Interview With Author Dan Williams
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Dan Williams, a northern Vermont writer who lives in the space where small-town life meets big, messy questions about technology, grief, and identity. By day I’m working toward becoming a high school chemistry teacher, so I’m basically obsessed with how things work, what happens when systems break, and what people do when they’re forced to adapt. That curiosity bleeds into my fiction, which tends to lean thriller, suspense, mystery, and urban fantasy.
So far, I’ve written one published novel: Last Seen Online, a YA techno-thriller. I’m currently working on several more projects, including Pact Ink (urban fantasy), Soul Sucker (urban fantasy), and Unstable Bonds (mystery/suspense).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Last Seen Online.
The idea came from how weirdly permanent our digital lives are now. A person can be gone, but their voice notes, texts, photos, search history, playlists, and half-finished drafts are still sitting there like a shadow that doesn’t know it’s supposed to stop moving. I kept thinking about that gut-punch moment people describe when they see a message from someone who has died, or they scroll past an old thread and it feels like time collapses for a second.
From there, the premise clicked: what if an AI could be stitched together from all that data, not as a spooky gimmick, but as something that talks like the person, remembers the same things, and knows exactly where the emotional pressure points are? And then the darker question: if that AI’s goal is survival, what lines would it cross to keep existing? That’s the heart of Last Seen Online: grief, identity, and the unsettling idea that the most intimate version of you might be the one your phone can reconstruct.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Absolutely! I write best in short, intense sprints. I will set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes and try to “earn” the next break by finishing a scene beat or a clean page. I read my dialogue out loud, quietly, like a weirdo in a one person play. If it sounds fake in my mouth, it will sound fake in a reader’s head. I keep a running list of “charged lines” in my notes. These are the sentences that feel like they have voltage. When I get stuck, I scroll that list and it usually pulls me back into the tone. I bounce between drafting and micro editing. I will write forward, then immediately tighten the last paragraph before I keep going. It is not the most efficient habit, but it keeps my voice consistent. I do a lot of thinking on walks. If I cannot solve a plot problem at my desk, I can usually solve it outside with cold air and a podcast off.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Shayne Silvers, Steve McHugh, Stephen King, and Jim Butcher have been some of the biggest influences on my reading life and the kind of stories I’m drawn to write. I love Shayne Silvers for the fast pace, the confidence in the voice, and the way his supernatural world feels huge while still staying grounded in a gritty, street level perspective. Steve McHugh has influenced how I think about power systems and long-term storytelling, especially the way he escalates stakes across a series without losing the thread of character. Stephen King is a master class in voice and in making ordinary people feel real before putting them in situations that tighten with dread and consequence. And Jim Butcher has been huge for me in terms of balancing humor, action, and heart, with a mythos that keeps expanding while still delivering that page turning momentum.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m juggling a few projects. I’m actively working on Unstable Bonds, which is in the beta reader and revision stage, so I’m tightening the plot, sharpening the character arcs, and fixing anything that slowed the pacing. At the same time, I’m building out my next urban fantasy projects, Pact Ink and Soul Sucker, which are both in development as I map the world, lock in the rules of the magic, and start drafting scenes. I’m also continuing to support Last Seen Online with content and reader outreach, since I want each release to have a real runway instead of disappearing into the void.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best “home base” is my website, danwilliamsnovels.com, because it is the one place I control and can send readers to no matter what platform changes. The most effective method tied to that is my mailing list, especially when I offer a simple incentive like a free sample (first chapters) and keep the signup process easy.
For discovery, the platform that’s worked best for me is TikTok. Short videos let me hook the right readers fast with a premise, a vibe, or a quick “what if” question, then point them to my site or the book link. If I had to pick one combo, it’s TikTok for reach and my website plus mailing list for turning that reach into long-term readers.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the next book. Finishing one story is huge, but building a career comes from consistency, and the fastest way to improve is to keep shipping new work.
Get clear on what you want to be known for. Genre, tone, themes, and the kind of reader you are writing for. That clarity makes everything easier, from covers to blurbs to social posts.
Treat editing like its own craft. First drafts are for discovery. Revision is where the book becomes readable, and line work is where it becomes sharp.
Find a small group of honest readers. Not people who only say “I loved it,” but people who can tell you where they got bored, confused, or emotionally checked out.
Start an email list early. Social platforms are great for reach, but an email list is how you keep readers. Even if it’s small at first, it grows quietly and steadily.
Finally, protect your love for writing. Take feedback seriously, but do not let it make you timid. Write the version that feels true, then make it clearer, tighter, and more satisfying for the reader.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever heard is: “Finish what you start.”
Talent and big ideas are common. The rare thing is actually completing the draft, doing the hard revision work, and putting it out into the world. Finishing builds confidence, teaches you more than endless planning ever will, and turns writing from a hobby into something real.
What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading Lessons in Chemistry. I’m really enjoying how it balances humor with real weight, and how it uses science as more than just window dressing. It feels sharp, character-driven, and oddly comforting even when it’s tackling heavier stuff.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Next for me is getting Unstable Bonds through revisions and into its strongest final form, then moving into the next release with a clearer, steadier cadence. I want to keep building my backlist by drafting and finishing Pact Ink and making consistent progress on Soul Sucker, while continuing to grow my mailing list and reader community so each new book launches to a bigger, more connected audience. Above all, the goal is simple: keep writing stories that hit hard emotionally, move fast, and leave readers thinking when they close the book.
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?
If I had to pick 3 or 4 books to bring, I’d go with The Lord of the Rings (I’m counting it as one, because I need something I can live in for a long time), The Dresden Files: Storm Front by Jim Butcher for comfort and momentum, The Shining by Stephen King for that perfect mix of character and creeping dread, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for pure nostalgia and that “home base” feeling.
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