Where have you spent most of your childhood?
I’ve spent all of it in a city called Geel in the province of Antwerp Belgium. I lived in a neighborhood that still retained some small town characteristics. In my William Parker trilogy I use a fictional city called ’the Yellow City’ that is very much based on my home city. The translation of Geel, from Dutch, is actually ‘Yellow’.
What were your family's reactions when they found out you want to write your own books?
My parents never got to see my first publication. However when I started my first steps in writing especially my mother supported me. She wrote some poetry herself that never got published and unfortunately got lost during a move. My current wife supports me as well but my children seem to be less confident I will ever make it.
When did you realize your true potential?
Only a few years ago I actually found out I could self publish through Amazon. I was already writing my book that I would eventually publish first. It was then that I realized whatever the case I could at least try to sell my ideas through my SciFi, Fantasy and Horror books. I keep on writing even though the selling isn’t going very well.
Do you remember the first book you ever wrote?
Very clearly. I was in middle school and had written a story about a cave from which monsters appeared. It starred all my friends and me in the role of a hero. Despite the fact that I was the only one who eventually ended up in hospital my friends didn’t like it and destroyed it. It was a lesson in character development, they are an amalgamation of different people in my vicinity but never the whole person.
Can you share some insights into your writing process? How do you develop and weave intricate plot twists into your stories?
This is a difficult one. Sometimes I have the larger outlines of an entire story and I build the book around it. In the process sometimes other ideas and plot twists come to me during the process and I incorporate them in the story. The book I’m writing right now, a sequel to my latest book, was very difficult in that I had no idea about a plot. But I built it around a structure and the ideas are coming as I’m writing. So I guess it differs from one book to the next.
How do you go about creating your characters? Do you draw inspiration from real people or purely from your imagination?
As I already said I base my characters on several traits from people I know, or even famous people and mould them into a totally different person. Sometimes I can get inspiration for a character from a movie or TV-series but I never use a whole person as a character anymore as it can be precarious to do so.
Do you have a favorite character from your books? If so, what makes them stand out to you?
My favorite character is actually William ‘Bill’ Parker from my trilogy. Those books are partly based on stories I wrote in the late eighties early nineties. I wrote them in Dutch and now translated them in English and added a lot of stuff to it. The character of Bill however is very much based on myself. Partly who I used to be, who I am, and who I very much would want to be. Even Bill’s parents are loosely based on mine. As it also kind of takes place in a version of my home town it was a pleasant write and a bit of a nostalgic experience as well.
What techniques do you use to ensure your readers stay engaged throughout your novels?
I always try to give hints to what might happen further along in the story without giving too much away and keeping the mystery alive. This was especially satisfying in my debut book 'All for the People’ as that story takes place in thee different time periods and is told in stages always starting with the future part. I always use reversal of fortune techniques as well, without making it too weird (I hope LOL).
How important do you think world-building is in creating immersive and captivating novel like "Children of the Night"?
Oh very important. This word contains two space faring Tribes that have evolved from common ancestors and from each other. One Tribe lives on planets and has cruisers to move around, the other lives on CityShips and TownShips in space itself. One has modernized and have a President as leader, the other is a bit obsessed with the past and has an Emperor as the leader. It is loosely based on the British Empire and their religion on Indian beliefs and philosophies. Everything with my own take on it of course.It is actually interwoven in the story of that book so of vital importance.
How do you strike a balance between developing your characters and advancing the plot in your novels?
I try to break things up. For instance I will reveal character traits during conversations and even descriptions of rooms or architecture so I don’t get long and boring descriptions the readers have to go through.
How did you approach creating suspense and tension in your novel, "Inception"?
It’s funny you should ask this of that particular book. It is the third installment of my trilogy. Whereas the first two books consist of three separate stories each with the same characters reappearing, the third links all the stories together and actually has a first part that is a prequel to the rest. I try to keep the mystery alive as long as possible and somewhere around the middle introduce a third unexpected player that makes life for our hero more complicated.
Have you ever encountered challenges while writing epic adventures? If so, how did you overcome them?
Sometimes you just need time away from the writing process. I was having difficulties on my latest book and we’d coincidently booked a trip through Egypt. It was just what the doctor ordered and I got some inspiration for another book in the process.
How do you ensure that your plot twists are unexpected but still believable to the readers?
I regularly get that question of a similar one. I’ve tried to fathom my muse on more than one occasion however it remains elusive. I try to keep my plot twist as simple as possible but still far from the expected road. I believe that occam’s razor also applies in these cases. But as to where all these ideas I have are coming from…
How do you handle feedback and criticism from readers? Has it influenced your writing in any way?
I’ve had little feedback ore criticism up until this point but that which I did have I tried to use to better my works. One thing that is difficult to change for me however is my undoubtedly quirky style, it is what it is. However I do take all input at heart.
What do you like the most about AllAuthor? Do you have any suggestions for the website?
I like the fact that you can discover likeminded indie authors. I don’t know if your website has a lot of readers visiting but it would be great if that was possible.
