I Suck at Titles But There’s an Awesome Interview With Author Joshua Dall In This Post

Within the last year or two I started sharing my writing through social media. I believe it was last year that I created an instagram for my writing, for some reason I thought my writing was worth sharing with the world (I know this shit doesn’t matter, just hang tight, it gets better I promise). Anyway, I AM SO GLAD I made the decision to share my writing because I have met so many amazing people and writers through this journey and I don’t know what I would do without these people now. One of the awesome writers I have met through writing is Joshua Dall. When I found his poetry I was honestly blown away. I could feel the emotion through his words and anyone reading his poetry can see that his work comes straight from his heart. I became an instant fan of his because he has a true talent and passion for writing that shines through each and every one of his poems. After awhile of following him on instagram, I was lucky enough to get the chance to do a few collaborations with him. I later saw that he had a novel out so I bought it because how could I not? I was blown away by his poetry and considering the fact that Chand hit #1 on Amazon for New Releases, Psychology, and Mental Illness, I just had to. After reading Chand, I was again, blown away. Chand opened my eyes to a whole new world, yet opened doors I had closed long ago. It broke my heart, it made me laugh, and I was on the edge of my seat numerous times throughout reading it. I strongly suggest buying a copy!

Joshua Dall

Below is the super awesome interview I had with Joshua Dall

Tell me a little bit about yourself. (Where are you from? Age? What do you write? etc.) 

I was born and raised right in Orono, Maine. It’s a peaceful college town, nothing big. I’ve spent my whole life here and I can honestly say I love it. It fits me well, I’m proud to be from Orono. I’m a 22 year old born on November 7, 1991. I believe you have the same birthday? I might have done some research on it.

I write about anything and everything at this point. I hate to stay stuck writing about the same shit, it gets boring. I like to challenge myself with any writing piece I do. The goal when writing for me is to always write something better than the last piece of work I did.

What does your writing process look like?

My writing process is chaotic to say the least. When it comes to writing stories, I usually plan out the plot and characters and overall tone of the story, but that’s the only type of organization I have. My brain works weird, I’ll be writing something for the beginning of the story and mid-way through doing that, I’ll come up with the ending or a great scene in the middle and I’ll scratch the idea down for later. It sounds confusing but it’s how I operate. With poetry on the other hand, I never plan my poems, they just happen randomly at the oddest of times. I’ll hear a word or I’ll see something interesting and instantly my brain starts clicking and I form the poem right in my head. Since my ideas come so randomly and my memory isn’t what it used to be, I have to stop whatever I’m doing and write my poems down on my phone. I can proudly say that the notepad app on the iPhone gets a lot of use.

Do you have any strange writing habits?

Besides the sporadic thinking patterns and random ideas, the only real odd habit I have when I write is that I have to be alone. I can’t think straight and it’s difficult with someone near me, especially when they are talking. Sometimes I have to suck it up and just write if I’m around people when the idea is that good. But with Chand for instance, whether it was editing or writing it, I literally would be locked away in my room alone with the lights off. I’d have the tv on some random show but I wouldn’t pay attention to it. So to basically sum up what I just said… if I’m writing, leave me the fuck alone. (Can I swear? If not, I’m sure you can block the cuss words out with asterisks.)*

*I had to leave that in there because it made me laugh. If anyone gets offended by language, I apologize. There are far worse things in the world to get offended by though, just sayin’.

How long have you been writing? Have you always enjoyed writing?

I really can’t say I’ve been writing long. Growing up I always liked English class and language arts throughout grade school, but I never loved it. I was a lazy student to say the least. But in high school my senior year, I took a poetry class…not because I liked poetry, but because I needed to take a class because I had too many study halls. I actually really ended up enjoying it though. At that point I had lost my grandfather months prior and it being my first time dealing with death on that sort of level and how close I was to him…it was a rough time period. Only way I would vent my sadness or anger was to write about it. I’d write all my pent up frustrations out basically. I owe it to that class for showing me that writing was a good outlet for dealing with things. Once I graduated though, I had no care to really write much after. Instead of going right to college, I decided to work instead…I did end up enrolling into college the next year though. In the short time I was in college, my two English professors reminded me of how much fun writing was again. But that’s only when I’d write, for school…never on my own.

Late summer of 2012 though, I was going through a lot of negative things in my personal life. All that negative shit became so unbearable that it drove me crazy. I was willing to do whatever to help me cope…writing once again entered my life. I began writing Chand at that point and since that day, one summer night in 2012…I haven’t stopped writing and I don’t plan to stop as long as I’m living.

