Writer David Wood’s novels are filled with action, adventure, and more pulpy goodness than you may be able to handle. All Pulp recently sat down with David to talk about his books and to find out just what pulp means to him.
All Pulp: Tell us a little about yourself and your pulp interests.
David Wood: I write action-adventure with a strong pulp influence. I love the “old school” pulp stories with a heavy dose of lost cities and ancient mysteries.
AP: What does pulp and pulp fiction mean to you?
DW: To me, a good pulp story is a fast-paced adventure or mystery. The hero doesn’t rely on technology to save the day, but on his or her own wits and skills.
AP: Quest is your latest novel in the Dane Maddock adventure series. Tell us a bit about the book, the character, and the series. Where can readers find them?
DW: Readers have compared the series to “Dirk Pitt meets Indiana Jones.” Dane Maddock and his partner “Bones” Bonebrake are former Navy SEALs turned treasure hunters who keep stumbling into ancient mysteries, usually Biblical in origin. In Quest, they head off on the trail of Percy Fawcett’s final expedition, and we put a new twist on the Lost City of Z legend. The books are always a blend of mystery and action-adventure.
AP: Your bio says that you’re a fan of all things historical, archaeological, mythological, and cryptozoological. That’s quite an interesting mix of interests. How has your passion for these things inspired and worked their way into your writing?
DW: I like to imagine that there’s still some mystery left in the world, be it ancient mysteries or undiscovered creatures. I think these elements lend a sense of wonder to a story, and I try to put a little of each into my books. In Quest, in particular, you can clearly see all of these influences.
AP: You’ve written adventure, historical pieces, and stories about zombies. Do you have a favorite genre in which to work or do you like to play the field and work in as many different genres as possible?
DW: When I’m at the beginning or end of a story, the genre of the work-in-progress is always my favorite. When I’m in the middle third of a story, my favorite genre is whatever I’m not working on at the time. As a student I hated sophomore years, as a teacher I hated winter quarter, and as a writer I hate the middle of any book. I enjoy all the different genres I’ve tackled so far, though I found historical fiction to be the most daunting, and I’d love to write a baseball novel sometime. If I had to choose only one genre, though, it would be action-adventure. There are so many places I want my characters to go and so many ancient mysteries I want them to solve that I suspect I could write in the genre for the rest of my life and not run out of stories to tell.
AP: What, if any, existing characters would you like to try your hand at writing?
DW: The easy answer would be Indiana Jones, but that’s been done by better writers than me. I would like to see what I could do with Flynn Carson from the “Librarian” movie series. Some of his exploits are a silly, but I think his humor and adventurous spirit offers lots of possibilities.
AP: Who are some of your creative influences?
DW: Too many to count, but there are a few biggies. Clive Cussler’s early novels inspired me to experiment with action-adventure, and I learned a great deal about story structure from his work. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are inspiring in the way they manage to maintain a fast pace while slowly unfolding the mystery element of their story. Finally, the old Conan adventures by Robert E. Howard always fueled my sense of wonder.
AP: What does David Wood do when he’s not writing?
DW: Aside from annoying my wife and kids at every possible turn, I coach fast-pitch softball and suffer through the ups and downs of the Atlanta Braves. I also co-host the ThrillerCast podcast, which isn’t about Michael Jackson, but about the thriller genre. When I want to get really geeky, I play a miniature war game called HeroScape, but that’s a secret.
AP: Where can readers find learn more about you and your work?
DW: Visit me at www.davidwoodweb.com. From there you can link to my blog, which is the best way to keep current with me, and to find links to my Facebook page and Twitter. Also, give ThrillerCast a listen. You can download it on iTunes or check it out at http://www.thrillerpodcast.com/.
AP: Any upcoming projects you would like to mention?
DW: Things have been busy. I’ve just co-authored a book in Jeremy Robinson’s ‘Jack Sigler/Chess Team’ universe called Callsign: Queen, and my short story “Dark Entry,” which features the main characters from the Dane Maddock adventures, was included in a recent anthology called The Game. Pulp fans will love it because all of the stories are re-interpretations of the classic story “The Most Dangerous Game.”
AP: Are there any upcoming convention appearances or signings coming up where fans can meet you?
DW: I don’t have any personal appearances coming in the near future. I think it’s my coffee breath. I do have an upcoming appearance scheduled on Gail Z. Martin’s “Ghost in the Machine” podcast.
AP: And finally, what advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a writer?
DW: Patience and determination. It took seven years of slowly building my audience and improving my craft before I could make writing my full-time job. Don’t give up if your first book doesn’t take off; don’t get cocky if your first book goes crazy; and don’t invest so much time marketing your book(s) that it slows your progress on your work in-progress. Keep putting out books and building your audience.
AP: Thanks, David.
DW: Thank you very much for the interview. All Pulp is a great site and I’m honored to be included.
To learn more about David Wood and his books, visit him at http://www.davidwoodweb.com/.
