Hello! Today with us we have Nicole Burns (reader) and Dan B. Fierce (author)! *Applause*
Nicole Burns: Can you tell us about yourself and what inspired you to become a writer?
Dan B. Fierce: My real name is Dan Bugbee, but I write under the pen name of Dan B. Fierce. I write mostly horror short stories, with a couple of longer works in progress. I have a husband of over twenty-one years (married for almost five), I live with family in the Kansas City, Missouri area, and I also have a full-time job working in printing. I have always enjoyed writing, especially short stories. Edgar Allan Poe, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, and many others inspired me to fall in love with the brevity of the short story. I never pursued doing it “professionally” until I was forty-nine years old.
Nicole Burns: What drew you to the genre that you write in?
Dan B. Fierce: As I mentioned, it is writers like Poe and King who are the biggest influences in my love of horror and short stories. Growing up in the eighties, I enjoyed a ton of great slasher flicks and other types of horror movies and books. While I do have a longer work or two in progress, I really enjoy writing short stories. It’s easier to keep track of the details.
Nicole Burns: Do you have any rituals or routines that you follow when writing?
Dan B. Fierce: Other than getting a cup of coffee and checking my dismal sales numbers neurotically before I get started, I don’t have a specific routine that I follow. Sometimes, I enjoy listening to music while I write. Other times, it’s too distracting, and I prefer silence. I do get up very early in the morning, though. I get up by three or four in the morning, so that I can get my writing done before I have to get ready for work. By the time I get off of my job, I’m usually too tired to want to write.
Nicole Burns: What do you hope readers will take away from your books?
Dan B. Fierce: I hope readers enjoy my works first and foremost. Some of my tales have lessons to them, but I’m not going to pretend that I’m so structured that I do it intentionally. I’m what’s referred to as a “pantser.” I write my stories by the seat of my pants. I don’t plan them out. I just sit down with an idea and discover it as it unfolds on the page.
Nicole Burns: What advice would you give to authors who are considering self-publishing?
Dan B. Fierce: Self-publishing has many benefits and downfalls. The pros include far more creative control, ability to keep an eye on your sales numbers, and the author keeps a larger portion of the profits. The cons include the expenses of having to pay for things like an editor (or two), buying the cover art and any other types of art, formatting, and paying for ISBN numbers (if you’re not selling exclusively on Amazon). The author is also exclusively responsible for marketing and promotion of their works. That’s why so many indie authors are constantly posting on their timelines or any other opportunities to get eyes on their products.
Nicole Burns: How do you market and promote your books?
Dan B. Fierce: I mostly use social media to market my books, hoping that a new pair of eyes fall on my stuff and that they might be interested. Word-of-mouth is always the best advertisement from my readers. I also attend a lot of pop-up vendor events locally to try to get people interested in reading my stuff.
Nicole Burns: Do you have a favorite character or book that you’ve written? If so, why?
Dan B. Fierce: While I love all of my creations, including Roadkill King, my mini-collection of short stories, Father Figure is my favorite. Two of the stories that I wrote were very emotional for me. “The Letter” was based off of an actual letter that I wrote to my dad and read to him on his grave a few years back. “Bedside Regret” was inspired by the regret that I’ve been carrying for thirty-five years when I lied to my father on his death bed when he asked me if I were gay. I told him no because I thought that was want he’d have wanted to hear, instead of telling the truth. It haunted me ever since. It’s my favorite because all of the stories were inspired by something my father either said to me, or something that I know fathers would say or do, but I turned them on their ears in the process. I also love it because I dedicated it to my father and released it on his birthday in September of last year.
Nicole Burns: How do you stay motivated and overcome challenges while writing?
Dan B. Fierce: Staying motivated is a difficult question to answer. I’m not going to lie; sometimes it’s challenging to want to write. I suppose the simple answer is that I try not to force it, because that will show up in the product. If I’m not feeling particularly creative, I keep my writing skill fresh with writing prompts or journaling every day.
Nicole Burns: What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
Dan B. Fierce: I love creating world that my readers can immerse themselves into. Nothing gives me a bigger thrill than when someone reads my stuff and tells me how much they enjoyed it.
Nicole Burns: How do you decide on the titles for your books?
Dan B. Fierce: Most of the titles dawn on me either before or during the writing process. Many authors seem to struggle with giving their works titles.
Nicole Burns: How do you unwind and recharge when you’re not writing?
Dan B. Fierce: I like to watch television. (Probably more than I should.) I also enjoy traveling around and sightseeing, going on walks in nature, and spending time with my husband.
Nicole Burns: How do you handle writer burnout or creative blocks?
Dan B. Fierce: I wish I knew how to “properly” handle writer’s block and burnout. Since writing is still basically a hobby and not my sole means of making money, I don’t put that much pressure on getting things accomplished. Perhaps I should, but until writing pays the bills and I’m actually making money on it, it’s a labor of love for the craft that keeps me going. Some days are better than others, and being blocked does hurt, but for me, it’s not a “write or die” kind of feeling.
Nicole Burns: Can you discuss the role of symbolism and imagery in your writing?
Dan B. Fierce: If I’m honest, I don’t intentionally put much symbolism into my works intentionally. I simply write what comes to my mind. As for imagery, I love painting a picture with words. It’s easy to forget that we humans have other senses beyond just sight, even for me. When an author can submerge the reader in all of their senses, it becomes more than just words on a page, it becomes an experience.
Nicole Burns: What do you think is the biggest misconception about being a writer?
Dan B. Fierce: I think that the biggest misconception as a writer is that the money will just roll in when you get published. Even with traditionally published authors, which isn’t the case. It can take years for an author to see a profit on their books, especially if they are self-published, and by then the steam has run out of their books’ sales.
Nicole Burns: Do you have any pets? If so what are they and what are their names?
Dan B. Fierce: I am currently pet-less, but I did have two weenie dogs whose names were Frankie and Jonnie. They both gave me sixteen wonderful, happy, and comical years of memories before old age became too much for them and we had to do what was right for them. I want to have dogs again at some point (both my husband and I are allergic to cats), but I want to get rescue dogs next time.
Thank you for both for participating in Support An Author event!!!
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