FEATURED AUTHOR
The Spotlight | Featured Author: Daniel C. De Guzman
By PaperKat BOOKS
April 4, 2022
Twenty-seven-year-old Daniel C. De Guzman is a lecturer from Tarlac, Philippines who has loved writing since he fell in love with one of Dan Brown’s novels The Lost Symbol. He later became interested in the horror genre, thanks to the influence of H. P. Lovecraft’s works.
When not writing, Daniel loves playing video games and listening to music, with songs ranging from Deathcore to Japan City pop. His stories usually feature creatures from Philippine mythologies.
Today, we talk to Daniel about one of his books, his writing style, and his self-publishing journey.
Tell us about yourself. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Daniel: It all started with the first novel I read when I was in college: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. I was amazed by how a collection of printed words become so surreal as I read the story of Robert Langdon. After finishing it with tears in my eyes, I realized I want to do that kind of magic too with words.
Give a brief description of one of your books.
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Your writing style is so expressive. Can you tell us about your methods?
Daniel: I actually don’t plan when I write but at least I build a concept first and then work on it on the spot while I write. In some instances, I first construct mentally the flow but from time to time I deviate if something good comes to mind. For Ang Huling Sagrada, I wrote short summaries for every chapter that serve as my guide. It’s actually my first time writing using that method knowing that I am a bit the pantser type of writer.
What was the most challenging part of self-publishing a book? What lessons did you learn in the process?
Daniel: Self-editing. Although it’s an opportunity to polish your work, I believe it is also the hardest, especially for those who are not that into the technical aspect of writing. But I am starting to embrace it knowing that a story will never truly shine if it never underwent editing at all.
What can readers hope to learn from this book?
Daniel: I am hoping that in every story I write, readers will be inspired to also take their pens and write their own story, not just because it’s cool or it can give them fame and fortune but simply because it’s entirely magical. Creating your own world with your imagination as the only limit is something that I can’t get over it. Writing frees your mind and that is something I wish my readers can feel whenever they dive into my story.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Daniel: For Ang Huling Sagrada, I think I did the research before writing and even during the writing process since I really wanted to put some of our creatures and culture in that story. When my story is tackling something connected with mythology and facts, an hour or two will be spent gathering my materials. Sometimes it might even take days.
What are your writing habits? What do you do when you feel creatively stuck?
Daniel: This is something I learn from Sir Dean Alfar: turn your writing into a discipline. Just write not as a hobby but write until it becomes a part of your habit. I try to at least write a short story or poem once every week. I think it does improve my writing skills in general. No matter how bad sometimes my stories are, I just keep on rolling since I can go back to them when I am really in the zone and polish them.
“So there are no stories left in the bin; everything can be salvaged and turned into something better.”
Connect with Daniel
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ABOUT PAPERKAT BOOKS
PaperKat Books is a brand of self-published books under HS Grafik Print, a design-print-publish company based in Pasig City, Philippines. We offer end-to-end self-publishing services to aspiring authors.
