IndieView with Daniel Arenson, author of, Eye of the Wizard

“When I was a kid, I was a fan of TSR’s novels – Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, and other fantasy worlds.  These books were great fun to read.  They weren’t profound literature like Lord of the Rings, but fantasy pageturners that drew you into a magical world.  With Eye of the Wizard, I wanted to recreate that feel – an entertaining fantasy novel full of creepy monsters, powerful wizards, magical creatures, and lots of adventure.”

Daniel Arenson 22 February 2011

The Back Flap

On the longest night of the year, a dark wizard murders a knight and his wife.

The knight’s children survive and swear revenge. Sam and Jamie vow to become knights like their father. Neev, the middle child, vows to become a wizard.

Five years later, things look grim. Sam is useless with the sword. Jamie is denied knighthood because she’s a girl. Neev cannot cast a spell without growing donkey ears, a monkey tail, or an elephant trunk. The siblings feel like failures.

That’s when the dark wizard strikes again.

Are the siblings powerful enough to defeat him? Or will they too die at his hands?

About The Book

When did you start writing the book?

I began writing Eye of the Wizard in 2009.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took about a year to write.

Where did you get the idea from?

When I was a kid, I was a fan of TSR’s novels – Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, and other fantasy worlds.  These books were great fun to read.  They weren’t profound literature like Lord of the Rings, but fantasy pageturners that drew you into a magical world.  With Eye of the Wizard, I wanted to recreate that feel – an entertaining fantasy novel full of creepy monsters, powerful wizards, magical creatures, and lots of adventure.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

There are five main characters in the book.  When they appear together in scenes, it was difficult to keep track of them all – to make sure each got “screen time”, and to remember who was doing what.  I kept inventing reasons to send my characters on tasks alone or in pairs!

What came easily?

Most of the novel was a breeze to write. Eye of the Wizard is definitely my lightest, most fun book.

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

Romy, a 207-year-old demon girl, is based on an actual demon girl I know.  Neev, a wizard, is based on a real medieval wizard who’s a friend of mine.  Dry Bones, an evil skeleton warlock, is based on an actual skeleton warlock who lives down the street.  Other than that, the characters are made up.

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?

Eye of the Wizard is inspired by authors such as Weis and Hickman, R. A. Salvatore, Douglas Adams, and Terry Pratchett.

Do you have a target reader?

Anyone who’ll fork over the $2.99 for a bloody copy.

And fantasy fans.

About Writing

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

Not really.  I just sit down with coffee and music and type.

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

I didn’t outline for Eye of the Wizard.  I just made it all up as I went along.  I’ve outlined for my other novels, though.

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

I wait until I’m done writing.  I never edit while writing.  The two are very different processes for me, and use different parts of my brain.  When I write, I’m an artist, all creative muse.  When I edit, I’m a craftsman, examining every sentence with a critical eye and polishing it.

Did you hire a professional editor?

My first novel, Firefly Island, was edited professionally at my publisher.  Eye of the Wizard ran through a writers’ workshop, and several fellow authors beta read it before I published it.

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

I cannot write without music.  Currently, as I type this, I’m listening to Weeping Tile – a Canadian alternative band from the 1990s.  I listen to a lot of classic rock, metal, blues, and some alternative and classical music.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No.  Eye of the Wizard went straight from my mind to your ereaders.

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

I come from a background in traditional publishing.  Firefly Island was published at Five Star Publishing, an imprint of Gale.  But times are changing.  I’m excited about ebooks; it’s a great way to connect directly with readers.  I was happy to release Eye of the Wizard directly into the ebook stores.

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

A professionally written novel deserved a professionally designed cover.  I hire skilled artists to create my covers.

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

Just winging it.  🙂  I don’t like marketing very much, and I’m not a great marketer.  I’m a writer, so I prefer to spend my time writing the next book.

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

Don’t just release anything to the ebook stores.  Take the time to hone your skill.  I wrote and sold fiction for a dozen years before I began releasing my work independently.  I sold dozens of stories and poems to professional and semi-professional publications.  I sold a novel.  I wrote about a million words of fiction.  It takes time to become a decent author.  If you’ve been playing piano for only a year, you wouldn’t already start performing at concert halls.  You’d practice and spend years developing your talent first.  Same with writing.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in various places.  We moved around a lot, between houses and – five or six times – between countries.  But wherever we were, I always grew up in the local library and bookshop.

Where do you live now?

Snowy Canada.

What would you like readers to know about you?

In addition to Eye of the Wizard, I’ve written the fantasy novels Firefly Island, The Gods of Dream, and Flaming Dove.  You can learn more about them, and me, at my website.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a series of epic, operatic fantasy novels called Requiem Fire.  I expect to release the first volume later this year.

End of Interview

You can buy Eye of the Wizard at Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Smashwords. The books website is here.