Interview · 10 min read
An Interview with EE Isherwood
We sat down with post-apocalyptic thriller author EE Isherwood to talk about his writing process, what draws him to the apocalypse genre, and his top survival tips. Isherwood is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with 50+ novels and 3 million words written.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Before I became an author, I used to think writers were exciting people with eccentric hobbies and life experiences involving aliens, hidden lore, and smoking jackets. However, I now know that isn't all true, since my life is anything but exciting.
My degree was a Masters in Geography, which led me to a twenty-year career in IT, followed by a seven-year (so far) second career as a professional author. I live in Missouri, but I've travelled to 45 states, so many of my books are set in places I've visited. So far, there have been no aliens found, no hidden lore discovered, and I don't own any smoking jackets. But there is still time…
Tell us about your books and what you're working on right now.
My first book series, Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse, was about zombies. I tried to write something different than anything else out there, and my universe is constructed so the only people immune to the zombie plague are those over 100 years old. Obviously, those are the first to die when the running starts and the bullets begin flying, but that's what makes it so much fun to write. My teen heroes have to work overtime to keep a 104-year-old great grandma alive… in case she holds the key to the whole cure. Will she? Won't she? You've got to read all eight books for the answer.
My current series, Neighborhood Watch, is set in a world where an EMP destroys the power grid. My hero is a 50-something guy who moves to Florida for a sunny retirement of beaches, music, and books, but the EMP destroys all those fancy plans. His new job is saving people in his suburban neighborhood, since they have no idea what to do in survival situations like EMPs. The first novel in the 8-book (so far) series has 2500 reviews and they have grown my audience like I never could have imagined.
What inspired you to write about the apocalypse?
I think the main inspiration is that there are virtually no rules in the apocalypse. As a writer, the only limits I have are those of my imagination. One of my book series even breaks time (End Days), allowing me to have scenes with cruise ships and dinosaurs at the same time. I've also written about superweapons that zapped away every American in a flash (Minus America).
I love to explore new and creative ways to break apart society, and see who picks up the pieces. Likewise, as society falls apart, there are no laws to bind people together. This allows me to write about the natural inclinations of humanity and I'm constantly trying to answer the big questions, like whether humans are inherently good or evil. I go back and forth on that…
What themes do you explore in your works?
One theme I'm known for is having an upbeat, positive mindset in my characters. It helps me, too, since I have to live day after day in these dark worlds while I'm writing them. Zombies. Societal collapse. Lawless cities. It can be the worst of the worst.
Therefore, I've chosen to keep my books intentionally lighter, even in the darkest times. I think I've done well with this choice, as I've had many reviewers who appreciated that my books don't focus on brutality, violence to women and children, and abject terrorism one might find at the most desperate times of humanity. That isn't to say my characters don't know about such extreme violence, but I don't make entire books about them.
What is it about the apocalyptic genre that you love?
I read these books because I like to watch characters face the types of adversity we all might face one day. Since the apocalypse will be unforgiving, with few second chances, it is nice to plan ahead and imagine what might happen in various scenarios. We read about the mistakes these characters make, so we can avoid them when our time comes… I also think apocalyptic books are where true human nature is on full display.
With no law enforcement around, people are free to do absolutely anything they want. I like to see how characters handle that freedom, for better or for worse.
What are you reading right now?
I'm reading the Desperate Age series by T.L. Payne, the Still Surviving series by Boyd Craven, and the Return of the Wild Westseries by Grace Hamilton.
How prepared are you for the apocalypse?
If the lights went out on society today, I'd gather all my neighbors and tell them what's coming and why our lives depend on working together. Being an author of post-apocalyptic books might give me some credibility and it might be my greatest asset over the long-term.
However, I don't own key items that would help in special cases. For example, I don't have a remote cabin, a pre-1980 vehicle, nor am I a member of a militia group. I do keep a little extra food, I have a bug-out bag ready to go, and I keep my eye on the news, so I won't be totally surprised by a big collapse. I guess on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most prepared, I'd rate myself a 5.
Where can we find out more about you and your books?
Find me at EEISHERWOOD.COM, by searching for EE Isherwood on Amazon, or you can grab my free book called Neighborhood Watch, Before Clownfish. I call it a side-quel to my main Neighborhood Watch series.
Bonus Q&A
What was your first book? Why did you write it?
I wrote my first book in 2014 as part of Nanowrimo, National novel writing month. I got the idea for a zombie book by writing a short story about my grandma, who was 104 at the time. I thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if the zombies came and tried to attack my sweet lil old grandma. I gave her a teen grandson to protect her, and the short story became a book, which became an 8-book series. I wrote the final book last month, 9 years later. In total, I've written about 45 books. 3 million words.
How do you keep the action flowing?
Basic concept is to always end with an open loop. A piece of action that is a mini-cliffhanger, resolved at the start of the next chapter. Gets people to read “one more chapter” before bed. For example, if you are writing an action scene on a race track, your story might find the driver coming around the final turn of a race, he's trying to pass the leader, but, surprise, a crash is blocking his path… will this be the end of our hero?
How do you research places you've never been?
For places, use Google Maps down to street view and move around the area you want to write about. This gives you a feeling of being there, and you can say things like “As I stood on the beach, I could see the mountain.” You might not know this if you were looking at a general map from top-down view.
Do you have a publisher?
I'm an indie author, which means I don't have a publisher. Typically, a publisher provides an editor, a schedule, pays for advertising and marketing, and gets your books into online and physical stores. I have to do all that myself. It seems like a hassle, but the upside is I get to keep all the money. A second reason I don't have a publisher is I don't like asking for permission. I don't want to give anyone the power to tell me my books aren't good, they can't make money, or they don't conform to their rules.
What is the process to write and publish a book?
First, I come up with the idea. Then, I make an outline. I begin writing chapter by chapter. At the same time, I give my book cover designer an idea for the book, so the cover is ready for pre-orders as I still write it. I write each chapter then go back and do a quick edit. Once I have all the chapters done, I edit the book by listening to it using text-to-speech. This eliminates a lot of typos and grammar errors since your brain processes sound different than reading text. Once complete, I send the manuscript to my professional editor. I send about ten copies to test readers, and they make sure there are no lingering errors and they also make sure the story is good. By this point I have the cover and the sales page on Amazon is already done. I upload it, usually having a week or two left for final corrections. It goes live at the appointed time.
What is the number one piece of advice for aspiring writers?
Write as much as you can. I didn't feel like my stories were that good until after I'd written for a few years, and had about a million words on paper. You need this time to find your voice, understand and fix your flaws, learn the pieces of a good story, and figure out if you even like to write. Don't be one of those people who write one book, think you have the best book ever, then spend years trying to get it published. Write ten more books, get really good at it. The flipside of this is to read as much as you can, especially in the genre of the type of books you want to write. Understanding the tropes is a big part of being able to craft a story that entertains readers.
About EE Isherwood
EE Isherwood is a New York Times bestseller with multiple post-apocalyptic series, including books about EMPs that destroy the power grid, a superweapon that erases every person in the USA, and an asteroid made of gold that crashes into parts of the Midwest. You also might find him on a mountain bike, hiking with family, or listening to early-80s New Wave music.
His tagline is “Writing after THE END.” He lives near St. Louis, Missouri with his wife and kids, plus one Chiweenie dog.