Tumbleweeds, epic journeys & horror
The ‘Meet AZ Writer’ series spotlights writers who live in Arizona or who have a strong connection to the area.
Name: Derek Barton
AZ connection: Resident since 1996
Years writing: Since 2011
Genres: Horror, epic fantasy fiction
Fave author right now: Stephen King
Book that inspires me: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
What I’d tell my younger writer self: Write the story you want to read.
Why I write
I love getting lost in books. The great escape into space, the past, the future – anywhere the story takes you. I knew early on I wanted to entertain others in the same way. And I had a wealth of content. You see, stories and characters spring to my mind and demand to be heard and written. Like spoiled children, they rampage and stomp out any other thoughts until I write down what they have to say. If I don’t give in to their demands, I’ll go crazy.
I wouldn’t have it any other way. Writing has always been a part of who I am. Bringing stories to life is a beautiful stress reliever, therapy session, and personal adventure. Sometimes the characters go on unexpected benders or take unknown paths. It’s intriguing, fulfilling, and frustrating all at the same time.
Early roots & inspirations
Born and raised in Indiana, I was your typical introverted kid. I spent a lot of time reading the horror of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, and R.A. Salvatore’s fantasy epics.
When I was 26, I needed a big change. I took a leap and moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996. I didn’t know anyone in the southwest. Nor did I have a job or a place to stay, but something was calling me.
Writing life
In 2011 I got serious about writing and started working on my debut novel, an epic fantasy. When I started, I wrote by the seat of my pants. I let the world unfold on screen as I typed. My story meandered along, trying to find its way from point to point. I realized I needed a road map so I sat down and crafted a super-detailed, 60-page bullet outline. Turns out I’m more a plotter style writer than a pantser.
Editor’s tip: There’s no right way to write a novel other than the way that works for you. The pantster-plotter spectrum also includes plantsers. Check out this NaNoWriMo quiz to get an idea of your style.
Letting the story go
I spent five years developing, editing, and endlessly rewriting that first novel. Then I read an article where Stephen King advised that at a certain point, you have to let your children go. You have to let them loose in the world and hope for the best. I took that advice to heart. If I kept rewriting, my work would never see the light of day.
Publication choices
When I started, I hadn’t thought about what exactly I’d do with it once it was done. I always knew I wanted to publish it, to share it, but I hadn’t considered whether to go with traditional or independent publishing.
As I worked on editing, cover design, and my book blurb, I jumped into researching about all-things-publishing. Two years later, I independently published my epic fantasy Consequences Within Chaos. I went independent because I felt I had better control of the end product, along with more responsibility. I’d invested a total of five years of blood, sweat, and tears into realizing this dream.
Things got easier
I wrote The Bleeding Crown, the sequel to Consequences, in one year. I hope that helps anyone reading this realize the value of the work you are doing right now, every day. Everything you learn, everything you do, helps you develop repeatable processes for your writing that make it easier. Trust me.
Since then, I’ve produced eight horror novels, six epic fantasy novels, a short story collection, and have been published in literary magazines. My newest short story collection just came out, and I have an epic fantasy novel launching soon. You can find everything about my work on my website where I also blog about writing topics. You can also find my works on Amazon under my author page.
My father’s horror novel debut
One of the most meaningful things I’ve done is help my father realize his own dream. He wrote a horror novel in the nineties, but only submitted it to one publisher and it wasn’t picked up. We partnered to update and rewrite it. In 2019, dad published The Hidden with me. Since then, we’ve written another novel, and he published two more on his own.
Things also got harder
In March of 2021, on the downside of the country’s battle with Covid (which both my wife and I managed to avoid), I had a severe stroke. It was brought on by a bleed from a birth defect never checked for: a small hole in one of my heart valves. Nowadays, it’s routine to check for this, but it wasn’t back in 1970. I was a fifty-year-old timebomb waiting to happen.
The nightmare that bled into my reality put me in an acute rehab center for months. There, I regained the use of my left arm and left leg. I had severe issues with speaking and spatial awareness. My brain wouldn’t recognize that my shoulder and left arm were still attached to my body, affecting my coordination.
I wrote about my stroke experience a month afterward. That blog normally would have taken an hour or so to complete. This time, it took me over three hours. My normal typing speed dropped from 75 wpm to 7 wpm. All of it stunted my writing career. It took a year to walk on my own with confidence, write and tell stories once again, and talk consistently without slurring. I’m really proud of how far I’ve come, and thankful for those who helped with my journey.
Returning to writing
Boosting sales and expanding my fanbase is a big focus for the years ahead, especially in the local Arizona community. Along with that is plenty of writing, of course. Because new characters and stories show themselves all the time. Here are some things on my radar:
Creating a fantasy anthology or short story collection of my own
Submitting to a local fiction anthology – my first foray into Steampunk!
Getting word out about my new Amazon Vella Horror Series
Outlining my first ever “whodunnit” mystery
Community building – let’s connect!
I love to network, and I love the southwest. I’m looking for other local writers interested in partnering up for book signing events and ComiCons. If you’re interested, find me here.
Parting advice: Quiet your inner critic
Write and create for yourself. Don’t worry about the future routes your writing may take. It’s common to worry about things like “Does this suck? Am I fooling myself? What if they hate it?” I’m here to say, if you have a story in you - one you want to tell - focus on writing it down and forget the critics. Don’t talk yourself right out of making the efforts and taking the chance.
ABOUT DEREK BARTON
DEREK BARTON GREW UP IN INDIANA, A SELF-PROFESSED ‘TYPICAL INTROVERT KID'.’ THE HORROR NOVELS OF KING AND KOONTZ AND THE FANTASY WORK OF R.A. SALVATORE FASCINATED HIM. DEREK HAS WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED 16 BOOKS SINCE 2016. HE MOVED TO PHOENIX, ARIZONA IN 1996 WHERE HE MET HIS WIFE ERIKA. THEY HAVE THREE CHILDREN. FOLLOW HIS JOURNEY ONLINE AT AUTHORDEREKBARTON.BLOG.