We here at GLAHW have met so many amazing and talented people out in the big wide world (you know, OFF the internets) and thought it was high-time we introduced them to you. Who knows? You may end up discovering a favorite new artist, photographer, writer, or all-around awesome human. This time around, we will be talking to (Richard Tabaka).
GLAHW: How long have you been writing?
RT: When did you get started? On and off for 40 years. More seriously, the last ten years
GLAHW: Why did you choose the horror genre?
RT: I have been a fan of Horror since age 7. I used to look through and buy comics like CREEPY and EERIE as a kid and the local TV Station ran a Friday Night Horror show called 7 Cemetery Road. Late I would discover Edgar Allan Poe and then in modern times, Stephen King, F. Paul Wilson, Robert McCammon and Dean R. Koontz.
GLAHW: Were you inspired by a person or event to begin your writing career?
RT: As a kid, my mother read a lot of books and inspired me to read. From there I just thought it would be cool to write my own imagination to life.
GLAHW: Are you a Plotter or Pantser?
RT: I started as a pantser, but after struggling for years to complete a novel I began using a crude outline and found that I could write from an outline in a fraction of the time. Later, when taking the James Patterson MasterClass, I found that he too uses a detailed outline. I would later learn that many writers do and I clearly see the value.
GLAHW: Have you ever had an encounter with the supernatural?
RT: Yes, several. One that involved ghost children in a park just a few weeks ago.
GLAHW: Are you superstitious? Why or why not?
RT: Not particularly.
GLAHW: What do you do for a living, outside of writing?
RT: I worked in the Mining industry for nearly twenty years but recently retired to different job for my last few working years. I now works as a 2nd shift Custodian at a local high school. The mining job was often 60 hour work weeks and often no weekends either. It was very hard to find the time to write. I hope to write a lot more now.
GLAHW: Do you keep a journal every day?
RT: No.
GLAHW: What do you prefer to write – short stories, poetry, novels, scripts, etc.?
RT: Novels. I have written and self-published 5 so far.
GLAHW: What truly scares you?
RT: Being alone. As in losing my spouse.
GLAHW: What sort of hobbies are you into?
RT: I used to hunt and fish for over 40 years, but recent heart issues and a bad knee ended that. I found a love of photography and own several cameras. I love to photograph birds and other wildlife as well as sunrises and sunsets.
GLAHW: Do you read outside of the horror genre? If so, what else have you read?
RT: I read thrillers, true crime, Military biographies and occasionally mysteries.
GLAHW: What’s your favorite genre to write?
RT: Horror.
GLAHW: Do you use a pseudonym?
RT: No.
GLAHW: What do you think makes a good story?
RT: Good characters. If you care for the characters, you’ll care for the rest.
GLAHW: As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
RT: At a very early age I saw the guy that delivered milk and eggs and the nifty white uniform and I was certain I would do that for a living. I also thought about being a Cop.
GLAHW: Are you spiritual?
RT: Very much so.
GLAHW: What are your influences?
RT: Spiritually, aboriginal cultures and beliefs. Read Black Elk Speaks and you’ll know what I mean.
GLAHW: What are you reading right now?
RT: Unafraid by Eddie Penney and, believe it or not, a Goose Bumps book. I used to buy my kids the R.L. Stine Goose Bumps books but never read one. So I picked up Welcome to the Dead House and gave it a read. I am also eagerly awaiting the new Darcy Coates Grave Keeper book 3, The Twisted Dead that comes out February 7th.
GLAHW: What else do you want your readers to know? Consider here your likes and dislikes, your interests, your favorite ways to unwind — whatever comes to mind.
RT: Life is short. Enjoy the ride. If you have a book in you, write it.