This week, we're talking with Daniel C. McWhorter about his new book, A Dystopian Sci-fi Adventure Novel.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I love diving and I have an Advanced Open Water certificate.
Why do you write?
I like the idea of other people enjoying the stories I like to tell!
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
I am fascinated by the potential impacts of advanced technology on the human race. We have a proven history of doing things because we can without ever stopping to ask if we should. I want to explore what our future might look like should we unleash those technologies without ensuring that we have the legal, moral and ethical maturity to use them responsibly.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
The creativity. I like that I can include fantastic technologies in my stories, and hopefully in ways that my readers can understand and accept as possible.
How would you describe your writing process?
Writing is my full-time job. I “go to work” 8-6 Monday through Friday just as I always have. The only difference now is that I am working for myself. I have a list of book ideas that I am working through, and my first goal is to finish books 2 and 3 in the Restoration series.
As far as the actual writing part, I set a goal of 2000 words per day. I do have a rough outline and character sketches that I work from, but for the most part I just write the first draft as it comes to me—stream of consciousness.
I tend to over write and I ended up cutting about 20k words from the published version of Restoration.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
Everything! It's easier than ever to get published, but it's harder than ever to get discovered. I equate finding a great new author to looking for a grain of rice at the bottom of a swimming pool filled with sand. Social media helps your grain of rice rise to the surface and increases the likelihood that your potential readers will find it.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Treat writing as a business. You're not just telling stories, you're building a brand. It's exceedingly rare to write one book and become an overnight success. It's far more likely that you will need to write 3-5 books before you start to get any traction, and it may be many more than that before you find success.
You are going to have setbacks but you have to keep at it. If it was easy then everyone would do it and billionaire authors would outnumber tech billionaires twenty to one.
The reality is that most of us will do well to eke out a modest income. Writing is art, and most artists do what they do because they love it…I know that's why I do it!
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
I brainstormed Restoration with my wife. That worked well, but I plan to incorporate reader feedback for future books.
What's your next step?
Publish book 2 in the Restoration series! I'm really excited to see where that story goes and, hopefully, my readers are too!
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
All feedback is a gift and I look at every review as a learning opportunity. Thankfully, I've had mostly positive reviews, but I have appreciated the critical commentary every bit as much as the encouragement!
What book do you wish you had written?
Harry Potter
