A Conversation with Mark W. Danielson

Mark W. Danielson is an international airline pilot who has learned a lot about this world from his travels. His mystery/suspense novels reflect what he's learned, among them people we should fear. It's that fear that fascinates us. Without fear there would be no suspense.

Mark, if you had to give up one occupation, which would it be: flying or writing? And why?

This question reminds me of one I was asked at a Northwest Airlines interview: “Would I rather be in prison or alone on a desert island?” Prison didn’t seem like a good option, but neither did the desert island, so there is no easy answer to either question. You see, I’ve been flying my whole life, and flying is as important to me as my writing. Having said that, Federal law mandates that I end my flying career on my 65th birthday, so when that happens, I’ll spend more time writing and painting. Of course I will continue to fly; just not professionally. The best thing about writing is it has no physical limitations. The bottom line is they can pay me to stop flying, but I’ll never stop writing.

How long have you been writing? Did you start as a child and did your parents encourage your creative skills?

I have always drawn and painted, and the local newspaper published several of my sketches when I was quite young. I’ve found that writing and painting are totally integrated as both come from the heart and create images. The only difference is one is more visual than the other. I never gave writing much thought when I was younger, but wrote an article or two for the high school paper and also a few things for the college paper. My first magazine article was published in 1977. Since then, I’ve written countless articles for various periodicals, with all but one being non-fiction. Whether it’s writing, painting, or building an airplane, my parents have always been very encouraging.

What was your first published work and when did you start writing novels? Tell us how that came about.

My first magazine article appeared in Sport Aerobatics. At the time, I was flying F-4 fighters in Korea and wrote this historical article on how fighter tactics became the basis for modern aerobatic competition. I also illustrated this article. My typewriter was fine for writing short articles, but way too much work for anything longer. In the late ’80s, I was forced into becoming computer literate. Personal computers opened a new dimension to writing because it made editing so easy. No more white out, and no more translating hand-written pages. Now all I had to do was sit down and bang out my thoughts and worry about the details later. I wrote several novels before seeking publication. Danger Within was my first published novel, but it was probably the seventh one I wrote. Since then, I’ve written several other novels that I don’t intend to publish. My writing has never been about ego or money, but rather the need to write about something that’s burning inside me. Still, it’s nice when people speak favorably of my work.

How has your work evolved over the years and what's your writing and flying schedule like?

The three novels that are currently in print were all very important to me. At the time, I was a single parent and worked a week on/week off flight schedule. When I was home and my kids were in school, I would spend hours banging on the keyboard with my pooch at my feet. While I was away on a trip, I continued to write during my layovers. These days, spending time with my wife is more important, so most of my writing is done while I’m away. International layovers are perfect because they tend to be longer. I am also airborne for up to thirteen hours on the long-haul flights, so I can write during my breaks. No doubt I live a gypsy lifestyle, but it works for me.

How do you feel about the current publishing downturn and what kind of drastic measures do you foresee taking place in the industry?

It’s sad seeing so many book stores closing, and these days, author signings mean little to readers. However, the fact that library usage is up sixty percent shows that people are still interested in reading. I predict that we will see more e-book and audio book downloads in the future, but whether the authors will get royalties for this is questionable. Regardless, none of this will affect the amount or type of writing I do. I am very fortunate to have a job that pays the rent. However, these changes could seriously impact those who earn their living by writing.

I recently read M.J. Rose's article on blogging. She contends that it's dangerous to one's health and that a number of men who blog suffered heart attacks. That can also be said of writers. What kind of measures do you take to stay in good health?

Going to the gym nearly every day keeps my head clear and my body physically fit. I also try not to take myself or life too seriously. If I worried about what people said about me, or the problems with the economy, my blood pressure would sky rocket. We are only on this planet for a short time, so we may as well enjoy it. I’ve found that whether it’s blogging, writing, exercising, or eating, everything should be done in moderation.

How would you categorize your mystery novels and how much of you are in your characters?

My mystery novels are reality-based, meaning either the events I write about have happened, or are likely to happen. In nearly every case, I have physically walked the ground on which I’ve written to get a better feel for the scene. Most of my characters have been inspired by people I’ve met along the way. For example, some survivalists I know unintentionally inspired characters in The Innocent Never Knew. My experience in the airline world made the characters in Danger Within believable. Some personal experiences did the same for the characters in Diablo’s Shadow. While there is no question that some parts of me appear in my characters, I have never intentionally written myself into a story.

In the event of a fire, flood or tornado, which three inanimate objects would you save?

Once I knew that my family was safe, I’d grab my computer, photographs, and paintings. Of course, most of these things have already been scanned and downloaded onto flash drives, so I should be okay. Everything else is replaceable.

What do you like most about writing and what turns you off?

I love the freedom of expression that comes with writing. To me, completing a novel is as fulfilling as completing a painting. Both should be timeless. If they aren’t, then they’re not finished. I initially majored in Fine Arts, but became disillusioned by teachers who proclaimed my creations weren’t “art”. At times I see the same thing in the writing world, as some authors or book stores base my work on my publisher rather than the work itself. I’ve never been in competition with anyone, and never will be. I write for the joy of writing, and my happiness is not dependent upon praise. Once I complete a book or magazine article, I move on to the next project. That’s what keeps my writing fresh.

Who's your favorite author and who most influenced your own work?

If I had to pick a single author, I’d have to say Michael Crichton. He could write intelligently about any subject and easily place the reader inside his stories. I will miss him. I also enjoy Dean Koontz’ quirky wit in his Odd Thomas series. As for a mentor, I was very fortunate to have met Bob Middlemiss many years ago. His patience and guidance steered me in the right direction, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Publishers love series books, so I decided to start one. My Maxx Watts detective series takes an average guy through some very interesting situations. Tongue and cheek humor makes this series a lot of fun. I wrote Writer’s Block, the first in this series, in thirty days and have the next two stories in my head. I can see this series going for a long time.

All of my books can be previewed on my web site at Mark W. Danielson.com along with a host of articles on travel, flying, and some fun photos. My web site also has a link to our murderousmusings blogspot.com/', which provides an interesting story by one of its six authors nearly every day. My wife Lyne is constantly adding to my web site, so it’s truly a work-in-progress. I consider it a privilege to share my travel experiences with others, and my web site is a perfect place for this.

Finally, since I share my name with another artist and there are other similar named authors, my next novels will show Mark Woods Danielson as the author. I’ve never cared much for my middle name, but since I had no say in the matter, I accept it. Hopefully, using my full name will avoid any confusion.

Here are a couple of links to recent Diablo’s Shadow reviews:

http://www.myshelf.com/mystery/09/diablosshadow.htm
http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/mystery-book-reviews/danielson-diablos-shadow.html

Thanks, Mark, for taking time from your busy schedule to stop by.