Exclusive Interview with
Donald Firesmith
When did you start writing?
I started writing science fiction short stories when I was a junior in high school (1969). I loved reading science fiction books and short stories and wanted to get some of my ideas into stories. Unfortunately, I had too little experience and training to be successful.
In the 1980s, I started writing software and systems engineering articles and conference papers. I moved on to author 8 software and systems engineering books over then next two decades.
I decided to get back into writing fiction back around 2010 and have been writing novels and short stories ever since.
What makes writing your passion?
How long have you been writing?
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
I loved the sense of accomplishment. With my engineering books, articles, and conference papers, I felt like I was making major contributions to the profession. I also loved getting the feedback from readers.
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
For my science fiction work, I usually start with an interesting situation, identify an appropriate mix of characters, and then imagine how they would act and react in that situation.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
Marketing, getting book reviews. The competition is fierce, and it is not sufficient to write good books, get good reviews, and even win mid-level awards. Best sellers are typically funded by publishers far beyond what individual authors can afford. Obtaining literary representation by an agent who understands your genre is almost as difficult as finding a publisher.
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
I only really get writer's block when I am sick (I have several chronic illnesses). Otherwise, I hove so many ideas that I can always start writing something new. Also, because I now plan my books rather than fly by the seat of my pants, if I get stuck on a chapter of a book, I merely switch to another chapter.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
I keep writing because I keep having story ideas that will bug me if I don't turn them into books or short stories.
Keep writing. Writing is a skill that improves with practice. Not only does the quality go up over time; so does your productivity.
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
I absolutely read every review. The good ones stroke my ego and incentivize me to continue writing. If the mediocre or bad reviews contain specific issues, I determine whether they are valid, and if they are, I fix them. Ebooks and print on demand make that super easy. If the mediocre and bad reviews don't say anything specific, I largely ignore them. After all, even the most famous books get bad reviews. It is the percentage of good to bad reviews that is important, not the individual reviews. Develop a thick skin and remember that the review is of your book, not you as a person.
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
It makes my day. If you like a book, leave a good review, even if it is super short. Writers are humans who thrive on encouragement.
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
In my book Hell Holes: A Slave's Revenge, I have human characters fight alien gladiators and apex predators in coliseums as a blood sport for their demonic alien captors. I used to be a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, in which I used to fight in medieval armor. I used that experience, modified by trying to imagine how fighting non-humanoid aliens would be different.
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
I don't base any of my characters on me, but I do have my protagonists try to behave like I hope I would under similar circumstances.
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
Absolutely not. HOWEVER, an amateurish cover will doom even the best book. On the other hand, a great cover on a crappy book will make the reader feel cheated.
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
I sell my books at book fairs and very much enjoy talking with the attendees. I answer every email from readers. I also get a lot of email interactions with my group of beta readers.
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
A big smile and a virtual happy dance.
Who is your favorite author? Why?
That is impossible to answer because I have too many, and it also depends on what type of book it is (fiction/nonfiction, genre, etc.)
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
I would love to see my books consistently in major book stores and places like Costco. My biggest dream would be to have one of my books turned into a major motion picture. I had a couple of Hollywood producers try to do that with my first Hell Holes book. They hired a script writer and produced a spec script. But they couldn't come up with the $100+ million it would cost. Still, it was very exciting for about 9 months and I definitely knew what movie prop I wanted.
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
I would never completely rewrite any of my books for two reasons: (1) I have too many new books to write and (2) I don't think any requires a major rewrite. However, I always make local fixes in cases where someone informs me that a typo or inconsistency made it past my editing programs and beta readers.
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
Nope. I'm me, and I have my own stories to tell.
What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.
DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS! They will just keep coming back for more. It also looks bad for you as an author. Ignore them completely.
What would you say to your readers?
Thank you for reading my books! Now, please write a review if you haven't already done so.
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
I'm married, with six children all out on their own and scattered across the country. Check out my website for more information:
https://donaldfiresmith.com/about-me/
What is your day job if you have one?
I retired after 40+ years developing large complex software-intensive systems to devote myself to writing novels and short stories.
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
I make magic wands.
I read and binge watch science and technology shows for ideas for science fiction stories
The following are a few fun facts about me:
1) As a student member of the American Nuclear Society, I operated a Triga Mark III pool reactor, and once stood INSIDE a nuclear reactor core, specifically the core of the Zero Power Plutonium Reactor (ZPPR).
2) I stood at the snow line of Mount St. Helens three days before it erupted.
3) During the summer of 1973, I spent 90 days on a bicycle riding 5,000 kilometers across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
4) I is a world traveler, having visited 32 countries and lived overseas for several years, twice in Germany and once in Switzerland.
5) In 1974 during the Cold War, I traveled to the Soviet Union, where I visited Moscow and Leningrad. On the way, I stopped by at West Berlin and went through the Berlin Wall at Checkpoint Charlie.
6) n India, I once had a dancing blindfolded man with a sword slice a watermelon in two on my naked stomach.
Did you have a happy childhood?
Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
I am currently working on:
1) Hell Holes: Insurrection (a sequel to the prequel, Hell Holes: A Slave's Revenge)
2) The Secrets of Sanctuary Cove, a sequel to The Secrets of Hawthorne House
3) More Future Dreams and Nightmares, a second collection of science fiction short stories.
4) Another Cauldron of Uncanny Dreams, a second collection of occult short stories.
What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?
If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?
1) Have Hell Holes: A Slave's Revenge turned into a TV series
2) Win a Hugo or Nebula award
3) To be able to keep writing for another 2-3 decades
What is your favorite music?
Share a secret with us 🙂
An impossible request. As soon as I share it, it ceases to be a secret.