Ask the Author: Darren T. Patrick
Answered Questions (3)
Darren T. Patrick
I think the best advice I could give would be to approach the "business" of writing/publishing with the longer term in mind. It isn't a race and (I think I speak for most of us writers out there) it most definitely isn't a get rich quick thing. It's about the passion... about wanting to tell the story you were meant to tell. In my mind, if a new author sticks to writing what s/he loves, not necessarily what s/he thinks is "going to sell", they will set themselves up for a very rewarding journey.
Darren T. Patrick
My most recent book is the second book in The Rithhek Cage Trilogy: The Peregrine Prophecy. I’m about two-thirds of the way through the first draft of the final book of the trilogy.
Where did the idea come from? Well... the first rumblings I felt about writing my own stuff came shortly after reading The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I was about twelve at the time and remember it well - my mother had recently come home from the local mall and dropped a paperback on my bed with some really cool artwork on the cover. I didn’t know what fantasy fiction was, but believe me, I sure as heck wanted to know what Elfstones were! It was my first literary introduction (outside of playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends… all fantasy writers did at some point, right?) to mystical creatures, magical weapons, strange worlds and even stranger races.
I devoured it.
And when I was done, I remember thinking how cool it would be if I could one day write something that took people to another place like the way I had been. So that’s what I did - I wrote. Mind you, like many authors I know, life “got in the way” and unfortunately my writing stepped aside to let that happen.
Fast-forward twenty-four years since Elfstones found its way to my room, and that’s when I decided—seriously—to reacquaint myself with the craft. Three years later, The Cloudstone Key was born (the child of a great deal of planning and forethought). For those that pick up any of my books, it is my sincere hope that they will be transported away to that mystical place - that place which enables the suspension of disbelief and drops them into a far away land and all that comes with it!
Where did the idea come from? Well... the first rumblings I felt about writing my own stuff came shortly after reading The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I was about twelve at the time and remember it well - my mother had recently come home from the local mall and dropped a paperback on my bed with some really cool artwork on the cover. I didn’t know what fantasy fiction was, but believe me, I sure as heck wanted to know what Elfstones were! It was my first literary introduction (outside of playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends… all fantasy writers did at some point, right?) to mystical creatures, magical weapons, strange worlds and even stranger races.
I devoured it.
And when I was done, I remember thinking how cool it would be if I could one day write something that took people to another place like the way I had been. So that’s what I did - I wrote. Mind you, like many authors I know, life “got in the way” and unfortunately my writing stepped aside to let that happen.
Fast-forward twenty-four years since Elfstones found its way to my room, and that’s when I decided—seriously—to reacquaint myself with the craft. Three years later, The Cloudstone Key was born (the child of a great deal of planning and forethought). For those that pick up any of my books, it is my sincere hope that they will be transported away to that mystical place - that place which enables the suspension of disbelief and drops them into a far away land and all that comes with it!
Darren T. Patrick
Being able to dream, create, and share your stories with others. There's no greater reward for an author (in my view) to have - and hear from - readers out there who enjoy your work.
Another thing I’ve found about being an author in today's "social media world" is the speed and ease in which you can test ideas with your friends, family and readers. In fact, the title for my second book -The Peregrine Prophecy - was one of four choices that I tested on Facebook and Twitter; it won the day.
Another thing I’ve found about being an author in today's "social media world" is the speed and ease in which you can test ideas with your friends, family and readers. In fact, the title for my second book -The Peregrine Prophecy - was one of four choices that I tested on Facebook and Twitter; it won the day.
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