Author Interview: Darryl A. Woods Author of The Summoned Ones #INTERVIEW

Darryl Woods is a storyteller who hones his craft entertaining coworkers. He also enjoys regaling family and friends with stories of his upbringing in rural Ohio, of the motorized contraptions his father fabricated, and of the timber cutting and sawmill work he did with his father-in-law. With an appetite for reading fantasy, it was inevitable he would choose to write about an epic journey in a world dominated by magic and sword fighting.

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“Fight your way to the general!” Kail bellowed again and again over the din of battle.

His general was indeed in trouble, as was the army’s position in the overall battle. Only minutes earlier, Darnon’s command post had been overrun. The enemy was countering in near-perfect fashion the battleplan drawn up that very morning. The general now found himself surrounded on three sides. His skillful use of his massive two-handed sword was the only thing keeping him from being overwhelmed. Three of his officers fought frantically to protect his back, but two were so slowed by wounds, they could barely defend themselves, let alone their commanding officer.

--From The Summoned Ones: Book 1 Flight to Bericea

Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning? When did you come up with the idea to write your book?

I had a vague idea for years before I fleshed out the basic idea and plotline in 2012. I was always intrigued by portal stories that brought modern-day characters into a fantasy world. The emotions of the characters as they came to grips with what was happening to them. The cultural differences of the modern day and in-world characters. Protagonists thrust into a chaotic world at war and how they come to grips with what they are forced to do to survive. Amid all this conflict, weave in world-building and strong character development. As I thought through the possibilities, my enthusiasm for the unfolding storyline grew.

Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

Even before I completed the manuscript, I decided to self-publish. Stories of authors taking years to find an agent only to be dropped later with no deals scared me off the traditional publishing route. I must also admit I did not relish the thought of having a publisher demand that I make drastic changes to a manuscript I had spent so much effort bringing to life.

Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

I knew self-publishing would be a lot of work, but the learning curve and the amount of trial and error in the process were more than I expected. I took 5 years learning and making many missteps before I released The Summoned Ones. The biggest mistake with regard to money and, more importantly, time was choosing a publisher who would allow me to keep 100% of the royalties. After more than 2 years, during which I did almost all the work and they merely manipulated what I gave them, the results were of such poor quality, I had to drop them. I used nothing they produced and received no refund. This experience forced me to do a great deal of research and soul-searching as to what type of product I did want. A painful and costly learning experience, but one I am sure helped me produce a far better product in the end.

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

I think the cover plays a few important roles. Along with the title, the cover needs to convey the genre of the book. The cover also should draw the attention of the reader, compelling them to look further. Unfortunately, with far too many self-published books, the authors try to save money by creating their covers themselves. My goal was to produce one every bit as professional as any traditionally published cover. To that end, I commissioned a local artist to paint a pivotal scene from the book. A digital version of the resulting oil painting was used by a company I hired to complete the cover and format the interior.

How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

Writing the book was not hard so much as it was time-consuming. The key was persistence. That would be one piece of advice I have for other writers: stick to it.

What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

The Summoned Ones was book 1 of the Flight to Bericea series. I am 80,000 words into book 2, Perilous Path, the final book of the series. I plan to release Perilous Path in early December.

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

That is a tough question to answer without spoilers, so I will be a bit vague with my answer. The fate of Josh the musician will be a big surprise.

Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

I wrote The Summoned Ones for entertainment. My hope is that it is a way for readers to escape the craziness of their day-to-day lives and immerse themselves for a while in another world.

Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?