Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing for many years, beginning with short stories published in prominent and not-so-prominent Science Fiction magazines: Space & Time and Shayol, among others. In July 1981 I sold my first published story, Timestopper, to Amazing Stories. Now, like many modern writers, I’ve chosen to directly publish my novels and short-story collections. I currently have two novels published along with two short-story collections, and they’ll all available almost everywhere in ebook or paperback formats. The novels are also available in hard cover. I’m also working on a sequel to my second novel, “To Summon The Blackbird,” and hope to finish it by the end of the year.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “To Summon The Blackbird,” published in January 2015. Oddly enough, the inspiration for the story came from a popular song in the 1970s, “The Raven,” by The Alan Parsons Project. The song itself was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, and I include a few lines from it in the novel.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to polish a scene and a chapter before I move on to the next. The little details that editing can add to a scene often inspire other details or even plot deviations in later chapters. Most writers, I think, prefer to write a quick and loose first draft of the entire story before they get down to the editing and polishing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
That’s easy, it’s even in my bio: Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, John W. Campbell, Larry Niven and Harlan Ellison.
What are you working on now?
I’m about a third of the way into a sequel to “To Summon The Blackbird.”
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Twitter a lot, and interaction with readers and authors on Goodreads. To a lesser degree, I also use Facebook and Google+.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you love writing, just keep at it, never quit. That probably makes me a hypocrite, since I did quit about twenty-five years ago. But I picked it up again in 2013 when I found out about the self-publishing process. Much easier than submitting to editors, and having to wait, sometimes for years, for a reply.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I read a lot of books and articles about writing over the years, and found a lot of good advice, but after all these years, no one piece of advice stands out.
What are you reading now?
“Time to Hunt,” by Stephen Hunter.
What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing until I’m too old to remember my name.
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?
Four books of large-format atlases. Then I could lash them together and make a raft.
Author Websites and Profiles
Ken Doggett Website
Ken Doggett Amazon Profile
Ken Doggett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account