Q&A Indie Authors Uncovered - Meet the person behind the pages - Aaron Sher - Imagining New Worlds for Fun
Where were you born?
Acton, Massachusetts in the United States.
Where do you live?
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States.
Do you have fur babies?
We have four cats: Atticus, Kubo, Appa, and Goober.
My wife fosters cats, so there are a bunch of others in the house that aren't ours.
We also have an axolotl named Leo.
Do you use a pen name?
No.
What kind of writer are you?
- Modern Day : Laptop or PC Writer
Name one book you loved as a kid - one you loved as a new adult - and one you love now.
- Incarnations of Immortality by Piers Anthony
- The Harper Hall books by Anne McCaffrey
- The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Is there an author you look up to? Or had an influence on your craft?
The Dresden Files is the primary inspiration for my books. I think of it as sort of the canonical urban fantasy - it's got all the tropes, maxed out and topped with sprinkles.
I tried not to be too derivative with my books, so in fact they ended up a bit more like Alex Verus than Harry Dresden, but it's still the primary influence and what I have in my head when I'm making decisions about structure and content.
How would you describe your craft in one sentence?
Imagining new worlds for fun.
At The Dreamer's Bookshop, we embrace diversity and advocate for invisible illnesses. How do you feel about those topics? Do you include messages in your writing?
Absolutely! I want my books to expose readers to a range of experiences (while still being fun adventure romps).
I haven't gotten to disability representation yet (I'm only on the second book!) but it'll happen.
Do you have red lines when it comes to writing/reading?
I'd say animal abuse is the biggest one. Like everyone, I have a certain tolerance for things like kink and torture in my fiction, but I wouldn't call that a red line.
The thing that makes me DNF the most books is actually just poor editing - I pick up on errors very readily, which is great when I'm proofreading my own stuff but really unfortunate when I'm reading somebody else's who hasn't done a good job. Everybody misses something and there are some errors that are hard to catch (like certain homonyms), but with the tools available today there's just no excuse for simple errors to get into a published book in large numbers other than the author just not caring enough.
Was there a review that touched you more than others?
My favorite review is one that I got through a program from The Chrysalis BREW Project to connect books and reviewers. It feels like a bit of a cheat, since presumably if they didn't like the book they wouldn't have reviewed it at all, but I didn't pay for it and they certainly did read it. The bit that I really appreciate from the review is this one:
"Perhaps the most unconventional part of this urban fantasy is how much it values craft. Connor’s abilities aren’t flashy—they’re about finesse, patience, and knowing which pin to lift in which order. His “powers” don’t save him from being hit, trapped, or betrayed. They just give him one more tool to try again.
This isn’t a book about fate or destiny. It’s about someone using what little power they’ve got—mental, emotional, magical—to stay one step ahead of people who consider him expendable."
If someone asked you why you write, what would you answer in one sentence?
Because the stories in my head won't shut up.
Which book are you most proud of and why?
I've only got one published book, Applied Leverage, so there's not a lot of competition.
In my obviously biased opinion, it's a fast-paced and fun urban fantasy adventure story with some interesting messages about class struggle and the value of finesse over power.
That said, I think the sequel, Mechanical Advantage, is going to be an all-around better book, and I'm really looking forward to getting it out there.
What would you tell an aspiring writer?
Don't stress over the first draft. The first draft is about making ingredients for the recipe; the dish doesn't come together until editing.
If (when) there's something in your first draft that you're not fond of or that you think is a little clunky, mark it and move on - the fix may be much more obvious on the second pass.
The perfect is very much the enemy of the good in writing.
What's a wish you have for yourself as an author?
My big dream as an author is to have a real fan base, people who are excited about my next book.
I don't plan on ever making real money by writing, so it's all about sharing the stories in my head with people who will appreciate them.
What's a wish you have for yourself as a person?
Honestly, I'd just like my country to kick out the people who are currently working to destroy it and hold itself to higher standards than the lower-than-rock-bottom state it's in right now.
Do you have a message for your audience?
My books aren't intended to convey Deep Meaning, they're supposed to be fun.
That said, the central message is that a little bit of force, properly applied, can go a lot further than all the power in the world without direction or knowledge.
A clever person can find ways to change the world even without obvious power or influence.
