. ▁He ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁full - time ▁journalist ▁for ▁five ▁years , ▁first ▁as ▁a ▁sports ▁rep orter ▁at ▁The ▁Br am pton ▁Times ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁then ▁as ▁a ▁police ▁rep orter ▁with ▁the ▁North ▁York ▁Mir ror ▁for ▁two ▁months , ▁and ▁then ▁he ▁had ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁assistant ▁sports ▁editor ▁for ▁the ▁Cambridge ▁Re porter . ▁He ▁re - evalu ated ▁his ▁career ▁and ▁his ▁fin ances ▁and ▁then ▁became ▁a ▁full - time ▁fre el ance ▁writer ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁He ▁has ▁also ▁taught ▁short ▁story ▁writing ▁for ▁the ▁Pe el ▁Board ▁of ▁Education , ▁was ▁an ▁instruct or ▁at ▁Sher idan ▁College , ▁and ▁has ▁lect ured ▁on ▁horror ▁and ▁fant asy ▁writing ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto ▁and ▁Ry erson ▁Poly techn ic ▁University . ▁ ▁Early ▁in ▁his ▁career , ▁he ▁adm ired ▁writers ▁such ▁as ▁Kurt ▁V onn eg ut ▁and ▁Ray ▁Brad bury ▁before ▁dec iding ▁that ▁the ▁horror ▁genre ▁was ▁the ▁best ▁fit ▁for ▁him . ▁ ▁Career ▁Van ▁Bel kom ▁is ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁the ▁Dragon l ance ▁setting ▁novel ▁Lord ▁S oth ▁( 1 9 9 7 ), ▁and ▁the ▁nov els ▁Wy rm ▁Wolf , ▁M ister ▁Mag ick , ▁Te eth , ▁Mart y rs , ▁S cre am ▁Queen , ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Dead ▁and ▁Wolf ▁Pack , ▁amongst ▁others . ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁Aur ora ▁Awards : ▁An ▁Anth