Interview with Douglas Dorow

Author of Twice Removed

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. Now, I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

After college, I worked as an engineer in different places: North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas City. Then, I went to grad school in Minneapolis, moved around a little: Colorado, Florida, St. Louis and moved back to Minneapolis, got married and I’ve been here ever since.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

In college, I studied engineering, but really enjoyed a couple of creative writing classes I took. I’ve always been a big fiction reader and finally decided to try writing my own. I took a couple of writing classes in Minneapolis at The Loft literary center, started writing and joined a local critique group. I decided I wanted to write a thriller with an FBI special agent as the hero, similar to Bosch in Michael Connelly’s series, or Lucas Davenport in John Sanford’s series, but in the FBI versus local law enforcement. I also had a roommate who decided to go into the FBI and that pointed me in that direction.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

FBI thrillers with real heroes and smart villains and an interesting cast of supporting characters.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

People who like the crime thriller genre who want more than just action. They also enjoy getting to know the characters.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

Writing is hard and rewarding. I have more ideas and stories in my head than I’ll ever be able to write. Characters surprise me as I create them and write their stories. I like the publishing side of the business too.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Start writing earlier. Write every day, even if it’s hard. Trust the storyteller in your head. The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I don’t have a number, but I’m amazed at the readers I have: all over the US and all over the world. They’re men and women of all ages.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Time. Finding the time to write and balancing it with the time for the day job, family, self. I wish I didn’t need to sleep.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Readers appear to like my stories, my characters and dialogue. I’ve recommitted to finding the time to write or I’ll never get the stories out of my head and they’ll continue to haunt me. When it comes to publishing and marketing, that is a hat I like to wear. I try to stay connected to what others in the industry are doing and learn from them trying different things as the business morphs.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

A member of my critique group always told me I need to be meaner, I’m too nice in my early drafts I need to explore the ranges in my characters from really good to really bad.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I just published the second book in the main FBI thriller series and I’m writing the second in the Critical Incident series that spun off of the first book. Then it’s back to the third book in the main FBI thriller series.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I’m an indie publisher. I’ve self published so I wear both the writer and publisher hat.