Dancing With Myself: JOHN WEAGLY interviews JOHN WEAGLY

More haste, less speed. I need to take some such advice.

I do have time to wish you all a very happy New Year,

to recommend a visit to find the latest Cash Laramie

and to introduce today's dancer, John Weagly, another contributer to the outstanding Discount Noir. Here goes.

JOHN: It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a big fan of your work. You’re much better looking than I expected. Who does your hair?

JW: Is that your first question?

JOHN: I…um…uh…

JW: Because you only get ten! Is that one of them?

JOHN: I… No, I guess not.

JW: Okay. Then what’s your first question?

JOHN: Are you always this rude?

JW: Yes. What’s your second question?

JOHN: Last month you had a story published in the anthology DISCOUNT NOIR. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

JW: “Friday Night with the Tijuana Wolfman” was originally published on my blog for a flash fiction challenge that Patti Abbott put out. I’ve done a few of these challenges, they usually have a minimal word count and revolve around a specific theme. They’re always fun and… challenging.

JOHN: Your story features Billy Weston and Waylon… something…?

JW: Billy Weston and Waylon Preston! Have you even read the story?

JOHN: I plan to… Due to time constraints I wasn’t able…

JW: Moron! I created Billy and Waylon for the first flash fiction challenge I did. The challenge was, as usual, put out by Patti Abbott and I wrote a story called “Friday Night at Cluck and Jive.” These two guys went on to star in four more stories.

JOHN: They live in Currie Valley?

JW: They do. Many of my stories take place in Currie Valley. In 2003 I had a book of Currie Valley short stories published called THE UNDERTOW OF SMALL TOWN DREAMS. You can still find it here and there.

JOHN: Getting back to “Tijuana Wolfman,” I understand there’s some frustration involved in trying to find a movie. Any truth in that?

JW: There is. I hate it when I can’t find old movies at places that sell DVD’s. Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Borders, Barnes and Noble…They’re all fine if you want to buy a movie that came out this week, but if you’re looking for something that came out six months ago, you have to special order it. We’re supposed to support brick and mortar stores, but how can I do that when they won’t carry what I want? It drives me bonkers!

JOHN: That’s a shame.

JW: Don’t mock me!

JOHN: I wasn’t mocking…

JW: You were!

JOHN: I…I’m not going to let you pick a fight with me. I need to keep this professional. Do you wear pants when you write?

JW: Underpants.

JOHN: You had a lot going on in October, didn’t you?

JW: I did. I had another story, “Sparrows & Crows,” published in CRIMEFACTORY #5 and I had some ghost haikus performed at the Halifax Ghost Story Festival in England. I also had a story called “Morning Meeting” win the Necon E-Books Flash Fiction Contest.

JOHN: What do you have on the horizon?

JW: I have a short zombie story coming out in DAILY BITES OF FLESH 2011. My day is January 8 - Elvis’ birthday. I also have some poems coming out in TERROR AT MISKATONIC FALLS. And I have a workshop production of an evening of my short plays coming up at Raven Theatre in Chicago.

JOHN: Do you have any advice for young writers just starting out?

JW: Yes – keep that damn noise down! And write everyday.

JOHN: Looks like I have one question left. So, who does your hair?

JW: This place across the street from work. $6 haircuts. I could go to the place that has $5 haircuts, but I don’t want people to think I’m cheap. Are we done?

JOHN: Yes. Thank you. It’s been a plea…

JW: Get out of my apartment.

http://www.johnweagly.com/