Name:
Darke Conteur
The Title of Your Work or Group:
The Watchtower(Series)
Where are you from?
I'm from Kingston, Ontario, Canada
In what genre do you write?
I write in several genre's, but I prefer the three S's; Science Fiction, the Supernatural, and Steampunk. The latter I discovered about a year ago, and I've become obsessed with it.
In your own words, what is your book about?
The Watchtower is the first book in a series about a group of paranormal individuals Who must deal with their own demons, while trying to save the world from real ones.
What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens?
I outline, outline, outline. I think I'm a little OCD with it too. I outline the idea and then go chapter by chapter. As I'm writing, I outline scenes before writing, just so I have an idea of how to structure the scene. Of course, there are times when I'm writing and my Muse suddenly decides the story needs THIS GREAT PLOT IDEA, or one of the CatPack chases a plot bunny out from under the couch and then it's like, "Oh great. Now what?"
Have you ever written anything and though; The world has got to see this!"
That's why I decided to venture down the Self-published path. I knew, from monitoring the industry for several years, that my story probably would not be picked up, either due to the word count (it's under 30k), or the fact it wasn't YA or PR, and that didn’t bother me. To be honest, I think all authors should try to self-publish at least one story. Just to understand the process.
Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this by yourself?
I have a beta, an editor and a cover artist. These three are (in my opinion) the most important part of the process. Well, apart from the book.
Who is your favorite author?
I have several people whom I enjoy reading their work, but not one in particular influenced my choice to be an author. The idea evolved over the years and as technology grew and made things easier, the reality grew as well.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Not confusing people. Writing a series is an interesting balance of knowing when to reveal information and I'm always thinking, "does this need to go in book four or book five?"
Do you write your characters, or do they write themselves through you?
With the first draft, I write what I think they should be doing/saying.Just to get it out. During revisions, they come out and make their voice known. Sometimes they like the direction we're going, and sometimes…well…they get a little testy.
Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
Yes. Sometimes it's my sarcasm or my outlook on life that makes it int the story. I don't know if a writer can create and not put some part of themselves into their story. Even my darker side has snuck in there too.
Is writing your full-time job, or are you 'Keeping your day job'?
I'm a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) so this is kinda my day job. I'm lucy that my husband earns enough that I can do this.
If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
I honestly have no idea. Maybe Sir John A MacDonald (First Prime Minister of Canada). His views on the world were very ahead of his time. He believed in equal rights for women and Natives.
There are millions of new books released every year. What, in your mind, makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
There is a true sense of camaraderie with these characters. Due to their unique circumstance, they confide in each other and the bonds of friendship are very strong. They are a family, and like family, they have their good times and bad, and even though there are cracks, it doesn't pull them apart.
In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?
To be honest, all the free marketing and promoting won't do squat unless you have a decent book to promote. People remember a good story, a strong plot, interesting characters, and I am of the mind that word-of-mouth does more than any free promotion.
Links to find and follow her work:
Social Media:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/darke.conteur
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Darke_Conteur
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/darkeconteur/boards/
Where to find The Watchtower.
More Books in the Watchtower Series:
Book Page: http://darkeconteur.wordpress.com/novels/
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