Author Interview with Brandon Hale

[Sylvia]

This is our 3rd Male Interview for this month and it's with Brandon Hale, author of .here is too many too add. This is our 63rd Author Interview since we started and it is conducted by one of our moderators. Please read this interview and we hope you will be able to pick up lessons about her experience.If there are any questions you would like to ask Brandon Hale please post them here. Thankyou.

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? I’ve always known I was a storyteller. Actual dreams of being an author probably started when I was about 12 years old. Like many authors, it really started because I couldn’t find the books I wanted to read or the movies I wanted to watch… so I just wrote my own.

2. How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish? Usually, about three months, depending on how much time I devote to solid writing. An enormous amount of my time is taken up by marketing, which often eats up my writing time.

3. How do you come up with themes for your stories? The themes to my stories usually just… evolve. More often than not, they develop from the characters in the story. I do my best to write realistic characters (even if they’re in unrealistic settings) and those characters almost always drive any over-arching themes in the novel.

4. Do you have a schedule of when you write? I try to put in at least 5 hours of writing a day. Maybe it’s just the macabre settings of my stories, but I usually do my best work late at night.

5. How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing? It’s tough. With other jobs, you can just clock out. With writing, I’m always working. Writing is more than just a full time job… when you’re awake, you’re writing. It might be in your head, but it’s always happening. My wife keeps me balanced. Spending time with her is my reward for getting a certain amount of work done. It serves as a motivator and a break.

6. What elements do you think make a great story line? Everything’s important, but for me, a great story is all about the characters. Everything I write is character-driven. If you have great characters, you can make a mediocre story great. If you have mediocre characters, you can ruin a potentially great story.
The best example is Day Soldiers. The premise of Day Soldiers isn’t why people love it. Folks like those books because of the characters. Lily, Grung, Ellie, Scott, Abbie, Wallace, Dennis… those guys carry the story for me. They do the heavy lifting. I regularly get emails from readers who talk about how much they love certain characters. Those emails make this whole writing game worth it.

7. What was the hardest thing about writing a book? Time. It’s not really about finding the time to write… it’s more about making the time to write. You have to make sacrifices. You have to choose to devote those hours to finishing the book. I can crank out a short story in one sitting, but a novel is work. Sure, it’s great work that I love, but it’s still work. If you don’t devote some real hours to completing a novel, that novel will never get done.

8. How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? I’ve written seven full length novels, but I only published four of them. The first three were written when I was very young (late teens/early twenties). They were great learning experiences, but I don’t feel they’re ready for prime time, so they’re permanently shelved. Aside from the novels, I’ve also written countless short stories.
My favorite is probably Day Soldiers. Simply put, I like it because it’s fun. That’s the purpose of Day Soldiers. Good, simple fun. Don’t get me wrong, I like the deep stuff, but there’s just something about escaping into a great adventure that’s good for the soul. It’s my hope that Day Soldiers provides that.

9. Do you have a favorite character? Travis, from Purging Fires (Day Soldiers, Book Two). Writing Travis was a blast because I was able to just… unleash. I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil the story, but anyone who’s read Purging Fires will understand.

10. Where do you write? We have an extra bedroom that we converted to an office. It’s my hideaway.

11. When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took? It was a tough decision. I spent a good year doing the research and eventually settled on being an indie. Several years ago, it meant something very different. Today, it’s simply another path an author can take. The deciding factor was probably creative control. I completely respect the traditionally published authors, but in this digital age, there’s really no reason to give up creative control of the books you write.

12. Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think? I come from a family of readers, so they’re all incredibly supportive of my writing. I feel very blessed when it comes to my family. They don’t see this writing gig as a pipe dream. They see it as a dream job, and they’re very proud to have an author in the family.

13. What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing? I’m a fairly artsy guy. I like most arts, from sculpting to drawing. I’m also a big fan of special effects makeup. Halloween is a big deal for my wife and me. We do everything from visiting local haunts to participating in “zombie walks.”
Day to day, spending time with my wife is my favorite activity. Whether it’s playing games or watching movies, as long as she’s with me, it’s a great time.

14. What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing? Finish something. I’m amazed at the amount of people who tell me they want to write but have never finished a story.
You want to be a writer? Finish a story. One book. Stick to it until you’re done. The experience that comes from completing a novel will teach you more about the writing process than anything you could read or watch.
Writer’s write. It’s that simple.

15. What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write? That’s tough. I love most horror authors and I enjoy classic pulp fiction. I like Stephen King’s older stuff (Salem’s Lot, The Shining). I love Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend. Great book. I’m also a huge fan of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I love Tolkien’s books and I’m a big fan of Robert E. Howard’s Conan stuff.
All of these authors (and many, many more) inspired me to write.

16. Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? I have a circle that begins and ends with my wife. I have several folks who work together to give me feedback and editing. They’re my beta readers and they’re great at it. The first Day Soldiers was actually dedicated to them.
But my wife is always the first person to read a draft and she’s always the last person to read the final copy before it goes live.

17. Are you working on anything now? The Man From Newella. I’m extremely excited about it. It’s my nod to classic pulp fiction (Conan, Tarzan, James Bond, etc). You can get a preview of it here: http://booksfromhale.com/a-preview-of...

[Sylvia]

Thank you so much for doing this interview for our group :)

[Dianne]

Sylvia wrote: "This is our 3rd Male Interview for this month and it's with Brandon Hale, author of [bookcover:The Gods ..."

What a fabulous interview!

[Kelly]

I enjoyed the interview and just downloaded Day Soldiers. I am excited to start the series! Thank you so much for the interview.

[Tee Loves Books]

Thank you for your interview, Brandon! I look forward to starting the Day Soldiers series soon!