About Daniel Arthur Smith:
Daniel Arthur Smith is the author of the international bestsellers HUGH HOWEY LIVES, THE CATHARI TREASURE, THE SOMALI DECEPTION, and a few other novels and short stories.
He was raised in Michigan and graduated from Western Michigan University where he studied philosophy, with focus on cognitive science, meta-physics, and comparative religion. He began his career as a bartender, barista, poetry house proprietor, teacher, and then became a technologist and futurist for the Fortune 100 across the Americas and Europe.
Daniel has traveled to over 300 cities in 22 countries, residing in Los Angeles, Kalamazoo, Prague, Crete, and now writes in Manhattan where he lives with his wife and young sons.
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What inspires you to write?
I am fortunate enough to have a wonderful wife, two young sons, have had the pleasure to know some absolute superhero friends, and on top of that, live in the center of Manhattan. All of those privileges allow a barrage of material to fly my way. A question from my son while on a walk in Central Park or a short drive across town can lead to an incredible yarn (This week we discussed the living habits of leprechauns). The fellow passengers on a city bus can become clandestine operatives in some stealth heist. Or a blog post, as was the case for my novella Hugh Howey Lives, can open a floodgate.
Tell us about your writing process.
I usually have an epiphany of a story or character. I then do an information dump of my vision, followed by first broad stroke cuts and then detailed carving. Everything I write must pass my wife and my editor before it is shared with anyone else. Larger projects, such as series, require outlining of at least one lead line, i.e. Hero goes to Dubai to rendezvous with a contact at the camel track that will lead him to where the Warlord is hiding. Recently I’ve also started a pinterest and tumblr account to gather collateral to help with descriptions.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I give all of my characters detailed activities and expression and then read them out loud. I have rewritten the entire dialogue of characters to fine tune them.
What advice would you give other writers?
Travel, observe, and write. Write everyday.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Writing has always been a life plan, never a second thought. I grew up reading a ton of science fiction and fantasy and then around twelve, philosophy, mostly existential stuff at first, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, stuff like that. I was raised in a rural area surrounded by books and then moved a round a lot, ever fascinated in what was over the next hill, and even more so in the Human Condition. My first stories were science fiction with heavy moral undertones, mimics of what I was reading. My university education in cognitive studies was philosophy and writing intensive, the creative byproduct of which was more stories of similar theme, as well as experimentation in literary fiction, horror, and AI, which eventually coalesced into novels.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The industry continues to evolve yet as long as people read, there will always be a market for books.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: science fiction, adventure, slipstream, literary fiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Daniel Arthur Smith Home Page Link
Link To Daniel Arthur Smith Page On Amazon
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
