1. How did you get started writing fiction?

I got started at a young age. I remember writing little stories for my dad, and he would tell me how good they were, even though they weren’t. I guess that stuck with me, and in high school, I got a little more serious about it and had a few stories published in zines. After high school, I went to college to study creative writing but only stayed for a year. Then I got married and had kids, and at one point, I had to have a liver and kidney transplant. Things happened, and I stopped writing for a long time. I recently got back into it this year and now write daily.

2. What kind of fiction do you enjoy writing? (Such as fantasy, romance, horror, or unspecified)

Mostly horror these days, but some fantasy.

3. What was it about writing short stories that just seemed to “click” with your writing career?

Short stories are just something I enjoy doing. I’m working on a novella and a novel, but I do a lot of short fiction. One of these days, I’ll hopefully have a book of short stories out.

4. Is there a type of short story that you enjoy writing most? Please explain.

I like to do flash fiction. It’s a bit of a challenge to fit more story into a shorter word count. The more I write, though, it seems that my stories keep getting longer and longer.

5. What was it like when you sold your first short story?

I only recently sold my first story to Carnage House, and it was the best feeling. It really was a dream come true, and the issue that the story will be in also has short fiction by some of my friends, so that’s a bonus. The stories I published when I was younger didn’t pay, so I didn’t consider that to be as big of a deal as getting my first paid acceptance.

6. Where do you find short story markets to submit to?

My friend Josh Darling pointed the way to some, and I joined every open call and story submissions group I found on Facebook. The Horror Zine also has a good list of markets that take story and novel submissions.

7. What is one lesson you have learned as a writer when it comes to writing short fiction?

A big lesson I have learned is to not get in a hurry to submit a story until you do several drafts. Editing is a big key to getting published. I have friends who edit for magazines, and they say that they get a lot of stories with spelling and grammar mistakes, which is an instant rejection.

8. How is writing short fiction different from your work as a writer of longer fiction?

Short fiction takes less time and is much easier to edit, while longer stories and novels take much more time to write and need a more extensive outline and editing. Writing takes a lot more effort than what most people think, you have to love what you do. I’m working on a novella right now, and it’s currently on the fourth draft.

9. What is some of the best advice you have received from other writers or editors when it comes to writing short fiction?

The best advice I have ever gotten was, “Editing is Key.” You can have a great idea, but if you have a ton of spelling and grammar mistakes, you probably won’t get published.

10. Do you have any advice of your own to share with other writers?

Keep trying, and learn from your mistakes. Eventually, you will get better and be published. Make sure any work you send out to a publisher is well-polished and free from as many mistakes as you can make it. Never stop writing. Remember, you will get rejections. It is a fact of life. Just don’t let that stop you from doing what you love. It took me a long time before I got my first paid acceptance.

ABOUT MICHAEL:

Michael Errol Swaim is a horror and fantasy author and proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. He first picked up a pencil and began to write stories a long time ago, before he was even born, and due to several mishaps, including a liver and kidney transplant, he stopped writing. After a 25-year hiatus, he has returned to doing what he loves most: writing. Michael focuses on horror but occasionally dabbles in fantasy and poetry. His first horror publication can be read in issue three of Carnage House, and more of his stories will appear in several upcoming anthologies. He is currently writing a novella and a novel, and he also writes film and book reviews for the Weird Wide Web blog. Because he was such a weird kid, his parents dropped him off in the middle of a forest in Green Country, where a rabid squirrel raised him, and he eventually returned to civilization. He currently resides in Colcord, Oklahoma, with his wife, Mandy, his three kids, and his special princess, Wolfgirl the Cat.