Author This or That with Daniel Coleman!

We’re rolling into Week Two of the HATTER tour with Teen Book Scene. Two of last week’s stops were on my beloved soul twin Ashley’s blog, so if HATTER interests you, check them out! Yesterday, I reviewed HATTER (and, to an extent, JABBERWOCKY) so check them out if you missed them! Stop over at Dog-Eared and Bookmarked tomorrow and Friday for another review and guest post!



(When writing...) Computer or notebook/hand-written?

COMPUTER. My mind moves so fast when I start writing that if I write it out, I often can't decipher it later. Also, I do most of my quality outlining while writing other stories, even across different genres. Having 'notes' docs open is a huge benefit; it allows me to capture ideas before they escape.

However, I'm not useless without my laptop. While camped out one night before Black Friday, I wrote thousands of words in a notebook. It kept me distracted from the lack of feeling in my freezing toes.



ALICE IN WONDERLAND or THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS?

ALICE IN WONDERLAND. The sequel, Through the Looking Glass, has a lot of nonsense elements like a mirror image of the original Wonderland book. It even takes place exactly six months after the first. The original is more straightforward and less dream-like. In the sequel, the fact that Alice arrives in Wonderland through a mirror, is pure genius.


Cats or Dogs?

I'm a DOG man. We have a Great Dane named Jennie Bandersnatch. Her little buddy, a Chihuahua mix named Dr. Zeus, got hit and killed on the 4th of July this year.


Mermaids or Dragons?

Tough one. I'll go with MERMAIDS because I think dragons are overdone. Unless you count the Jabberwocky as a dragon (which I don't), then I'm changing my vote.


Alice or Cheshire Cat?

CHESHIRE CAT. In contrast to his brief appearance in my first book, Jabberwocky, the Cheshire Cat plays a significant role in Hatter. Alice, for me, is sort of a victim of circumstance. She's an ideal vehicle to show us the marvels of Wonderland, but isn't as rich as the other inhabitants. I've been surprised as I've talked to hundreds of Wonderland fans, how many of them aren't crazy about Alice.


Chocolate or Ice Cream?

ICE CREAM! I could write tomes about this one, but I'll just say that sometimes the amount of ice cream I eat gets a little out of control. On occasion I have to cut back to only once a day.


TV or Music?

We just cancelled our cable, so I've proven I can live without television. I don't know if I could say the same thing about MUSIC.


Mythology or Fairy Tales?

FAIRY TALES. I find them less chaotic, and more varied.


Winter or Summer?

SUMMER. Even though yard works takes more time away from writing than shoveling snow, I love being able to get outside with my family.


Outdoors or Indoors?
OUTSIDE. If I'm not writing, I prefer to be active. Hiking, sports, playing with the kids, coaching soccer, bonfires, riding bikes. We run out of time long before we run out of things to do.


Fantasy or Reality?

This is a dangerous one, just ask the main character in Hatter. As a life-long daydreamer, I guess I prefer FANTASY. That's why I write. Even during my structured college days studying Biochemistry, I spent considerable time in other worlds. My 'day job' is as a Firefighter/Paramedic. So on one hand I deal with brutally real emergencies, and on the other I create and populate imaginary worlds. I have the best two jobs in the world.


Here's one for your readers: Paranormal Romance or Dystopian Urban Fantasy?

A Backwards Story chooses....DYSTOPIAN URBAN FANTASY! (Was there ever a doubt?) What do you choose, bookworms?


Daniel, thank you so much for stopping by A Backwards Story and playing This or That with us. Your answers were so much fun!