How do you overcome writer’s block?

I’ve really only had writers block one time…for an extended period of time, partly due to liquor and that my mind was just warped at the time. It was so hard to focus on writing Chand that I actually stopped writing the story itself and just started writing what I felt like throughout the day. I’d scribble my emotions and feelings down constant. The emotions and overall feelings talked about in Chand with Miles is actually based off of those notes I wrote down about myself. Once I sobered up and began climbing out of the dark abyss that I was stuck in, I was eventually able to start writing the actual book again. Ever since then though, I’ve never had writers block again. Everything just comes to me naturally with easiness. I credit the clarity my mind has now a lot with my writing abilities. Like, I feel as if my writing now is the strongest it has ever been…a lot of factors and changes in my personal life are to thank for that.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I don’t think I’m ever not writing. Like I said, it’s always constant thinking. I’m always looking for ways to get better as a writer. It’s my top priority in life. It’s what I truly love doing…but if you want me to stick to the guidelines of this interview Q&A then I guess my answer would be sleep. I literally try to sleep as much as I can and I say that because it’s the only time when my mind is relaxed and isn’t working at a warp speed with shit I stress over. And if sleep isn’t a solid answer, I just like to relax. Whether it’s with my tiny circle of a few friends, my brother, my parents, the dogs, or by myself…I just like to relax and try to not stress over things…doesn’t happen a lot within 7 days though.

What authors/people/life events have inspired you to write? 

The authors/writers that have inspired me up to this point isn’t a long list really. Edgar Allan Poe is a definite inspiration to me because of his style of writing. The darkness he always spins within his poems and short stories still gets me when I read his work. Stephen King would be a slight inspiration as well in a way. I can’t say I relate or write about the stuff he writes, but I respect him. The stuff he comes up with is great stuff, he obviously will go down as one of the best authors of all time. And for the record, I’m not just saying Stephen King because he’s from Maine and his house is fifteen miles away from my house…I really do think he’s a literary genius.

When it comes to other inspirations outside of the literature realm, I’d have to say that Tupac Shakur would be one because the man showed you real life. He showed you struggle. He spoke his mind and never really cared because his opinion was that important to him…I admire that. A few others would be Eminem…if you know me…you’ll know that he is my all time favorite musician. And again for the record, I’ve been listening to him since 1999 not just recently like most people. I remember getting made fun of for listening to him. Now though, all those same people that made fun of me…now act like they’re his biggest fan. But that’s beyond the point, the point is that much like Tupac, Eminem tells detailed stories with his music, he makes you think and feel things. I love music that does that. Another inspiration would be Kurt Cobain simply because he was such a creative writer with his lyrics. He was deep with his words without really trying. He was an incredible talent that sadly left too soon. It would’ve been interesting to see how he would’ve grown as a musician if he didn’t pass away so early.

If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?



That’s a tough one! I never really thought about who would play the characters. I think with Miles, and I don’t know if it’s because he’s loosely based off of me or if I want to be in a movie, but for Miles King I would cast myself. I don’t think anyone could play the role as good as I could…although I’m starting to think that Liam Hemsworth could do a solid job. Either him or me!

For Corbin I think that Keir Gilchrist would be perfect.

For Estella I’d love it to be Anna Kendrick. She’s very talented! She’s also from Maine so she would be able to give the Estella character a lot of life and realness. She’d be perfect.

For minor characters, I think Aunt Sherry would be Jamie Lee Curtis, Annabelle would be Emma Stone,

Kaitlyn would be Amanda Seyfried.

Officer Brock Kenny would be Kevin Costner.

Those are the only ones right now that I can think of and be sold on each character and their movie counterpart.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

My best accomplishment was actually finishing Chand. In life I’ve always started things and never finished them. I would always quit on whatever it was I’m doing and myself for whatever reason or excuse I had. Like I said earlier, at one point I thought the book was just going to be something I’d start but never finish as always. But somehow I found it in myself to not give up and complete it. I’m proud of myself for that.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In ten years I see myself being the same bad ass motherfucker I am now….Oh wait, this interview is suppose to be completely honest isn’t it? Well in that case, I think I’ll be doing almost the same thing I’m doing now; being myself and enjoying what time I have here. I’m a simple person when you get to know me. Simplicity is key to maintaining sanity in my life. I try not to think that far ahead though, I just want to focus on what’s going on right now.

What is your biggest goal as an author?

