Well, aren't you going to say something about yourself?

Like what? And who might you be?

I'm your personal stooge. A figment of your imagination, perhaps, but a stooge nonetheless and I'm here, at your service, to prompt you.

You are, huh? Well, if you're all it takes to stop me coming across like a nut who talks to himself, I'm all in favor. Where do we start?

With Gunsmoke and writing, of course, you're obviously a fan of the show but how big a fan are you?

Bigger than some, less so than others, I guess. I don't exactly worship the cast but I've seen all 635 episodes. I reckon that counts for something.

So what drew you into writing a Gunsmoke story?

I joined the Gunsmoke site a while back. After soaking up all the good stuff in the back pages, I started reading the fan fiction. Liked it too; not all of it, but enough to stir my interest. Well, I've done a bit of writing over the years and the thought of taking control of those marvelous, ready made characters and directing them in a story of my own was something I had to try, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Add a little encouragement and a nudge in the right direction and here I am.

Will you be writing another?

I don't think so. I might try my hand at a Rawhide story though, that's another favorite. I've seen every episode of that too.

How long have your been a writer?

I didn't say I was a writer.

But you said you'd...

Sure, and I once paddled my feet in a lake, but that don't make me a duck.

So what else have you written?

Crap, mostly, if my viewing figures are anything to go by, but as long as that little flame of creativity keeps flickering, I'll persevere.

You can be quite abrasive, can't you?

I call it pragmatism. The biggest thing I've written, as A Man Called Valance, is a serialized collection of cowboy yarns that continue to gather dust on blogger somewhere.

Doesn't it bother you that it doesn't get read?

Nope. Cream rises to the top. If it don't rise, it ain't cream. I can live with that.

Well, erm, thanks. That was interesting. I think.

You're welcome. If it wasn't we'll put it down to you being a lousy interviewer.