Interview Yourself #11: Inspiration and Learnings

Hi, folks! Today, I’m continuing with a new, unique series of posts. In the coming weeks, I’m going to be interviewing myself using pre-written questions from other blog sites, like these ones via The Wordsmith’s Forge.

It’s going to be a lot of fun, and a great way for me to reveal a little bit more about myself, my writing and my habits. Are you ready? Good – let’s get started.

 

 

What is the most important thing that people DON’T know about your subject/genre, that they need to know?

I think people need to know that I work across a bunch of different genres. They should expect different things from different books!

 

What inspires you?

I like to think that I sort of filter inspiration through from a bunch of different sources, from Netflix shows to dreams, music, books, friends and family. It’s hard to say where it comes from – it’s just there!

 

How did you get to be where you are in your life today?

Lots of hard work and antisocial evenings. Don’t ask me this question because I’m still not really sure where I am. Is anyone?

 

Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work?  What impact have they had on your writing?

I read a wide variety of authors, but I’ve always admired the way that Charles Bukowski uses simple language to convey a lot of atmosphere and emotion. I don’t necessarily try to emulate that, but I do like keeping things relatively simple.

 

What did you find most useful in learning to write?  What was least useful or most destructive?

The best plan is to read and write as much as you can. I think even when something doesn’t feel useful at the time, it often pays back in the future.

 

Dane Cobain

 

Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?

I write in the evenings and weekends, but I want to transition into making a living out of it by the time that I’m thirty.

 

What are some day jobs that you have held? If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.

Since leaving university, I’ve worked in social media marketing. If you’ve read Former.ly or Social Paranoia then you’ll see how it’s affected it! But it’s also taught me some stuff about marketing that I’ve applied to promoting my own work.

 

For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start?

Each of my books is so different that this is a hard one to answer. But if you’re new to my writing then I reckon Former.ly is as good as any.

 

How do you feel about ebooks vs. print books and alternative vs. conventional publishing?

Personally, I only read physical books, but ebooks have been useful when it comes to marketing because a lot of reviewers will accept them. When it comes to alternative versus conventional, both have their advantages and their disadvantages. But with conventional publishing, you’re guaranteed a certain amount of success because the marketing budgets are larger.

 

What do you think is the future of reading/writing?

I think we’re living through an interesting time, because the potential for innovation and new work is almost infinite and because readers are dictating the market more than ever before. There are going to be lots more amazing books out there, and a lot more awful ones. Only the readers will decide which ones we remember.

 

Dane Cobain – Come On Up to the House

 

So there we have it – that’s the latest instalment of Interview Yourself over and done with! Thanks, as always, for reading, and be sure to keep your browser pointed to DaneCobain.com. You can also sign up to my mailing list, follow me on Facebook and Twitter or check out my books for further info. I’ll see you soon!