With the launch of Dublin’s Fierce City imminent, we’re here to present interviews with the writers of the book. First up is Mark Kielty!

1. What genre do you like to write in most?
I like writing YA Urban Fantasy and YA Urban Sci-fi.
2. Which author or authors inspired you to write?
I would say Brandon Sanderson for a number of reasons. Firstly, people usually know him for books such as the Mistborn and Elantris series, but I actually read Steelheart first. I remember thinking I’d love to be able to write like that. Then I read The Rithmatist and Snapshot. One was steam punk and the other was a mix between Sci-fi and crime. It goes to show how versatile he is and I’d like to write different genres the way he does. If I became an eighth of the writer he is then I’d count myself lucky.
Secondly, Brandon Sanderson is a writing teacher and I watched all his tutorials online. He’s great at explaining things and I admire that he’s willing to pass on his knowledge.
I should also mention JK Rowling. If you’ve read the Magical Bounty Hunters, you’ll see that I’ve definitely been influenced by Harry Potter. I try to do the magic thing a little differently though, but I think if you like Harry Potter, you might enjoy the Magical Bounty Hunters.
3. Are you a planner or a pantser, and how does that work out for you?
Pantser, or what it’s sometimes known as a Discovery Writer. I write for the same reason I read. To discover the story as I go. I remember trying to write a novel for the first time and I enjoyed writing every chapter. I got lost in a world and the characters would surprise me at times.
I’m not sure if it’s the best way to write a book or story but for me it’s the most fun way and that’s all that really matters to me right now – that I enjoy writing.
4. What are you working on now?
I wrote the Magical Bounty Hunters for the Dublin’s Fierce City anthology and I want to write more on that. I’d like to do a series of stories, about 10,000 words each. Not many people are writing stories with this word count (that I’ve heard of) and I’m exploring its possibilities. There are positives and negatives and I’m learning a lot by doing it.
That being said I’ve written draft books with ideas I want to revisit. I’m going to try out some planning this time and see what the fuss is about but I imagine I’ll be a pantser for most of it.
5. What’s your one piece of advice for new writers?
The common advice is to read a lot and write a lot. But I would add learn a lot. Learn to write. Brandon Sanderson recorded his lectures for BYU on YouTube. I’d watch those. You can also go onto Groupon and do some of the online writing courses for as little as twenty euros which could be helpful. Learning to write means you can avoid making a lot of first time writer mistakes. If you’re beginning to write, I’d learn about points of view – you’ll save so much time and heartache. Once you learn the basics, writing becomes more meaningful.
About Mark
Mark Kielty, from Portmarnock, Co. Dublin, has a bachelor’s degree in Religious Education and English along with a Master’s in Education. Though he has been writing fiction for the last number of years this is his first publication and he is hoping to develop this story into a series. He has a keen interest in hurling and basketball and volunteers as a coach with the Special Olympics.

About Dublin’s Fierce City
In Dublin’s Fierce City, nine writers from the group present seventeen tales of magic and wonder.
Explore a city of fairies and ghosts, where one is as bad as the other. Avoid the curses of witches, and escape the wrath of angels and demons. Survive alien invasions and all out war, and come out the other side seeing the whole world differently.