Mark Kielty is from Dublin. His favourite sports are hurling and basketball and he also volunteers as a basketball coach with the Special Olympics. He loves YA, Fantasy and Sci-Fi novels. Mark has been a member of Cupán Fae for two and a half years and has contributed to Cupán Fae Anthologies: Dublin’s Fierce City, Fierce Mighty, Fierce New World, and Fierce & Proud.

What genre do you like to write in most?

Mostly fantasy, but I also like writing superhero and sci-fi.

Which author or authors inspired you to write?

Brandon Sanderson. I remember reading his Steelheart series thinking I’d love to write something that good. James Dashner’s Maze Runner series was also another series that got me wanting to create my own stories.

How would you rank character, plot, and setting in order of importance in a story?

Always character first. You would think it would be setting given that it’s one of the main factors that define fantasy and sci-fi, but you experience the setting of a story through its characters. Characters also drive plot by how they react to their environment and through their wants and needs. If the characters aren’t believable or relatable, then setting and plot fall apart.

Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or ebooks better? Why?

I would have always said physical books, but during the Covid-19 lockdown, there were a lot of free audiobooks and e-books and I really enjoyed them. Darren Shan released his new Archibald Lox series and the first one was free. I absolutely loved it. In fact, I think I’ll add him as an answer to question two. I also listened to Cirque du Freak for free on audible and I realised that audiobooks are a great way to reread books.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, and how does that work for you?

I’m a pantser. And when it works, it’s great. I can lose myself in a story like how you would when you read a book. But there are times you can write yourself into a hole and it can take some time to get out of it. But overall, for me, it’s a really fun way to write.