Next up to take their place in the interview chair is indie author Mike Driver. Join us as he chats about writing, genre and his new book Fall, Leaves, Fall which is available on the amazon kindle store now.
Why do you write?
It’s a bit of a cliché but I’ve always made up stories in my head since I was a child, I started to write them down in my early teens. I do it because I enjoy it and because I need to get the stories out.
When did you decide to become a writer?
I first started submitting for publication in my early twenties, I got lots of rejections, a few compliments and finally FEAR magazine wrote to me accepting a story for publication, which I mistakenly thought would be my big break. Shortly afterwards I heard the magazine closed down, so at the time I pretty much decided professional publication wasn’t going to happen for me, but I carried on writing.
What genre are your books?
Horror and Supernatural mostly, but with a smattering of weird fiction and even a far from normal paranormal romance
What draws you to this genre?
They say write what you know, and I know scared – so it was an obvious choice
Do you write full-time or part-time?
Part-time. I would love one day to be a full time writer but that would require a level of sales and income that eludes me at the moment
What have you written?
Lots of short stories, 40 + that have been published professionally in magazines, anthologies and online, and a hundred others that are either on various slush piles or lounging on memory sticks just waiting for their time to come. My debut novel is also out now on Kindle and on all Smashwords formats, it’s called Fall, Leaves, Fall.
And finally my second novel is currently in its third draft and nearing completion and I have a third of a novella that keeps calling to me.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just seeing where an idea takes you?
Both. I know where I’m starting from and roughly where I want to get to and within that a few key points that I need to hit but then it’s up to my characters as to what they do and how they do it, and quite often they surprise me.
How do you market your books?
Badly. I think it’s an area I haven’t really cracked yet. I run promotions, I’m on Goodreads and Facebook and I try to generate publicity where I can but I haven’t yet found the silver bullet to success. Who knows maybe this will be it.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Keep going and write what you want to write, not what someone else thinks will sell.
What is the hardest thing about writing?
Copy editing and proofing, especially when you think you are done and then you spot a glaring punctuation error on page 2.
What is the current book you are promoting?
My current book is called Fall, Leaves Fall. I’d describe it as Supernatural Noir, but it’s also a bit of a throwback to the conspiracy thrillers of the mid 70’s.
Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
It’s a toss-up between Bridge, who’s the lead and Grayson, who keeps slipping away from your expectations
Who is your least favorite character and why?
I love them all, even down to the most minor character, they all have a role to play.
If your book were made into a movie, who would you cast?
For the lead Aaron Paul or Domnhall Gleeson and for Grayson, I always see him as a slighter shorter Kevin Spacey
What is your next project?
The second novel in the Cletherwood series, which can best be described as ‘Salems Lot meets The Crucible
What is one great lesson you have learned as a writer?
That you should write because you enjoy it. Whether material rewards come your way or not isn’t something you can control, all you can do is create the best story you can in your own unique way.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/606147
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