AUTHOR INTERVIEW JOHN O'BRIEN

4/4/2014

A NEW WORLD : CHAOS

John O'Brien is a former Air Force fighter instructor pilot who transitioned to Special Operations for the latter part of his career gathering his campaign ribbon for Desert Storm. Immediately following his military service, John became a firefighter/EMT with a local department. Along with becoming a firefighter, he fell into the Information Technology industry in corporate management. Currently, John is writing full-time on the series, A New World.

As a former marathon runner, John lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and can now be found kayaking out in the waters of Puget Sound, mountain biking in the Capital Forest, hiking in the Olympic Peninsula, or pedaling his road bike along the many scenic roads.

JOHN O'BRIEN

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

John O'Brien is a former Air Force fighter instructor pilot who transitioned to Special Operations for the latter part of his career gathering his campaign ribbon for Desert Storm. Immediately following his military service, John became a firefighter/EMT with a local department. Along with becoming a firefighter, he fell into the Information Technology industry in corporate management. Currently, John is writing full-time on the series, A New World.

As a former marathon runner, John lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and can now be found kayaking out in the waters of Puget Sound, mountain biking in the Capital Forest, hiking in the Olympic Peninsula, or pedaling his road bike along the many scenic roads.

Writing seems a bit tame for a former Air Force Fighter instructor and Firefighter, how did you get the writing bug?

I’ve always been an avid reader, starting at an early age. I decided to begin writing one evening while reading. Throughout my life, I have run survival type scenarios through my mind, adding variables in to react to and change things up. While reading, I realized I had my own story to tell. Combing several of the scenarios I had been thinking through at the time, I began writing the next day and thus, Chaos was born.

As pilot you must have flown some amazing airplanes. What was your favourite aircraft out of all the ones you have flown?

You know, each one is for different reasons. I can’t really point to one and say that one is my absolute favorite.

You still like to keep yourself active with hiking, kayaking and mountain biking. As a mountain biker myself, I’m interested in your kit. What bike do you use?

I have an older Jamis Durango mountain bike which is a bit heavier than the composite frames they have now. It’ll hold up during most anything…as I’ve proven more than once and have the scars to prove it. I will be looking to upgrade the bike sometime this summer in addition to my Kestrel road bike.

So who are some of your favourite authors? And how have they influenced your writing?

Two of my favorites are Stephen King and Robert Jordan. Brian Sanderson finished the last three books of Robert Jordan’s series so I have been reading some of his works as well.

I’m not sure how they would have influenced my writing much though. Maybe subconsciously they helped with character development and Robert Jordan was one who enjoyed his detail.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

Well, I’m currently reading the latest addition to Brian Sanderson’s, The Stormlight Archive. Very good series so far. I really hesitate to mention any books that I was disappointed in as we each have our opinion. So, I’ll just leave that one there.

How would you describe your writing style?

I really don’t know and not sure that I have a style. I enjoy the first person, present tense and, after some difficulties writing in that perspective, I have become fairly comfortable with it. I actually have a hard time writing in the past tense and have to catch myself when doing so.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned about writing?

Keep at it during the hard times. It’s easy to write when you are in the mood and the words are flowing. Not so much when it seems like you have to push a boulder uphill and the story just isn’t flowing. That’s when I have to force myself to stick with it. Eventually, the flow comes but it might not be until I’ve written for a while.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Editing sucks. I’m not sure what else to say here.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

Again, I’m not really sure I have an answer to this one. I guess if senility counts for creativity, then I’ve come a long ways.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

Have the manuscript edited professionally and the cover done by a professional.

Let’s talk about your books. How would describe your A New World series of books. Would you say they are horror, Sci-Fi, or military thriller?

I’ve actually thought about this one a lot and I’m not sure where to truly classify the series. I guess the best fit would be in the sci-fi/post-apocalyptic category although there is a bit of the other genres in it as well.

Are you concerned about the books being tagged with the wrong label?

Each person reads and interprets a book based on their own experiences. I’m not too worried about any of the books carrying a label saying one thing or another. Unless that label is, “These books suck.” I’d rather avoid that labelling if at all possible.

The hero of the series Jack Walker is an ex-special forces pilot that must have been a relatively easy character to write. How much of Jack is based on you?

Well, Jack is a fictional character. Having said that, each of the characters are a part of me and my experiences, whether that is based on people I’ve met or read about, or personal experiences. And yes, he is a pretty easy character to write. He’s uncomplicated and simple.

When you read other books with a military element, do you find yourself picking out all of the errors?

Unfortunately yes. I do tend to pick apart books with military themes or elements. That doesn’t mean I’m right, just that I do.

The books are centred on survival in a post-apocalyptic world, if you could chose the nature of the apocalypse should the world end with a bang or a whimper?

If it were to happen, I think I’d like it to go down like the series. I’m not saying I want most of the world’s population to just drop dead, unless I happen to be stuck in traffic. I believe that wish comes about during those moments…and frequently. However, I could do without the night runner threat. Those can stay fictional.

Despite being a fighter pilot, Jack Walker is an everyday man, how important was it to you to make Jack as normal as he could be, rather than some unstoppable superhero?

That was the most important element to creating Jack. He was to be a normal person thrust into a post-apocalyptic world. People make mistakes and Jack is no different. He has flaws, makes mistakes, has biases, and makes judgements. He’s tough but not remotely close to being unstoppable. I wanted the story to be about a normal man trying to cope in an abnormal world.

What would you say are the main qualities you would need to survive in the world of your books?

Attitude and mental strength. Without that, any other skills one might possess are moot. I believe that a good head on your shoulders will carry one through farther than merely possessing a certain set of skills. Be flexible and adaptive.

The series is now on book nine, if you had to choose, which is your favourite instalment so far?

I really don’t know that I have a favorite book in the series. There are a few scenes that stand out that I really enjoyed writing so those are more prevalent in my mind than any particular book.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

The ones that really stick in my mind are some of the first ones mentioning that Chaos was too-detailed. I subsequently went back through the book and rewrote the scenes without changing the story. This was after I felt comfortable with my writing style which wasn’t really prevalent during Chaos, or at least the first part of it. I do read every review and value each. In reading through them, I can pick out trends and change my writing accordingly while still keeping true to the story.

Who is your favourite character from your book and why?

That’s a hard question. I of course like Jack and the counter balance that Lynn provides. Bri has an inner toughness that shines at moments. I guess if I were pinned down to one character, it would have to be Gonzalez. She was supposed to be a place-card that grew to become a major character. What can I say…she’s pretty cool.

How about your least favourite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

I don’t really know. Even the antagonists are pretty cool in their own way. For me, I’m not sure that I can have a least favorite as they are all a part of me when I write.

Fame, fortune, or respect?

Respect for sure. I really don’t need fame and tend to shy away from it. Fortune will follow if you do things right, or it may not. I don’t really write for fame or fortune but I’d rather have the respect of the readers and other authors alike.

Can you tell us about what you are working on next?

I am about halfway through a companion book to the series. This is a set of short stories about the experiences of others when everything went down. Some of them, Jack and the others have run across. I want to give a wider perspective on the world and the experiences. Jack never really encountered much when everything was hitting the fan, so I thought the readers might enjoy the insight.

After that, I will be on to book #10.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?

What is my favorite ice cream?

Amaretto Cherry Cordial