About Craig and CraigHartranft.net
A younger me with Lily the Little Black Dog, now deceased.
I loved writing ever since I was a kid. I think I begin writing fiction sometime beginning in elementary school. I do remember taking my short stories to Junior High and reading them to my friends in the cafeteria while we waited for school to start. Most of the stories I wrote were lame horror and dark fantasy stories based upon a steady diet of comic books, television, and movies from growing up in the Sixties and Seventies. I continued to write sporadically from a teenager to an adult over the years, simply for personal enjoyment, publishing nothing.
Really, when I write a book, I’m the only one I have to please.
— Elmore Leonard
In the mid-Nineties, I had the fortune of being published for the first time as a non-fiction writer. I was the managing editor of monthly magazine for a local Christian non-profit organization with international reach. I routinely wrote op-ed pieces, but mostly articles about Christian faith and living. Over a short two years, I might have had 24 to 30 articles published. No, I did not get paid for this.
Shortly after the turn of the century, while finding a renewed interest in the music of my youth, I created a music review site, Dangerdog Music Reviews, and began writing non-fiction reviews of hard rock and heavy metal. Twelve years and still going strong, I have about 400 visitors each day, and over the years L’ve published more than 3,600 articles. No, I don’t get paid for this either. Hmm. Seems to be a pattern developing here.
Around that same time, I began revisiting my fiction writing. Mostly, I write in the genres of crime fiction, mystery, and fantasy, all with overtones of humor and satire, for adults and teen readers. As you can tell from the photo above, I have many tales to tell.
It if sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can’t allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative.
— Elmore Leonard
Some of my tales include my own fictional detective, Romeo Jones. A local fellow, home from his world travels in military and covert activities, Rome is a six foot fellow with a pony tail, slight southern accent, some Gary Cooper swagger, and Sig Sauer P226 in his holster. He’s also known for his intuitive investigative style, penchant to turn a witty phrase (notably with the bad guys), and the willingness to draw first and ask questions later. As Rome has said many times, to the reckless villain, “You pull on me, I’m gonna put you down. That’s all I’m going to say.”
While my writing has advanced in spurts and sputters over the last ten years, I continue to write for the love of writing, yet with the desire to be published commercially. Currently, I self-publish via my web site, CraigHartranft.net, but mostly story ideas and starts and, hopefully soon, some short stories.
As our lives can be, my writing life is also a work in progress. Thanks for stopping by for a visit; I hope you enjoy the writing and the ride.
Easy reading is the product of hard writing, some teacher say, and it’s true.
— Stephen King
—> Disclaimers and Other Legal Shit <—
Unfortunately, legal disclaimers are a fact of life, especially for writers in the social media age. Ergo, the following are included by necessity, and so you don’t sue my ass off.
The Disclaimers:
1. Regarding Works of Non-Fiction, Including But Not Limited to Opinion and Editorials (Op-Ed), Humor, Satire, or Parody About Life, Politics, Religion or Any Other Possible Topic Which May Offend Anyone:
The views and opinions expressed on CraigHartranft.net are entirely my own (or those of any contributing editor) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any entity or person referred to in any article. Any content provided is my opinion (or those of any contributing editor), and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization (secular or religious), company (secular or religious), individual or anyone or anything. Any articles of humor, including satire and parody, that may or may not specifically reference persons, living or dead, are intended to be only parody, satire or humor. That is to say, nothing posted is either libel, slander, or hate speech. Even if you, the reader, may think otherwise.
Case Law References:
New York Times v Isaaks, Texas Supreme Court, 03.09.2004 https://caselaw.findlaw.com/tx-supreme-court/1244317.html
Hustler Magazine v Falwell, United States Supreme Court, 24.02.1988Â https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/485/46.html
Case Law Interpretation:
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (Fall, 2004), The News Media & The Law: Avoiding Libel in Satire. Retrieved from: https://www.rcfp.org/browse-media-law-resources/news-media-law/news-media-and-law-fall-2004/avoiding-libel-satire
2. Regarding Works of Fiction, Including But Not Limited to Humor, Satire, or Parody:
Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
ADDENDUM: The aforementioned legal disclaimers also apply to any Christians (or any other recognized religion) of any denominational or theological persuasion, including but not limited to all former, current, and future attendees, members, and leaders of any church which I have attended at anytime.
In summary, if you think an article or a story is about you, someone you know, or some organization to which you belong, when it does not specifically mention you, you are probably mistaken, extremely paranoid, or simply narcissistic.