There's not many authors who will take some seemingly incompatable elements and blend them together into a successful book, but Dan Waters has done not only that but made it an addictive series as the Undead rise to walk through the halls of schools throughout the US. Beautifully constructed tales that deal not only with the inhibitions of those concerned but general teenage concerns this cracking series author became a must interview for us.
Here Dan chats about his unlife, his new garden gnome (or zombie to be more accurate) as well as how to deal with the unpleasantness of zombification...
FT: Writing is said to be something that people are afflicted with rather than gifted and that it's something you have to do rather than want. What is your opinion of this statement and how true is it to you?
DW: I've always thought of it as a gift. I do have to write--I get very edgy and irritable if I go a few days without writing--but I don't think this is because writing is an affliction or a mental disorder, I think it is because if one is gifted in a certain area they need to utilize that gift.
FT: When did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?
DW: Age 6
FT: It is often said that if you can write a short story you can write anything. How true do you think this is and what have you written that either proves or disproves this POV?
DW: I don't know if the statement is true or not, and certainly nothing I've written would prove or disprove the statement.
FT: If someone were to enter a bookshop, how would you persuade them to try your novel over someone else's and how would you define it?
DW: I wouldn't try and persuade anyone to buy my novel over someone else's. I'd definite it as "fiction".
FT: How would you "sell" your book in 20 words or less?
DW: I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing.
FT: Who is a must have on your bookshelf and whose latest release will find you on the bookshops doorstep waiting for it to open?
DW: David Foster Wallace is a must; I run out to buy Douglas Coupland's work.
FT: When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you? ie Do you develop character profiles and outlines for your novels before writing them or do you let your idea's develop as you write?
DW: A little of both. I do write outlines and character profiles, but they are guides and not prisons. Books don't always end the way I think they will.
FT: What do you do to relax and what have you read recently?
DW: I'm pretty diverse in my reading tastes. The last book I read was the "restored" edition of Hemingway's A Moveable Feast edited by Sean Hemingway. I think Mary Hemingway got it right the first time, but I loved the new material.
FT: What is your guiltiest pleasure that few know about?
DW: I collect old RPG materials; ones I couldn't afford when I was a kid.
FT: Lots of writers tend to have pets. What do you have and what are their key traits (and do they appear in your novel in certain character attributes?)
DW: I have a beagle. She's very affectionate and musical but I haven't put her in a book.
FT: Which character within your latest book was the most fun to write and why?
DW: They are all fun to write, but in Kiss of Life Adam's POV was a lot of fun.
FT: How similar to your principle protagonist are you?
DW: There's maybe a passing resemblance.
FT: What hobbies do you have and how do they influence your work?
DW: Running, reading, writing, basketball, music. I think the main thing that hobbies do for me is that they break down the barriers to creativity that exist in our minds likestress and worry. Or maybe they just re-channel them or convert them into fuel.
FT: Where do you get your idea's from?
DW: Everywhere I can. Synapses are firing all the time; the key is recognizing which ones would be interesting to write about.
FT: Do you ever encounter writers block and if so how do you overcome it?
DW: I don't think I've ever been blocked. I usually have a few projects I'm working on at a time so if I get stuck on one I just move on to something else.
FT: Certain authors are renowned for writing at what many would call uncivilised times. When do you write and how do the others in your household feel about it?
DW: I write whenever I can, I love writing. My family is very understanding of this and are good about letting me know when they would prefer that I take a break.
FT: Sometimes pieces of music seem to influence certain scenes within novels, do you have a soundtrack for your tale or is it a case of writing in silence with perhaps the odd musical break in-between scenes?
DW: I usually write with music on; I have a number of iPod playlists that I'll have on in the background.
FT: What misconceptions, if any, did you have about the writing and publishing field when you were first getting started?
DW: I don't think I had any. I have been incredibly pleased with the amount of marketing support that Disney-Hyperion has given me and my work.
FT: What can you tell us about the next novel?
DW: It will be called Passing Strange and Karen has an important role in the novel.
FT: What are the last five internet sites that you've visited?
DW: danielwaters.com,mysocalledundeath.com, facebook, an online book retailer, emusic.
FT: Did you ever take any writing classes or specific instructions to learn the craft? If so please let us know which ones.
DW: I took writing classes in college and was "discovered" at a Borderlands Bootcamp for writers.
FT: How did you get past the initial barriers of criticism and rejection?
DW: I have thick skin and a thicker skull.
FT: In your opinion, what are the best and worst aspects of writing for a living?
DW: Best: the simple act of writing, and the beautiful exchange of being read. Worst:not having enough time to work on all of the projects I want to work on.
