Daniel Nick Interview

Q. Can you tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to become a writer?

Ans. I've always loved writing, even as a child. For many years, writing was a way to relax and have some quiet time inside my ADHD head. It's the flip side of my rather voracious reading habit, I think. A few years ago, I sold my business and got a job with the city. Suddenly I went from 60-80 hour work weeks to 40 hours. That's a lot of free time! So, I started writing the novels.

Q. What genre(s) do you primarily write in, and what draws you to that particular genre?

Ans. I eat, sleep, live, and breathe Fantasy of all types as well as science fiction. I love a good thriller, and horror has a special place in my heart.

Q. What is your favorite book, and what about it resonates with you the most?

Ans. This is an impossible question! I think The Name of the Wind, by Rothfuss is the best Fantasy book written in the last twenty years or so, maybe the best since Gene Wolfe left us. CJ Cherryh wrote the Faded Sun series that blew my mind when I read it. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance changed my way of looking at life - entirely. I sometimes catch myself daydreaming about getting a hold of the next Martha Wells book...

Q. Who is your favorite author, and how have they influenced your writing?

Ans. Another impossible question, but I am in awe of Hemingway, Wolfe, Tolkien, Lewis, Abercrombie, Cooke, Lawrence, Rothfuss, Zelany, Banks, Heinlein, Wells, Cherryh, Le Guinn, Vachss... how long have you got...lol?

Q. How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, such as work, family, or hobbies?

Ans. My wife and I come first - always. After that, I work a 4-day, ten-hour shift, so I have three days off a week. Those days are for everything besides work - including writing. I also sneak editing/writing in after work sometimes (especially when I'm in the middle of something juicy). I will retire in eight years - then writing will become my full-time job until I die. If I make sure to leave time for life, I can write a book in about 6 months, then it's another 4-5 for developmental edits. Then a month to get the line edits, cover, etc.

Q. How do you show appreciation and love to your followers and readers? Do you actively engage with them on social media or through other means?

Ans. Well - I'm a new Indie author, so I don't have many followers and readers yet, but I LOVE interacting with them. I am active on FB, though horrible at "marketing online". I much prefer just hanging out and talking. My newsletter is actually more of a free short story platform - I love giving my work out to my readers to enjoy.

Q. What do you enjoy most about being an author, and what keeps you motivated to continue writing?

Ans. I am an artist. Have been my whole life. Theatre, Sculpture, competitive Martial artist, writer. I love the process (well...I loathe Line edits, but that's the price you pay for excellence - it takes hard work). I love the creative process, the refining, the polishing, the sharing with others. All of it.

Q. Have you ever faced writer's block, and if so, how do you overcome it?

Ans. I'm ADHD. That means I go through intense periods of "INSPIRATION!!!!! YAY!!!!" This is usually followed by long periods of executive dysfunction. But I have spent my life trying to overcome that through developing enough discipline to do short tasks. I will write a few sentences and then leave for the day. I wrote. I did it. I may delete it tomorrow, but I wrote. Sometimes, my writer's block is simply my unconscious telling me that the story is going the wrong way and I need to rethink the narrative. I trust those instincts. I'll take a break and let it percolate in my brain for a week. In my personal experience, most of my writer's block is really me fighting with myself. So, I try to listen, say, "Alright, you win, let's take a look." Usually, that gets me back on track (once this led me to deleting over 17k words from my second novel and going all the way back to the start of the "third act").

Q. Can you share any interesting or funny anecdotes from your writing journey?

Ans. When I published War Dog, Hound of the Gods Book One, I sent a signed paperback to my mother. She's a romantasy / romance lover, and I write Grimdark Contemporary fantasy. So, when I signed it, I wrote, "There's lots of cursing and no smut - sorry to disappoint you twice." She's never stopped laughing about that and tells everyone.

Q. What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are just starting their writing journey?

Ans. Write. I don't know what happens next yet. Write <<<something cool happens here>>>, or "I have no idea what to write, so I'll write..." Remove the word "inspiration" from your vocabulary. You're a writer, inspiration isn't a concern, discipline is. Inspiration gets you to "Once upon a time." So what? Discipline gets you to "The End." Write the book.

Q. Do you have any upcoming projects or works in progress that you'd like to share with your readers?

Ans. The Hound of the Gods series is a nine-book series with three planned short story anthologies, a novella, and a "Novel 3.5". The goal is to have it done by the time I retire to write full-time in 2033. Book one - War Dog (already released), and Book two - The Hands That Feed will be released in 2026. Books 3 and 3.5, along with anthology 1, will be released in 2027. The novella and Book 4 will release in 2028. Books 5 and 6 will release in 2029, anthology 2 and Book 7 will release in 2030, Book 8 and anthology 3 will release in 2031, and Book 9 will release in 2032. This is ambitious, but I have high hopes!

Q. Finally, what are your goals and aspirations as a writer? Where do you see yourself and your writing career in the future?

Ans. I hope that the Series will eventually gain enough traction that I can write full-time and travel the world for the rest of my life after I retire. My wife and I plan of sailing (we recently spent three years cruising the East coast of America and the Caribbean).