Interview with Dan Burley

Published 2019-03-02.
What's the story behind your latest book?
"Until She Stops Screaming" is a book I've had notes for going back a few years, but I've wanted to tell a story like it for a longer time than that. In a nutshell, I wrote it for the wonderful women in my life - past, present, and future.

Pretty much as far back as there has been a 'me', I have have had a great deal more close female friends than male, and because of that, I have heard a lot of horror stories from them about the way men have behaved toward them, with some even describing full force, sexual assault. Though I haven't mined any details from their stories for the book, it was absolutely inspired by them. I've always been in awe of the way some women take real trauma in stride, and this book explores that awe in many ways.

Though I always feel like these kinds of stories are timely and important to tell, the current world seems to be highlighting them a lot more than ever, both fictional and factual.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
I don't. I come from a family of natural storytellers (who are all probably much more interesting that I am), and since that rubbed off on me right out of the gate, I've always told original stories. The first time I wrote something where I got the feeling I might need to be doing it full-time was in college.
What is your writing process?
That depends on a number of factors, really. If I am in the plot/character creation stages, I usually think of what kind of character I want, then assign a bunch of real world things to said character (namely things like the music they'd listen to, the foods they'd eat, etc). Doing that helps me make them more natural and believable.

Short of that, I demand six to eight pages from myself any day I sit down to write. I find that disciplining myself in that way tends to keep the creative juices flowing quite freely.
How do you approach cover design?
It all depends on the story and what elements of it I think might best grab a reader's attention. More often than not, I'll pick a handful of pivotal scenes from the book, then sketch them out in my notebook so I can get a better visual grasp on what does and doesn't work, then I'll narrow it down from there. The trick is to try to convey the tone of the book to the reader at a glance and pique their interest. To give them something visual that they can look forward to finding context to through reading.

Seeing as the series I'm putting together at the moment follows a private detective, I try to incorporate noir themes, but run them through my specific filter. The books are, at their heart, family drama masquerading as mystery novels. So I want to show all those aspects, whether people immediately realize it or not.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I have a Kindle Fire 10 tablet, and I love it. I don't know how I ever lived without one!
What motivated you to become an indie author?
Well, I am the type of person that is staunchly independent in pretty much every facet when it comes to creative ventures. I've always believed that there are too many people in x creative field that make money off the backs of the hard work of artists, and it's something that has always served as a source of frustration. I believe the artist should have all the say in their art and its representation. Period. So, with all that in mind, going indie was a no-brainer.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Making someone else feel a genuine emotion as they read. The stories I tell are purposefully packed with all kinds of differing emotional content, because those are the kinds of stories that keep me coming back, and keep me thinking about them. I always go for stories that kind of fight against being pigeonholed into one specific thing. I like stories that have comedy, heart wrenching angst, violence, and romance all intertwined, because that's what real life is. Those kinds of stories resonate with me in ways I can't even describe.

If I can do that for someone else, it is the greatest feeling in the world. It really is.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Simply being alive, honestly. Though I tend to be something of a light nihilist, I do believe that every day is a gift, as cheesy as it may sound. The truth is, we aren't guaranteed anything but the life we have and the eventual loss of it. That's reason enough for me.
What do you read for pleasure?
All kinds of things. Since I spend a lot of my time writing, I don't have quite as much time for reading as I'd like, so I tend to read things that can be digested in smaller chunks. So, short stories, comic books, articles, that sort of thing. I only read a few full-size books a year, as much as I'd like to read more.
What are you working on next?
Well, I've got "Until She Stops Screaming" coming in May, so I'm pretty focused on the final push. Beyond that, I've got a couple of novels that are over halfway completed, and I'll be jumping on them once the new book's out - hopefully having one other out by year's end.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I was born in Owego, NY, where I lived for the first third of my life, and I have used the Owego area as the backdrop to a few stories. I even made it the home town of my current series' main protagonist.
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