[Xfire] Scatteox: Hello! We are very pleased to welcome everyone to chat with Dan Abnett Please join me in welcoming our special guest!

 

Our guest will now open with a few words and start taking your questions!

Dan Abnett: Hi all,

Dan Abnett: The galaxy's on fire and I'm ready for the questions

 

Dan Abnett: Question: entilza678: What would you say is the most important lesson a beginning sci-fi writer can learn?

Answer: Listen to what people say about your work, even if some of it is criticism that feels hard to take. Don't be offended by it, turn it to your advantage. If you are serious about wanting to write to entertain other poeple, you had better pay attention when they say they didn't like it.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: Matt: Do you play DoW in fact, what games does an Author like dan play?

Answer: I don't get much time to play games (too busy writing) but I do make sure to play just about every game GW produces so I know what I'm writing about. My local GW store will set up trial games for me so I can have a go. I seem to be uncannily good at battlefleet gothic.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: Wusifitz: what was your favorite book to write?

Answer: Writing is a pleasure for mje, so I enjoy the process of each book in turn, even when they are fighting back. I loved writing Horus Rising, but my favourite writing experience has to be Fell Cargo, which was a delight from start to finish and made me feel like a 1930s pulp writer.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: {HV}Kukri: what is your biggest inspiration?

Answer: Reading other peoples' books, enjoying their ideas and appreciating their talent. Early on, I was very inspired by Jack Vance, Ray Bradbury, John Buchan and HP Lovecraft.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: entilza678: How do you come up with the personalities of your characters? Are any of them based on you or people you know?

Answer: I often try to 'cast' a character in my mind and imagine them being played by a particular actor. I find this helps me to ground them and predict how theya re likely to react. Some of the characters are based on people I know, or combinations of people. Kara Swole used to work in my local sandwich bar.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: Switchfoot: I'm a massive fan of your 40K work, but have you ever considered writing novels set outside of Games Workshop universes?

Answer: Yes I have, and I do. All my comic work is set in other universes, of course, some of which I have invented (like Sinister Dexter in 2000AD). Last year I wrote a Torchwood novel for the BBC and in the months ahead I am likely to be writing one or possibly two non-Warhammer novels, one of which should be my first 'original' science fiction novel.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: twemdaskar: How do you prefer to write, in a room set aside just for writing, or do you simply get struck with ideas and rush to your computer/notepad/typewriter?

Answer: Both. I have a room where I work on a daily basis, but I also have a laptop to keep mobile and I'm neither without my notebook and pen. Quite often I'll be struck by an idea while I'm doing the shopping or cooking or sleeping.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: twemdaskar: When you're writing a Tanith novel, do you find it hard to think up a heroic feat for them to accomplish? They seem to have done everything short of killing Horus single-handily with no weapons.

Answer: Dan Abnett: I try and base each Gaunt's Ghost novel around a different kind of military endeavour, to keep the settings and the action varied and fresh. It's more often a challenge to devise specific heroic feats for individual characters to make sure they all get a moment to shine. the last book in the Horus Heresy series will reveal that time travelling Tanith Ghosts actually kill Horus ;-)

 

Dan Abnett: Question: Purgatos): What led you to write about Warhammer?

Answer: I was asked to write Warhammer and 40K novels by Games Workshop. I had been working in comics for quite a while when they started up their publishing wing, and I was approached to write for them on the basis of some Conan stories I had written for Marvel.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: allgeeseIII: which one of your books has been the most challenging to write?

Answer: Technically speaking, Honour Guard. My computer devoured the manuscript when it was two thirds finished so I had to rewrite it from scratch in a month. I have to say the second version was much better, probably because of the intensity and determination with which I attacked it.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: Cruentus: are you the type of author who tends to plan out an entire story arc in advance, or do you tend to let the ideas "flow"?

Answer: Both. Every project has a clearly defined start and finish, so I know the framework that I will be working in. This usually takes the form of a simple plot outline, agreed on with the BL editors. However, between those plot frames, I like to let the narrative lead me where it will. You never know what cool idea is lurking, waiting to be found.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: entilza678: What kinds of research do you do before beginning a novel?

Answer: Plenty, from all sorts of sources. I think SF and fantasy fiction work particularly well when they seem to be authentic, so I try to approach each novel as if I was researching an actual historic event, and I take the time to investigate the nearest real world analogues for the SF ideas I'm writing about.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: Wusifitz: how long you plan to write for?

