Dragon Soul Press took a moment to interview Marco Etheridge, an author featured in A Winter Promise.
My name is Marco Etheridge. My story “Reindeer to the Rescue” was included in the Dragon Soul Press anthology A Winter Promise. I write novels and short stories, the occasional stage play, and poems. I live and work in Vienna, Austria. My writings have been featured in over one
hundred reviews and journals across Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. My story “Power Tools” was nominated for Best of the Web for 2023. “Power Tools” is also the title of my latest published collection of short fiction. I also work as a contributing editor for a ‘Zine called Hotch
Potch which is heading into its fifth issue. In my other life, I travel the world with my lovely wife Sabine.
- What prompted you to begin writing?
- I come from a family of storytellers; the kind of folks who never let historical facts spoil a good
yarn. Having grown up neck-deep in tall tales, wild fantasies, and downright lies, it was not a
huge step to start writing them down. I’ve written on and off my whole life, but never seriously
until I was in my late fifties. My real chance came about four years ago when I broke free the
shackles of the working person’s life. I suddenly had all the time in the world to write, which is
both a blessing and a curse. I don’t mind being a late bloomer. I aim to be the Grandma Moses
of short stories.
- I come from a family of storytellers; the kind of folks who never let historical facts spoil a good
- Do you have a favorite story or poem you’ve written? What’s it about?
- Whenever I’m asked to list a favorite anything (story, author, film) I immediately think of a desert island. What three things would you take? I do have a favorite story, but I reserve the right to give a completely different answer next week. That said, today’s choice would be “Ghost Hats” which I wrote in 2019. This story connects the world I came from, the Pacific Northwest, with my new home in Vienna, Austria. The main character is near and dear to my heart. She is a musician in search of a reason to keep on living. The love of her life is dead, killed in a senseless accident. She finds memories on the streets of Vienna, some comfort, and a bit of peace.
- How many projects do you have planned over the next few years? Tell us about one.
- As of this morning, I have fourteen stories in the ‘On-Deck’ file. That’s a few more than normal,
but not a record. I have another collection of stories slated for the fall of this year, all of which
are long-form stories heading toward novellas. There are also two novels taking root in my
head, both based on prior short stories.
- As of this morning, I have fourteen stories in the ‘On-Deck’ file. That’s a few more than normal,
- What is your writing process like?
- My writing process begins with observation unless I’m working from a prompt. Let’s say I’m in
the grocery store, or my favorite, the U6 train of the Vienna metro system. I see an interesting
person, someone who seems to have some emotion attached to them, or something very
distinctive that catches my eye. Boom! There’s a character. I either memorize the person or jot
down some notes in my phone. The other component of a story is a situation. This might come
from a news story, anecdotally, or again, from observation. Some quirky happening that sticks in my brain. Boom! Write it down. Eventually, a character clicks with a situation and there’s a
spark. Once I have the players and the stage, it’s time to start writing. In truth, my ‘dreaming-up
stories’ process is more time-consuming than the time spent on the keyboard.
- My writing process begins with observation unless I’m working from a prompt. Let’s say I’m in
- Where do you draw inspiration from?
- I touched on this in my answer to question five, but there is certainly more. I draw inspiration
from people. Human beings are infinitely interesting, silly, horrifying, and amazing. The human
world has become so fast, so frenetic, and so crazy, that it is difficult to image anything weirder
than day-to-day life. Seriously, it’s becoming almost impossible for speculative fiction writers to
keep up with the near-vertical curve of technological reality. I suppose the short answer is that I
draw my inspiration from people doing people things and they never disappoint.
- I touched on this in my answer to question five, but there is certainly more. I draw inspiration
- Who is your favorite author / what is your favorite book?
- Off I go to the desert island, and I can only pack one book or author. This is a very difficult
question because I read books like a heroin addict shoots dope. I don’t have a specific favorite
drug as long as there is some dope available. Today, my untruthful answer would be Terry
Pratchett and his Discworld series. I just finished the forty-first and last novel in the series, and I
am sad to have come to the end. Terry Pratchett made the world a better place and I am
grateful to him.
P.S. If you ask me this question tomorrow, I will give a completely different answer.
- Off I go to the desert island, and I can only pack one book or author. This is a very difficult
- What is one goal you have for your writing future?
- I always have the same writing goal: Connect with at least one reader and evoke a response.
- What do you hope readers enjoy most from your work?
- A sense of wonder in the world and themselves. Empathy for their fellow humans (and non-
humans). With any luck, a laugh or two.
- A sense of wonder in the world and themselves. Empathy for their fellow humans (and non-
- Where can readers learn more about you?
Dragon Soul Press 