Interview with Piotr Orkisz

Published 2015-04-20.
What do your fans mean to you?
All of You, who really do appreciate my work, are most valuable for me. As a writer who publishes a book I truly need Your support. Just like a magician who does a trick to see astonishment on his audience faces, I really need Your support Your reactions and Your opinions, which I cannot see due to the fact that You're reading alone.
What are you working on next?
Right now I'm preparing and translating Human in Rush: The Mission. The Polish version is ready, but has to be corrected to fit e-book specs. If many people would buy my book, I probably wouldn't need to work and translation would be faster. But since I have to work daily I can only translate by nights.
Who are your favorite authors?
It's a tough question. I like Stanislaw Lem, Andrzej Zajdel, William Gibson, Philip K. Dick but also Andrzej Sapkowski and J.R. Tolkien. Stephen King and Harlan Coben are next in line.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
I have two kids: Patrick 10 years old and Liliana 3 years old; and I have my beautiful wife - Kinia. Their happiness is most important for me. As I write mostly at nights, the true question is: what inspires You to stay out of bed till 3 A.M.? Well, I have so many ideas. I'd love to show it all to You. Show You the dangers of new technologies and on the other hand brilliance of them when used correctly.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I work, I take care about my house, wife, children. In my free time I exercise (mostly ride on Oxeloboard), play on the computer and listen to music.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes. It was in 1st class of Primary School. I wrote three stories: About a lion who was bald; about a kangaroo who had no pocket, and a turtle who had a rocket engine on his back. All were written in my music notebook on five-line pattern stave. It were funny stories and every one in class were laughing of them. But not my teacher. She was 60. Word similar to "larky" or "jocose" (of course in Polish language) made her angry. And she said I should use "happy" instead.
What is your writing process?
I do a lot of research about new techniques and technologies. I have more than 1790 bookmarks for only Human in Rush. I'm collecting ideas by writing them down. Then preparing a text as a "stream of thought". It's raw and unformatted correctly. Then I work on a language and later on formatting.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I don't remember the first, but I remember first that had a big impact on me. It was Selma Lagerlof : "The Wonderful Journey of Nils".
How do you approach cover design?
I've created only one.. but my approach was exactly depending on the content of the book.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
My favorite books: - Stanisław Lem's "Solaris", "The Witcher Saga" of Andrzej Sapkowski, "Good Omens" - Neil Gaiman i Terry Pratchett [at the part about "101 safe and upraising plays with electricity" and "improvement due to only damaging circuit in a house, not the whole city" I almost died laughing ].
What do you read for pleasure?
If I read books than they're Science-fiction mostly. But I like fantasy, thriller and horror also.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
PC, and smart phone. I don't have any true e-reading device. Right now I'm not so rich....
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
I haven't got any astonishing effects yet. Any channel is good if it works.
Describe your desk
I got two: computer's desk and kitchen table. Both must be clear, so there's nothing to distract my eyes.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
My parents were still studying when I was born. At the age of 18 months I was given to my granny Helena and grandpa Piotr. They lived in a small village Sułkowice Łęg in southern Poland, 70 km from Cracow. My grandpa was breeding rabbits and chickens. There were two rivers and little forest and a lot of fields of wheat and potatoes. I've learned to ride a bike when I was 5. This was a beautiful chapter of my life.
Later I was taken by my parents to Danzig. I was 7 years old. I was very vigorous child but I was lucky to have a soccer field right behind my block and a big child's playground next to it.
When I was 13 we've moved to Cracow. I still live here.
When did you first start writing?
The main story Human in Rush was started at 2nd year of my studies. But few stories I had already written in high school.
What's the story behind your latest book?
This is a story human who becomes a mutant. About scientists who created him. About new technologies and dangers that will be brought by them. And about humanity at it's best and it's worst.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I didn't want to be just an indie author. I wan to be the author.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Meatgrinder. Ease of use. Everything few clicks away.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
The most joyful feeling comes when someone who reads my book says my ideas are brilliant. Second one is when I'm getting an idea and I'm 100% able to put it in words.
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Books by This Author

Human in Rush : Tworzenie
Price: $3.49 USD. Words: 71,050. Language: Polish. Published: April 19, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » High tech, Fiction » Science fiction » Hard sci-fi
Ewolucja biologiczna gatunku Homo sapiens zakończyła się. Czas na ewolucję naukowo-techniczno-biologiczną. Jeżeli lubisz naukę, akcję i "ludzkich" superbohaterów, to ta książka jest dla Ciebie. W tej opowieści bohater zostaje stworzony przez zespół noblistów. Ich zadaniem jest ulepszenie człowieka tak, aby był w stanie pokonać zabezpieczenia jednego z najlepiej strzeżonych kompleksów lat 40 XXI.
Human in Rush : The Creation
Price: $3.49 USD. Words: 85,350. Language: English. Published: April 13, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Cyberpunk, Fiction » Science fiction » Hard sci-fi
Biological evolution of Homo sapiens ended. The time came for a scientific-technical-biological evolution. If you like science, action and "human like" superheroes, then this book is for you. In this story the hero is created by a team of Nobel Prize winners. Their mission is to improve a man so that he will be able to defeat security of one the most secured complexes of the XXI century.