Hello, hello readers!

With grad school semester over, I’m happy to get back into more of my other postings until it starts back up again. That means it’s time for another author interview!

This time I’m interviewing Douglas Smith, Scifi & Fantasy author. Thanks for agreeing to do this with me, Doug!

I ran into Doug through other Canadian authors I’m friends with online. He seemed like a really great author so I just had to pick his brain about his works and writing process. Alright, on to the interview!

Douglas Smith

Bio:

Douglas Smith is a multi-award-winning author described by Library Journal as “one of Canada’s most original writers of speculative fiction.”

His latest work is the multi-award-winning YA urban fantasy trilogy, The Dream Rider Saga (The Hollow Boys, The Crystal Key, and The Lost Expedition). Other books include the urban fantasy novel, The Wolf at the End of the World; the collections, Chimerascope, Impossibilia, and La Danse des Esprits (translated); and the writer’s guide Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction.

His short fiction has appeared in the top markets in the field, including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, InterZone, Weird Tales, Baen’s Universe, Escape Pod, On Spec, and Cicada.

Doug is a 4-time winner of Canada’s Aurora Award, most recently in 2023 for The Hollow Boys, as well as the juried IAP Award for the same book. He’s been a finalist for the Astounding Award, CBC’s Bookies Award, Canada’s juried Sunburst Award, the juried Alberta Magazine Award for Fiction, and France’s juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane.

Social Media Links

The Interview

Hi Doug,

Thanks so much for stopping by. To keep things interesting, I like to ask my interviewees a random question or two to get the blood flowing. Here are yours!

You’re a lab assistant for a government facility. You discover that they have been trying to create a portal to another dimension. What do you do?

Doug: Sit them down and make them watch every season of Stranger Things. I mean, what are they thinking?

Jonny: Haha! That should educate them! Fingers crossed it doesn’t give them even more bad ideas.

It’s the apocalypse, and you only get to choose two items to take along into the devastation. What would you bring?

Doug: The One Ring. Plus, obviously, a towel.

Jonny: Oh, the ring will definitely help you survive, maybe even rise to the top of the new world order. Best of luck!

Oh my gosh, your mention of a towel made me think of this little guy:

A spaceship comes crashing out of the sky into your backyard. As a last act of kindness, the alien is willing to bestow upon you any power you choose. What is your decision?

Doug: Green Lantern’s Power Ring. Seriously, I’ve been waiting for this to happen since I was a kid.

Jonny: I love this answer! I mean, the ring is as powerful as your imagination and creativity is, so in the hands of an author this thing would make you unstoppable. Fly, and let us all live vicariously through your awesome adventures!

Doug and the Writing Process

Tell us a little bit about your writing.

Doug: My novels are all urban fantasy, although I do have an SF novel planned. My short stories have covered the full spectrum in speculative fiction: science fiction (both hard and soft), fantasy (a lot of urban but also high fantasy, sword & sorcery, supernatural), some horror, some humour, some slipstream.

Speculative stories still need an internal logic and consistency, but I’m not bound by any concerns of matching current reality. That is wonderfully freeing for a writer.
I appreciate the power of speculative fiction as a literature, to paraphrase Damon Knight, to hold up a distorted mirror to our current reality, to focus on some aspect of our world which needs to change (in the writer’s opinion). It’s that “if this goes on…” type of story that allow speculative fiction to provide a social commentary in a way that mimetic fiction cannot.

There are a few themes that I keep returning to or seem to recur in my work—mythology, both classical and native; animals and environmental issues; shapeshifters; characters with disabilities; dystopias where humans are oppressed not by totalitarian governments, but by private corporations; the negative effects of colonialism, both European and future interstellar colonialism. I probably could come up with a reason for each of those.

Jonny: Oh wow, I love the level of range that you have. I generally write horror, but from time to time the scifi and fantasy elements intermingle or may take prominence. I also tend to write in recent times. The furthest I plan on going back with any ideas generally caps off at the 80s, but I love future-based dystopian stories. I’ll have to take another look at your works for sure!

I’m also a big fan of characters with disabilities or impairments that make the journey that much harder. It really makes you root for them even more, especially if their heart’s in the right place.

What kind of setting do you write in most times?

Doug: Pre-pandemic, I would usually write either at the local library or coffee shop. Now, I’ve gotten into the habit of writing at home.

My only real ritual while I write (besides coffee) is listening to classical orchestral music, preferably baroque, with Vivaldi being a favourite. My key requirement is the music can’t have lyrics, as those words compete with what words I’m trying to come up with, and it can’t be too emotional, as the emotion will not likely match what I’m writing. Baroque orchestral is stimulating intellectually but I can put it into the background and focus on words without it competing for that part of my brain.

