Interview with Daniel Davidsohn, Author of A Goddess Among Men


Can you share a bit about your journey to becoming a writer/published author?  Any interests or early signs as a child that hinted you would later put pen to paper? 

I’ve been writing since I was 18 or 19, but at that time I had no aspiration of becoming a writer. In the 1980s and 1990s I had an interest in films. I liked to write screenplays, but with film scripts you either sell them or not, there’s no middle ground. So eventually, I gave up writing when I was in my late thirties.

Years later when I met my wife and told her what I liked to do, she suggested that I write books. I found the idea crazy—I knew nothing about writing novels. But then, the idea sunk in. A week later I was writing my first book. That was in 2008. I would say that I only really thought of myself as a writer when I was writing the next book, despite failing commercially over and over again. I mean, how crazy is that? It can’t be rational. You write the next book because you have to. I suppose that’s what writers do.

A Goddess Among Men is your 6th book.  How do you continue to find new and original story lines and characters? Does it get easier or harder as you continue to write new titles?  

To me, writing is hard work. I mean, it’s a pleasure to brainstorm ideas and to talk about them, but at some point, ideas need to become words and they make sense. To me, the only thing that changed over the years is how I manage the emotional aspect of being a writer. I feel that I can handle things like expectations and anxieties much better now. As for new titles, there’s always something to write about, some new angle or way of doing it that only you have, and every author has.

Review HERE!
Where did the inspiration for this book come from? For the main characters?

Some might think that Christel is the fruit of an era that is dead, something out of a convoluted Post-Second World War era. But present-day headlines tell us this mindset is far from extinct. The destructive nature of people in positions of power is very much alive. There has been progress in human rights and gender equality, but often that’s daylight perception, because when lights are off—when people are not looking—those in power continue to exert all sorts of abuses against minorities, the environment, consumers, you name it. Christel is a survivor. What she endures in fiction is probably a soft version of what many endure in real life.

How does the writing process work for you? Do you schedule a time every day, work madly when inspiration hits or ?   What kind of research do you do to makes sure the settings and situations feel real?

I start early in the morning, kind of in a “mission”. I write for from 40 minutes up to two hours, depending on inspiration. I know I can’t wait for the perfect idea to do the job, or else it can get complicated. A project needs to move forward. So, I take breaks during the day, do other stuff until my mind is ready for a new round. I repeat this process a few times. Obviously, there are good days and bad days. The important thing is to force yourself into keeping a writing routine. When I’m not inspired, I spend time doing my research, which I think is a good source for getting new ideas.

As an author - what do you enjoy most about writing process? What feels like a chore? How do you walk away at the end of a writing period and leave the emotions and/or a dark plot behind?

Writing a good scene is quite satisfying. I don’t think it’s possible to enjoy every single thing you write. There’s always a differentiated scene here and there, and if I feel it, I believe the reader feels it too. What is a chore? Revision, rewriting, trying to get the concept of the book right. At the end of my writing period I have no trouble at all leaving the emotions behind. I mean, I’ve wrote it, read it countless times, and that usually is enough to peacefully transition to a non-writing period.

Other books by Daniel Davidsohn

Any advice for young authors wanting to write books in this genre?

Advice is tough. I’ve written in different genres—thriller, psychological thriller, mystery, and now a family saga. I don’t like the idea of being trapped to one genre, although this contradicts market wisdom. But to me, anything that is not natural, like trying to follow trends, it just doesn’t do well. You need to write the things you feel impelled to. Everything else seems like a distraction.

What's next for you as an author? Do you have any new books in the planning or writing stage? 

More in the planning stage, but it’s too early to define it. It’s probably going to be something different from my previous works. I enjoy testing the waters, seeing what else I can write about. Let’s see.


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