Recently we did a ‘Deadfall Survivors’ review. If you are unsure on the book you should check it out and probably be convinced to buy it! If you want the quick summary we liked it. Since the review we’ve had a chance to sit down with the novel’s author, Richard Flunker, and pick his brain about his creation. Hopefully we didn’t do too much damage while messing around up there as we’re looking forward to what he’s got in store for us down the line!
Can you provide a brief summary of your novel, Deadfall Survivors?
Deadfall Survivors is an apocalyptic story in the most literal meaning of the word. The world is consumed by the undead and a new world is born from it where those who survive band together and survive in this new world. The main protagonist, Brian, has survived with relative ease due to the preparation his father did before the end of the world. He now ventures out into this new world initially out of boredom and is quickly thrown into the fire as he rescues other survivors and gets caught up in a plot with a group of cultists who are trying to track his hideout down, the remnants of the US military trying to reestablish civilization near the coast and of course, the ever present zombies. In between, Brian and this group of strangers become a family unit of their own and learn how to survive in this new world.
What was your motivation(s) to write this particular story?
I really wanted to combine a few of my loves, outdoor hiking, my home state of North Carolina, my complete and utter lack of knowledge of guns, and the psychology of strangers thrown together for a random reason, and made that random reason the end of the world due to zombies.
Do you plan to continue this story into a trilogy or series?
There are two more books following Survivors, with the next book, Deadfall Hunters due out at the end of the year, and a fourth book, an origin story.
What did you find difficult to accomplish within your book? The research, character development and arcs, regional locations, etc?
The most difficult time of writing the book was time. Juggling work, four children and a wife left little time for actual time on the keyboard. Thankfully, my mind did most of the work in between commute and down time at work that putting it down on the computer screen came easily when I was able to find time.
How was the experience of seeing your work move from an idea to a rough draft to the finished product?
Ive written short stories in the past and when I found myself talking to other authors, I found that I didn’t fit into the mold many authors were in. A lot of my friends could write ritualistically, dedicating specific time and space to the craft. I on the other hand am an emotional writer. Things tend to build up over time and then explode onto the keyboard in a few furious hours of typing, followed again by days of nothing. My editor may not have liked that method as well as she might have, but I could find no other way to work.
When you sit down and write what is your perfect writing environment, i.e., quiet, music, a specific room in the house? What helps get you in the mood? Watching classic horror films or…?
I find first thing in the morning the best time. I’m usually relaxed and my mind is focused. If I am ready to go, I need to know I can just spill it out on the computer for as many hours as I need at one sitting and on many occasions my wife would orchestrate a disappearing act for that morning. I do sometimes play music in the background, but not always.
Who are 5 people, besides immediate family and nearby friends that you would want to be stuck with or in a group with during an apocalyptic event not exactly a zombie outbreak but something that would affect life as you know it on a global scale?
Without naming specific people, I would need people with useful skills and knowledge. I’d like to say that I have my bug out list of people I’d take, but that list seems to be changing a lot every time I think of it. Certainly a doctor, a mechanic, a local, and someone who knows more about guns than I do (anyone will do I’m sure)
In a hypothetical apocalypse, what would be your preference; viral outbreak, extraterrestrial event, zombies, natural disaster, etc, and why?
Any but a natural disaster. That one is completely out of your control. You just can’t fight against super volcanoes.
What advice can you impart to authors just starting out who want to break into the horror/apocalyptic/zombie genre?
Keep it believable. Unless it’s something far in the future, I want to fully believe that whatever event you are describing could happen to me. That draws me in to your book.
Who do you feel is directly responsible for your entry into the field of writing and specifically the inclusion of zombies into your work?
I had always enjoyed zombie books and movies in a sort of goofy “this is too ridiculous but its fun†kind of way until I read World War Z. It was my first zombie book I read that attempted to portray the zombie apocalypse as something “realâ€. I dreamed of zombies on CNN that first night.
What and who are your favorite authors and books not in the zombie/horror genre? Tell us a little bit about them and how they may have affected your work.
Kim Stanley Robinsons Mars trilogy are a constant re-read for me. While a sci fi book, the incredible attention to scientific detail made me believe every last bit of it. Makes me wonder just when we will be on mars. It was this level of realism and detail that made me realize that fiction can be made to seem real.
If you had to do it all over again, the research, the writing, the search for a publisher, etc, would you do any of it differently?
Not had kids? I kid of course. My kids were my inspiration for zombie moaning and groaning. I can’t say I would change anything about my first book.
Do you have any plans to continue writing when you finish your current project? This might be other projects in a different genre.
I have plans to write sci fi as well as some humorous books about the outdoors. Bit of a variety? Probably, but that best describes me.
Where can readers and fans alike find out more information about your books and upcoming projects that you’re involved in?
I can be found on twitter at RichardMFlunker, on facebook at the same name or on my facebook Deadfall Series page.
