To celebrate my writing club’s diamond anniversary and publication of our anthology, I wanted to interview the authors of the book, Prose Colored Glasses. Today’s author is Dan Biby and his work is in the book, Prose Colored Glasses Prose Colored Glasses: Writers Club, Enid + Free Shipping (amazon.com) available on Kindle and paperback.

Dan was first published at 17 and has been writing for more than four decades. He’s authored four books and numerous other nonfiction works, including advertising copy, interactive training guides, and journal articles covering virtually every business and technology subject.

His hobbies include wandering the backroads of North America, stalking wild critters with his trusty Nikon, and spending time on his ranch.

PC: What genre do you like to write?

DB: It’s difficult for me to name just one. I like variety to keep things fresh and interesting. It’s not unusual for me to be working on two or three projects at the same time. If my energy wanes on one genre, I’ll move to another. But, to answer your question specifically, I enjoy writing humor, science fiction, and western the most.

PC: How did you come up with the plotline/idea for your current WIP?

DB: My inspiration came from following the almost-daily advances that scientists and engineers are making in AI, robotics, and quantum computing in order to improve our lives. Plus, I’ve always been fascinated by works from Asimov, Crichton, and Kubrick that depict such technology going rogue and attempting to destroy humanity.

Those storytellers used creative ways to depict how AI can go awry, namely using bad ’bots and narcissistic supercomputers in unique settings. My current WIP is a similar story, but in a new, unique setting.

PC: Which comes first for you – character or plot? And why?

DB: That depends. In my science fiction story, the plot comes first because the chain of events is the focal point of the story. In other words, the characters must react to goings-on outside their control.

In my western novel, I developed the characters first because the story is a narrative of the protagonist’s adventures.

PC: If you could hang out with any literary character from any book penned at any time, who would it by, why, and what would you do together?

That’s easy. If given the opportunity, I would circumnavigate the world in 80 days with Phileas Fogg. The adventure would be a blast and the vistas breathtaking. Spending time around someone with his intellect and eccentricities would be most interesting.

I wanted you to get to know the people of my wonderful club. I know you will enjoy them as much as I do. Keep reading, there will be more in the weeks to come.

What are you reading/writing this week?