Answer: Until I get it all finished.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: Kallistos^: Do you feel overwhelmed by the success of you novels?

Answer: Absolutely. At conventions and Games Days, it always astonishes me to meet so many people who have read myh books, and who often know them in greater detail than I do. For a writer to be enthusiastically read is a huge compliment.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: °£thîç²: At what age did you decide you wanted to write?

Answer: I've always written. When I was a kid I used to like writing and drawing and would produce my own comics so that I could do both things at the same time. Eventually, I found I couldn't draw fast enough to keep up with my stories. I started writing professionally when I was doing a day job, working as an editor at Marvel UK. I would freelance on scripts for things like Ghostbusters and Thundercats. When I recognised that I enjoy writing more than editing, I became a full time freelance writer.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: MagicSwordz is Here: Do you ever want to make (or try to make) any of your books into movies?

Answer: They're all movies in my head, complete with really expensive ILM special effects. However, although I can't tell you very much, I may be involved in movies before too long.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: entilza678: Has your family played a large role is supporting you in writing?

Answer: I couldn’t have done it without them. They are very supportive, reading my work and giving me honest feedback, suggesting ideas, or simply putting up with my creative moods on a day to day basis. My wife Nik is my first reader. She gets to read and proof everything first before anyone else gets to see it, and quite often has made suggestions that have significantly altered and improved the narrative structure of a particular novel.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: FallenReign: Do people often know you off the streets, and if so what are their reactions?

Answer: In my home town, I do get recognised quite often, usually by people who frequent the local GW store or the comic book shop. They usually ask 'are you really Dan Abnett?' I assure them that I usually am.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: TheShadow: Do you ever plan to continue the Eisenhorn series? (Apart from Ravenor?)

Answer: Eisenhorn was always planned as a trilogy, and Ravernor as an ongoing series to follow it up. however, after Ravenor Rogue was finished I realised the Ravenor books made a very satisfying trilogy too, so the 'Inquisition' books featuring some of those characters will now continue in another form, possibly as a Harlon Nayl or Patience Kis trilogy. There is therefore a high likelihood that Eisenhorn will return as a character, and I am still tempted to write another Eisenhorn novel to add to the increasingly misnamed Eisenhorn Trilogy.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: the s¶ectre: how many of your books have been turned down by publishers?

Answer: I wrote two novels in the early nineties, before I was established as a novelist, just to see if I could write them. At the time, I was only writing comic books and i wanted to find out if I could sustain a novel length piece of writing. 'Triumff' and 'The Tattooed Sky' have yet to be published, though I don't know how they stand up these days. I also wanted to write a sequel to Riders of the Dead, but I couldn't because it had to be set 20 years later and that put it outside of Games Workshop continuity.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: {Gnome}<:{)_Sniper: You just mentioned your wife is the first to read your novels; could you describe the rest of process once you complete a work? What happens between the time you finish writing and we can pick up the book

Answer: The bulk of the non-writing work takes place before the novel gets written rather than after. That's the research and the planning and the idea crunching period. Each novel gets its own legal pad full of ideas and jottings, which I constantly refer to during the writing process. After the manuscript is finished there is a polishing stage where I go back to it and tinker, particularly in the light of any comments from Nik or my BL editors. I'm pleased to say that so far there hasn't been much need for serious overhaul (touch wood).

 

Dan Abnett: Question: MagicSwordz is Here: Do you think you will be coming back to Baltimore Games Day?

Answer: I'm something of a home body and don't like to go away too often. This year, I've done far more local signings in the UK. I do like to do one American Games Day each year, and this year Chicago invited me and I had a fantastic time. I also have greatly enjoyed the Games Days in Paris. However, I love the Balitmore Games Day, and I doubt it will be long before they get me back there.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: Switchfoot: Did you know of Games Workshop and their games before they approached you to write for them?

Answer: I have been well aware of Games Workshop's fantastic creations since they first began to produce them. I have rule books going all the way back. In the 80s, I was a keen RPGer, and used to play D&D, Traveller and Call of Cthulhu. I was usually the referee, so that's when I began to hone my story telling and invention skills. Back then, White Dwarf featured all sorts of games, and I would read it for the Traveller and Cthulhu articles. That's when I became aware of Games Workshop. i have early games like Space Hulk in my cupboard.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: entilza678: How long does it usually take for you to complete a novel?

