PHOTO: Edward Ahern’s extraordinary storytelling showcases unparalleled imagination, genre versatility, and a deep-rooted commitment to the craft of writing.
A Life Rich in Experiences Fueling Prolific Storytelling
Edward Ahern shares his inspiring journey from intelligence work to becoming a celebrated author, blending his life experiences into diverse genres, offering advice to writers, and reflecting on the joy of storytelling.
Edward Ahern is a remarkable literary force whose journey into the world of storytelling is as captivating as the tales he spins. Having dedicated much of his life to extraordinary pursuits—from diving and bomb disarming in the Navy to travelling extensively across seventy-five countries and cultivating a mastery of multiple languages—Edward carries a treasure trove of life experience that breathes wisdom and authenticity into his writing. With over five hundred published stories and poems and twelve acclaimed books to his name, Edward’s work traverses an impressive range of genres, including fantasy, horror, noir, and literary fiction.
His books, such as The Witch Made Me Do It, The Witches’ Bane, Capricious Visions, and Cautionary Visions, showcase his boundless creativity and his ability to intertwine the haunting and the whimsical. Meanwhile, his thriller The Will of the Wisp reveals his knack for crafting intense, snarky narratives infused with shadowy intrigue and romance. His most recent work, As Noir As It Gets, underscores his masterful command of the short story format, offering darkly immersive tales that linger in the imagination. Beyond writing, Edward lends his editorial expertise to the literary world as part of the Bewildering Stories review board and as lead editor of the Fairfield Scribes Micro Zine, cementing his legacy as both a creator and champion of the written word.
An exemplar of reinvention, Edward began writing later in life, proving it’s never too late to pursue one’s passions. His ability to draw upon his diverse life experiences—foreign intelligence, international sales, and even bomb disarming—imbues his stories with unique depth and intrigue. As both an esteemed author and an inspiring mentor to budding writers, Edward Ahern stands as a testament to dedication, creativity, and the endless possibilities of storytelling. It is with profound admiration that we share our conversation with this modern literary virtuoso, exploring his creative process, perspectives, and invaluable advice to aspiring writers.
What inspired you to return to writing after such a long hiatus, and how did your experiences in foreign intelligence and international sales influence your storytelling?
I spent the years up to my late sixties chasing my enthusiasms– diving and bomb disarming in the Navy, distance running, reading, fly fishing for salmon, extensive travel (around 75 countries visited and lived in) and languages (German, French and Japanese) At the same time I chased the money to help support our family.
At 67 I’d done almost all of what I’d wanted to do, except for writing, which I’d put on hold. As I do with my enthusiasms, I went all out–courses, writing groups, submissions, editing for a magazine.
The first efforts stunk, but gradually stories got accepted and reprinted. I then decided to try and write poetry as good or bad as what we were already printing in Bewildering Stories, Now there are twice as many poems as stories being churned out.
The body count so far is about 550 stories and poems in original publication, over twice that many reprints, and a dozen books. The latest of which is The Will of the Wisp, a thriller.
How do you approach blending elements of fantasy, horror, and science fiction in your work, and do you have a favourite genre to write in?
My poems are mostly literary, but my fiction starts with an idea, a theme and as I progress it evolves into one genre or the other, whichever expresses the concept best. I also write a smidgen of literary fiction, but the largest part of my fiction is fantasy, with side dishes of horror and noir.
Can you share the creative process behind “The Will of the Wisp” and how you developed the character of Tom Sinclair?
‘The Will Of The Wisp’ is my first (and only so far) full length novel, and draws its tone and much of its specifics from my background in international business and foreign intelligence. It’s snarky and noir and just a bit romantic. The writing was nurtured and refined in my primary writing group, the Fairfield Scribes. The group helped me to scoop up and dispose of most of the road apples I’d dropped into the text. It took four years from concept to publication. Tom Sinclair, the protagonist, emerged like Athena–fully developed. I just wrote down what he got into. But I’m pretty sure my devious subconscious had been forming him up for some time. The novel’s first draft, however, was almost finished when I realized that some of the plotting was pedestrian and the characters a little tough to chew and swallow. I tore it apart and took the last year rewriting it, while also writing poetry and short stories.
How has living in different countries and speaking multiple languages shaped your perspective as a writer?
Dealing with people on every continent except Antarctica in four languages knocked most of the provincial barnacles off my shell and gave me an appreciation of the beauty of languages well used. I try and keep that lilt intact as I write. I had to change behaviors, expectations and diet with every country, which pretty well massacred my biases.
What challenges have you faced in getting your poetry and short stories published, and how did you overcome them?
‘How to Get Published’ could be a week long seminar. When I first started writing, my rejection rate was well over 90%. Today it’s probably around 40%. I could bring that average up by only submitting to publications who like my stuff, but I very often accost virgins who’ve never heard of me.
Rejection is editorial comment. Either my piece is not in accord with the ethos of the publication, or its crappy writing, or both. Once I receive more rejections than the fingers on one hand I revisit the story and/or change the type of publication I submit to. Some publications accept only a small fraction of one percent of the submissions sent them, some accept accept almost all submissions. My suggestion to beginners is to not be overly fussy, and to cherish the editors who like their writing.
Which authors or works have had the most significant impact on your writing style and themes?
I read omnivorously and gluttonously and let my subconscious take what it needs. As T.S. Eliot quipped: ‘Immature poets imitate, mature poets steal.’ To cite a few authors does a disservice to all the others I lean on. I refer to myself as having a swamp gas mind, with ideas oozing out from the rotted and fermented ideas and styles of thousands of writers.
What advice or inspiration would you offer to aspiring authors who are trying to find their voice and navigate the publishing world?
Its important to write for oneself and then find the right audience, which means finding an editor or publisher who shares the same world view and sense of taste. Finding that editor takes research and trial and error, but there are several excellent resources available to help out. Duotrope, Submissions Grinder, Submittable and Poets and Writers come immediately to mind.
It’s equally important not to abdicate one’s sense of style to a critique group. They’re well intentioned and excellent at pointing out errors but don’t let them hijack your voice. Most importantly, for me anyway, is to take pleasure in arranging words into entertaining and lilting forms.
