I’ve been interested in the Paranormal since I was a teenager. I wanted to explore what goes “bump in the night” from that early age.
This has led me down some very dark paths and some incredible amazing experiences too. (It hasn’t been all scary!) It isn’t for the “faint of heart”.
Mark Canniff – 28 November 2016
The Back Flap
Can there be a mystery that goes back over a hundred years, that only the dead can reveal?
Lucy has been having a recurring dream. Night after night she finds herself driving on a winding road with her best friend Sam. She feels lost as this path seems to lead to nowhere. That is until she discovers a house. Curious, she goes up to investigate, discovering that the place is empty.
The mystery of the dream deepens when she realizes that she’s being haunted by an entity. Why is it attached to her?
Both Sam and her uncover a piece of history that only those that have passed on have kept secret. Why is it so important and does it have anything to do with the dark being?
It suddenly becomes a race against time as they grasp that their very lives might be at stake.
Can they uncover what is really going on in time, before it’s too late?
Is there a connection between the house, the uncovered past and the evil entity?
About the book
What is the book about?
The book is a paranormal mystery. The “short” description goes something like this: “Cynical by nature, a photographer discovers that she’s haunted by a being after she starts having a recurring dream. Revealing a secret that only the dead know – with the entity bent on keeping it.”
When did you start writing the book?
Originally this all began when I wrote a short screenplay called The Dream, back in 1998. While it never went into production, it showed me that there was basic interest in the concept. (The movie length was about fifteen minutes long. As I let my friends read it, they all loved it, having different interpretations of it. I even had a producer look it over, saying that if I could create the full-length feature, he would fund the film.) At the time, I couldn’t create the depth the story needed for a feature film.
It was shortly after that, that I realized I wanted to write the novel first, before the screenplay. I like the material it gives me. Plus I could share the story in a medium I knew that people would enjoy.
How long did it take you to write it?
Well, that is quite the process. It took a long time before I was able to figure out what the full story was about. Eventually, I wrote the first chapter in 2012 but stopped because the remaining pieces weren’t in place. (I felt I had to write it for my wife. If she couldn’t guess what the ending was going to be, then I was onto something.)
Finally, in 2014 the last of the concept came together and I was able to begin writing it. From that moment on, I was committed to the story. So it took two years from that point. However, the entire process took eighteen years.
Where did you get the idea from?
I enjoy exploring the paranormal. The interest has been with me since I was a teenager. Since that point I’ve experienced: haunted locations, demons, ghosts, spirits, plus many other things. Some of it is not for the “faint of heart”. However, I did learn (and still do) quite a bit.
One of the subjects of interest in the original screenplay but not in the book, was the concept of NDE (Near Death Experience). I wanted to explore that in the form of a recurring dream. (Is this real? What really is happening?) From that basic thought, coupled with the script, I was able to get started on it. However, once the novel began taking shape, I realized that I no longer needed to pursue NDE because the full-length story didn’t need it. It became the “driver” to help me begin the process until I was able to put something together. It “bridged” the gap effectively.
What is in the book, which was found in the script was the recurring dream. It’s now expanded and makes more sense, of course.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Yes. I call them “technicals”. It is a scene in which I have to make sure the detail is authentic. One such moment is the wedding. I wanted to make sure the reader felt like they were actually there. Hopefully I achieved that.
What came easily?
Anytime I wrote about a “creepy” element. I visualize my book like it’s a movie. (That’s my film background – three and a half year career back in the 1990s. It may have been a short career but it’s had a profound effect on my life.)
If there is a ghost there, for example, I can see the camera angles and try to write them down so the reader sees that too.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
While they are fictitious people, I have created each character from my real-world experience. It helps to bring the person to life if the reader can say “I can believe in these people.”
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?
Terry Pratchett is my favorite. He created the “Discworld Series”. While each story can be read by themselves, he created a world in which to manifest all of these funny and well thought out books.
That’s my major “takeaway”. That you can create a world for your characters to come to life. (Even if they are new people.)
Do you have a target reader?
Anyone who loves the paranormal. (If you enjoy the supernatural shows like Ghost Hunters, then this is for you.)
I also write for those that enjoy a good mystery. I want you to keep guessing. If you combine the two, then what I’m looking for are people that have enjoyed movies like: The Sixth Sense and The Others.
These are paranormal in nature and leave you guessing until the very end. (I’m not a “blood and guts” horror fan, I want to creep you out in your mind. That to me is far scarier.)
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Yes. What works for me is structure. I want to know that I’m actually making progress. So here it is in a nutshell:
I have thirteen chapters. All of my books will have that. Each section is twenty pages long in the “original” format. I write three pages a day. Normally I’m writing Monday through Friday, unless I feel a strong sense of deadline. Then it’s every day, except for the holidays. Those days I call “production days”. This means in seven production days I can write a chapter.
Why thirteen and twenty? This is a tribute to the Mayan calendar. Thirteen is a sacred number and they really knew their stuff. So it’s my way of paying my respects.
When the book is finally published, the twenty pages aren’t there anymore. However, the thirteen sections are.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I do outline but in a general way. Not per chapter. As I write, each section starts to naturally put the pieces together by themselves. The preparation that I eventually did showed me that planning was critical. However, I went backwards a little the first time round. The “learning curve” as they say.
(While I didn’t do it for my first book), this is what I’m doing for each novel after that, in this order:
Title (Having the title, or at least a “working title” helps me with the creativity.)
Logline (This is one or two sentences that describe the story. The “what is it?”)
Tagline (A shorter version of the above.)
Synopsis (This is where the three acts will be “defined” in some degree.)
