IndieView with Guido Henkel, author of the Jason Dark series.

“So, stop procrastinating over words, and just write them. Simply let your mind flow freely and write the scenes as they come to your mind naturally. It is the only way to make sure good ideas don’t get lost and your stream of conscious remains uninterrupted and cohesive.” Guido Henkel 4 January 2011

The Back Flap

Conjured from the bowels of the abyss by ancient magic, the Terrorlord has one desire — to open the Seven Gates of Hell and unleash the horrors of the undead upon mankind.

Reliving the nightmares of his youth where an encounter with the Terrorlord left him scarred for life, Jason Dark must once again confront the powerful gatekeeper from Hell before his reach and power spiral out of control. With the help of Siu Lin, the ghost hunter will have to put an end to the Terrorlord’s dark reign before he can devour our world in his evil blackness.

This is the ninth volume in a series of gothic horror adventures where Jason Dark, a fearless and resourceful ghost hunter, follows in the mold of a Sherlock Holmes combined with Randall Garrett’s Lord D’Arcy. Written by Guido Henkel, the designer who brought Germany’s famed “Das Schwarze Auge” series to computer screens, this series is filled with enough mystery, drama and suspenseful action to transport you to the sinister, fogshrouded streets of Victorian England. Your encounter with the extraordinary awaits.

About the Book

What is the book about?

“Terrorlord” started as an idea where I wanted to have some creature act like a gate keeper to the fabled Seven Gates of Hell. In his eagerness for dark powers, a man conjures this gate keeper and sets into motion events he can no longer control. The Terrorlord is hellbent on opening all seven gates and flood the world with the undead and destroy the world of the humans.

From his youth, Jason Dark has a connection to the Terrorlord — has had an encounter with him as a boy — and he realizes what is going on but before he can set out to stop the Terrorlord something tragic happens that foils his plans.

When did you start writing the book?

I wrote “Terrorlord” only a couple of months ago. I just finished up “The Blood Witch,” the previous story in the series, and already had this idea for “Terrorlord” fleshed out very loosely in my mind. I remember that the same night I wrote the last word of “The Blood Witch” I already started on this book and wrote the entire first chapter in one go.

How long did it take you to write it?

Like most of my Jason Dark stories, “Terrorlord” took about four weeks to write, which is a little longer than I wish them to take, and I guess I’ll have to work on streamlining my writing a bit more — meaning spending less time on message boards.

Where did you get the idea from?

I collect story ideas all along, all the time. I keep a Writer’s Journal and write down many of my ideas for future use. Even if it is something small that may not turn into a whole story, I try to collect these ideas so I can use them as a side plot or hook to make another story more interesting.

When it comes time for me to write a new volume in the series I usually go through my journal and read through the ideas I had. Most of the time one or two stand out and I begin thinking about them in more detail.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

One of the key ingredients in my stories has always been to have surprise turns of events. In “Terrorlord” I had some trouble figuring out how to keep things interesting without having my protagonists simply chase a guy through London from point A to point B. I then had an idea that intrigued me and allowed me to spice things up with more people in the mix and a bit of convolution.

What came easily?

The entire first chapter of the book came very naturally. As I said, I just sat down and wrote it in one flush, getting increasingly excited with every line. I think I’ve never had as much fun as writing that particular part and I was completely in the Zone. When that first chapter was done I sat back and read it back to myself, actually, which is something I never do. While writing it I thought the part had this totally Lovecraftian feel, so I decided read it to make sure it was really there and not just my wishful thinking.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Part of the vision of the “Jason Dark” series for me has always been to create and blend real historic events and characters with fiction. I make references to these events as well as many literary figures on countless occasions throughout the series. Practically every book contains things that are real history — only embedded into my fiction.

I also have to point out that one of the series’ heroines, Siu Lin, is actually based on my wife, Thu-Liu, both in her appearance and many of her mannerisms. It makes it easy for me to write her parts because I just think about what my wife would do or say in a particular moment.

