An Inspired Chat with Randall Lane of Conway

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Randall Lane. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Randall, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Pursuing my MFA in Creative Writing with the University of New Orleans has brought me immense joy lately. It is such a blast to be able to be a part of such a wonderful writer’s community and to be able to learn from some tremendous people and unbelievably talented writers. I have learned and grown enormously since entering the program and the friendships I’ve established along the way are just as valuable. Choosing to pursue my MFA from the University of New Orleans is by far the best decision I have made in my writing career.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure thing. Having grown up in the south, and with a love for all things horror, mystery, and suspense, I am primarily a writer of southern characters set within small towns who find themselves seeking answers to family and town secrets, missing person’s cases, or something eerie lurking in the woods. Basically, I consider myself a writer of Southern Gothic who often blends horror, mystery, and suspense.

I was always interested in the strange and unexplained. Growing up I was a huge fan of Goosebumps, Unsolved Mysteries, Syliva Browne segments on the Montell Williams show, The X-Files, Stephen King books and movies, and the like. I think some of it was due to my aunt’s love for horror movies. She moved to Key West when I was around 8 or 9 and would come back home to visit with us about once or twice a year. She would usually stay a week with us, and along with her and my mom catching up we would always spend the week watching all the latest scary and creepy mystery movies. I remember how we would pick her up from the airport, eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, make a Blockbuster run to grab the latest scary and mystery movies to then binge watch them the whole week while she visited. If there was a good scary movie at the theater in town, we would have a movie night out as well.

As I grew older, I continued this love for horror, mystery, suspense, and the unexplained. However, it wasn’t until I took an elective poetry course during my sophomore year of college that I first applied my love of horror and mystery to creative writing. I remember it was a fall semester because our professor had us reading a lot of Edgar Allen Poe leading up to Halloween. For two weeks we focused primarily on writing eerie atmospheric poems with Poe as our inspiration. This course, and in particular these two weeks, left an impression on me as I realized how much joy I received by allowing my imagination to spill forth onto the page.

It wouldn’t be until three years later though after a family cross country road via RV to see the Redwood forest in Northern California that I would come across an idea for a story that wouldn’t leave me alone. Halfway through the trip I finally took out a pen and notepad and began jotting down the plot and characters I envisioned. I continued to write in my notepad during the journey back home and for the next few weeks I was consumed with the idea for this story. I eventually sat down at my computer late one night with my notepad and began writing and fleshing out the idea. I would go on to spend the next 4-6 months working on this story most every night as well as reading voraciously of craft books and novels with similar plots, settings, and characters as the story I was working on. I also began watching countless hours of YouTube videos and attending writing conferences across my region. By this point, I had become completely hooked and in love with the whole writing process and community. After about 6-8 months I had the final draft of this short novel complete and was already taking notes for another larger novel. Eight years later, the fire still burns hot, and I can proudly say I am the author of five novels, ten novellas, and over forty short stories. That’s not to mention the three-inch binder full of notes for dozens upon dozens of titles, plots, and characters I am constantly adding to each week. I continue to be a student of the craft and am an avid reader myself. Writing is my passion, and I am excited to see where the journey leads. I am just as hooked with the process now as I was when I first took a leap off the deep end and learned to swim. Honestly, I think I am finding my voice just by writing what I love and know and doing my best to write authentically from the heart.

Lastly, I would say music has played an important role in my writing as well. Particularly John Fogerty. His music further added to my love for Louisiana, and the south. His memoir introduced me to other musicians such as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Reverend Gary Davis, etc. Growing up, I was always endeared to Louisiana and fascinated with the culture, music, history, and scenery. John Fogerty expanded my love and interest of Louisiana and served a big part in inspiring a series of novellas I have written set around the Atchafalaya River Basin and Lafayette areas. Regardless of what type of story I write, I often have John Fogerty or similar artists and bands playing in the background for inspiration.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I’ll keep it simple for brevity’s sake.
Distrust and Disloyalty breaks the bond between people whereas Trust and Loyalty restores the bond.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Enjoy the journey and process and always stay present in the moment.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I mean I can think of no other than the big man himself, Jesus. The way he treated the outcast of society, loved his family and friends, remained humble despite his authority, and stood up to confront corruption to its face will always be something I admire and find inspirational.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
That I was a kind and down-to-earth person who was loyal to his family and friends, unwavering in his convictions and values, who wrote stories straight from his heart filled with characters people could deeply relate to and connect with. That my stories had depth and meaning to them and that the reader’s life was better for having read my work.

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