Answer: I usually reckon on a novel taking 3 months to write, but bear in mind I'm writing other things at the same time. It's usually a chunk of novel in the morning and some comic strip in the afternoon. I find that if I stick on one thing for too long, I get sick of it and the creative juices dry up. After two or three days on a Gaunt book, I'm more than ready for the refreshing change of an issue of Superman or a 2000AD strip. Or Wallace and Gromit. However, my latest novel, a Horus Heresy book called 'Legion' has been so much fun to write that for the first time in 26 novels I’ve found myself unwilling to leave it alone and get on with other jobs that need doing. It was a real wrench to set Legion aside last month so I could write a new Torchwood story, even though I was really looking forward to the Torchwood job.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: entilza678: how do you deal with the level of fame you have achieved?

Answer: Me famous?

 

Dan Abnett: Question: MagicSwordz is Here: Who is your favorite character from the Gaunts Ghost Series?

Answer: I like many of them for many different reasons. I love Lijah Cuu because he's such a nasty piece of work, and Varl because he makes me laugh, and MKoll because the only thing cooler than him in the entire universe is Mkvenner. My all time favourite character has to be Major Rawne. He seems to be such a villain and such a hero simultaneously.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: [S-II-P]-V-[M][NXIII]XI: which of your characters would you say is most like yourself?

Answer: Well I think I look a little like Harlon Nayl's unfit brother, but I'm probably most like Aemos from the Eisenhorn books. Most perturbatory.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: allgeeseIII: what comic have you wanted to work on the most, but haven't been able to?

Answer: For reasons that I can't quite explain, except that I read him as a kid, I've always loved Captain America. However, I'm not sure if I'm qualified to write such an American icon, and besides, I doubt I could come anywhere close to the fantastic way the character is being written just now by Ed Brubaker.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: entilza678: has your wife ever written parts of your books with you?

Answer: We co-wrote Hammers of Ulric and Gilead's Blood. These days she's a dedicated editor and proof reader. She has a more analytical mind than I do.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: tallgeeseIII: are you married? if so, do you have kids and how have they changed your life?

Answer: Yes I am, and I have two daughters, Jess who is 16 and Lily who is 14. And they've changed my life in more ways than I can ever mention. For instance, I seem to spend an awful lot of time picking towels up off the bathroom floor these days.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: tallgeeseIII: have you ever been totally stuck when writing a novel and given up?

Answer: Dan Abnett: No but I've had to have strong words with some of them occasionally

 

Dan Abnett: Question: {HV}Kukri: can you give us a hint about your next book?

Answer: My next book to be published is the eleventh Gaunt novel 'Only in Death', which comes out over here in about a month. It's the last book in the third arc, and a really dramatic piece of punctuation for the series. It’s not the last Guant book, but it will be the last one for a year or so as I want to rest the series while it's still fresh. I'll be doing other 40K novels in the meantime. Right now, I'm working on my second Horus novel, which is called 'Legion' and is all about the infamous Alpha legion. I've never written a book with so much intrigue and deception.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: TheShadow: What did you feel when you held your first book printed in your hand?

Answer: A huge sense of achievement and a slight sensation that it must have been written by somebody else.

 

Dan Abnett: Question: Wusifitz: can you recommend some good books to read other than your own?

Answer: Anything by the authors I mentioned earlier. Just recently, I have enjoyed 'Old Man's War' by John Scalzi, 'Weapons of Choice' by John Birmingham and the latest REnko thriller by Martin Cruz Smith. I also love Graham McNeil's work and I'm a gigantic fan of Kelly Link's short stories.

 

Dan Abnett: This has been huge fun. Thanks to everybody for coming, and my sincere apologies if I didn't get to answer your particular question. Nik was typing as fast as she could as I paced around dictating.

[Xfire] Scatteox: That concludes the chat with author Dan Abnett! Thank you very much to our special guest for joining us on Xfire, and thank you everyone for participating.

 

Now on to prizes!

[Xfire] Scatteox:

The following 10 people will receive a signed copy of The Saint: A Gaunt’s Ghost Omnibus:

 

 

1. Timothy

2. Switchfoot

3. FallenReign

4. Matt (rennac)

5. Butch

6. Cruentus

7. {Gnome}<:{)_Sniper

8. TheShadow

9. the s¶ectre:

10. PilotMadnick

 

If you are one of the winners PM me for instructions on how to claim your prize!

 

Thanks again for your participation!

 

Transcripts will be posted on the Xfire Sci-Fi Week site as soon we’re able to get them out.