In the case of “Terrorlord” in particular, one of the main characters is Edmund Hett. He is based on history and Hett was indeed the director of the Bilbao Iron Ore Company and did live in Cavendish House in the Clapham Common in London, just as described in the story. However, unlike in my story, there is no record of him ever trying to open the Seven Gates of Hell.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I am trying not to let myself get influenced consciously too much, but clearly there are writers who inspired me two write in the first place. Mark Frost comes to mind. I am a huge fan of “The List of Seven” and it was specifically that book which made me want to write. At the same time, Mark is such a good storyteller that the book always makes me feel small and gives me that “I will never be as good” feeling. In addition, this book — along with Kim Newman’s “Anno Dracula” opened my eyes to what you can do with the alternate history approach. Taking familiar events and characte — from actual history or literature — and seamlessly weaving them into a story is incredibly enjoyable, both to read and write, and it was “The List of Seven” that put that approach in my mind, which ultimately turned into the “Jason Dark” series.

There are many other writers who inspire me every day with their work. Some of them more than others, but I find that I’m taking away something from most books that I read. Some of them will inspire me not to do certain things, others inspire me to try something in particular, or they will just evoke imagery in my mind that then grows and blooms into something that might lead to a great idea down the road.

Certainly Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have had their effect on me with the Pandergast series. The plotting and pacing in these books is wonderful, without getting into overly flowery prose. C. S. Forrester’s Horatio Hornblower series has influenced me also, I would think, in how he works with an ensemble cast and combines history with fiction.

Do you have a target reader?

No, I don’t consciously write for a certain audience. The only thing I do try to do is to mix up supernatural themes in my books to create stories that might cater to different tastes of an audience.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I have no actual process that I am aware of. I usually wait until I have some spark in my head that immediately ignites my imagination and makes me go, “Yes, I can see a story in that.” From there I try to throw together a few ideas that I would like to include in that story — sometimes these are character ideas, locations or events. I’m simply creating a big pot of stuff that I can pull from at a later time.

Then I typically start creating a rough idea of the story, determining where to start and what the end will be.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just Chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Yes, I do outline. Not excessively but to a good extent. At first I create a small write-up of the story that is maybe 1000 words or less. I am using Scrivener to the create a virtual corkboard with index cards next, first doing an overview of the general plot points and then going deeper and deeper until I am at an individual scene level.

Each of these index cards usually also contains a very brief description of what is going to happen in the scene, and in addition I color it depending on who my point-of-view character in that scene is going to be. This way I can make sure there is a certain balance in the POV switches, which makes for a more interesting flow when you read the story.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I always wait until I’m finished before I start editing. In fact, after finishing a story I will not touch it for about 2 weeks or so, to make sure I have a certain distance that allows me to read it as a reader and not as the writer. To me it is the only way to determine whether I have the proper flow or if I had some assumptions in my mind while writing that I never really explained anywhere in the actual text.

During my first draft phase I really just try to write. I care not for word repetitions or style at that point. I am simply trying to dump the story into the computer as quickly as possible so that I have all the ideas in place.

Once that is done I begin editing and revising my material. The first round is usually  a very heavy editing phase, as I go through the text and iron out repetitions and flow problems, as well as rewriting and adding where I feel things are just not working.

From there on I keep going over the story again and again until I am confident that it flows properly and that it is stylistically what I wanted it to be. The next step is submitting it to my editor.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I am working with an editor, yes. Not so much to completely rework the material but to go over it and streamline it some more. You have to keep in mind that English is not my native language and as a result there will be curious idioms in my writing at times that he catches. He’s also my proof reader who makes sure that we’re in the clear on that — especially when it comes to punctuation. Again, with German being my native tongue, I have a tendency to overdo it with the commas at times. Then I will catch myself and go in the other extreme, leaving out too many of the commas. Terry Coleman, my editor, makes sure all of that is cleaned up properly and his work is priceless.

