S. S. Fitzgerald
What made you decide to become a writer?
To some degree I always wanted to. I probably didn’t solidify the desire to write multiple books until I entered college. After the military, I knew I had to give myself a deadline to do it. This is partly how A Fold to Extinction came to be. Do or die, and I did.
How do you decide your plots? Are they taken from events that have happened to you? Do you base your characters on real people – or do you prefer to be fully creative and make them up?
I’ve experimented with plot driven stories, A Fold to Extinction, and character driven stories, Sinner’s Pass. Writing Sinner’s Pass I have decided they are two sides of the same coin. I want interesting characters doing interesting things. Sinner’s Pass helped me develop with writing people and ideas I wasn’t comfortable with. My upcoming series, Alone Together, will be a great mix of strong characters driven by a terrifying plot.
What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
I start with the plot and what I want to do with the story. As I think about how the story will unravel, I put pieces together that include characters. Sinner’s Pass is a great example of this. While heavily based around each of the characters, the plot was why they were all there in the first place. Creating interesting ideas comes easy, and then finding people to write flows once I have the idea in place.
How many books have you written and/or published and which is your favourite?
Technically 4, but I won’t count my Exercise Log. My most recent work, Alone Together, is by far my favorite. Alone Together sees all my lessons learned as a writer, and I feel passionately about each character. I can’t wait to see them grow in the series, and all the heartbreak that will come with the terrifying world I have painted for them.
Tell me more about your favourite book – the plot, characters, setting, POV, tense…
I assume you mean my favorite that I’ve written – Alone Together is 3rd person and primarily follows the story of three protagonists. I do include chapters that are the point of view of minor characters, but they are limited to their areas. Roland, Dillion, and Julie make the central cast for the first entries to what will be the Alone Together universe. Each character embodies and shares experiences I have collected from my emergency management and military experience. While the first book starts in my current hometown, Tallahassee, the series will span several key areas across the United States. Plot wise, a mysterious pathogen burns across the globe, and driving people insane is only the first horror as the characters learn the entire ecosystem is changing.
Did you need to do research for your book? If so, how much did you do, how did you do it?
A Fold to Extinction and Sinner’s Pass did not require a ton of research. I did do hours of research into neurotoxins for A Fold to Extinction all for an intro chapter. But Alone Together has required me to dig out my old field manuals. As of right now, it has been five years since I left the military, and so much has changed that I wanted my knowledge to reflect 2024. I have buddies still in the military, and field manuals have assisted me greatly. Some of my characters I have read various historical accounts from different time periods to paint more realistic and vivid characters. I also did an interview with a former undercover DEA agent to understand drug running and the criminal mentality.
Would you travel to the area where your book is set? Do you already know the area? Have you written about that area because it’s a place you know? Have you used the original name of the area or manipulated place names?
Alone Together starts in Tallahassee, my current hometown! In fact, if you buy the hardcover edition of Alone Together, you get an additional short story that maps out several streets in Tallahassee. You can literally use the story to guide yourself to key locations in the town the characters visit. Later in the series, I mention other cities and military bases. Most of these locations I have either been in, trained at, or lived. I keep the cities and streets faithful, but I don’t use companies or businesses. I would never want a business owner to feel bad because I had a character eviscerated in their waiting room.
How do you feel about killing off popular characters? Is it something you enjoy doing in your own books? Have you done it?
It has to happen, and I have some in my series Alone Together that are planned for later entries. I keep thinking about those moments as they get closer and I know it’ll be hard for me to write, and harder for fans to read. Afterall, I am a horror writer, no one is safe. I wouldn’t say it’s an “enjoyable” moment but I get satisfaction out of creating a realistic experience. I have a moment a character mentions this tongue-in-cheek. Paraphrasing: “How horrible is it to learn history is littered with the graves of heroes?”
Do you write under a pseudonym or your own name?
It’s not a pseudonym, but my initials and last name. S.S. Fitzgerald is just Shaun S. Fitzgerald.
Does your family read your work?
My wife is my biggest supporter, and she is the first one to read my projects before I start hacking away at them. My mother read my first novel, A Fold to Extinction. I don’t know if she ever picked up Sinner’s Pass, but I don’t feel it is anything she couldn’t handle. I don’t think my sister currently reads my novels. I could be wrong, but it doesn’t bother me. She supports me and that’s all I can ask of family in my writing. Hopefully, as my kids grow older, they find it interesting their old man wrote.
You can find more info about Shaun on his website
