Dan Waltz, Author, Artist & Illustrator, Tells His Story

I considered myself a retired artist, or at least a semi-retired one. I’ve had a pretty good career in the arts, lasting over thirty years. I say semi-retired, because due to time, I don’t paint very often anymore, but rest assured, when I really do retire, I will pick up the brush once again. 

I’ve sold a lot of paintings and prints over the years, and illustrated a few books. I even did a few book covers for others, as well as my own. When I’m painting, I specialize in realistic wildlife. I’ve worked in all mediums, oils, acrylic, pen, pencil, but prefer watercolor for the detail I can get from them.

About eight or so years ago, I laid down my paintbrush and picked up a pen and started writing again. I wrote as a teen back in the 70’s, then started drawing and painting, and well, 30+ years later I end up here. “Writing again.”

I really enjoy it. It’s like painting with words. It’s just another form of communication and another form of art; I guess I’m not really retired after all.

I write whatever kind of story that comes to mind. I really don’t want to be stuck in one genre.  I write horror, fantasy, drama, it doesn’t really matter. I would like to say I have something for everyone. If you like zombie fiction, I’ve got it, but I also have a bullying story that everyone should read. I have written a book on an adventurous garden gnome, and even one on a haunted corn maze, which I’m in the process of rewriting. I prefer to write novels over short stories, but I have started a collection of shorts as well.

My latest novel came out almost a year ago. I wrote the first draft in the 2013 NANOWRIMO and published it last year after about a year of polishing. It’s titled, ASH, Like a Tattoo. The book was never intended to be a bullying story, but that’s what it turned out to be, and I love it. I want to do more like it, which is why I recently purchased http://www.bullycidal.comin hopes to add to the story or create new ones along the way, and to help promote bully awareness. You may have already guessed that I was bullied as a child.

                      

Well, that’s in the works, but so are a lot of things. I tend to work on many stories all at once. In fact, I believe I have about 11 of them going as I write this blog. They’re all different genres and I work on them as the story comes to me.  I like to let them write themselves and I never force the issue. Sure, I have an idea in mind from the start, and most of the time I have an ending as well, but by the time I get there, the ending has usually changed. That’s just my style.  I’m just as much surprised at the end of the book, writing it, as you would be reading it. That’s what makes it fun.

My books are available on my website and on Amazon. To learn more about my art, my books and more about me, please visit my website at www.danwaltz.com and of course, I’m on all the social networks.

This is Week 42 of 52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for reading and sharing Dan’s story today.