An Interview with Ralph E. Horner

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Ralph's first novel, Tandem Tryst, was published by Wings ePress in March of 2009. His second novel Witch's Moon was published in December 2012, and his third, Midnight Tryst, the sequel of Tandem Tryst was published in December of 2013. He now has a fourth book Lost Legacy. Ralph is also a professional entertainer who performs balloon are and magic.

Why did you start fiction writing and what genre(s) do you like to write?

I've always had stories in my head. When I was in junior high I started writing comic strip stories. I write paranormal stories; gothic horror, time-travel and fantasy.

Why this/these genre(s)? What attracts you to them?
I've always enjoyed these kind of stories and movies because it's an escape from reality. And the only way we can time-travel is through a story and our minds.

Generally speaking, what is the driving force behind your characters? Have any of your characters changed in dramatic way from what you imagined at the start during the writing process?
Usually the driving force for my main characters is solving a problem. My main character never changes and rarely does any of the supporting characters.

What do you find the most difficult in finishing a story and approximately how long does it take for you to write a story?
I don't have much difficulty finishing a story. The length of time to write my stories varies greatly, depending on how much time I have to write and how much research is needed for stories involving time-travel, where I spend more time with research then the writing. My first published novel Tandem Tryst took me five years to complete.

Are there other types of writing you do such as non-fiction, or short
fiction?
I've never written non-fiction, but I do have several short stories published in magazines, and they are also paranormal.

Has your writing affected you in any way and what would you recommend to
someone wanting to start writing fiction?
The down side of writing is that you can get obsessed with your story. I would recommend that writers not to put their writing over their family. I had to keep myself in check sometimes. I've known many writers in support groups that thought it was great that they wrote twenty pages every day, even on major holidays when they had company over. Not good! I live alone now and being semi-retired I have a little more time to write.