Ask the Author: Brian Darr
Answered Questions (6)
Brian Darr
I started with a couple 200K novels which I realized later wasn't the logical move. They're still my babies, but I wanted a wider body of work and I wanted to write something with themes that people like without compromising what I love to write.
I wanted to write an epic dystopian journey story but I wouldn't write it until an alternate version of the world that hasn't been done before made sense to me. I started thinking about a realistic downfall of the world--how I believed it could play out, and what I came up with wasn't armies of soldiers or rich versus poor or zombie apocolypse. Maybe it won't be quite so dramatic. Maybe a few hackers will find a way to hack into everything. What do we all have an seemingly need? Cell phones.
The Troll's world is a world where cellular technology is advanced--in our heads--and the net is navigated with our minds. One day, a disgruntled engineer of the same technology within everyone uses it against us and suddenly has everyone within control with the push of a button.
It seemed as plausible as anything else out there--even more in my mind.
I wanted to write an epic dystopian journey story but I wouldn't write it until an alternate version of the world that hasn't been done before made sense to me. I started thinking about a realistic downfall of the world--how I believed it could play out, and what I came up with wasn't armies of soldiers or rich versus poor or zombie apocolypse. Maybe it won't be quite so dramatic. Maybe a few hackers will find a way to hack into everything. What do we all have an seemingly need? Cell phones.
The Troll's world is a world where cellular technology is advanced--in our heads--and the net is navigated with our minds. One day, a disgruntled engineer of the same technology within everyone uses it against us and suddenly has everyone within control with the push of a button.
It seemed as plausible as anything else out there--even more in my mind.
Brian Darr
Usually I play a scene in my head or listen to a piece of epic instrumental music. I get excited over my own work, which I believe every author should do. As long as you're not phoning it in, you should be DYING to write. Be a fan of yourself. Once you are, you'll want to keep producing.
Brian Darr
The third Tontine book and the second Troll book as well as a drama/comedy book that hits close to home for me.
Brian Darr
It's easy to want to be a writer.
It's easy to have ideas.
It's easy to develop ideas.
That is where it ends for too many people. Start writing. Write a few pages, a few chapters, a book, two books, ten books. Learn how to write, how to format, how to publish, how to market. Read everything you can get your hands on, be willing to take criticism, willing to evolve. Be willing to do whatever it takes to progress. Think big. Think career. Think thousands, tens of thousands of fans, vacations, end of 8-5 workweek.
Know you want it and do it without excuse. What you don't know how to do, learn.
Walk the walk.
It's easy to have ideas.
It's easy to develop ideas.
That is where it ends for too many people. Start writing. Write a few pages, a few chapters, a book, two books, ten books. Learn how to write, how to format, how to publish, how to market. Read everything you can get your hands on, be willing to take criticism, willing to evolve. Be willing to do whatever it takes to progress. Think big. Think career. Think thousands, tens of thousands of fans, vacations, end of 8-5 workweek.
Know you want it and do it without excuse. What you don't know how to do, learn.
Walk the walk.
Brian Darr
Writing the kinds of books you'd like to read.
I have a few authors I just love to read, but I often find myself let down by the ending, or wary over the direction they took with the plot. I find myself to often be a fan of style--less often story.
I've seen a lot of movies and read a lot of books. The more I read, the more critical I've become. There comes a point in time when I either sound cynical because I'm hard to impress, or I go out and write a story the way I want a story to be written and hopefully nail it, but at the very least, I'm writing what I would read. I'm entertained, and I hope I'm entertaining others.
I have a few authors I just love to read, but I often find myself let down by the ending, or wary over the direction they took with the plot. I find myself to often be a fan of style--less often story.
I've seen a lot of movies and read a lot of books. The more I read, the more critical I've become. There comes a point in time when I either sound cynical because I'm hard to impress, or I go out and write a story the way I want a story to be written and hopefully nail it, but at the very least, I'm writing what I would read. I'm entertained, and I hope I'm entertaining others.
Brian Darr
I don't fully believe in writer's block. There are times when I'm unsure of the execution of the next scene, or I feel like I won't be able to write it with the kind of substance I'd like, but awhile ago I realized that it's easier to go back and rewrite something after you're past it than it would be to sit at that roadblock and try to figure it out.
I write something anyway, knowing it might not be quality, but that the gaps I can't seem to figure out in the moment will be easy to fix later when I'm more pages in.
It doesn't always have to be great in the moment. That's what editing is for. Just write something. It will be good for your ego and later, you'll look back and realize you know how to fix it.
I write something anyway, knowing it might not be quality, but that the gaps I can't seem to figure out in the moment will be easy to fix later when I'm more pages in.
It doesn't always have to be great in the moment. That's what editing is for. Just write something. It will be good for your ego and later, you'll look back and realize you know how to fix it.
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