Halloween Haunts: It Takes A Writer: The Legacy of CJ Henderson by Patrick Thomas

Halloween is a holiday steeped in tradition. The HWA is an organization with many traditions of its own. Arguably one of the most important is that writers should help other writers and that those with more experience should be able to help mentor writers who are just starting out or even those who are simply starting to aspire to one day be writers.

No writer is born knowing everything about their craft. Each of us has to learn through trial and error what works, what doesn’t and most importantly – at least in order to continue writing – how to sell and make money from our work.

The learning curve is always made smoother when another writer can help us avoid the mistakes they made or tell us what can work and what doesn’t.

One writer who exemplified the idea of paying it forward was the late, great CJ Henderson. In his own way, CJ Henderson was a lot like a one-man-sized version of the HWA mentoring program.

CJ wrote in many genres and had several notable horror works from the Teddy London and Piers Knight books to Baby’s First Mythos to writing Kolchak the Night Stalker. He was chosen by the Lovecraft estate to carry on H.P.’s legacy which resulted in The Tales of Inspector Legrasse by H.P. Lovecraft and C.J. Henderson. He even wrote with Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner.

CJ had dozens and dozens of books published by the big New York houses and numerous small presses over the course of his writing career. He was a fixture at many genre conventions throughout his career, cutting out the middleman and taking his books directly to the public. And as is oft to happen, CJ often had aspiring writers approach him with questions of all sorts: How do I get started? How do I get published? Do I have to actually write a book to get a publishing contract? What’s the secret to selling a million books by noon tomorrow?

CJ never hesitated to share any hints or insights he might have, always taking the time to help. He even assisted more than a few small presses to get started, sharing his wisdom and even sometimes a short story or two.

One particular evening after a convention CJ, John L. French and I found ourselves talking with a nervous young woman who was still in her teens. She had started her own novel and had many questions both on the logistics of getting published and writing as a craft. CJ as the most experienced and prolific of the three of us took the lead and over the next hour or two, shared much from his years of experience. I think she was a bit overwhelmed, but along with the advice, CJ added heaping doses of encouragement. She continued writing and I’m happy to say that right before CJ passed away, that particular young lady sold her novel to a publisher.

CJ had lots of stories like that about people he had helped out. Or mentored, although he never used that word himself even if those he helped did.

Some folks he became friends with. Others would see him at a con, months or more later and proudly announce that they had sold a story or even sometimes a book and credited him with helping them get there.

CJ’s assistance wasn’t limited to newbies. Many an established writer benefited from CJ’s mentoring. He’d critique plots and provided a sounding board for ideas. CJ always knew who was doing what new anthology and was generous in sharing those details with other writers. More than one author found themselves with an invite to an invitation-only anthology simply because CJ spoke to the editor on their behalf.

He had a simple philosophy on writing, the gist of which boiled down to: If asked to write something, always say yes. Worry about what you’ll write later. Always make your deadlines. And try really hard not to suck.

I was someone CJ helped out along the way on numerous occasions. He co-helmed my first outing as an anthology editor. He invited me to be a part of projects, not the least of which was his Lai Wan: Tales of the Dreamwalker collection. I sold at least a dozen stories –probably more – because he would call me to let me know about an opportunity. He talked me – and many others – up to editors and publishers. Yes, we had to not suck as CJ might put it, but it was CJ who stuck his foot through the door, holding it open long enough to give others a chance to go through.

CJ gave advice on the craft and the business of writing. And encouragement. And honesty. He’d tell someone if their work sucked, but usually included some suggestions on how to fix the situation

CJ encouraged writers to have a brag shelf to hold all the books, magazines and anthologies they had contributed to. He felt it was a good idea to remind a writer of all they had accomplished and might even encourage them to fill that shelf and then the shelf next to it. CJ’s brag shelf could have filled a bookcase and a comic rack. (He wrote for Batman, The Punisher and Archie, among many other comics. Not to mention comic adaptions of his own Lai Wan and Jack Hagee characters.)

Recently CJ had to cut back not only on mentoring, but his own writing after being diagnosed with cancer. Other writers came together to help raise money toward CJ’s medical bills–writers aren’t usually rich despite what some people think ­but we do try to take care of our own– most notably with Dance Like A Monkey and The Society For The Preservation of CJ Henderson anthologies. Fans helped too.

CJ fought the good fight, doing everything he could to beat the cancer but sometimes no matter how hard someone fights or how many times he gets back off the mat, the opponent is too strong and he falls for the last time.

CJ knew his end was coming. One Friday night less than two weeks before he died, he called me to say goodbye. During that conversation we joked, touched on matters deep and silly and plenty in between. I thanked him for being a mentor, which surprised him. He told me that he was shocked by the number of writers who had been thanking him for that same thing.

In his mind, he hadn’t done anything that remarkable; he simply did what should be done and what needed to be done.

“You’re supposed to help people out. And you have to nurture talent,” CJ said.

And not only does that sum up CJ’s philosophy, but probably that of a good many of the writers who help other writers in the HWA mentoring program, giving of their time and efforts to help others because it’s what a writer should do.

The world would probably be a lot better off if more people thought like CJ Henderson and other mentors and lived by that philosophy.

But CJ’s legacy will live on. Not only in the literary works he himself created, but also in those of others he helped and encouraged to write themselves. In the end, seeing and taking pride when someone they helped succeeds is really what mentoring is all about.

TODAY’S GIVEAWAY: The estate of CJ Henderson is offering one free paperback copy of The Things That Are Not There by CJ Henderson. Comment below to enter or e-mail membership@horror.org with “HH Entry” in the subject line.

PATRICK THOMAS, with over a million words in print, keeps busy writing the fantasy humor series Murphy’s Lore (which includes Tales From Bulfinche’s Pub, Fools’ Day, Through The Drinking Glass, Shadow Of The Wolf, Redemption Road, Bartender Of The Gods, Nightcaps, Empty Graves and Startenders) as well as the urban fantasy spin offs Fairy With A Gun, Fairy Rides The Lightning, Dead To Rites, Rites of Passage, and Lore & Dysorder.

His Mystic Investigators paranormal mystery series includes Bullets & Brimstone, From The Shadows, Once More Upon A Time, and Partners In Crime. Assassin’s Ball is his first mystery, co-written with John French. He co-edited New Blood and Hear Them Roar and was an editor for the magazines Fantastic Stories of the Imagination and Pirate Writings. His stories have been published in over three dozen magazines and more than fifty anthologies.

Patrick’s humorous advice column Dear Cthulhu is approaching its ten year anniversary and includes the collections Have A Dark Day, Good Advice For Bad People, and Cthulhu Knows Best.

A number of his books are part of the props department of the CSI television show and have been spotted on the show. His urban fantasy Fairy With A Gun was optioned by Laurence Fishburne’s Cinema Gypsy Productions. Drop by www.patthomas.net to learn more or find out about The Patrick Thomas Show mockumentary.

To learn more about CJ Henderson, visit www.cjhenderson.com