a writer, you're more likely to lose your shirt self-publishing than to get anywhere in the business. Not to mention, you'll more than likely lose credibility in the professional marketplace.

That's not to say there aren't success stories in the self-publishing realm; there are. However, they're few, far between, and usually realized by individuals who've already undergone the acid tests of the traditional publishing arena. Learn what traditional markets have to teach, at least in the beginning. I'm all for breaking rules, creatively, but to do so effectively, one first has to know what one is breaking. If you don't, you're not fooling anyone but yourself.

To find out more about Stephen Mark Rainey and his work, check out his website www.stephenmarkrainey.com. Or to read more interviews, go to the main writer interviews page.