# Please introduce yourself and your book(s)!
Thank you so much for inviting me to your site. My name is Danah Logan, and I’m the author of The Dark Series.
I was born and raised in Germany and moved to the United States about 15 years ago. I have twin daughters who keep me on my toes, and after spending over a decade in downtown Chicago, my husband and I packed up our family and moved to the northern Rockies.
# What is/are the real-life story(ies) behind your book(s)?
Oh gosh, these books are influenced so much by people in my life. Where to begin?
- The friendship between Lilly and Denielle is based on my friendship with one of my best friends: the “real” Den.
- Lilly’s taste in music is pretty much my own. I listen to all kinds of genres, often in the same playlist that would make most people cringe.
- MMA has been my passion since I was six, so it felt natural to have my main characters be badass fighters. 🙂
- The military details and some of Tristen’s habits (I.e., the collection of MRE’s) were inspired by my husband, who is a Marine.
# What inspires/inspired your creativity?
Literally everything I see. I never thought about it until I started writing again. There has never been a time I didn’t make up stories or scenarios in my head. I thought that’s just how it is until someone told me that they don’t do that. Ever. 😳
# How do you deal with creative block?
I step away from my WIP. I go work out if I’m just stuck on a scene, or if I have no idea what happens next in my plot (I am a HUGE pantster), I read a book (or two) to clear my head.
# What are the biggest mistakes you can make in a book?
Forcing the story because you think that’s what the readers want.
My second book was not planned the way it turned out. At all. For the longest time, I questioned if I should continue the story; what if readers don’t like the plot twist or hate the MCs decisions. In the end, a very dear author friend reminded me to write for myself and stay true to my characters, which is what I did. They are raw, they make mistakes, but that’s them.
# How do bad reviews and negative feedback affect you, and how do you deal with them?
The first few negative reviews (or even comments when the review still had a positive star rating) made me extremely upset. My characters are my babies, after all. It took me years writing these books; I spent long nights after the twins were asleep working on them, and then someone (behind a computer or phone screen) comes along and tells you everything you did (in their opinion) was wrong. Or your characters, for that matter.
So, I decided to hand the reviews over to my PA. She screens them for me, lets me know if there are new ones I need to respond to or negative reviews that list the same “constructive” feedback. For example, if several people had the same comment on a plot hole or missing character development. Something that can be fixed or help me become a better writer. I ignore personal (negative) opinions because that’s what they are: personal. I don’t like every book either, and that’s okay.
# How has your creation process improved over time?
About halfway through my second book (Out of the Dark), I realized that I have too many small details that I kept losing track of. Simple things like the color of a car, my characters’ class schedule, the spelling of a specific name, etc. I started compiling a character spreadsheet and a calendar spreadsheet. My character spreadsheet has evolved to about 90+ characters at this point (3 published books and 3 WIPs), and my calendar spans over eight months for the trilogy and 20+ years for the entire Dark Series. You could say I have a slight organization problem. 🙈
# What were the best, worst and most surprising things you encountered during the entire process of completing your book(s)?
Getting reader messages is one of the best things ever. Experiencing how my characters influenced them (in good and bad ways) is a huge compliment to a writer because it means your characters are relatable.
Something I didn’t expect was how the individual characters and what happens to them affected me emotionally. Book three (Of Light and Dark) was the hardest for me to write, especially the bullying scenes. While I never experienced everything Lilly goes through, some of it is based on my high school experience and brought back a lot of negative feelings.
# Do you tend towards personal satisfaction or aim to serve your readers? Do you balance the two and how?
I believe that there are readers for almost everything. My goal is to write for myself because that’s the only way to develop the characters authentically. Then, find your tribe. That is definitely harder, especially when your books don’t fit in just “one” genre. My books started as a romance and then turned into suspense. Also, the series and plots are getting darker as they progress, which all has to be taken into account when marketing your work.
# What role do emotions play in creativity?
A HUGE role. If I’m not in the right headspace (for whatever reason), neither are my characters, and whatever I write will most likely be scrapped in the end. It has been a learning curve for me to know when I should stop and step away and when I can use my emotions for my work.
# Do you have any creativity tricks?
Music. I cannot write without music and have specific songs to get in a character’s mindset.
# What are your plans for future books?
I am currently working on book four in The Dark Series (Wes’s book). I have two more full-length novels and one Novella planned in this series. I have a three-book series planned after that (some of the characters are already introduced in The Dark Series) and one standalone book (plot-wise) with characters from TDS.
# Tell us some quirky facts about yourself
If you would ask my husband, the first thing he’d tell you is that I use the toothpaste up to the last drop. It drives him nuts.
I know how to shoot anything from a Sig P365XL to an AK.
I drive a blacked-out large truck.
I have an unhealthy obsession with sunglasses.
Links
https://linktr.ee/authordanahlogan
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