Welcome to Indie Publishing Group, Shane Keleher, and welcome to our author interviews! If you could start by introducing yourself to everyone, let them know where you’re from and some of your interests and hobbies.
Hi! Thanks so much for having me.
My name is Shane Keleher, and I’m a novelist based out of Ontario, Canada.
When I’m not writing, I’m usually keeping my hands busy with a mix of creative and maker hobbies. I love 3D printing and designing functional gadgets Lately, I’ve been enjoying printing custom reading accessories like thumb rings for book lovers. I also run online retail shops where I sell pop-culture merchandise and vintage collectibles, which keeps me fully immersed in the creative and fandom communities.
When it’s time to step away from the screens and machines, you can usually find me in the kitchen. I’m not a vegetarian but I try to eat as little meat as possible. The real task is to prepare foods that are spicy enough to keep me interested but not so spicy that my partner can’t eat it. I’m as Caucasian as mayonnaise and he’s Middle Eastern but I’m the one who craves heat in my food.
What inspired you to start writing?
Growing up, I was completely captivated by the sheer imagination, the vibrant world-building, and the sense of endless adventure in L. Frank Baum’s Oz books. It wasn’t just about reading the stories; it was about the realization that someone had entirely constructed this magical, complex world from their own mind. That sparked a fascination with storytelling that never truly left me.
As I grew older, that inspiration evolved. I wanted to see if I could build worlds of my own, capture that same sense of wonder, and create characters that readers could connect with the same way I connected with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the rest of the Oz world. Writing became my way of continuing that tradition of exploration and imagination.
What is your preferred genre to write in?
I’ve always been drawn to literary fiction.
For me, the most compelling stories aren’t necessarily about high-stakes plots or external battles, but rather the internal landscape of human experience. I’m deeply interested in exploring how we understand ourselves, how we navigate our connections with those who “seem” different from us, and how we make sense of the complex (and often completely nonsensical) world we all live in.
Literary fiction gives me the room to dive into those gray areas. It allows me to look closely at the absurdities and the beauties of everyday life, challenging both myself and the reader to look at the familiar through a slightly different lens.
What is your writing process?
My writing process really comes down to discipline, quiet, and getting out of my own way.
I try to write early in the morning, before life is able to get in the way and distract me. I keep the environment completely quiet (no music, no background noise) and I just focus and write for about three to four hours.
To maintain that focus, I make sure to keep my writing and my research completely separate. Research can be an incredibly enticing rabbit hole, and it is far too easy to get sucked into a spiral of facts and details when you should be creating. By drawing a hard line between the two, I ensure that my morning block is strictly dedicated to putting words on the page.
I’m a big believer in just writing. If I’m a little off my game on any given morning, I’ve learned to accept that that’s okay. Sometimes, you just need to spit out the bad writing to finally get to the good writing. As I always say, you can’t edit a blank page. You just have to show up, put the words down, and trust the process.
What is one thing you wish you knew now that you didn’t know when you started writing?
When you start, unless you’re a prodigy (I’m certainly not!), 95% of what you write will be terrible. But, the more you write, the more that average evens out. You get better by continuing. And, be thrilled when only 60% of your writing is terrible. That’s what editing is for. And be even more thrilled when only 30% of your writing is terrible. That’s normal. And okay. And, actually, pretty impressive.
Don’t aim for perfection right out of the gate. Just write. Tell your stories. Look over them. See how editing can improve it. Keep writing. I’m a big believer in “perfection is the enemy of progress.” Just write!
What was the hardest part of self-publishing?
When you decide to do everything yourself, you have to remember that you’re doing everything YOURSELF. And it’s a lot of work. And it can be expensive (it doesn’t have to be). And there’s always something new to learn. There’s always something you forgot to do. There’s always a new resource that you only just learned about it. It’s non-stop. But it’s worth it to look at the finished product and know that YOU did this. You made it happen.
What are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m working on a novel that explores what I call “emotional homelessness,”that deep, aching sense that some people just don’t seem to fit or belong anywhere.
The story centers around an unlikely friendship between two individuals from vastly different worlds: an Afghan woman who has just fled the return of the Taliban, and a gay Canadian man who was raised under the crushing assumption that he is “less than.” On the surface, their lives look entirely separate, but they are bound by that shared feeling of displacement.
