James Dashner Interview

James Dashner is the author of the hugely popular Maze Runner series that is now also being made into a movie. We’ve talked to him about the movie as well as his writing.

For the benefit of those not familiar with your Maze Runner series, can you tell us a bit about it?

I’ve always described it as Lost meets Ender’s Game meets Lord of the Flies, three of my favorite stories and worlds. It’s set in a future in which the world is a really troubled place, and a group of young people find themselves in a terrifying experiment, trapped at the center of a giant maze with vicious monsters lurking about. It’s a happy pick-me-up story!

Can you give us some insight into your main character, Thomas?

Although the book is written in third person, this is really Thomas’s story. We’re in his head throughout the series. And at times that head can be one crazy place. Not only is he dealing with regular coming-of-age issues, but his memory has been wiped clean and he has to face a lot of both physical and mental trauma. He has to make a lot of incredibly hard decisions. But because I wrote it, he is very much like me, just a lot braver. And evidently, if you’ve seen the movie trailer, a lot handsomer as well.

How was the feeling when you completed the last book in the Maze Runner series? Was it difficult to actually write the ending?

It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done creatively. I had a lot of self-doubt and worry about people hating it. I’m the first to admit there’s a bit of the absurd in a story like this, and I ask my readers to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the ride. It’s a lot to ask, pleading with someone to trust you through multiple books. But it all became very real to me, and I feel passionately that the end is exactly how it’s supposed to be.

We do also of course have to talk about the movie. The Maze Runner is hitting the big screen soon—is that a dream come true?

Oh yes, absolutely. One of my biggest dreams. It’s impossible to describe how surreal an experience it has been. I’ve loved every minute of this journey. And from everything I’ve seen, they’ve captured the spirit of the story and the world perfectly.

How involved have you been in the whole process, and how do you feel about the result?

I’ve been far more involved than I could’ve hoped for. Twentieth Century Fox didn’t have to keep me in the loop, but luckily for me, they chose to do so. They’ve made me feel like part of the family. I consulted on the script, I went to the set twice, I stayed in constant touch with the director and producers. And the results look spectacular. I really think people are going to love this film.

You’ve gotten an enormous response online from the Maze Runner trailer. Are you as excited as your fans?

No one, I repeat, no one is as excited as I am. Movies have always been a huge passion of mine, and to see my book come to life as one . . . Like I said, it’s impossible to describe. I think the trailer really opened some eyes that Fox took this movie very seriously and found a brilliant director and a group of extremely talented young actors.

Talking about your fans. You seem to stay very much in touch with your fans through social media. Is this too overwhelming at times or just plain fun?

Of course I’ve had to draw some boundaries to make sure it doesn’t get too overwhelming, but really it’s very fun for me. It’s too difficult to really develop one-on-one relationships, but I know my big fans and I always try to put enough of my authentic self into everything I do so everyone feels connected, and I love it. I do my absolute best to read each and every tweet or Facebook post or comment, whatever, directed toward me.

You also recently published the first book in The Mortality Doctrine series, The Eye of Minds. Can you tell us a bit about it?

I wanted to do something very different from The Maze Runner, and this is what came out. It’s about artificial intelligence, extremely advanced virtual reality, cyber terror, etc. And I had to really sit down and pre-craft the story and the world like nothing I’ve ever written before. The payoff has been great: people seem to really like the ending.

Have you ever struggled between what you would like to happen to a character and what you considered more sensible to occur? Can you tell us when, and what you did about it?

Most definitely. It usually involves my brilliant editor, Krista Marino, convincing me that there might be a better option for a character or a plotline. We always go through several rounds of brutal revisions, and 99 percent of the time she ends up being right. One of the biggest is the ultimate fate of Teresa in The Maze Runner. I’ll say no more. . . .

How do you market your books?

Early on in my career I put in a lot of time going to schools and building an online presence. Before I found success, I worked very hard setting up things on my own, especially school visits and signings; and then I kept an up-to-date blog and started tweeting when Twitter first got popular. It was hard work, but I think it paid off. At this point it’s a relief to be able to step back and let my publisher take the wheel—I basically do what they ask me to do. I don’t really look for opportunities outside of that because they keep me plenty busy! But lots of signings, speaking engagements, school visits, etc. So I’m doing the same things, just on a larger scale. I also try to keep a solid website going, as well as the social media stuff.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

They are my favorite people in the world. I know so well how hard it is. Persistence is the key, though I know they get sick of hearing that. I wrote several books before The Maze Runner, and even that didn’t hit the bestseller lists right away. And I had a slew of rejections. Keep writing, and attend writers’ conferences. They are invaluable, not only in learning more about your craft, but also in making connections.

What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies?

Movies. Awesome TV shows. Skiing. Reading, of course. I love theater. Hanging out with my wife and kids. And dressing my dog up. (That’s not true.)

What’s next? What are you working on now?

Next on the docket is the third book in the Mortality Doctrine series, which I’ll be starting soon. We’ve basically wrapped up the second book, which comes out in August (The Rule of Thoughts). And lots of events to promote the movie over the next few months. It’s going to be a crazy, and great, year.

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