Interview with writer Dane Cobain

My special guest today is writer Dane Cobain and we’re chatting about his book of poetry, Eyes Like Lighthouses When the Boats Come Home.

Bio:

Dane Cobain (High Wycombe, UK) is a published author, freelance writer, poet and (occasional) musician with a passion for language and learning. When he’s not working on his next release, he can be found reading and reviewing books for his award-winning book blog, SocialBookshelves.com, while trying not to be distracted by Wikipedia. His releases include No Rest for the Wicked(supernatural thriller), Eyes Like Lighthouses When the Boats Come Home (poetry) Former.ly (literary fiction), Social Paranoia (non-fiction), Come On Up to the House(horror) and Subject Verb Object (anthology).

Welcome, Dane. What do you enjoy most about writing poems?

I think it’s the fact that you can examine different subjects and concepts much easier than you can with prose, and they also don’t take long to write so you can create multiple per day.

Can you give us a little insight into a few of your poems – perhaps a couple of your favorites?

I memorise and perform my poems, so I suppose my point of view is different to most. Univocalisms is the most fun to perform because it’s almost like a long tongue-twister – each stanza uses only one vowel, cycling through A, E, I, O and U. Dying is close to my heart because it’s about anxiety, and Anonymous’ White Mask of Freedom is a bit of an epic one that takes several minutes to perform and is about internet censorship and digital freedom.

What form are you inspired to write in the most? Why?

I almost exclusively write in free verse because I don’t like rhyming poetry. I find that writing in a specific form tends to stunt the work and make it feel flat and lifeless.

What type of project are you working on next?

I write in multiple formats and so my main current focus is actually the editing phases of my first detective novel, Driven. But when it comes to poetry, I’m also halfway through writing and memorising my next book (Kiss Kiss Death Death) and I have another book that’s a sort of poetic spin on the Titanic story that I may or may not release at some point.

When did you first consider yourself a writer / poet?

It’s hard to say as I’ve been writing for as long as I remember. I don’t think there’s any specific moment, although when my first book was published and when I quit my job to focus on writing full-time were both pivotal moments.

How do you research markets for your work, perhaps as some advice for not-yet-published poets?

I don’t. I write for myself, not for other people. Once I have a book on the market, I then start to reach out to bloggers etc. who are interested in the topics I cover. I use all sorts of different techniques to get the word out – anything that I can!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I think my quirk is that I’m quirky. I write the kind of books that not many other people would (or could) write, which makes it hard to classify my writing. I think there’s something there for everyone.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a writer. For a little while I also wanted to be a rock star (and I still kind of do), but being a writer was first and foremost.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Just keep on reading – and be sure to review the books you read on Amazon and Goodreads, whether you’re reading indie authors of bestsellers. There’s no greater gift for an author you like than to read them a review. Plus, it doesn’t take long. I should know – I’ve reviewed over 1,000 books on my book blog. It’s fun!

Links:

Website | Amazon UK | Amazon US

Thanks for being here today, Dane. All the best with your writing projects!