Inside the Mind - Andrew G. Berger

The initial idea was to consider what would actually happen if all digital devices stopped working overnight. We are becoming more and more dependent on countless digital helpers - smartphones, navigation devices, laptops, iPads, tablets, smart TVs, smartwatches, Alexa, Siri, Cortana, smart homes, Google, the Internet etc.. But what if all those helpers suddenly stopped working? A worldwide EMP, triggered by a gigantic solar storm, could do the trick. Based on this idea, I started to design possible scenarios that branched out and condensed more and more during the writing process.

”The Superflare” is my first novel. It is a science fiction story and thus belongs to a genre that has fascinated me since I was young. At the same time, it is an adventure story and explores how people might behave in extreme situations. This is my main interest as a writer – to explore and describe the possibilities of human behavior in extreme situations. How do people react to pressures and crises? How do they change and shape themselves? Dystopias are only one of several possible settings to tell such stories. Will I write more books with a post-apocalyptic backdrop? The future will tell.

The most rewarding part of being an author is connecting with readers. Seeing from reviews and feedback that the story and its themes were understood — that the book entertained people but also made them think — means everything to me. When a reader writes something like, “The Superflare is a thought-provoking and action-packed novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat,” I know the story achieved exactly what I hoped for. That moment, when a book truly reaches someone, is what makes all the work worthwhile.

I usually begin with a clear core idea and a rough outline, but the writing process rarely follows a straight line. As the story develops, it becomes more complex, with multiple plot threads and characters that need to be balanced. Quite often, the characters start to take on lives of their own, and I have to follow them — even if that means leaving the original outline behind. That can be both exciting and frustrating, because sometimes you find yourself stuck, unsure how to move forward or how the story will end. If you’re lucky enough to complete a first draft, the real work actually begins with rewriting. That’s when you step back, look at the story as a whole, and reorganize its elements to improve rhythm, clarity, and flow. I often think of it as assembling a large puzzle — making sure every piece fits, serves the story, and keeps the reader engaged.

Let me quote Stephen King: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.“ And: “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story,” he said. “When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.”

Well, this is the tough part. I am using all the platforms and tools available to me.

Yes, I'm working on the sequel to "The Superflare".