Please note that any links within this post may be affiliate links. This means I earn a commission on qualifying sales at no extra cost to you.
Author Interview with A.W. Davidson, author of Relics of Dawn
Eliza: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! As a science fiction author myself, I am really excited to hear your opinion. You are pretty new to the author scene, having published your first work in October. But I imagine you’ve been writing for longer than that. When did you start writing?
A.W. Davidson: First, thank you for the interview, I really appreciate it. I did not start creative writing until I started this novel in 2012. It has been fun to learn more about the craft and everything else that goes into publishing. I’ve been kicking this story around in my head for over 25 years when my grandmother and I dreamed it up on her back porch, and decided to make the most of all the time at home during the pandemic to finally finish it!
Eliza: I love that! I was really drawn to your books because you’ve labeled them “climate science fiction” or “ecofiction” and that is an interesting spin on what we typically see in sci-fi. What made you decide to go in that direction with your theme?
A.W. Davidson: The plot is well-within the hard science fiction genre, but the reason for much of the action is due to climate change. I decided to label this book as climate fiction because the story is about the cutting-edge science and scientists behind the extreme lengths we may need to resort to if our planet keeps warming. There is a small but growing subgenre is science fiction where climate change and other environmental topics are a central part of the book, and this story takes that to some mind-bending extremes alongside typical scifi topics as time travel, ancient civilizations, and high-technology.
Relics of Dawn Book Trailer – Interview Continues Below!
Eliza: The idea of superstorms is terrifying to me. Did you have to do much research before you started writing?
A.W. Davidson: It took a ton of research! Trying to understand the real science and then wrapping it in a compelling story is why it took me eight years to finish. The science itself evolved over the course of writing the novel, so I tried to keep-up as best I could without changing the core narrative. It has been a blast, though, because I am a huge science fan and have been since I was a little kid wandering around the fossil beds near where I grew up in Indiana. Also, scary fact, climatologists are predicting we’ll see an entire new class of hurricane if the ocean continues warming. They have dubbed it a ‘hypercane’ and two are featured in my novel.
Eliza: What is the hardest part of preparing a new project? For me, personally, I’m terrible at names. I will sometimes put off starting a new story because I just hate naming people or places.
A.W. Davidson: The hardest part for me is organizing ideas. I usually have a million of them and new ones come fast and disturb the plot I’m trying to establish. I’ve found note carding sessions work great for me as a way to outline in a physical medium. Two thousand note cards later and I had a lengthy plot packed with ideas that I could easily rearrange to try different narratives and start winnowing them down before I started serious writing.
Eliza: What is your favorite part of writing a book?
A.W. Davidson: I love achieving that “flow” state where the words feel like they are writing themselves and I’m just trying to keep up. After launching the prologue to my novel in October, I also found I really like the data you can uncover while marketing, which should not have surprised me since that is similar to what I do at my “regular” job – which I also love.
Eliza: Your books are ranking pretty high, especially considering you don’t have an enormous back list like some of your competitors. Do you have any marketing tips for new writers that are looking to put out that first novel?
A.W. Davidson: Research, network, research, and then network some more and start running ads. I don’t have an email list or any sort of following, but I do know a lot about technology and marketing, again, thanks to my “regular” job. I’ve really enjoyed connecting with other authors and science fiction readers on twitter and reddit, which helps on those days where the numbers aren’t working in my favor.
Eliza: Is the “Relics of Dawn” going to be a series?
A.W. Davidson: My goal was to have a cohesive, self-contained story in my first novel, but I did leave open opportunities for it to continue. There are outlines for a second and third book, but to achieve this level of research three times over would take an enormous amount of time. So, before I dive in, I want to see how the first one is received by readers.
Eliza: Thanks again for doing this interview! Please share what you’ve got going on now and any social media links so that readers can find you.
A.W. Davidson: Thank you for taking the time on this interview! With my book launch on December 11, I expect marketing will keep me busy for a long time. I also pushed myself really hard during the pandemic to get this finished, so I am going to take it a little easier and make the most of all this time with my family at home.
I love hearing from people, so feel free to reach out to me on any of the platforms below, or always at inquiries@awdavidson.com
- twitter.com/awdavids
- facebook.com/authawdavidson
- instagram.com/awdavids
- goodreads.com/awdavidson
- amazon.com/author/awdavidson
0 Comments