About D M Murphy:
Watching Rangers trudge through the swamps of Ft. Stewart, Ga., D.M. Murphy, an 18-year-old Army Journalist at the time, asked herself, “What wouldn’t these guys do?” The follow-up question would only enter a writer’s mind: “Would they go to hell and back to rescue someone?”
The idea percolated over decades. Murphy got married, had two kids, and lived in myriad cities. She taught college composition and became a columnist for a daily in Youngstown, Ohio. As the years passed, and the wrinkles appeared, the idea morphed from a bad-ass Ranger storming into hell to a reluctant detective looking for a hero’s journey — not all that different from the author.
What inspires you to write?
Writing is therapy for me, even when it's murder or mystery. In my writing, I grapple with wrongs I've seen done and wrongs I've done. For example, before writing OAK, I read a true crime novel in which a serial murderer killed a little girl. I found it very disturbing, so I set about rewriting that history. In other books, I investigate my shortcomings, give my characters do-overs I would like to have, and try to understand why someone might do something I'll probably never understand. My fantasy novel Down Down Down was all three for me.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
I'm afraid my favorite fantasy authors are very, very, old school. I like Ray Bradbury, H. G. Wells, J. R. Tolkien, Bram Stoker … When I sit down to chill, it's Grisham all the way — love those happy endings.
Tell us about your writing process.
I have tried different methods of writing. For example, Down, Down, Down was organic. I just started writing it and workshopping it in a writer’s group. That meant I ended up having to do a lot of rewriting. For Book 2 of The Beckler Trilogy, I’m front-loading all of the research and planning. I'm using Scrivener to create a roadmap all the way to the end — I hope!
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I don't listen to or talk to my characters per se. However, a little bit of me is in each character. Some aspect of my being invades their persona. That is how I take the adage, write about what you know.
What advice would you give other writers?
The best advice I've ever given myself, and later saw other writers give, is to not worry about getting the first draft right. You have to be willing to write sh**. You can always find a kernel in there later that will launch the actual book/chapter/scene.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Unfortunately, this isn't a great time for publishers and as a result new authors. There is so much competition by way of entertainment that a publisher's resources seem better spent on a sure thing (speaking of Grisham). But there are other reasons to self-publish. You really have the ultimate say and that is intoxicating. Of course, if you're wise, you still use editors and proofreaders, but in the end, it's up to you what gets published.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I'm at least very interested in the evolution of A.I. in writing. Even in the last few months, I've seen it improve wildly. It is both exciting and mortifying!
What genres do you write?: fantasy, suspense, nonfiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
D M Murphy Home Page Link
Link To D M Murphy Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
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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.