My biggest goals are as follows: I want to connect with my readers. I want to evoke as much emotion out of you when you read my work. If I can make you angry, sad, happy, whatever the emotion…then my goal is met. I want to be a voice for those without one. I want my writing to be someone’s escape from the harshness of reality. I want to entertain the reader. I want to inspire others. I want people to think. I want to nest in the brains of my readers and flip their world upside down. Those are my goals. I can’t just have one goal.

What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?

I’d say be yourself. Don’t try to be something you’re not. If you’re scared of someone not liking you for who you are and how you write or what you write about, then fuck them. They aren’t worth the worry. I know it can be stressful sharing your work, but you have to not care what people will think. Other people’s opinions tend to make others kill off their true self. Don’t let that happen. Be you. That’s all you can ask from yourself. Write about whatever you want, don’t worry if you think what you write is bad, because I’m sure there is someone out there that would actually like it. Don’t be hard on yourself, the only other thing more deadlier than someone’s opinion is your own…remember that.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them whether or not they are good or bad? 

I read everything. Reviews, comments, emails, tweets, texts…I read all of it. I’m not going to lie and pretend that I don’t care about that stuff…I care a lot actually.

Do you have any advice for other authors on how to deal with bad reviews?

First you have to decipher the difference between constructive criticism and someone being an asshole. Constructive criticism can be a good thing actually, take it at face value. It’s there to help, not make you feel bad. If someone criticizes you and is doing it to be an asshole just to upset you, then ignore it. Don’t buy into it because that’s what they want. They want to break you down for whatever stupid reason. I always hated hearing criticism, but with time I’ve learned that it was actually to help me.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?

I don’t think so. Everything is fair game to me. If I feel I can write about it and have it have meaning behind it, then I’ll write about it. I tend to cross the lines as is, so controversy and all that won’t stop me. I’m a believer of using your voice to speak up about anything you desire. Chand explored mental illness and suicide…both of which are controversial topics and people tend to sweep those topics under the rug because the idea that those topics are generalized as are things normal people don’t want to think about. It was important for me to write about those subjects, not only because it’s important to me, but also because it’s important stuff that should be talked about more daily but isn’t.

If you limit the things you write about, you’re only limiting yourself and your art. Don’t be afraid to cross those lines at times. If people get mad or upset…oh well they’ll get over it. If it means something to you, regardless the topic, write it.

What is the harshest criticism you have received so far? What is the best compliment you have received so far? (About your writing/book)

The harshest criticism so far with my work is actually a pretty funny story. On my second pressings of Chand something happened causing the unedited version to end up in publication and I had no idea. This version was the one I used for my proof copies while editing so it had a lot of issues, whether it be misspellings or misplaced character names. I gave a dear friend of mine a copy, and as soon as she began reading she kept telling me about all these errors and shit. She basically told me it sucked. At first I didn’t understand and just thought she found the book that terrible. So I ended up looking at a copy from the shipment I got sent to me and I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was so right. It was shit. So now I’m stressing out because I no longer had the final copy file anymore, so I had to go through and re-do all the errors using that shitty copy as my guide. It was a sigh of relief when I fixed it and made it perfect again. If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve had no idea that had happened. She literally saved my ass and writing career basically. So in reality my worst criticism I’ve gotten from the book ended up helping me out big time. If it wasn’t for her I’d still be clueless and would have the wrong version of Chand out now.

Where is one place you want to visit that you have never been before?

Iowa… I’d also love to visit Detroit and Los Angeles.

What is something you want to accomplish before you die?

I could die right now and be happy with what I’ve accomplished so far. I’ve exceeded my expectations for my life already. There’s a few things I’d love to achieve in the future, but if those don’t happen I won’t be upset because I’ve already done what I set out to do. Upon saying that, that doesn’t mean I’m no longer giving a shit or don’t try as hard because I’ve accomplished what I wanted to. Everyday is a new opportunity to get better at life in general.

Are there any writers you have discovered through your writing journey that you feel the world needs to know about? Who? Where can we find them? What are your favorite books/pieces they’ve written?

