Interview with Daniel Darling

» Posted on Jan 25, 2012 in Blog | Comments Off on Interview with Daniel Darling

This week I’m hosting Staci Stallings with If  You Believed in Love, Daniel Darling with iFaith, Lisa Grace with Angel in the Shadows, and Lillian Duncan with Deception. If you want to enter the drawings for the books, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (January 29th) evening.

Interview for Daniel Dalring:

1.  What made you start writing?

I’ve always been a reader. My parents were wise enough to not have a TV when I was a kid and so I read voraciously. I guess that instilled in me a love for words.

Then in high-school, in English literature, I found I enjoyed writing, stringing phrases together. I had a teacher who saw that and told me I had a gift. Those words catapulted me to writing contests in high-school and a life-long love and pursuit of writing.

In college I was given an extraordinary opportunity to work as a staff copy writer for a Christian organization. For ten years I cut my teeth converting sermons into devotionals, writing copy for radio and TV, fundraising letters, web copy, ghostwriting books and study guides. That was my “10,000” hours.  

2.  How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?

I’ve been writing professionally for about twelve years. My first book, Teen People of the Bible was published in 2007.

3.  How do you handle rejections?

Rejections are always disappointing, but I suppose I’ve always been an optimist so they don’t typically hit me as hard as others. I’ve been blessed that way. I look at a rejection as just one moment in time. I look at a rejection as a part of growth, as a stepping stone toward something better.

4.  Why do you write?

I write because I enjoy it, because I believe God has given me a message. I write because I have to, the same reason a concert pianist has to play the piano, why a builder builds, I do it because its my passion, because it’s the one thing I can do (as opposed to the many things I can’t, like dancing, playing golf, and painting J)

5.  What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?

I’d be watching spending time with my wife, watching sports or a good movie. Likely it would involve good food. I also thoroughly enjoy reading.

I’m also a full-time pastor. I thoroughly enjoy pastoring and preaching and studying.

6.  What are you working on right now?

I just finished my fourth book, due out in April. The working title is REAL, Owing Your Christian Faith.

I’ve also got several projects in the works as well. I’m working on a book that encourages Christians to speak with both truth and grace in the public square.

7.  Do you put yourself into your books/characters?

I write nonfiction, but I do try to be as transparent as I can be and open up about my own weaknesses and struggles. I think it’s important to be honest about your own story as a writer.

8.  Tell us about the book you have out right now.

My current book is iFaith, Connecting to God in the 21st Century. It’s a unique look at the intersection of faith and technology in our generation.

9.  Do you have any advice for other writers?

Yes, I would say the first thing to do is write. You get better at writing by writing. And the second thing I would say is read a lot and read widely. Third, I would learn from mentors, develop a thick skin and expose your writing to good people who will polish it.

Lastly I would say to pursue every opportunity to be published, don’t despise small things, and network like crazy without burning bridges.

10.    How important is faith in your books?

Huge. I feel God has called me to encourage His people. Some have a ministry on the edges to bring in the lost. I feel God has called me as someone to encourage, uplift, teach, challenge the faithful, the believers.

11.    What themes do you like to write about?

I like to apply the Scriptures to life. That sounds a bit clique and trite, but I just try to find places where the Scriptures speak to contemporary life.

12.    What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?

I love all of my books, but I feel my writing really stepped up several levels with iFaith. I felt I grew and matured as a writer. I hope that each successive book is an improvement on the last one. My desire is to produce a body of work over the course of my lifetime that would best utilize my gifts to glorify God.

 13.    What is your writing schedule like?

Since I’m a busy guy (four kids, full-time pastorate), I typically have to write at night when the kids are in bed or on the weekends, though when it gets really busy I mark off a day of the week to get some serious writing done.

Many years writing on deadline has allowed me to develop the ability to write fast quickly. With my books, I use the write/edit/write method. I begin each day by editing what I wrote from the last day, that always moves me into a creative mode and then I write until I can’t write anymore and put it aside. Then the next day I back up and edit and then continue to write.

This allows me to keep editing my work and keep producing new work. With shorter pieces like blog posts and articles, I pretty much edit as I go so I can get it out.