Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In between writing books I fill my not-so-busy schedule with the practising of martial arts, mountain biking, paddle surfing, weight lifting, and of course HBO, PS4 and increasing the size of my beloved personal library. I have written a total of four books. The first two were lacking, to say the least; the third was seemingly endless and without any actual plot—I realized that after almost a year of writing and five hundred pages in. The fourth book I wrote is Fire and Sword, and it will be available on September 1st.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The plot and characters of Fire and Sword came to me while I was bed ridden with the West Nile virus through the month of September and early October of 2014. I was in a dark place and I was reading some dark psychedelic stuff from a wide range of genres. I read Neuromancer for the first time, and I was also reading “meditations,” by Marcus Aurelius, a non-fiction that describes the core ideas of the stoic school of philosophy. Of course I was also reading my literary bread and butter which is anything by Bernard Cornwell, the great historical fiction author responsible for the “Sharpe” series. Somehow the combination of what I was reading and the semi-delusional state I was in from my ailment led to the creation of Fire and Sword.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Before I put any words on the page, a few weeks of being mostly alone with majority of my waking hours spent visualizing the world I am about to create is required if I hope to get anything good. I can’t just sit down and write, I need to in someway believe the story is part of my life, that I am the characters, all of them. When I am able to get emotional on their behalf, when I care about their future, I can write.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I started reading late, I was eight and I had a hard time with anything and everything. That continued right up until the age of sixteen, I had never read a book cover to cover because it took me too long and I would rather have been doing other things i.e. getting into trouble. This was until I—for a reason I can’t remember— selected the book The Magus by John Fowles for my grade twelve book report. This is not a light read, not even close, but after the first chapter, for the first time in my life I was driven to read every damn word of a book. When I was done, I was changed. The book simultaneously made me feel insignificant and fragile, whilst filling my head with the ambition of one day possessing great knowledge, enough knowledge to create worlds that breathe and bleed. I could go on to name over a hundred influential books since my first true read, but that is the one that matters. It signifies an end and a beginning. It planted the seeds of my dreams.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the second instalment of the Sword and Sorcery saga, which I hope to release some time in early winter. I am also working on an unnamed fantasy project, and an unnamed post-apocalyptic.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My site www.dylandoose.com will have the most information for purchasing, and it will be updated with free chapters of my books. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, watch, and listen like a student. When you read a novel, take every sentence further, always ask why. Always try to understand the reason the author wrote what they did and how the words are working on you. When you watch film and television do the same, dissect the plot and the characters, get to know them with every piece of evidence the production is providing you as the viewer. And let music inspire you, let it darken and brighten you. If you dedicate your soul, your happiness, your bitterness and your ambition to the arts, like pagan gods they will reward you with insight.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.” -Joe Abercrombie.
This is a quote from the legendary barbarian Logen Ninefingers; this character has given me a great deal of life advice.
What are you reading now?
I am currently devouring the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The long road to becoming a wizard.
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