Fantasy Authors Unplugged: An Interview with Daniel Adorno

What’s your background with the fantasy genre and what drew you to begin writing your books?

I grew up reading many fantasy stories and watching various fantasy-themed movies and shows. The books that drew me into the genre the most were J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. Tolkien is a master storyteller and as a young wannabe writer, I loved the immersive world he created. I knew I couldn’t begin to scratch the surface of something like Middle-Earth, but I still wanted to attempt to create a fantasy world of my own and that’s where the Azuleah series stemmed from.

How old were you when you started writing and when did you first envision the Azuleah series? What was the triggering idea to begin it?

I was 9 years old and in 4th grade when I started writing. After completing a short story assignment for my class, I realized that I really loved to write. My father bought me a typewriter shortly thereafter and I started writing all kinds of stories that will never leave my old desk drawer!

The first moment I envisioned the Azuleah series was when i was learning how to draw of all things. I had purchased a book on drawing manga and anime and one of the “lessons” was to sketch an elf warrior or something. At the time, The Two Towers had recently released in theaters so I had elves and hobbits on the brain! When I finished that poor sketch of an elf warrior, I remember creating a story in my mind about the warrior. And as writers are apt to do, that story needed context and a whole world began to come to life. The rest is history as they say!

It’s interesting that your initial idea came from a drawing. Do you use drawing as a way to stimulate your creativity when writing scenes?

Yes, it actually does. Aside from writing, drawing and graphic design have become regular hobbies of mine. I’ve created many characters from my series digitally in Photoshop and various 3D programs. Sometimes I’ll brainstorm a story idea by creating the characters digitally first and it helps flesh out where that story could go.

You mentioned having all kinds of old stories in a drawer. Do you ever see yourself actually taking these and using them for a book or series?

Not really, no. Many of them are too basic in plot and character development to ever be worth salvaging. I see these stories more as the foundation of where I am today as a writer. I may use elements or characters from them in future stories, but nothing more.

What are your writing plans? What new books or series are in the works?

Currently I’m working on a new science fiction series that will be set in a shared universe with another author. Our hope is to write separate series in the same universe and then do crossovers kind of like what Marvel Studios is doing with their superhero films. To build some momentum for the new series, I’ve decided to write short stories related to the universe and publish them on my blog each month. The first one went up this month.

I’m sure you have plenty on your site about this new project, but what’s the plot of this new science fiction series?

The story follows a bounty hunter who’s down on her luck and trying to become the best at her trade. When she gets the opportunity to catch a very lucrative bounty, she has to decide whether or not she’s ready to cross certain boundaries and fight off the most notorious hunters in the galaxy. The series will follow our heroine’s exploits as she faces moral dilemmas, rival bounty hunters, and political intrigue in a war-torn universe.

How did you decide to transition to science fiction?

I have always loved science fiction stories and in my mind they are like grounded fantasy stories. After completing the Azuleah trilogy, I wanted to change things up and try my hand at science fiction before I get back into the fantasy genre again.

Have you ever thought about writing outside the speculative genres of science fiction and fantasy?

Yes, I’ve thought about writing historical fiction before. I have a master’s degree in ancient and medieval history so part of me wants to use that knowledge to write about my favorite periods in history.

About Daniel Adorno & Links:

Current Instafreebie giveaway: https://claims.instafreebie.com/free/vyANj

Ko-Fi support page: https://ko-fi.com/authordanieladorno

website: http://www.danieladorno.com

“Hi, my name is Daniel and I’m a fantasy/scifi author. Thanks for visiting my website and blog. Here’s a little background on me: I began writing back in 4th grade when my teacher assigned everyone to write a short book with construction paper and crayons. Little did I know then that my award-worthy book on race cars would be the start of my writing career.”