Sunday, September 7, 2014

Author interview - Dean F. Wilson



Apple or PC?
PC. While Apple makes good hardware and software, it is always over-priced, and lacks some of the features of Windows-based systems. Also, as a gamer, Macs simply don't have all the titles available.

Do you use Scrivener or Word?
Word (or technically OpenOffice). I only heard of Scrivener recently. I might try it out some time.

Do you have any pets? Do they influence your writing?
No pets. I'm not really a pet person. That said, if I had to choose between cats and dogs, I'd pick cats.

Would you rather see your stories on the big screen or the little screen?
Big screen. I think the world of Iraldas demands a big budget, which most TV shows just don't get. That said, Game of Thrones has shown that it's possible.




Are you hooked on any of the shows on the sci-fi channel? If so, which one(s)?
I actually got rid of my TV package a while back, as Netflix ticked all the boxes for me. I've been recently rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Do you own copies of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings DVDs? The extended version? Do you ever watch them?
I have the Extended Editions of both Lord of the Rings and the first Hobbit film, and I'll be getting them for the next two Hobbit films also. They are one of the few deluxe editions that are truly worth the money, as there's lots of additional material, both in terms of extra scenes and all the "making of" footage.

Have you seen the first two parts of the The Hobbit? Are you planning to see the final instalment?
Yes, and yes! I like what PJ has done so far, and I think the third film has the potential to be the best. 

Are you a Luddite? Or do you prefer to be on the bleeding edge of technology?
Definitely not a Luddite. I am very strongly in favour of technological advancement. I've worked as a journalist for a dozen or so technology news outlets, so I've been following new developments for many years now. I consider technology essential to humanity's future progress. It is only regrettable that so many advances are made under adverse circumstances (war, etc.), but at least some good comes of that.

Are you--or have you ever been--a gamer?
Yes, and I expect I always will be. I enjoy RTS, RPG, and MMO games. I like to have a top of the range PC for gaming. I love Steam, as it makes it easy to catalogue and store all my games, especially if I need to re-install on a new rig.




What kind of foods do you eat? Are you a health-food-nut or is it strictly junk?
I try to eat a mix, and I go from periods of extra healthy food to more quick and easy to prepare junk food. I'm attempting to eat more of my five a day.

Do you cook? What is your best/favourite/most popular recipe?
I cook out of necessity more than anything. By the time I go to cook, I'm usually too hungry to really bother with anything too exciting. I can do basic meals like fry-ups, pasta dishes, and so forth, but anything more elaborate I tend not to bother with. At some stage I'll probably try to give cooking a proper go.

Have you ever heard of or had a green smoothie? If you’ve ever had one, what did you think about ?
I've heard of it, but I haven't tried it -- yet. I sometimes find it difficult getting my five a day, so I think I'd definitely try it out. In fact, I've just added it to my "to do" list, so thanks for reminding me about it.

Do you have a garden? Have you ever grown your own food?
No garden. I've thought once or twice about growing a few herbs or vegetables on my balcony or window sill, but I haven't tried it yet.

Have you ever been to Starbucks?
Several times. It's not a regular haunt, but I pop in now and then with friends.

Coffee or Tea or Water? Espresso, Drip, Instant, or French Press? Bag or Looseleaf? Bottled, Filtered, Tap or Rainwater?
Tea and water are my primary drinks. I love tea and drink a lot of it, and I usually keep a bottle of water on me on most occasions. I don't mind tap water either. For tea, I use tea bags, and I take both "normal" tea, with a little bit of milk, green tea, and various herbal teas. I have maybe one or two cups of coffee per year.

Do you wear socks?
Yes.

What are you wearing right now?
Nothing. Just kidding. A pair of combats and a t-shirt.

How often do you wash your hair? 
Every second day, sometimes daily if I'm going out a lot. It's more due to "bed hair" than anything else, which only comes under control through another wash.

Do you do your own laundry?
Yes, but I wish I didn't. It seems that as soon as one batch is done, another one appears.

Does life fascinate you?
Always. I think humanity is naturally questioning. We want to find the answers to ourselves and the universe. I frequently ponder on these subjects, and some of this can be found in my books.

What would your animal totem be?
An owl.




Do you recycle?
Yes, I recycle all paper, cardboard, plastics, and glass. Recycling came in big about a decade ago here in Ireland. It is free to recycle, while there are costs to dispose of other waste, so it has encouraged most people to recycle. Given the sheer volume of recyclable material I have, it boggles my mind to think that this stuff used to end up in the ground.

Do you do Yoga? Meditation? or Deep Breathing? Does it help you cope?
I do some meditation practices, and it definitely helps with stress. I've also been looking for a good Tai Chi Chuan teacher for a while. I did a lot of martial arts when I was younger, so I'd like to keep up some of that, albeit in a tamer form.

On a scale of 1-10, how eccentric are you?
I don't think someone can label themselves eccentric, to be honest. Everyone's weirdness is essentially normal to them, so they would only appear eccentric to someone else. That said, I do find the strange and peculiar to be very fascinating.

What’s your astrological sign?
Gemini.

Do you consider yourself a slave to the muse?


No. I think the Muse can be invoked at will. Authors don't and shouldn't have to wait for inspiration. Go out and seek it. Create it.




Author Bio:

Dean F. Wilson was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1987. He started writing at age 11, when he began his first (unpublished) novel, entitled The Power Source. He won a TAP Educational Award from Trinity College Dublin for an early draft of The Call of Agon (then called Protos Mythos) in 2001.

He has published an epic fantasy trilogy called The Children of Telm (The Call of Agon, The Road to Rebirth, and The Chains of War), in addition to several poems and short stories. He is currently working on a new steampunk series.

Dean also works as a journalist, primarily in the field of technology. He has written for TechEye, Thinq, V3, VR-Zone, ITProPortal, TechRadar Pro, and The Inquirer.

Dean's web-site: http://deanfwilson.com/

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