About DJ Slater:
DJ Slater is a Milwaukee native with a love for sharing stories. He wrote his first in third grade followed by several more during his school years, mostly about dinosaurs and an ambitious detective. His passion for writing took him on an appropriate career path – journalism, magazines and marketing.
He has a BA in journalism and history from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. His career path includes roles at DeanHouston, KHL Publications, and the Wausau Daily Herald, and stints at The Washington Post, Wisconsin State Journal, and Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Legend Has It" is his first novel. www.djslaterauthor.com
When not writing, he loves acting, singing, movies, his family, friends and (not surprisingly) haunted house attractions. A special shoutout to his late Grandma Barb, who told him to write his stories down.
What inspires you to write?
As a kid, I was constantly reading or watching movies, getting swept up in the stories. I love the feeling of wonder that comes from a great book or movie. During those youthful years, one TV show always intrigued me – The Twilight Zone. These timeless tales focused heavily on story. Eventually, I started wondering what I would do if I was in control of a story's direction. I would imagine a book or movie playing out differently and seeing if that would have made it more satisfying. Eventually, I started writing short stories in grade school, many of which were inspired by the things I read or saw. Today, my inspiration comes from simple ideas. I have a lot of "what if" moments and then my mind starts churning.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
This is a tough one because I don't have a bona fide favorite author. If I had to choose, I would go with Agatha Christie because I'm fond of a good murder mystery, and my favorite story of hers is And Then There Were None. I would call Rod Serling my favorite writer because his stories on The Twilight Zone still stick with me (and so many others) today. Stephen King would also be up there as a favorite because his mark on the horror genre is undeniable and many of his stories are great reads.
Tell us about your writing process.
I have a hybrid approach to my writing process. I'll plot out a story in my head first and start writing down the general overview or structure of the story. I tend to discover the beginning and end of the story in the early going and then spend more time than I care to admit on everything in between. I generally like to have a quasi-detailed outline before I start writing and then let myself and the characters discover the story as I go. I will also outline the characters so I understand where they are coming from and what they want. As the story unfolds, I tend to discover things I wasn't expecting. Another fun attribute of my process is I see my story as a movie in my head. I watch different takes until I see something I like and then describe it. I had a friend describe my style as cinematic. That feels accurate.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I can't say that I do, but I've heard of many authors that do. I'm not saying I wouldn't give it a try, but it's not something I've tapped into. At least, not yet.
What advice would you give other writers?
Keep writing. Seriously, it's the best piece of advice I can give or listen to. There were so many moments in my journey where it felt easier to quit and do something else. But if you keep writing, you'll keep getting better. You don't really notice it until you look back at your older work and then compare it to your latest stuff. So yeah, there's plenty of writing advice, but the best thing you can do as a writer is keep writing.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I went the traditional route of signing with a publisher. I know many people who have gone the self publish route, but for me, I wanted a publisher in my corner to assist me with the process. As I've learned, there are so many aspects to publishing a novel. It's not as simple as writing a novel and then sending it off for publication. Marketing a book alone is like a full-time job, and I'm still learning so much about how everything works. If I went at it alone, I would likely be fine, but the depth of my knowledge wouldn't be what it is today.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
We're in an interesting time with the rise of AI. I understand the application of AI in certain industries, but it doesn't serve much of a function in writing a novel. The technology will continue to advance, but it would be useless without inputs. AI needs inputs from other writers to compile text to make stories, whereas the best work always comes from a writer and author's mind. Because headspace is unique to each individual. There's only one Paul Tremblay or Dean Koontz or R.L. Stine. AI can't replace writers, yet there are some who don't agree with me on that. What you'll likely see are AI-generated stories and content in the coming years and all of it will have a similar feel and style. Original, unique stories will stand out even more in such a landscape. You tend to remember when a new concept or original story grabbed you and never let go. AI can generate words faster than any human, but it will always lack soul.
What genres do you write?: Horror
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
DJ Slater Home Page Link
Link To DJ Slater Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on BookBub
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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.
