Pump Up Your Book Chats with F.J. Dagg

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0028James

F.J. Dagg grew up in Michigan, where for a time he was a musician in a variety of rock and blues bands. He graduated with honors from the University of Michigan with a degree in Philosophy and an additional concentration in Music Theory and History. After moving to California, his focus turned from music to the writing of fiction, which he pursued as various day jobs allowed. Though not a member of any religious denomination, the mainstay of the author’s life is his faith, a fact reflected in his writing. His pastimes include playing the guitar and violin, reading, and surfing.

You can visit F.J. Dagg’s website at http://branch92.com.

On The Lowlands of Heaven

Q: Can you tell us why you wrote your book?

A: There’s no single answer to that. One reason is that I love to do that magical thing authors do–to create entire worlds out of words. Then there’s my spiritual view of things, which experience tells me is something many people are eager to share, and The Lowlands of Heaven certainly does that. Finally, in more specific terms, I was prompted by a clear “what if…?” scenario that hit me one day: “What if there was a couple that were meant to be together, would be ideal together, but one of them was missing a part, a spiritual part without which they could never come together? And how might that part be restored?” I was sure there was a story worth telling there.

Q: Which part of the book was the hardest to write?

A: The first half was challenging in that it involved setting up two separate worlds and two sets of characters. Continuity and pacing required a lot of care, but it was worth it because when elements of the two worlds come together, the energy goes through the roof.

Q: Does your book have an underlying message that readers should know about?

A: Yes, that there is more to reality than our experience as humans shows us. I’m not conventionally religious. Rather, I believe, as Teilhard de Chardin said, that “we are spiritual beings having a human experience,” and that the human experience is a relatively small part of our existence. Resting on that foundation is the more immediate message: that there may be benevolent beings in the unseen world who take an interest in our lives.

On Writing

Q: Do you remember when the writing bug hit?

A: I don’t think it came as a sudden thing. Since childhood, I had thought it would be a wonderful thing to be an author, to draw readers into worlds I’d created. But I didn’t get motivated to actually do it until adulthood.

Q: What’s the most frustrating thing about becoming a published author and what’s the most rewarding?

A: The most frustrating thing is trying to make time to write. The promotional aspects of being an author can eat up all of your time if you let them. But then, I’m comparatively new at that. I expect I’ll get more efficient with experience. The most rewarding thing is reading a review that tells me that the reader truly got what I had intended to say, that I’ve made that connection with a complete stranger.

Q: Do you have a writing tip you’d like to share?

A: Be wary of perfectionism. I believe that many writers, those starting out at any rate, have a strong tendency to want to “get it right” the first time. In reality, you have to draft, then revise, and revise some more. Writing fiction is a process of discovery, so you need to give yourself room to wander, to make mistakes, and sometimes, to start over.

On Family and Home:

Q: Would you like to tell us about your home life? Where you live? Family? Pets?

A: I live in San Diego, CA, I tend not to discuss my home life, and though I don’t have pets, several hummingbirds are regular visitors to the feeders I keep for them.

Q: Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

A: I have a spare bedroom that serves as an office.Nothing special, but it serves my needs.

Q: What do you do to get away from it all?

A: I surf, or if surf conditions aren’t favorable, I take long walks.

On Childhood:

Q: Were you the kind of child who always had a book in her/his hand?

A: Absolutely.

Q: Can you remember your favorite book?

A: I’ve had so many favorites I couldn’t possibly name just one.

Q: Do you remember writing stories when you were a child?

A: I seem to recall a story about a dog who was a space traveler.

On Book Promotion:

Q: What was the first thing you did as far as promoting your book?

A: A couple of things. I sent out emails to a list of friends and acquaintances and I posted a lot on Facebook.

Q: Are you familiar with the social networks and do you actively participate?

A: Yes, I’ve been on Facebook and LinkedIn for a couple of years, and have just recently started figuring out Twitter. I’m one of that legion of authors who just wants to hole up and write, and so resisted becoming a marketing professional, but I’ve seen the light–you’ll be hearing more from me.

Q: How do you think book promotion has changed over the years?

A: In the traditional model, though authors were expected to take a part in promotion, publishers provided a lot of support. Now promotion has become much more the author’s responsibility, and in the case of independent authors, it is entirely the author’s responsibility. One has to balance being a businessman and a writer.

On Other Fun Stuff:

Q: If you had one wish, what would that be?

A: World Peace.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world other than where you are right now, where would that place be?

A: Oh, I like where I am just fine, thank you.

Q: Your book has just been awarded a Pulitzer. Who would you thank?

A: I’ve heard that the Pulitzer ruins many of the writers who receive it, so I might turn it down. But seriously, I would thank God, Mom, and a long list of people who read Lowlands pre-publication and offered suggestions that improved it.

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Karen-Anne Stewart, ASH TO STEELE

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How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

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