Dean Petersen grew up obsessed with watching and making horror movies. After completing a BA in film studies he continues his passion for story telling through writing. When not wrangling his wild children or producing promo videos to pay the bills, he enjoys writing ghosts stories and tales of mysteries being solved by ordinary people who have many strange problems.

Dean’s newest novel is coming out on August 10th. Check it out at https://www.sastrugipress.com/books/the-burqa-cave/ 

Interview:

1. Will you tell us about your most recent published work?

Anna Schutz is a serialized audio book that is free to all listeners. It's the story of a suicidal private stationed in Germany who becomes obsessed with the ghost of a white-clad specter seen running through the woods on a foggy night. His need to learn everything about, "the white lady" often sighted on his post, leads to a tunnel under his barracks, an abandoned clinic once used by the Nazis, and a decades old murder still unsolved.

2. What personal challenges do you face as a writer?

I'm still trying to improve my knowledge of the the mechanics of writing, but more importantly I'm trying to get my descriptions and my characters' inner monologues to contribute to the action rather then becoming a distraction.

3. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Usually I know where the story starts and mostly how it ends, but it's coming up with the plot points in between that is the hardest part for me. I try to work those things out while I'm running or driving or in the worst case scenarios, when I lay in bed at night with my eyes wide open trying to figure out a plausible chain of events.

4. What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

Like all writers, what I am giving up to become better is time. I could be doing side video gigs to make more money, I could be spending more time with my kids. However, I'm a better dad and happier person when I've been able to write a little everyday and I'm hoping this will all pay off in more ways in the end.

5. How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Because my first published work was a podcast read by me, I learned how important it is to read your work aloud. You not only are more likely to see silly little mechanical mistakes, but I started to notice when descriptions were too long or when the real action of my stories was being hindered by unnecessary details. I know reading your stuff aloud is something writers are supposed to do anyway, but publishing this way really hammered it home.

6. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? Will you tell us about them?

I have at least half a dozen unpublished works. I value those more than lots of the other things I own because I worked so hard on them and they cannot be replaced with money. I have one about two veterans who start photo-documenting a ghost town in the remote mountains of Wyoming. The quiet, abandoned place starts to soothe their PTSD symptoms, but as their love of the site grows they begin to converse with the ghosts of people who once lived there. I have a coming of age story about a teenage boy who's obsession with making slasher films leads to a forgotten reel of 8mm footage in a thrift store and the unsolved mystery of, "The Groves Massacre House."

7. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

I only have one real book review that I know of. Peter Blakey-Novis of Red Cape Publishing was very kind (read review here). I'm not sure how I'd deal with the negative ones. I hope if they say anything that really points out an area to improve in, I'd try to implement those changes and shake the rest off. 

8. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Sorry I don't have any Easter Eggs or things like that in my work. Anna Schutz was inspired by my being stationed in Germany with the US Army. (watch the background video here) For anyone else that was stationed overseas or who lived with someone who was, you might notice some fun commonalities that would be especially poignant for you, but that's all I got as far as that goes.

9. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

Through my work as a videographer I've gotten to interview some great writers. One of them (I'd prefer not to say who) told me "this is a business, I don't wait around for dreams or things like that to inspire me." That taught me how even though what writers do is artistic, we should treat it with the professionalism and dedication that other people selling a product do. I know that sounds unromantic, but it definitely made me think more about the importance of a work ethic and the fact that writers are producing products (books) even if we don't want to look at them that way.

10. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

What would I say to young me? Start sooner! Pay careful attention to that really boring part of English class in which they tried to teach you about the mechanics of grammar and punctuation. Also read more! 

11. What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Traps? Waiting for inspiration. Believing you need a computer in front of you to write -I've had ideas die as the hard drive was firing up, so now I keep my little notebook everywhere I go and I write in it whenever I have an idea or whenever I have a free moment.

12. What’s the best way to market your books?

Marketing? I'm sorry, I'm still trying to learn myself. One problem with self publishing is it also involves a tremendous amount of "self-marketing." Mostly I've tried sharing the podcast with different podcast fan groups on Facebook. As mentioned above, I also made a background video about where the ideas for Anna Schutz came form and put it on YouTube. I haven't enjoyed this aspect of it. Like all writers, I feel we should be spending more time creating new material than trying to sell it. I will try harder on my next work to get an agent or a publisher that can help more with the marketing as I've really wasted a lot of time trying to market in the dark.

13. What is your favorite childhood book?

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. I liked Ramona Quimby by Beverly Cleary and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. Oh, and Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar.

Social Media:

Podbean: https://keystrokesamidthecobwebs.podbean.com/e/anna-schutz-chapter-1/

YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gi4p9olCD4&list=PL7lgrCMuFrqb7ViqdnVlZlBNRTajUw-7j

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/keystrokes-amid-the-cobwebs-podcast/id1443628823

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