Today we’ve got an interview I am really excited about… Dan Krokos, author of False Memory (you can read my review here). I got a chance to ask him a few questions about his life, his writing and… MMOs?! Awesome!
Kellie @ ReaWrite: First off, can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do?
Dan: I’m 26, and I basically spend most of my days in front of a computer. When I’m not letting the internet suck up all my time, I write books.
Kellie @ ReaWrite: How long did False Memory take to write from concept to completion?
Dan: This is a hard one. I got the idea for it from a previous manuscript I’d written, but then I revisited it when I decided to try my hand at YA. I didn’t really do much until a few months later, and from there I worked on it on and off for several months. In real time it was years, but in actual work time I would say 4-5 months.
Kellie @ ReaWrite: What is a typical writing day like for you?
Dan: I used to procrastinate all day, and then squeeze in writing in the late afternoon, but now I’ve gotten to the point where I physically unplug the ethernet cable from my computer. It’s been incredible working that way. Now if I could only unplug earlier in the day.
Also, there is coffee involved.
Kellie @ ReaWrite: What was the hardest part of False Memory to write?
Dan: Definitely the emotional bits. I love action and think it’s probably what I’m best at. But getting inside the head of a teen girl proved difficult at first. It got easier with book 2, and luckily I had many female readers who were able to help get me in the right headspace. I don’t know if I’ll be trying it again though!
Kellie @ ReaWrite: What can you tell us about
The Planet Thieves?
Dan: I’m beyond excited for it. It’s the book I always wanted as a kid, a pure adventure story. A little over a year ago, I was really starting to miss Harry Potter. I wanted a story that had the same size and scope, but that was also just plain epic and fun. It’s a really big story, so what I describe below is just the very beginning of the book.
Mason Stark is 13, and he’s a few weeks from staring his second level of education in the Earth Space Command. He’s spending some time on a ship (to get some real experience) when it’s boarded by the Tremist, an alien race that humans have been at war with for decades. The cadets manage to evade the Tremist, but the rest of the crew gets either captured or killed. The cadets not only have to retake the ship, but soon they discover the ship was carrying a weapon that will change the war. A weapon the Tremist now possess.
Also, it’s safe to assume there is planet thievery involved.
Kellie @ ReaWrite: Any sentence that involves “planet thievery” is okay by me! Coming off of your first publication, what are your ultimate writing goals?
Dan: To do everything. Goals keep me motivated. I love working toward things. Publishing a book was an enormous dream of mine, but I have to keep moving forward. I’m working on an adult book, and I also love writing screenplays. I find that switching up the genres and kinds of projects I work on keeps me versatile. I don’t ever want to be stuck doing one thing.
Kellie @ ReaWrite: And finally, for something completely different… Your bio says you play MMOs (massively multi-player online games), what are you currently playing:
Dan: Well, at the moment I’m working on two separate books, both due soon, but I have an active World of Warcraft subscription. All my buddies started playing again, so I decided to dabble a little bit. Before that I played Star Wars: The Old Republic. But what I REALLY enjoyed playing this year was Mass Effect 3. It has a better story than most books/movies/tv.
Kellie @ ReaWrite: Thanks so much Dan! I can’t wait to read your next book.
Leave a Reply