Terry also gives me valuable feedback on the stories themselves, telling me how he as a reader perceived individual scenes. It helps me tremendously to see if I have achieved my goal.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I can’t have music while I’m writing. Anything that requires concentration I have to do without music. I am a musician myself and as soon as I hear music I begin analyzing it without even thinking. I simply can’t turn it off and will automatically perk my ears and go “That was an interesting modulation… never noticed that before…”  or I will start singing or humming along. As a result it is very hard for me to concentrate with music.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No, I did not at this time. When I first conceived the “Jason Dark” series – which is what I am focusing on these days – I immediately felt that I created a dilemma. The dime novel format – which is a 64-page saddle-stitched brochure-style booklet – has never been very popular in the US. They were huge in GErmany when I grew up and I saw no reason why they shouldn’t catch on here in the US, especially in this day and age where a fast-paced read that offers virtually instant gratification seems to me the best way to grab an audience. However, the publishing industry was clearly not prepared for something like this.

I knew that traditional book publishers would never give it the time of day because they are not really “books” in the sense that they understand them. In fact, these dime novels should in fact go through magazine distribution and appear on newsstands next to Fangoria or so.

So, there was no precedent for this type of book and the only way to get it released, I published was to do it myself.

What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Once I had come to the conclusion that I needed to publish myself, it became a very easy process for me. I’ve been in the publishing industry for a long time – though in the computer games industry and not in books. Ultimately it doesn’t make a difference, though. The process is basically the same and with eBooks catching on the way they have, the process felt actually more like a software distribution than book publishing at many times.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?

It was important to me to recreate that dime novel look of old, which makes good use of sensational cover artwork, typically depicting a scene from the story. Historically, these covers were hand painted and looked a lot like movie posters from the 60s and 70s. These days, of course, it is much more efficient to have them painted digitally.

I do not have the skills to create such artwork and I am hiring an artists to do these paintings for me based on my guidelines and general designs. My wife, Thu-Lieu, who is a graphic designer, then creates the final design and layout of the finished cover, with the lettering, text, logos etc.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

As much as I would like to say I have real plan, I am mostly flying by the seat of my pants. I regularly sit down and decide upon certain approaches I want to take and see how I can achieve certain goals. It is kind of like guerilla marketing in that I try to make use of what I have, then trying to evaluate how it worked out.

However, I have found that some of the greatest opportunities simply present themselves in a completely unplanned manner, or that I have some great idea for a marketing drive spontaneously. Following a strict business-style marketing plan would get in the way there. I think part of being indie means that you have the liberty not to work by set patterns but that you can experiment and modify your approach very quickly.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Don’t fret! Write a first draft of your book, even if you think it stinks so badly that you would have to keep it in a Ziploc bag. All first drafts are third-rate, even Stephen King’s, I bet. The first draft is the clay for you to mold, no more no less. You can then take it and shape into the most beautiful and acclaimed book that has ever been written, but first you need the”clay.” So, stop procrastinating over words, and just write them. Simply let your mind flow freely and write the scenes as they come to your mind naturally. It is the only way to make sure good ideas don’t get lost and your stream of conscious remains uninterrupted and cohesive. You will be surprised how good it actually is.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Germany and grew up there. In fact, I moved to the US only 14 years ago, so there is still a lot of German in me.

Where do you live now?

I am calling Southern California my home. A small town – that is sadly growing much too fast – by the Pacific Ocean.

What would you like readers to know about you?

That I am eternally grateful when people take the time to actually check out my writing, and that nothing makes me happier than to see that readers really do enjoy my stories.

What are you working on now?

The good thing with writing a series is that there’s always another volume to write. With that in mind, I am currently working on one of the next “Jason Dark” adventures. I’m not telling what it is, but I can promise you it’ll be a cool ride once again.

End of Interview

You can get into the Jason Dark series here.

Also… special treat for those just getting into the eBook game – Guido has written an amazingly detailed guide to formatting an eBook. Sounds dry? Wait until you want to publish – it’ll be the most riveting thing you ever read! Here.