I write for 4-5 hours with periodic 5 min breaks every half hour or so. More than that, my mind turns to mush, and less than that makes it hard to get a decent word count.

Jonny: I feel you there. I do sometimes switch things up and write at the library, but almost all the time I write at home. I’m lucky enough to have an office room of my own, so it’s easy to shut the world out.

Oh, I love that! I also prefer music, though I stick to more drone ambient music these days. It kind of plateaus and stays at the same energy level so you don’t have to worry about it overpowering your thoughts. I can’t listen to music with words while I write either!

Wow, congrats on such a great time dedication to your craft! I’m still making a big life change that will come to fruition at the end of next year, but I’d love to get to where I could have at least 2 hours a day of uninterrupted writing time.

What first inspired you to start writing?

Doug: I did a lot of writing in high school, but then got away from it for many years. I’d always planned to get serious about fiction “someday.” Then one day, I read that one of my all-time favourite writers, Roger Zelazny, had passed away from cancer at the far too young age of 56. It made me realize I couldn’t count on having time to chase the dream “someday,” so I started writing seriously right then. I sold my first story, “Spirit Dance,” professionally about a year later.

Jonny: Whoa, the same thing happened to me! I wrote a lot in high school, then I had this big disconnect and stopped for almost a decade. When I moved back to Kansas City the change of scenery inspired me to start writing again and I haven’t looked back!

Thanks so much for sharing your story! It’s never too late to start writing.

If you could give advice to new writers, what would you say?

Doug: Start with short fiction. Short stories let you learn the craft of fiction in more manageable chunks and provide a built-in measure of how your craft is progressing, via when you start to sell your stories. You can try out ever so many genres, story structures, voice styles, and so much more in twenty 5,000-word short stories than you can in a single 100,000-word novel. Your craft will advance faster.

There are a lot of other advantages to starting with short fiction, and I discuss them all (and much more) in my writer’s guide, Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction. I wrote that book to make it easier for beginning writers to understand the business side of short fiction, and as my way of paying-it-forward.

Most importantly: write. Writing is a craft, and the only way to develop a craft is to practice it regularly. And get feedback, whether in a writing group or from some trusted readers. Your early works will suck. Early attempts in any endeavor always suck. Just keep trying. Chase your dream and never give up.

Jonny: Thanks for the advice to all our readers!

It really can be easier starting out with something more manageable. I actually prefer to write something a bit shorter because writing a full length series will take some serious time to plot out correctly. But yes, exploring genres and different ways to approach writing is so important, especially when you are trying to establish a style of your own.

More yes’s on your second point. If a writer is serious about their craft, they’ve got to figure out a way to practice regularly. I have routine times of the day that I designate towards writing, but there are tons of different ways to approach it, and you can figure something out no matter how much or little time you have. Gotta chase that dream!

Where do you get ideas for your writing?

Doug: I usually just go to http://www.ideas-r-us.com.

Just kidding. Ah, that question. The one that every writer gets at some point. It’s a very logical question for a reader to ask, but a difficult one for writers to answer, because, I think, readers and writers come at that question from very different perspectives. A reader sees a writer, and thinks “that person’s a writer. Therefore, they need ideas to write about. I wonder where they get those ideas?” This makes perfect sense, except that the experience for writers is exactly the reverse of that sequence.

Asking a writer where they get their ideas is like asking a beleaguered doctor in an under-staffed emergency room where she gets her patients. And you’ll get a similar response from both: I don’t know, and I don’t care. I just try to fix them up as best I can and send them out into the world. But I do wish that whoever is sending them to me would slow down a bit.

Most writers are writers precisely because we are constantly getting ideas. And a lot of us would be quite happy to have fewer of them cluttering up our mental waiting rooms, thank you very much, because the only way to get those ideas out of our heads is to write them down into stories. Until we do that, they exist as nattering voices reminding us that they are waiting to be born onto the page.

Jonny: Great point! I have the exact same issue. My inspirations hit me randomly and stack up over time, so I’ve always got probably a decade’s worth of writing to do if not more. I do think that prompts can help, or even a fishbowl approach can be refreshing for those looking for new ideas, but I haven’t ever really needed to use those approaches. The writing gods nag me endlessly!

Fun Facts About Doug

Could you tell us a couple fun facts about you?

Doug: Cycling is my favourite activity. Toronto has an excellent network of long bicycle routes, most of which follow the four river valleys that run down to Lake Ontario, plus an even longer system of paths and trails that follow the shoreline of the lake. And I’ve cycled in ever so many places around the world, including New Zealand and Peru.
Reading, of course, is another passion. I also enjoy duplicate bridge with my wife, plus we’re a big movie watching and board and card games family.

