After the events of DARK GUARDIAN: A NEW DAWN, the world is changing. Following his deadly battle with Vixen's army, Ethan Daniels was ousted as The Guardian and has temporarily passed the vigilante's mantle to William. Ethan now hunts down his creator and the monster of his nightmares: Daken.
Tell us about your latest book
My latest book is Dark Guardian: Legends. It is the third part of my Dark Guardian
Series, which was started by my first novel, Dark Guardian. The series is a darker superhero/vigilante series
following the adventures of Ethan Daniels and his alter ego called The
Guardian. Reborn through fire, Ethan is armed with advanced skills, an arsenal
of weaponry, and vast resources. His sights are focused on one thing, and
nothing will stop him. Soon, he will rise from vigilante to hero. And from hero
to legend.
This particular third novel was inspired
by the idea of “legacy”. What does it mean to be a legend? What does it mean to
have a life which acts as a beacon for others to follow? Those questions are
what inspired the writing of this newest novel.
What is your preferred writing routine?
My writing process always begins with a theme. I ask myself, “Why should readers read this? What do I hope they get out of it?” As entertaining as I hope my stories are, I want them to hold some sort of moral lesson or theme for the audience as well. At the same time, I don’t want to slap readers in the face with this ‘theme’. Instead, I want to show it in the characters and story arc. So I take a lot of time in figuring out who my characters are. As far as pre-writing goes, I probably spend more time fleshing out the characters than I spend on anything else. Many times, putting in the effort to create three dimensional characters is the separator between good and great writing.
However, with that said, my writing
process is very fluid. I like to try and create an outline before I go into the
actual writing. But many times I find myself starting the first draft before
I’ve even finished my outline. The inspiration comes in bursts so I try to
capitalize on those bursts as much as I can. I find that being too stringent on
my writing process can actually become a hindrance.
As far as inspiration goes, I honestly
draw inspiration from everywhere. I’ve had a huge imagination since I was a
child, so that is usually my biggest source. I have a hard time switching my
imagination off, which can be a problem when somebody is trying to talk to you
and you’re imagining a battle scene in your head! The other place I really draw
inspiration is from the world around me. I try to stay observant because sometimes
the best inspiration passes by right in front of you!
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
I’ve learned a lot about the industry over the past few years. What I’ve seen is that along with filmmaking, it is probably the most subjective industry out there. A writer may spend months perfecting their story, putting their heart and soul into it, staying up the whole night working on it, only for an editor to reject it with a short sentence of vague reasoning. That’s what can make the industry very frustrating.
What I tell people who ask is that you need to write something that you believe in. Don’t worry about what others think about it. If you think it’s a great story and one that needs to be told, then write it! The other thing is that writers need to have thick skin. Editors and agents reject hundreds of works a day, so never take it personal. Even critics give bad reviews all the time. But if you believe in your work and did your best, then never let the opinions of anyone tear you down. Write stories that you’d want to read, regardless of what others say!
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
I don’t know if there is one “best way” to raise awareness. But what I’ve found is that a combination of social media use, blogs, events, interviews, and reviews tends to generate a word-of-mouth chain that can really help in the long-run! The important thing to remember with books sales is that it’s all a marathon, not a sprint!
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
I always find a lot of self-discovery when conducting research for any project. For my second novel, Memories Of My Future, I was researching a lot about India during the 13th and 19th centuries, since that’s when the novel took place. During all the research, I found myself questioning my own family’s ancestry and origins, prompting me to dig into where my family comes from and ask my own grandfather about his up-brining. It was one of the neatest things I ever did, and would have never happened had I not researched my second novel.
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
The hardest scene to write for my newest novel, Dark Guardian: Legends, was the final scene for sure! This series was my breakthrough into the publishing world and it holds a lot of sentimental value for me. Writing the last scene of this novel and knowing that it is the end of this series’ journey was very hard to do at an emotional level. It was a “goodbye” to these characters that have grown very near and dear to my heart. But I believe that the ending they received stays very true to the series’ tone and themes of searching for peace.
What are you planning to write next?
I actually have quite a few projects in different stages of development outside of the Dark Guardian Series. I recently signed a contract for a children’s picture book, which will be releasing next year. I also have a police novel releasing next year as well. My agent is shopping around a Young Adult novel and is also shopping around a non-fiction project of mine. I also have a graphic novel being read by some publishers. So 2018 will be very exciting God-Willingly!
Thank
you so much for the interview, Tony! I hope your readers enjoyed learning a bit
about my writings as much as I enjoyed answering your questions!
Ammar Habib
Ammar Habib is a bestselling and award winning author who was born in Lake Jackson, Texas in 1993. Ammar enjoys crafting stories that are not only entertaining, but will also stay with the reader for a long time. Ammar presently resides in his hometown with his family, all of whom are his biggest fans. He draws his inspiration from his family, imagination, and the world around him. Find our more at Ammar's website and follow him on Facebook and Twitter @AmmarAHabib1
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