Origin Stories

I don't always know everything about my characters when I first meet them. Sure, I have a general sense of who they are, but I get to know them better as they move through their story arcs. In the process, they reveal themselves a little at a time.

Coyote Cal and Big Yap have been riding with me for a long while—over twenty years, to be exact. As a kid, I enjoyed listening to old radio westerns: The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, The Six-Shooter. When family friends moved out of state, I started writing a serial of sorts called Trouble on the Range, which I snail-mailed to them in monthly installments. Coyote Cal and Big Yap were the stars of the show, even though I'd never written anything about them before. They arrived on the scene fully formed as "those famous storybook cowboys."

Five weird western tales make up The Coyote Cal Adventure Series, and there are sure to be more stories in the future that take place during our hero's adult years. But lately I've been delving into Cal's backstory when he was just a boy with his entire future ahead of him. (Think Young Indiana Jones with River Phoenix, not Sean Patrick Flanery.)

"Boom Town," published by Plasma Frequency Magazine a year ago, takes the reader to a point early in Cal's origin story. Just a boy, Calvin and his trusty coyote must stand up to a wicked man dead set on destroying an entire town—as well as an evil spirit with plans for young Cal's future. 

There are plenty more Coyote Cal weird westerns on the way—maybe even a novel. Cal and Yap have stuck with me this far, and I see a long trail of adventure stretching out ahead of us. You're more than welcome to come along for the ride.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again...
All Content © 2009 - 2023 Milo James Fowler