Jonny: Thanks for letting us get to know you a bit better! That’s amazing that you’ve been able to cycle in so many unique places. I would love to see New Zealand someday. My preferred method of recreational travel is rollerblading, but then again I’m a super nostalgic 90s kid so I guess it kind of fits.

Oh, I can never read enough, and I also love board and card games, especially trying out new ones. I challenge you to a game sometime!

What’s your favorite place that you’ve travelled to?

Doug: New Zealand. I’ve done four cycling tours on the South Island. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. In a day on a bike, you can see snowy mountains, glaciers, mountain valleys, rocky coastlines, rainforests, and much much more. Plus, it’s English speaking, has every kind of food you can think of, friendly people, sane government, and a currency that is cheaper than the Canadian dollar. What’s not to love?

Jonny: Wow, I am so jealous right now! I’ve only seen photos or footage of New Zealand, and it’s definitely a bucket list item for me. Sights, food, and great people? I’ve got to start saving up!

My favorite cozy place I’ve been to is Hermann, MO. It’s a fun small city and resemblant of the kind of experience I look for today. I also really loved Seattle. Such a clean and friendly city!

What kind of music touches your soul?

Doug: For music, Bruce Springsteen is my god, but my playlist has a lot of the Toronto indie band, like Metric and my granddaughter’s band, Housewife. And an eclectic mix of ever so many others over the years: Pink Floyd, the Doors, David Bowie, the Moody Blues, Tragically Hip, Joni Mitchell, Carol King, Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac, Headstones, Stones, Zeppelin, AC/DC. But I also love classical orchestral music, especially the Romantic composers like Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Beethoven. Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony is probably my single most favourite piece of music.

Jonny: Ooo, Springsteen! When I read this I had to put on his music. So great! You have some wonderful music choices there my friend. I’m an eclectic person myself, so almost anything I can get behind. More and more these days I find myself in an ambient zone, so much that I sometimes forget all other music (and the world itself), but I love my 80s, 90s, and 00s music.

Who are your favorite writers?

Doug: It’s changed over the years. In high school, I read everything I could find by Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, and Isaac Asimov. Bradbury had the biggest impact, certainly when I started out writing short fiction. I love stories that show something fantastical hiding in our everyday lives, and Bradbury’s stories are often about that, whether the hidden mystery is wondrous or frightening. And I loved his lyrical prose style, the simple humanity of his characters, and his insight into what it means to be human, no matter what our age.

In university, I discovered Zelazny, who I’d probably list as my major influence, although Charles de Lint would be a close second. I’ve always loved myths—Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Native American—and Zelazny’s stories are often based on mythology. His prose style was lean but poetic, his stories poignant and filled with unique characters you wanted to spend time with, and his story showed the most fantastic range of imagination of any writer I’ve ever encountered.

Other favourites, books and authors, recent and past, include E.R. Eddison’s Zimiamvian trilogy, Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel), The Queen’s Gambit (Walter Tevis), A Gentleman in Moscow (Amor Towles), The Ava Lee series of thrillers (Ian Hamilton), We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Shirley Jackson), Ready Player One (Ernest Cline), and the Song of Ice and Fire series (George R. R. Martin).

Jonny: Wow, these are some great recommendations! My preferences have changed quite a bit with time too. I used to read more high fantasy like Forgotten Realms and DragonLance, but these days I’m much more open minded. I also typically prefer to read indie authors, those cleverly hiding just off of the beaten path. Some friends of mine I always read when I can are Teri Polen, Iseult Murphy, Tammie Painter, Emerald Dodge, and Jessica Renwick. I couldn’t recommend them enough!

What did you read as a kid? What stuck with you the most?

Doug: I was reading by the time I was four, thanks to my parents reading to me every night at bedtime. It hooked me on books for a lifetime. Reading was a way to have wonderful adventures as a kid and make my world so much bigger than my house and neighborhood and school.

My early favourites were animal stories, which probably led me to my love for writing shapeshifter tales. I loved A.E. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” books (my favourite bedtime stories as a young child) and Walter Brook’s “Freddie the Pig” series (the first books I remember knowing how to find in a library). Later it was everything by Jack London. About grade 5 or 6, Robert A. Heinlein juveniles got me hooked on SF, which led to fantasy. John Creasey and Dorothy Sayers introduced me to mystery and crime fiction somewhere in there as well.

