I took my own experience of searching for answers, coupled with a desire to write something Dystopian in nature, and that’s basically how I get the idea for the journey. The romance and the deathly illness were added later, for dramatic reasons and to enhance the characters. And, of course, what’s a story without some creepy, animalistic hunters?
David Kummer – 15 September 2019
The Back Flap
The wilderness shows no mercy.
On a journey to nowhere, an escape from the past, four travelers must confront the harsh realities of their chosen path. The terrain is treacherous; the supplies are low. But turning back isn’t an option. Only death is behind.
Someone is following.
Others have tried this route. Many have gone; none have returned. Their only salvation, their only hope, lies at the end. But the end of the journey is not what it seems. Nothing is.
Home
About the book
What is the book about?
This book is about four people that are trekking through a wilderness valley, in search of the mysterious destination they’ve heard so much about but never seen: Home. What they come to find is that Home may not be exactly what they thought. Also, the book has some hunters, some love, some sickness, and some death. So it’s the complete package, you might say.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing this book shortly after my grandpa died in the winter of 2018. I then continued writing it through the time when I graduated high school and dealt with all the questions that brings. Because I was searching, and not certain what for, it showed up in the writing and morphed into the journey that takes place in Home.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took me about a month to plan the book, which is longer than normal for me, and then another two months to write it.
Where did you get the idea from?
I took my own experience of searching for answers, coupled with a desire to write something Dystopian in nature, and that’s basically how I get the idea for the journey. The romance and the deathly illness were added later, for dramatic reasons and to enhance the characters. And, of course, what’s a story without some creepy, animalistic hunters?
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I struggled specifically with the ending of the book and deciding how I wanted to wrap things up. Everything in the book serves an allegorical purpose, so tying a bow that would fit turned out to be very difficult.
What came easily?
The beginning was easy, because I decided to be so vague with the world at large. Also, some of the action scenes were easy to write, because I’ve done those a lot in my other novels, usually horror.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
The characters in this book are complete works of fiction, although each of them represents a piece of the human spirit. I think the four central characters, when combined, encompass most types of people that you will meet.
Do you have a target reader for this book?
I intended the book to be for anyone 15 and older. It seems like the majority of readers who enjoy it are in their 20’s or 30’s, but that doesn’t mean others won’t. If you’re interested in asking the big questions and searching for answers, I think you’ll find Home interesting, to say the least.
How was writing this book different from what you’d experienced writing previous books?
This book was very personal for me, because of the loss of my grandpa, and I spent a lot of time getting the plot right. I don’t usually labor so much over every detail, but I wanted every plot point and scene to work together and carry the reader to the ending in a unique way.
What new things did you learn about writing, publishing, and/or yourself while writing and preparing this book for publication?
Writing Home was an extremely introspective matter for me. Each chapter revealed a little more about myself and about how I viewed the world. While that isn’t entirely clear in the book itself, the process of writing it helped me understand myself. As for publishing, I did more promotion for this book, but also had a short pre-order time frame. Just some aspects to experiment with and figure out what works. Oh, and also this is the first book where the paperback version can actually fit in your pocket. I wanted to make it small and easy to carry everywhere. They really are cool. I’m absolutely pleased with the final result.
End of Interview:
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