Q&A with DragonFire

[WARNING: This post may contain spoilers.]

DragonFire is the author of such stories like The Dragon Prince and Of Light and Dark.

Q. Tell me a little bit about yourself

Well, I turned 30 this year… that didn’t turn out as traumatic as I thought it would. Mind you, the JD & vodka kinda helped the evening along, plus they had a really cute stripper. All in all is was a very good night. 😉

Born in Belfast, my parents moved to England when I was 2 & I’ve been here ever since. My Ma passed away last year, and things spiraled out of control for a long while. She was my rock, and to have that suddenly taken away from me was pretty traumatic. Good friends finally brought me round, if not for them I’d still be lost I think.

I work for a large IT firm in Winchester as a systems analyst, boring job, but it pays the bills.

No other half to speak about, a couple of fuck buddies help pass the time ‘til Mr. Right comes knocking, but I’m liking the solitude at the moment, so life’s pretty settled.

Q. What inspires you to write?

My over active imagination! lol

Seriously, I get crazy ideas at all times of the day & feel compelled to write it all down. I guess it’s like a release valve of sorts, plus I enjoy doing it. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything though, and it’s only in the last few weeks that I’ve actually started to get back to the stories I left unfinished 18 months ago. This past year I’ve not even had the compulsion to write anything for obvious personal reasons, but my head is clear now, so the stories are taking shape again. 🙂

Q. What are your favourite books?

Lord of the Rings is my all-time favourite, but as a rule I love fantasy, horror & sci-fi.

Q. What is the most thoughtful feedback you have received from a reader?

That’s an easy one. When I stopped writing, because of my Ma’s death, and I explained that on the forums, the e-mails of support were really touching. Even though I don’t know these people personally they took time out of their lives to write, for which I am truly thankful.

Q. Do your characters represent anyone in your life?

Hehe, only one, Neil in Of Light and Dark, Gary’s ex-boyfriend. He’s 90% based on my ex, so most of what you read of him in chapter 1 is actually factual. Anyone who knows me (& him) got that right away.

Other than that, no. I may take traits from people I know & incorporate them into characters, but I think that’s only a natural thing to do. We all base our writing to some degree on our real life experiences, but certainly not to the extent of caricaturing one of my friends or acquaintances.

Q. What’s your favourite cereal?

Image via Wikipedia

Sugar Puffs or Shredded Wheat.

Q. Are you single?

Yeah, and happily so at the moment. I’ve been in relationships pretty much constantly since I was 16. After the last one ended badly I vowed I’d have some me time and just concentrate on things I want to do for a change, rather than having to consult someone else. You have no idea how liberating that’s been.

Q. What do you think of Twilight by Stephanie Meyer?

Never read the books, but the films are excellent with plenty of eye candy. Considering the stories I write you would have thought I’d have read it, maybe over the Christmas break when I have some time.

Q. Tell us a little about The Dragon Prince and Of Light and Dark?

Dragon Prince is something I’ve had in my head for some time. I actually wrote the original draft when I was 14 but it’s changed a hell of a lot now I’ve started to fill it out. I only found it again when going through some boxes in my parents attic 2 years ago and it’s been niggling at my sub-conscious ever since. I guess I’ve always had a fascination with magic and magical creatures and that’s reflected heavily, (or will be) in this story. I’m going to chuck in a whole myriad of things into this tale to have some fun with it, I just hope the readers enjoy it. This story is defiantly a labour of love for me and it’ll take time to get it right, but I will get there.

Of Light and Dark was born out of frustration I think. There was a plethora of vampire stories going around and they all seemed kinda samey. A friend of mine challenged me to write something totally different, and never one to pass a challenge up, I did. It’s still in its infancy at the moment with some really outlandish and weird things to come. The trouble I have is my muse goes walkabout when I start to write this, so it’s done in fits and starts. Even though I have the whole plot laid out chapter by chapter I delete more than I leave and it’s very frustrating. I’m my own worst critic, and if it doesn’t feel right I have to start again! lol

Q. Is there another gay online author to whom you look up to, and if so, why?

Mark Arbour.