I believe parents can teach kids to love books by reading them a bedtime story EVERY night, from the day you bring them home. Make it a fun time, something they look forward to and associate with a wonderful experience. And make books a natural thing to have around. Our kids knew we’d say “no” to games, toys, or candy when out shopping—but they could always buy a new book.

Jonny: Whoa, your parents are awesome! Not to get all science-y, but in library school we’ve learned that parents actively reading to their kids at home can really help them develop much faster and become more self-sufficient. So I am all about parents reading to their kids or at the very least encouraging them to read.

Hmm, anything before 5 years is a little blurry, but I specifically remember enjoying The Berenstain Bears, Hank the Cowdog, Corduroy, and my Teddy Ruxpin bear.

Doug and His Works

Tell us about your most recent book.

Doug: My most recent book is actually a trilogy. The Dream Rider Saga is a young adult urban fantasy trilogy that I describe as Indiana Jones meets Teen Titans. The first book, The Hollow Boys, came out in 2022 and recently won Canada’s 2023 Aurora Award for Best YA Novel:

At seventeen, Will Dreycott is a superhero…in his dreams. And in yours.

Eight years ago, Will’s parents, shady dealers in ancient artifacts, disappeared on a jungle expedition. Will, the sole survivor, returned home with no memory of what happened, bringing a gift…and a curse.

The gift? Will can walk in our dreams. At night in Dream, Will hunts for criminals—and his parents. During the day, his Dream Rider comic, about a superhero no one knows is real, has made Will rich.

The curse? Severe agoraphobia. Will can’t go outside. So he makes his home a skyscraper with everything he needs in life—everything but the freedom to walk the streets of his city.

Case, an orphan Will’s age, survives on those streets with her younger brother, Fader. Survives because she too has a gift. She hears voices warning her of danger. And Fader? Well, he fades.

The second book in the trilogy, The Crystal Key, came out earlier this year, and the final book in the series, The Lost Expedition, will be released in January.

Each book tells a complete stand-alone adventure, while building on both the romance between Will and Case, as well as the core mystery of the trilogy: what happened eight years ago in Peru.

Book Life made both The Hollow Boys and The Crystal Key an “Editor’s Pick” and described the series as “thrilling YA fantasy.” Blue Ink gave both books a starred review, calling the series “a must-read story of YA fantasy fans.”

Jonny: Oh wow, this is so exciting! Congrats on your accomplishment. I know that creating a series is no joke. It’s a ton of hard work, and I hope it’s paid off. I love Teen Titans and anything superhero-esque, so I’ll need to check this series out sometime.

Was there a message in your book that you were trying to convey?

Doug: I was just trying to write a fun trilogy that captured the joy and excitement of two kinds of stories I loved as a kid: superheroes and lost cities. I’ve tried to put a very different spin on both of those genres, while trying to keep the books exciting, scary, funny, and entertaining.

I don’t think I was trying to get any message across, but the theme for the series is simple: Family—the family we’re born into, the family we find, the family we make, the family we choose. And the family we stitch together from all those pieces.

Jonny: Right, I totally get that. I don’t usually have a specific moral or message in mind when I write my books either, but they are definitely in there between the pages if one wants to find them. I think making writing fun as an author should be priority number one.

What other projects do you have in store for the world to see in the future? Anything you can share with us?

Doug: As well as preparing for the release of The Lost Expedition, the conclusion to The Dream Rider Saga, I’m working on the second edition of my writer’s guide, Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction, and planning my third short story collection, currently untitled. Both should be out in 2024.

I’m also in the early stages of my next novel, The Wolf and the Phoenix (working title), which will be a sequel to my first novel, The Wolf at the End of the World, and will expand my Heroka shapeshifter universe that I began with my first short story, “Spirit Dance.”

Jonny: Oh wow, you have a very busy year ahead of you! I wish you all the luck with your future projects. They sound super exciting. I love supernatural creatures, so I’ll have to check out your Heroka stories soon.

Alright, Doug, it looks like our time here is almost up. Before we go, do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events, and special offers?

Doug: My website is smithwriter.com and readers can find all my books at their favourite retailer here. Readers can subscribe to my newsletter here to receive a free monthly ebook, discounts, book deals, and chances to become beta readers and part of my ARC team. They can also find links there to follow me on BookBub, Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter.

Jonny: Awesome, thanks for sharing that info with us, and thanks again for taking the time to do this. I’m so glad I got to know you better, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some of your books!

That’s a Wrap!

Alrighty bookworms, that wraps up my interview with Douglas Smith. I had a great time chatting it up with him, and I hope you enjoyed the experience too!

If you’d like to learn more about Doug and his work, he can be reached at the social media links provided at the beginning of this post.

Thank you for stopping by, and have a great day!

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