Interview With Author Bob Dupree
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello dear readers! My name is Bob Dupree, and I am the self published author of the Time to Choose! which currently contains 5 books and upcoming Book of Sven series, which I have written 3 but still need to type, edit, and create covers for.
I have lived in many states, including California, New York, Missouri, and South Carolina, and appreciate the fine people all over this country. My background is in education, where I was a teacher for many years. I read great books like How I Met My Monster by Amanda Noll and What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada to students and remembered my love of children’s stories all over again. Unfortunately, I have no skill in illustration and was on a budget, so I decided to write to the early chapter book level instead.
The Time to Choose! series of books came from fond memories of many books in the interactive format, and the Book of Sven series came from wanting to try out an older and more complex world. The more I write, the more I fall in love writing, and hope to continue to do so.
Outside of writing books, I love to read (as so many authors do), and my favorite book of all time is Frank Herbert’s Dune. I also enjoy playing video games, and thankfully our local library buys most of the ones I want to try out! But my number 1 hobby right now has to be playing modern board games like Spirit Island and Summoner Wars. Something about sitting around a table engaging with the people there just rocks my world.
In my personal life, I have a beautiful son who I adore, and I’m close to so many wonderful and supportive friends and family members. They have helped me edit and read through my manuscripts when I couldn’t afford anyone else, and I’m grateful to them.
But most of all, I’m grateful to those who value my work enough to read it. While I write for myself, I publish because I want to fill the world with things that people want to read.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is Time to Choose! Terraforming Mars. Aside from the obvious inspiration of the Choose Your Own Adventure series, I drew from the other obvious inspiration of one of my favorite board games, Terraforming Mars.
My book closest to coming out next is a step in a different direction for me, at around 250 pages and not an interactive adventure book at all! More to come once I’m further in the process.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know, I haven’t stalked anybody when they write! I love to do outlines, all my books have a skeleton before I write the first word, though I don’t stick to the plan 100%. I have several books maps out right now that I haven’t started. I also liked to map out story arcs (think 3-4 chapters) in more detail as I finish each previous arc.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite book, that I first read but did not understand at 7, is Frank Herbert’s Dune. I love that book so much. Stephen King is a big hit for me too, and Robert Jordan is my favorite from the Fantasy side of things. For children’s authors there are way too many to count, I adored reading as a child.
For my writing, obviously R.A. Montgomery’s Choose Your Own Adventure series was the biggest influence, though I’m planning to branch out soon.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a 5 book series called The Book of Sven. It’s a sort of fantasy/sci-fi hybrid story where each book focuses on themes that are central to one of the main cast as the world they are in progresses from swords and sorcery to space travel. This project has been really fun, allowing me to write to all sorts of issues from different points of view. The first book is going through some peer editing, and the next two are written but not typed, and the last two are planned but not written. All in all, it should be a wild ride once it is finished.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a total beginner at promotion. I’ve always liked to write, but hated marketing. I hope websites like Awesome Gang can help me out! My own website where I blog about my writing journey is https://dupreepublishing.wordpress.com/
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day. Even if you have to force it. For awhile I was only writing when I felt like it, and not only did I not ever end up feeling like it, I spent way too much time rereading my own work to catch myself back up. Write every day, and by the time you are done with the book you won’t be able to tell what you wrote on your best day and your worst.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Exactly what I shared above. I’ve heard it from several places, but the first time it stuck for me was when Stephen King was having a conversation with R.R. Martin and he said he writes every day. There are many books I like, but King is a monster in terms of output and I admire him for that.
What are you reading now?
Everything that Brandon Sanderson puts out. All of it, and he needs to make more! I’m also reading the last book of Olson Scott Card’s Ender’s saga. For some reason I never made it to Children of the Mind, thinking it was a trilogy for some reason.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue to self-publish and expand my inventory, learn to promote better, and build enough income to hire illustrators, especially for all the children’s books I wrote before I realized I couldn’t afford to get pictures for them.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Dune, absolutely. I reread almost yearly. I really don’t know after that, nothing jumps out at me as essential. A lot of my favorite books are part of big epic series, and having only one of them would kill me. Ender’s Game is a good standalone, but short. I guess to round it out I’d take one of my favorite King novels, maybe Needful Things. And after that, whatever book I happen to be reading at the time!
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