The Spooky Six with Dan Hanks and Willow Croft
Much as I was tempting to go on an archaeological dig with Dan Hanks (well, if I could garner an invite, that is), I had to keep focus long enough to wrap up our chat. Read on to live vicariously through all of Dan Hanks’ adventures!
Dan Hanks (he/him) is the author of Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire, Swashbucklers, and the upcoming SFF/Horror adventure The Way Up Is Death (all from Angry Robot Books).
He’s a published freelance writer, having written for Publishers Weekly, The Sydney Morning Herald, and even had a brief stint writing for Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft(!) on the Fox Studios lot in Sydney, Australia.
When he’s not writing books, Dan works as a freelance fiction editor. Over the last five years he’s worked with some wonderful Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Crime and Thriller publishers, as well as directly with many brilliant self-publishing authors, and querying writers. He’s also an over-qualified archaeologist and still works part-time in the heritage industry (although usually indoors where it’s warm and not as muddy). Plus, he’s one of the co-founders of the OcTBR Challenge – an annual event run on social media that’s dedicated to encouraging people to read through their towering TBR piles every October. (This is mainly an excuse to let himself read books during the best month of the year.)
A lot of Dan’s creative spirit comes from a love of film and TV pop culture, which is why whenever you read one of his books you’ll find a lot of that brilliant ridiculousness being channeled. If you’re a fan of Indiana Jones or The Mummy, Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire is for you. Want a Ghostbusters / Goonies mash-up? Swashbucklers is the book you need. And the upcoming The Way Up Is Death is a heady combination of Squid Game, Lost, The Poseidon Adventure and, um, the Usborne ghost books.
Dan has moved around a lot over the years, from London to Manchester to Sydney, but is currently content in the rolling green hills of the Peak District, England, with his two kids and fluffy sidekicks Indy and Maverick (and sometimes Poppy).
Preorder The Way Up Is Death (Jan 2025) here:
Willow Croft: “Hey, look at that derelict Victorian mansion . . . let’s go explore it!” What’s the most unusual setting you’ve read about in a horror/thriller book, or included in your own creative works?
Dan Hanks: I’m secretly a sucker for the stereotypical derelict house or mansion horror setting, having once lived in an old Victorian workhouse estate in southern England. That place was full of derelict buildings and it was the 80s, so I was out a lot with my friends, away from parental supervision, constantly exploring these definitely very haunted places. However, the most unusual setting? One of the hauntings in my last book, Swashbucklers, takes place at the Christmas markets in Manchester city centre – complete with a giant, possessed, inflatable Santa. There’s nothing like a festive ghost.
Willow Croft: “It was a dark and stormy night . . .” What are your go-to comfort foods, drinks, or other ways to wind down after a long day (or night) of writing?
Dan Hanks: My writing fuel of choice is either tea (obvs, I’m British) or hot chocolate. They comfort me through the struggle of getting the ideas from my brain onto the page. And I’ll probably snack on various crisps and hummus when I’m done and need to unwind. Or… whatever’s in the cupboard or fridge. I’m a bit of a late-night snacker and I often end up comforting myself with food maybe a little too much.
Willow Croft: “Did you hear that noise?” Everyone, even us horror/suspense writers, have our night terrors. What is it that frightens you the most?
Dan Hanks: I was obsessed with real-life ghost stories as a kid, maybe 8 or 9 years old, and there was a book in the school library all about terrifying ‘true’ hauntings. Why it was in a primary school, I have no idea! Some of the stories were grotesque. And it was so horrifying I think this then led to a fear of ghosts, to the point that I couldn’t even watch trailers for movies like Paranormal Activity because it would screw me up for days. I’ve also had a lifelong recurring nightmare about a particular room in a house I grew up in and a paralysis that occurs whenever I go inside that room. No idea why, but it’s totally responsible for a scene in my next book, The Way Up is Death, where the characters have to deal with the frightening notion of doors that are slightly ajar, with nothing but darkness beyond. *shivers*
Willow Croft: “I’m sure it was nothing. But I’ll just go outside and check, anyway. Alone. With no weapons.” Have you ever gotten writers’ block? If so, how do you combat it? Do you have certain rituals or practices that help get you into the writing (or creating) mindset?
Dan Hanks: I often have what some might refer to writers’ block. It’s a kind of overwhelming feeling of not knowing what to write or not wanting to fail – so I find it incredibly easy to not bother trying. How do I combat it? I write anyway! It might feel flippant to say that, but sometimes it’s the only way through. When you’re on deadline, you can’t afford to not write. Money, reputation, future deals, your happiness… it’s all on the line. So you just have to force yourself to sit down and start typing or writing away no matter how you’re feeling.
Of course, there are ways to make this easier. Sometimes I tell myself I only need to do 5 or 10 or 20 minutes of writing. That helps make the task more manageable and I always find that once the time limit is up, I just keep going. Music can also be a huge help too. I love listening to it when doing other things – washing up, walking the dogs, taking a shower – and I’ll think of the scenes I need to write. It helps create a soundtrack to the story I want to tell, which unlocks it for the next time I sit down with the laptop.
Above all else, I give myself permission to fail. First drafts almost always suck and that’s totally fine. I know I just need to get the words down – then I can start to make it better.
Willow Croft: “Don’t go into the basement!” Are you an impulsive pantser or a plotter with outlines galore? What other writing/industry advice would you share with your fellow writers & creators?
Dan Hanks: I find I write best when I have the bare bones of a plot in place and I know where my characters are going to end up. It’s important to me to have an idea of the ending, so that I know the general direction of the story. However, I will then pants my way through that bare bones of a plot, which is fun because I actually don’t know what’s going to happen when getting from A to B, and I’ve had plenty of surprises that way.
In terms of writing advice, the only piece of advice I think you should ever listen to is: find what works for you. Everyone is different, every writing journey is different, and not all advice works for everybody. It’s great to listen to what works for other writers, to build up a toolkit of things to try, but in the end it’s really just a case of writing your stories in your unique way and doing your level best to enjoy the process. That last bit is especially important. This industry can be joyous, frustrating, heartbreaking, exciting, and nonsensical, so it’s important to hold onto your love of storytelling no matter what. Do that and you can’t go wrong.
Willow Croft: “Ring ring!” It’s the middle of the night and the phone mysteriously rings. Which notable writer, or person from history, would be on the other end of the line?
Dan Hanks: Funnily enough, my partner is a notable historical fiction writer and lives in Seattle, so given the different time zones between the UK and there it’s probably going to be her! But I’m a huge Stephen King fan, so if he wanted to call me up in the middle of the night and talk to me about writing, or the nostalgia of IT, or the scope of The Dark Tower, or anything really, then I’m absolutely game.
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“Bringer of Nightmares and Storms.” Horror writer Willow Croft is usually lurking deep in the shadows of her writer cave, surrounded by formerly feral (but still fierce!) cats for company. Visit her here: http://willowcroft.blog, or check out her other services here: https://kirsten-lee-barger.mailchimpsites.com/.
