Daniel Lowd likes dogs, unicycles, and researching artificial intelligence. By day, he is a computer science professor. By night, he is also a computer science professor, because he tends to work odd hours. At various other times (dusk? gloaming? teatime?) he writes a few words of fiction or the occasional song.
1. How long have you been writing and what got you started?
I write very occasionally, and have done so for a long time. My wife, Mary Lowd, has had many stories and several novels published. She encouraged me to submit some of my work for publication.
2. What is the best piece of advice you have for new writers?
“Every piece of advice is wrong, especially this one.”
3. Are there any writing resources, such as books or websites, you’d like to recommend?
One of my favorite websites is google.com, which lets you search for tons of information on just about everything.
4. What is your favorite type of fiction and who are your favorite authors?
I like fiction that is short and filled with interesting ideas. One of my favorite writers is Ted Chiang.
5. What tips do you have for finding time to write?
The best time to write is when you’re supposed to be doing something else.
6. Do you prefer to outline a story in advance or write on the fly? Why?
Some stories need an outline, some just happen organically. It depends on the story.
7. How do you deal with rejections?
Chocolate.
8. What are your writing goals for the next twelve months?
Finish writing answers for this interview. After that, I have no specific plans.
9. For the next five years?
I enjoy writing songs as well as stories, but I’ve never recorded any of them. I’d like to change that.
10. Is there anything you’d like to plug? Feel free to share a link.
I haven’t written much, but you can find lots of Mary’s stories (for free!) on www.deepskyanchor.com.