Ultimately, the book is about the realization that the very ways we don’t “fit” into the world can actually become our greatest strengths. It’s an exploration of identity, resilience, and how profound, healing truths can be revealed to us through the people we least expect.
If you use a pen name, why, and how did you come up with it? No pen name. I want everyone to know that I wrote this book.
Which book is your favorite and why? My favorite book of mine is easy; I only have one. Bring Me Into the Light. It’s really, really good. My favorite book from a different author is Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. It’s brilliant, and haunting, and overwhelmingly immersive. You forget that you’re reading a boo; you feel like you’ve time-travelled.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
I’m deeply drawn to authors who can masterfully dissect the human condition, which is why Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, and Khaled Hosseini are among my absolute favorites.
What I love about Margaret Atwood is her razor-sharp wit and her unparalleled ability to hold up a mirror to the absurdities and dangers of our own world, especially through her speculative and literary fiction. She looks at the complex structures of society and slices right through them.
Michael Ondaatje’s work is incredibly influential to me because of his poetic, fragmented style of storytelling. The way he explores memory, identity, and the quiet spaces between people beautifully captures the nonsensical and lyrical nature of life.
And Khaled Hosseini has this profound gift for emotional truth. He writes about deeply flawed, vulnerable people navigating massive, devastating historical backdrops, yet he always keeps the focus on the intimate, human struggle to understand ourselves and connect with others.
All three of them excel at exploring those who “seem” different and finding the universal threads that bind us together, which is exactly what I strive to do in my own writing.
Right now, I’m working on a novel that explores what I call “emotional homelessness,”that deep, aching sense that some people just don’t seem to fit or belong anywhere.
The story centers around an unlikely friendship between two individuals from vastly different worlds: an Afghan woman who has just fled the return of the Taliban, and a gay Canadian man who was raised under the crushing assumption that he is “less than.” On the surface, their lives look entirely separate, but they are bound by that shared feeling of displacement.
Ultimately, the book is about the realization that the very ways we don’t “fit” into the world can actually become our greatest strengths. It’s an exploration of identity, resilience, and how profound, healing truths can be revealed to us through the people we least expect.
How do you handle a bad review?
I try to stay away from reviews, good or bad. My skin is paper-thin. One trick I’ve learned is that, when I do encounter a bad review, I look up all of the 1-star reviews of some of the great pieces of literature. No matter how brilliant or awe-inspiring a book is, there will be someone who thinks it’s trash (or boring, or pretentious, or stupid). That’s just life. The Handmaid’s Tale, The Life of Pi, The Kite Runner, they all have 1-star reviews. If these brilliant pieces of literature can survive a 1-star review, then my book probably can too.
What’s next for you as an author?
I’m just going to continue to work on my new book. Like Bring Me Into the Light, this new book is requiring a significant amount of research. Since it begins with the fall of Kabul, I want to be sure to get my facts right. Fortunately, I have to love researching and finding new information.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Probably trying to find an acceptable play to display my Pulitzer Prize and my Novel Prize in Literature. Failing that, I just want to keep writing and telling stories. I’m hoping that this 2nd book will be out by the end of the year (maybe early 2027). I love writing, I love being an indie author and I just want to keep going.
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be and why?
Telekinesis, but not for any profound reason. I prefer to write comfortably in my recliner. You don’t know how often I forgot something and the inner debate starts up: do I REALLY want to get up out of my chair to grab…whatever? Is there an easier way to get it? Is my boyfriend awake yet?
Where is your ultimate holiday destination?
I live in Canada (and I love Canada) but I hate cold weather with the intensity of ten thousand exploding suns (wow, that would be really warm and toasty!)
What’s some of the items on your bucket list?
I’ve traveled a lot and I’ve seen a lot (15+ countries). I regret not going to Vietnam when I had the chance and I would like to experience that. And I’d like to revisit Europe. But, the top of my bucket list is to continue to live my wonderful life, reclining in my chair, working on my next book, and trying to convince my boyfriend, Leo, to refill my water.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do an author interview. Take a minute and check Shane Keleher out on the links below.
