Wanted: Writers of Westerns

Howdy folks, I'm Festus. I'd like to get a forum started up for Westerns, I'm told the only way to get it done is to get other writers of Westerns to get together.

Well, I need to know who yall are, and if you're interested in this.

Lots of folks seem to think Westerns are dead meat. I don't.

It'd surely be nice to have other Western Writers to communicate with.

I really need some positive comments on this so I'll have backup data at the end of the poll to try and get the western forum started. Just the poll by itself won't do it - assuming we stay in the lead.

Negative comments aren't needed, those folks can just bypass the western forum, though you may well be missing some good reading. There will probably be westerns posted with paranormal, fantasy and SF in them. I've got some of that in one of my manuscripts now.

It may well give us some badly needed exposure to agents and publishers with our own genre. Please give it some thought.

Festus

Puma: Thank you, My western contained elements of the paranormal - in the form of an Indian ghost. Remember Gene Autry? He had sci Fi in his latter movies - Westerns. Louis L'Amour? Alternate Universe where old cowboy had inadvertingly wound up, also ghosts. So I must disagree.

The main point is this: Westerns, while interest may be waning, are a complete Genre in their own right. For the few remaining writers of this genre to have a chance of publication, we need to capture the eye of potential agents and publishers. Many of whom I feel would skip right over the Historical Forum.

When I think of Historical, my first thought is non-fiction, or medival, or ancient greek/romans etc. Not westerns.

I've written a parody of a western that while humorous, the nuances of the parody would go completely over the heads of those not familiar with the original western author, which if you read westerns, you surely would be.

Historical just doesn't fit the nitch of westerns. We need our own spot.

Cav Guy, Ol' Fashioned Girl, alley cat, Kimmi, You're the types of folks I've been seeking, if you know of others, please direct them here.

I may be the old Don fighting a windmill, but I use six-shooters, not a lance. Read the remarks of my partners below, I think we may surprise a whole bunch of folks with the submissions we get.

Ornery Old Festus

Cav Guy. You've raised some good, valid points.

But I'm just as stubborn as the mule my namesake rides.

I fully mean to have our own Western Forum, and will work my butt off trying to achieve it. I just don't feel that Historical is the place for us to be. like a fish out of the water. Though I do a lot of historical research on my stories.

Western books are only limited by the imagination of the authors, it is indeed an important part of our history, and many cowboys are yet to be known, like the cowboys of Florida at the turn of the century and beyond (which I have many stories about, since my family was numbered among them).

Forgive this stubborn old man, my friends, but I feel passionately about this matter.

Festus

Aw, c'mon Mac. "It's such a large board" If all the main topics can't be read in seconds, person shouldn't be a writer. Put us at the very bottom of it, if poor darlings are worn out from reading whats above us, they can stop before they reach us.

I remember back in the 60's, when I read Sci Fi and Fantasy, they were often mixed in with childrens books on stuck away in a hard to find corner.

On this site, they are in the prominence, which I support. Back then? No way.

Westerns are not dead, for they are going on right now, this day. I suspect there all more people out there that long for good writing in this genre that even I can imagine.

Its arguable that any genre may be swallowed by another, but I don't feel that it's Westerns turn quite yet.

Negativism seems to have taken hold of many things, we want to accomplish something positive, that is what this proposed Western Forum is all about.

Are we a threat to the other genres? Not hardly. Are you afraid that a bunch of red necks might swell the ranks of AW? Get real.

I've noted that there is a bunch of people whose views I don't support, or whose genre I don't particularly like. Doesn't mean I'm going to campaign against them, and if I don't like the genre, I stay away from it.

Meeting some of those folks in AW Chat has expanded my views on many things, others it hadn't affected at all. Thing is, there is room enough for all of us to get along.

Give us a chance.

Festus

I am very grateful, thank you Mac. Thank you.

Festus