What was your inspiration for this book?
I was doing make-up on a boring cop drama and had an idea for a vampire cop story, then “Forever Knight” came out. Not quite what I had in mind it didn’t deter me from finishing my script. The book came about as an exercise to see if I could write one. I liked the ideas in my script and used it as an outline. Once I started writing the book, the format was so liberating I was hooked.
What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
I love the idea of self-publishing. There is no waitin,g and you control the costs and know exactly what you are spending your money on. Then there are all the design aspects which I thoroughly enjoy. In traditional publishing you lose so much time, and in the end you still have to do the majority of the work because it all comes down to promotion. If you do not promote yourself no one will know who you are or read your work. To me the catch to self-publishing is why you are doing it. Is this a vanity project, or do you want to be taken seriously? Editing is so important. Even when you think you have done everything you can, something slips past you. It’s a learning process but one I relish. All my books are self-published and will continue to be, but I wouldn’t turn down a lucrative contract. After all, it is a business as well.
When did you first have a desire to write?
I have written in some shape or form as far back as I can remember. I grew up wanting to be an artist for Marvel Comics and would create my own world of super heroes with their backstories and unique abilities. What always baffled me was in high school, creative writing is stopped when an adolescent’s imagination is peeking. If it was nurtured differently, my life choices might have changed.
Do you plan out the entire book before writing it? Or do you just sit down and write?
My process is to mull a story around in my head until I get the direction down. I need to know the major plot points. Then I make notes and start fleshing out the sections. This brings up questions that require research to answer as I create characters. For me fantasy works when it is anchored in reality.
Do you have a set time to write each day? Or do you wait to be inspired?
I like to write first thing in the morning, but most of the time it’s when and wherever I can squeeze it in. I need to dedicate a few hours if I am seriously into it, otherwise I am jotting notes when something tweaks me.
How much research, if any, did you have to do for this book?
I actually did a lot of research for this book. I loved “Risky Business” as a teen and wanted that Porsche, so I read up on it and included it in the book. I went to the RCMP Headquarters and also interviewed detectives. I spoke to an ER nurse and researched popular Canadian bands for the time. Some I knew, some I wasn’t that familiar with. Then there was France in the 1800s. The Coroner’s office I was quite familiar with as it was a popular film location, and I had made friends with the pathologists during my many visits. In my head I live what I write. So the more real I can make it for me, the easier it is to describe the world and lives I am fabricating.
This interview continues in Continuation of Interview with Randy Daudlin.