Oh definitely. There’s so many. I love all their work so it would be hard to say my favorite pieces but I mean Adrian Michael Green is amazing, Karen is very creative, Marvin Bell has his poetra coming soon, Eric Ian Huffman is very deep with his words, Anabela Loureiro is a writer through and through, Rebecca S. has her Enthralled novel series, which I’m excited for the second one to come out when she’s finished writing it! Rainee C. Baldwin is very good and also seductive with her poems, I’m a big fan of her. Kelly writes beautiful haikus, Stephanie Turner gets me at times with her poetry, Brianna is a writer I just discovered who I enjoy very much. She’s great. Wenston is someone I’m a fan of as well. I can’t forget about my good friend S.E. Dalton, I’ve seen him grow with his writing and I couldn’t be more proud. I can’t wait for him to release his book. He’s definitely someone who deserves credit. Then there’s you…I think we’ve worked together? Like I said, I’m a fan of yours for life. From Kichante, Dana Jesko, TheSpiritofPoetry, Michael Warner, David John Smith, RJNP, ParallaxTheater… my list goes on and on. All these talented writers can be found on Instagram, they are all worth checking out! If I forgot anyone, it’s nothing personal, my brain can only process a few names on the spot like this, I’ll get you next time!

So, how do you like your coffee?

With coffee ideally, I prefer hazelnut with extra cream. I’m not big on sugar, but I won’t drink coffee without extra cream. I’m weird like that. When it comes to ice coffee, I’m not picky about my flavors, anything tastes great to me when it’s on ice. Shoutout to DunkinD! …where’s my free lifetime coffee pass?

So you have yet to mention that your novel Chand hit #1 on Amazon! Tell us all about it, even though it’s like totally not a big deal or anything.



Being an indie author, big numbers or even much noise isn’t really expected, especially with a first time author. But through self promotion and really trying my hardest to gain a following, that was the only way I’d thrive. I remember before Chand released I was hoping I’d sell at least ten copies, I would’ve been happy with that…the book released and I sold almost thirty copies within the first twelve hours from when it came out. I was beyond thrilled. Then about two days later, I realized that it went number one in the psychology genre sales, number one in the sub genre of mental illness, and also number one for new releases. I was there for about a month to a month and a half for my genres. And I was number one for almost a week for new releases. It wasn’t a long run at the top, but I did it. And I did it by myself. That’s what matters. I never would have thought it would’ve ever happened, but I guess it shows hard work does pay off in the end.

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers/fans?

I’d just like to say thank you. Without all of you, I’d wouldn’t be who I am today. I don’t even consider any of you as fans, but rather people, people who just like what I do. I appreciate every kind word you say to me. It’s crazy of where my life was and what it’s shaping up to be. I can’t stress “Thank you” enough. Oh…and my second novel, pending a few things…is slated for a 2015 release. I’ll give details out later. And I’m saying this for the first time ever…but at sometime between 2016-2017 I’ll be releasing a book of all my poems and short stories that I’ve written. I have so many pieces that I have not shared with anyone yet. I’m looking at a four-hundred page poetry and short story book that will be just me…from growing up, the future, my life now…to just random shit. I cannot wait to share this work of art with you in the years to come. Get excited. Take this journey with me, you won’t regret it.

No words can express how thankful I am that I got the opportunity to do this interview with him. You can find Josh on instagram and twitter @dallhouse!

Here are the Writers to Know that Josh mentioned,

Adrian Michael Green

Instagram: @adrianmichaelgreen

Twitter: @adrianmichaelgr

Website: http://www.adrianmichaelgreen.com

Karen

Instagram: @karens_words

Twitter: @ks_poetry

Website: http://www.karensuepoet.wordpress.com

Marvin Bell

Instagram: @MarvinTheNovelist

Eric Ian Huffman

Instagram: @unreadpoems

Twitter: @ericianhuffman

Wattpad: ericianhuffman

Website: http://www.ericianhuffman.com

Anabela Loureiro

Instagram: @artsyanabela

Rebecca S.

Instagram: @rebeccas_enthralled

Twitter: @rebeccaS1003

Rainee C. Baldwin

Instagram: @bipolarbeauty

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BipolarBeauty

Kelly

Instagram: @dustoffmywings

Stephanie Turner

Instagram: @stephturner9

Brianna

Instagram: @toolostforwords

Wenston

Instagram: @thebackpackpoet

Twitter: @thebackpackpoet

S.E. Dalton

Instagram: @se_dalton

Twitter: @wordsbyse

Kichante

Instagram: @kichante

Twitter: @kifecta

Website: http://www.sp0k3nart.com

Dana Jesko

Instagram: @poetrysavedme

Facebook: Dana Jesko

TheSpiritofPoetry

Instagram: @thespiritofpoetry

Michael Warner

Instagram: @BigMike1Poet

Twitter: @Bigmike1poet

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Bigmike1poet

David John Smith

Instagram: @WhiskeyTrance

RJNP

Instagram: @rjpnlego

ParallaxTheater

Instagram: @parallaxtheater

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/parallaxtheater