Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in southern Illinois where I work at a non-profit youth shelter. At one time, I played in various bands that you likely haven’t heard of, and even if you had, you probably didn’t like them. The Futile is my first novel.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Futile is my debut novel. The pitch goes like this:
“In a near future world, where critics of the authoritarian leader are imprisoned and media has become a state sponsored tool for repression, one punk rock band goes on the road to start a revolution with their music.
But the members of The Futile are fighting more than just the upcoming (and likely rigged) re-election of J. R. Rankin—the man who decides what art, music, books and news can be consumed by the public. When one of their own secretly brings The Futile to the attention of state media and causes them to be a target for Rankin himself, the band—and some of their family members—find themselves on the run. The Futile won’t be silent. They will stick with their very public and very dangerous plan to take down Rankin—even if they might not make it out of this final act of rebellion and revolution alive.
Written with plenty of humor and heart, The Futile is ultimately a book about how people have the power to change themselves—and their world—even in the darkest of times.”
As far as the inspiration goes, I played in middling emo/punk/rock bands through most of my late 20s and early 30s, so a lot of The Futile is pulled from those experiences, just those feelings of self-doubt, exhaustion, and “Am I delusional?” humiliation mixed with the best times of your life, riding around in a smelly van with your least/most favorite people in the world who you are so annoyed with one moment, but the next, you find yourself so filled with love for them that it could make you cry. That’s where The Futile started, but then as I learned more about the Russian punk band, Pussy Riot, and saw the continual escalation towards fascism in my own country, the world of The Futile began to take shape a bit more. Despite the heavy themes at times, I believe The Futile is cathartic and hopeful. Plus, there are a lot of run-on jokes like any good band should have and plenty of subtle (not always so subtle) references to punk/emo bands I love like Colour Revolt, Death Cab for Cutie, Foxing, Now, Now, mewithoutYou, Pussy Riot (of course), The Copyrights, and a bunch more.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My worst writing habit is to easily get distracted by my phone while I’m looking for the “perfect” album to play while I write.
My next worst writing habit is to eat handful after handful of Sour Patch Kids while writing.
My best writing habit is to write freely for several months, updating my outline as I go, and then edit/revise thoroughly over and over and over for several more months until it starts to resemble something like a story.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
George Saunders, Kurt Vonnegut, Emily St. John Mandel, Jonathan Safran Foer, and Jesmyn Ward are the writers I look up to the most, so their influence is definitely there. My favorite songwriters/lyricists like David Bazan, John Darnielle, Phoebe Bridgers, John K. Samson, Lucy Dacus, and so many more, have also had just as much if not more of an influence on my writing, I’d say.
What are you working on now?
I’m putting the finishing touches on my next novel, Our Extended Universe, which will be out next Spring. Our Extended Universe is the story of two teens dealing with anxiety and failure, who find themselves on an unlikely summer adventure after inexplicably matching as siblings through a DNA site. It’s loosely based on close family experiences.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Getting a sponsorship on the music website, Chorus.FM was the best for my book sales. I suspect this was mainly due to the crossover of niche emo/punk music influences in The Futile. Having The Futile featured on Chorus.FM and their weekly newsletter led to me selling numerous copies overseas and far across the United States that I hadn’t previously reached. Beyond that, the old standbys like Facebook, Instagram, and (sigh) Twitter have been effective so far.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for yourself first. Make yourself happy with the work and the story you created, because the world can be cold, fickle, and apathetic, easily swayed by trends and fads. Trying to make the world universally happy with your work, when it literally isn’t universally happy with anything, will lead you to madness. So write for yourself first. If you love what you’ve made, congrats! You created something out of nothing. That’s incredible and no one can ever take that from you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Jeff Zentner, the incredible author of The Serpent King (and so many other wonderful books! Dang, I should’ve listed him as an influence) said: “Voice is choice.” Meaning (among other things) instead of just saying a bland cliche like, I don’t know, “I need this job like I need an extra hole in my head” etc, say that phrase instead in a way that’s unique to your characters, make a CHOICE rather than relying on cliches and things that have already been said so many times before that they no longer mean anything.
What are you reading now?
Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner
What’s next for you as a writer?
Next up is Our Extended Universe coming out next spring and the subsequent promotion of it. Then, I plan to start working on a nonfiction book about the southern Illinois punk music and DIY culture, focusing primarily on Carbondale staples like the rich history of the Lost Cross punk house and the famed punk band The Copyrights.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Tenth of December by George Saunders / Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer / Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman
Author Websites and Profiles
Dane Johns Website
Dane Johns Amazon Profile
Dane Johns’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account