It takes a lot to get me to read something that’s not fantasy/sci-fi/horror based, but the CAP and Bridgemont series is totally absorbing. He has an amazing talent of making stories interesting to everyone despite their personal preferences. His characters are compelling (and more often than not, sluts. lol), the plots draw you in and sometimes spit you out, but it’s his easy style I think that makes his stories so fluent. Humour, hard raw sex, tragedy, love and drama all mixed together to create something totally outstanding. I’ve read both series twice now, and you know something, the second time was better than the first.

Also, as it happens, he’s a pretty nice guy as well. If I were ever asked to have a fling with an older man, Mark would be it. :p

Q. Is The Dragon Prince, and Of Light and Dark intended one book, or will there be a sequel?

Dragon Prince is intended as one book. That’s not to say that I won’t follow up with a sequel, it all depends if there is sufficient demand.

Of Light and Dark is the first of 3 books; that was always my objective. The second book will be significantly darker than the first though. I’ve plotted the first 20 chapters already, but at the moment I have to concentrate and get the first book finished.

Q. If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

Go on a serious shopping spree. Buy a new house & car…. get very drunk & hopefully lick Champagne off a cute guy. 😉

: Cover of Nickelback

Q. What is on your favourite iPod play list?

Damn, there are way too many artists to list in its entirety. My favourites though are, Madonna, Nickleback, Kylie, Queen, & the gorgeous Michael Buble.

Q. Tell me a little bit more about what it is you do for a living.

ROFL. My job is dead dull so there’s no way I’m going into great detail. I basically sort out IT problems for our clients, anything from software, hardware or virus infections.

Q. When do you feel most out of your comfort zone?

: Image via Wikipedia

At a large party or in group of people where I absolutely know no-one. I tend to clam up big time; I hide it well, but am churning up on the inside.

Q. Does anyone in your every-day life know that you write?

Yeah, a few friends know about it and one is even a member of GA…in fact he’s the one who put me onto the site in the first place. Galahad reads the stuff before it’s published, the rest of the guys have only really shown passing interest.

Q. What are the top 5 reasons you started writing specifically gay stories, when there are several other kinds of stories to write?

I can’t give 5 reasons because my first kind of answers the question right off the bat making the question moot.

I like to write about what I know, and being gay is one of them. I’ve tried writing about straight characters and storylines before, but for some reason it felt all wrong, so now I don’t bother. For some reason I don’t empathize with the characters, and that makes it harder to write. I do admire people who can write for both sides of the fence, but it’s not for me.

Q. If you could work with any author who would it be?

Impossible as he’s dead, but J. R. R. Tolkien. The man was a genius and a total inspiration. The films don’t do justice to the books; the words create their own visuals and emotions which no movie could ever hope to replicate.

Q. Do you have any little quirks when you are writing?

I have to have the TV as background noise and the phone switched off, otherwise I’ll get distracted and everything will go to pot. Oh, and a vanilla candle has to be burning near where I’m working, for whatever reason it helps keep my thoughts focused.

Q. Who do you think you are?

Who I think I am unimportant, what others see me as is more significant in the greater scheme of things.

Q. Have you ever thought when a hearse goes by that you might be the next to die?

LOL. No. Death isn’t something I think an awful lot about; it comes to us all eventually so why worry about it.

Q. Who was your favourite author when you were young?

If we’re talking real young then Enid Blyton. But I first read Lord of the Rings when I was 8 and was hooked, so J. R. R. Tolkien yet again.

Q. If you could have one wish, would you give it to me?

Are wishes transferable? Lol. If so, it would depend what your need of it was and if it was greater than my own or someone else’s.

Q. What’s your favourite board game?

Naked Twister. 🙂 Oh… board game..Ummm…. Trivial Pursuit. I know, but I can be a bit of a nerd when needed.

Q. Is there anything you’d like to plug?

Do I ever, Chris Pine, just because he’s drop dead gorgeous. 😀 (Captain Kirk in the new Star Trek movie for those non Sci-Fi fans out there)

Do you mean forthcoming work? In which case no, well nothing that’ll be out anytime soon. I am working on a new book, as yet untitled, which is incredibly dark in nature. But I want to finish it before I let my beta readers have a look see.