General outline (Here is the basic notes for the story. Any new characters, with their background can be found here, along with the returning ones, etc.)
Novel (Finally, the planning is done and I’m ready to begin writing.)
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I do very “basic” editing as I go. The previous three pages from the day before are checked for basic grammar and any duplicated words, plus spelling.
Then, for my next book and on, the major editing will take place once the first draft is finished. I have a total of three major drafts. However, editing is happening in some form a lot more than three times.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I’m fortunate that my wife acts as my editor. She really knows her stuff. While she isn’t academically trained (degree) she has the experience from learning through reading. She knows what works and what doesn’t. (Sometimes to my chagrin.)
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No. I prefer the peace and quiet. The morning time is when I do my work, when the house is at it’s most silent.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No. Although I seriously considered going down that path. It took a while before I realized I could simply work directly with Amazon, which cut the “middleman” out of the equation.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher?
For me I realized that most publishers (I’m sure not all of them) require authors to participate in their own marketing. Which actually makes sense to me. After all, people want to get to know the person behind the book.
What finally made me decide to go full “Indie” was the fact that I can maintain creative control. What I mean by that is, I have planned to do short stories. They normally aren’t something publishers are interested in mainly because there is no real money in it for them. (According to what I’ve learned.) However, I can produce them and am free to allow the story (or stories) unfold.
Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
It was gradual. I originally wanted to go the traditional path. Doing my own research led me to some interesting conclusions:
1. Indie sales are expected to out sell the traditional publishers by 2017. This means that there is a huge movement for authors to make the switch, or not even begin the “standard” path.
2. Sales of most books (on average) max out (on average) at about 250 copies. That’s not a lot. Publishers know this. The book world is comprised of a relative few who manage to go above 100,000 copies. So the question there became: “Why spend all that effort having an agent and publisher take away my profits, when I should be able to do that easily on my own?” It’s a business decision at that point. Thinking in “business terms” is, I believe, important for authors to think like that. The larger the vision, the greater the results. (Even if it begins slow, don’t be deterred.)
3. Is it possible for Indie Authors to do that? Absolutely! In 2013 there were 150 Kindle Authors who sold more than that. Amanda Hocking being a great example. (She has sold more than 1.5 million copies as an Indie.)
4. Is there room for more people? Again, the resounding answer to that is “yes”. You are limited to only your creativity and ability. The more you do, in the correct places, the more sales you make.
It all begins with a good story that people want to read.
These were some of the reasons why I was able to say: “If they can do it, then why can’t I?”
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
A bit of both. If you look at the background. It comprises of the moon and a forest scene with the sun piercing through the fog. That is actually two images that I took and blended them together. The house is something I have license to use.
Once I had those pieces, I took it to a professional, which she then put it together for me.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Well, this is my first, so my answer to this question is a bit of both. I’m not completely sure what is actually going to work, so I have a list that I created and have been working through it.
I also started my blog as a journal of sorts, writing the “behind the scenes” of what it took for me to reach publication. This is what I call “soft marketing”. It doesn’t have a huge impact, yet it lets people know that I’m here.
The “winging it” element is: As I learn what works and what doesn’t, I discard what hasn’t and focus on what does.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Don’t give up! This is one of those paths that is very singular. Motivation is key. One of the reasons why I started the blog was to give myself “motivation”. I thought: “I can’t let these people down.” It became a driver, which in the end, helped me to reach that point where I didn’t need it anymore. (I now post less frequently on the blog at the moment, while I go through the “marketing phase”. However, when I get back to writing for the new book, I’m only going to be posting once a week.)
I then knew I became the “Author” that I was looking for. Regardless of what happened to the novel, I knew I could now do it all over again. (“Rinse and repeat”, so to speak.)
About You
Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised for the first twelve years of my life in Seattle, Washington. More specifically in Ballard, which is a Scandinavian section of town. (My grandpa was Norwegian.)
After that, I spent thirteen years in England. (My mom remarried after being divorced for ten years.) She married an Englishman and he asked “Would you like to come over to my place?”
That’s where I finished my education.
Where do you live now?
I live in the Pacific Northwest. Back in the area that I grew up in. The mountains and this amazing place is a great area to call home.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’ve been interested in the Paranormal since I was a teenager. I wanted to explore what goes “bump in the night” from that early age.
This has led me down some very dark paths and some incredible amazing experiences too. (It hasn’t been all scary!) It isn’t for the “faint of heart”.
While I haven’t been on a “ghost hunt”, I have experiences almost daily. At this point in time, it mostly is spirits just passing through. Sometimes, though something more than that catches my “eye”.
This book and it’s series is an exploration into that world. I want to leave the reader thinking “wow, I would never have thought that was going to happen”. Plus I hope they just enjoy the ride.
My goal is to bring characters that you can really like and care about as they take you though this journey of theirs. While it is a good mystery (according to the feedback that I’ve been receiving on Amazon and Facebook), I really hope that you like the people. Because after all, it isn’t plot alone that drives a good story. It’s good characters.
What are you working on now?
Because of my film experience, I tend to think of things in those terms. So here goes:
I am currently in “pre-production” for book two. (The title will be announced shortly.)
Pre-production is where I lay the plans out for the project. “Production” is the writing of the first draft and “Post-Production” is the editing phase. (Of course “Launch” is “distribution”.)
I am also having to spend some time writing the screenplay for book one. As this is a commitment that I promised myself early on.
Book two should be released in 2017.
End of Interview:
For more from Mark visit his website or blog, follow him on Twitter, or like his Facebook page.
Get your copy of Dream, Recurring at Amazon US or Amazon UK.
