Author Interview with D.N. Schmidt

2/7/2020

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Who are you?

I am D.N. Schmidt. I am a multi-genre author, but creative writing students probably know me as "the story ideas guy".

Where do you live?

I was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that city writers use when they want a character to be a generic Midwesterner.

I currently live in South Bend, a smaller Indiana town that somehow manages to be both less generic and also less interesting than Fort Wayne. I don't have as much family here in South Bend, but I do live near my second cousin twice removed. If I have to remove him one more time, I'm filing a restraining order.

What’s your home life like?

When I'm not curled up in my introvert cocoon, I like exploring South Bend's pub scene, going to concerts in Chicago, battling rival dojos, hatching dinosaur eggs, and lying.
I also enjoy entertaining. When I throw a party, there are only two rules:
1. There are no rules
2. Use a coaster

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What genre(s) do you like to write? To read?

Although I am best known for my mystery novel "They Ate The Waitress?", most of my writing is science fiction, horror, and fantasy.
Most of my reading revolves around the same genres. I especially enjoy Harlan Ellison, William Gibson, and Philip K. Dick.
I also like to read about the history of stage magic and circus sideshows.

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Why did you start writing?

When I was growing up, I had the typical middle child need for attention, so I started doing comedy magic. My half-sister agreed to be my assistant. (She started out as my regular sister, but then we did that trick with the chainsaw...) I enjoyed writing material more than performing, so I branched out to writing stories.

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As I got older, I grew frustrated with performing. Although it was a lot of fun, being on stage was exhausting. I always felt like I was walking a tightrope. At any moment, I could screw up a trick or a joke could fall flat, and the show could be ruined. Most people don't realize how hard magic is. A magic trick is like a pair of tight jeans: The better it looks, the harder it is to pull off.

Also, stage shows are quite ephemeral. They only "exist" during the performance, and then they become memories. Stories were far more lasting. They could exist as long as the paper they were printed on. In digital form, they could last forever.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I like to spend my free time watching horror movies. I'm a big fan of zombies, Japanese splatter films, and "so bad it's good" horror like the Puppet Master films, Basket Case, and anything with Bruce Campbell in it.

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I'm also an avid runner. I run about 12 to 15 miles a week, solo or with my dog Roscoe. Roscoe is a doberman/hound mix, which means he tries to be a guard dog but his hound ears make him too goofy-looking to intimidate anyone.

Where do you like to go when looking for a new book to read?

I like to support other self-published authors, so I usually ask Twitter for suggestions, or check Reddit's self-publishing boards.

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At what point do you call it quits when reading a new book?

I find I quit bad self-help and how-to books the fastest. Too many of them are just vague generalities with no actionable information.

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With fiction, the thing that makes me lose interest the fastest is spending too much time on details that don't actually move the story forward. If a writer spends half their first chapter talking about the weather, I probably won't bother with chapter two.

Are you independently or traditionally published?

Self-published.

How many books/stories have you published so far?

I have published a mystery novel, "They Ate The Waitress?", and a book of story ideas / creativity tools called "Inspiration Overdose". I will have a book of short stories out sometime later in 2020.

What book/story are you currently promoting or working on?

I am currently working on my first opera score. It's Tenors: 23, Sopranos: 37.
Seriously though, I am currently promoting my creativity book "Inspiration Overdose: Too many ideas for science fiction, horror, and fantasy stories".

What’s the elevator pitch?

Kill writer's block for good! There are over two thousand story ideas here waiting to spark your next story.

Inspiration Overdose is also jam packed full of tools and techniques to transform story ideas into something entirely new. Roll some dice and spice up your ideas with new characters, conflicts, and settings. Switching things up keeps the writing process interesting and your creative sparks flying. (Just remember to wear eye protection!)

These tools and ideas can create over five septillion combinations. That’s a five with twenty-four zeroes after it, or more story ideas than there are stars in the universe. You can use this book until the sun explodes and never use an idea twice.

How long have you been working on it?

Inspiration Overdose took over thirteen years to produce.

As a writer, I am constantly coming up with new story ideas and squirreling them away. The ideas in this book are the result of twelve years of brainstorming, sudden strokes of inspiration, and my insomniac muse kicking me awake in the middle of the night.

It took another year to select the ideas with the most potential and rewrite them into something more presentable than my collection of notebooks and cocktail napkins.

The creativity tools - Idea Blender, the Story Shuffle, the Grid Game, and many others - are the result of years of experimentation, trying thousands of ways to combine old ideas and create something new.

When will it be available to buy? Where?

Inspiration Overdose is available now at Amazon, both for Kindle and dead tree format.

How can readers find you?

My website. That's where you will find my short stories, writing tips, and news about my new books and other projects.
I am on Twitter. I mostly use it as an outlet to share jokes so I don't drive my wife crazy with puns.
If you are a visual person and like to get writing inspiration from art, check out my Pinterest boards.

Anything you’d like to add?

For all the aspiring writers out there:

Be patient! When I first started writing, I got paid nothing. But after years of hard work, I make ten times that now.

My thanks to D.N. Schmidt for participating in My Laughing Inane Blog. I wish him all the best in his personal and professional endeavors.

Welcome to My Laughably Inane Blog!