Interview : 5 Minutes With Tim Marquitz.

Today's guest is Tim Marquitz.  Raised on a diet of Heavy Metal and bad intentions, Tim Marquitz has always been interested in writing, but it wasn't until about 1995 the urge became a compulsion. However, it would be many years later before the ability matched the interest. Fortunately, the two have reconciled...mostly.

Writing a mix of the dark perverse, the horrific, and the tragic, tinged with sarcasm and biting humor, he looks to leave a gaping wound in the memories of his readers.

A former grave digger, bouncer, and dedicated metalhead, Tim is a huge fan of Mixed Martial Arts, and fighting in general. Involved in the Live Action Role Playing organization, Amtgard, since he was fifteen, he derives great pleasure from bashing people into submission.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Certainly. Thanks for having me.

I’m a dark fantasy and horror author who can’t decide which genre to stick to. I live in west Texas with my wife and daughter a pack of loud and obnoxious cats and a dog with canine Tourette’s.

Do you prefer the term Horror, Weird Fiction or Dark Fiction?

I don’t write weird fiction (at least not in the traditional sense), but both dark fiction and horror are fitting depending on what my goal for the work is. I guess everything I write could fall under the umbrella of dark fiction, though I tend to prefer calling what I do dark fantasy.

 Who are some of your favourite authors?

Man, tough question. When I started this writing gig, it was pretty easy to name a few folks (specifically Clive Barker, Stephen King, and Jim Butcher.) Nowadays, I’ve stumbled across a ton of folks whose writing both impresses and inspires me. Sadly, I know if I list folks I’ll leave a bunch out.

What are you reading now?

I’m in the middle of reading Courtney Schafer’s the Tainted City, the second book in the Shattered Sigil series. It’s a great follow up to the first book in the series, the Whitefire Crossing.

 Which book do you wish you had written?

These days? None. Had you asked me this question a few years back, I probably would have listed pretty much everything Clive Barker has written as well as the Dresden Files, the Pern series, and a crap load of the books I grew up on, like Elric and whatnot.

I find myself in a very comfortable position in my writing that I’m doing exactly what I want to do, I’m writing what I want without compromise. I work to get better, to fix my flaws and strengthen my skills, but creatively, I’m exactly where I want to be.

If you could use any other author’s creation in your own work, who or what would you use?

To this day, I’m still enthralled by Moorcock’s Elric. I would jump at the chance to play around in that world, to bring Stormbringer and Mournblade to life.

Describe typical day spent writing. Do you have any unusual writing habits?

My actual writing process is boring. I prefer silence--nothing in the background--and I sit down to do it when time and motivation permits. I write until I don’t feel like doing it anymore or something intrudes.

As for weird writing habits, I don’t really have any. I’ll go over a few pages of what I’ve previously written just to get back into the voice/headspace of what I was doing the last time I worked on a piece, but that’s it. Boring.

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?

I have fond memories of my first book published, Armageddon Bound, but I’m not one for pride. I work to make each successive book better than the last, to take what I’ve learned and move forward every time I write. I’m never completely satisfied with my work, but each successive book/story brings me a step closer to that feeling.

What is the hardest lesson you have learned with regards to your writing?

That skill is often secondary to a lot of other factors out of my control. Sometimes it just doesn’t matter how well you spin a tale, some folks are just not going to see it for what it’s meant to be.

What do you like to do to relax?

Writing is actually how I relax. That and burying bodies, but the opportunities for such activity is far more limited these days than I would prefer.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My most recent book is a dark sword and sorcery tale: Witch Bane. It’s a simple story of a warlock raised in the ways of combat, his sole purpose being to revenge the murder of his mother.

My current work in progress is the fifth book in my Demon Squad series. It’s a fun romp through a story arc that clears up a lot of the questions from the past and brings about a kind of new era in the life of the main character, Frank. I’m looking at having it out at the end of February or early March.

TIM ON AMAZON