Phillip Williams - Author
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Riddle me this! When is a chapter not a chapter? When it's a prologue! So how do you define which one it's going to be? Well, you need to find out what the definition of each is before you can make the call. So, the Oxford Dictionary defines both of them as such: Chapter - noun - A main division of a book, typically with a number or title Prologue - noun - A separate introductory section of a literary, dramatic or musical work So, first off the bat it's pretty obvious that a prologue comes before anything else, just like an epilogue would be at the end. However, we are still no closer to finding out if our Chapter 1 should actually be a prologue or not. Great work oxford dictionary! Wait though! We can actually break this down even further. A chapter is a main division whereas a prologue is a separate introduction. The main words to focus on here being main division and separate. So, what are you writing? Is your first section a part of the main story? Or is it a separate story to which the main story will relay back to? Let's contextualise that and say that your first section refers to Hercules, son of the ancient Greek God, Zeus. You speak of his trials and tribulations; how he defeated the Nemean Lion, the Hydra and the gargantuan cyclops and was the epitome of strength. You then cut to your second chapter which follows the footsteps of a young boy called James who idealises Hercules and wants to find proof of his existence. So, James embarks upon a quest to do just that. In this instance - the first section would be a prologue. Now, on the flip side, if your first section went straight into James' story and it started with something along the lines of: Ever since I was a kid and saw the Disney classic Hercules at the theatre, I wanted to believe that he existed. Legend says he defeated the Lernaean Hydra whose heads would duplicate when decapitated. He defeated the Nemean Lion whose golden fur was impervious to human weapons, later wearing it as armour. He was the true god of strength and a divine protector of all mankind. So, what if I could find evidence? Not just legendary artwork and scriptures but cold hard evidence? Well, last year I embarked upon a journey to do just that. This is my story. You guessed it! That would (after much padding out by describing the scene and the character, etc.) be Chapter 1. Note that I have not used a single source other than that of the Oxford English Dictionary for this thesis... so I invite you to debate! Do you agree? I'll let you guys and girls have-at-it in the comment's section! Thanks for reading... until next time!
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I simply cannot help myself! If you've been keeping up with my blog, you will know that I'm supposed to be writing book number one as basic as possible. Just to be able to give me the power to know that I can actually finish writing a novel. I've got one issue with it... it's the fact that I want everything that I'm writing to be as factually accurate as possible. For example, my character at some point during the book is going to have a mental breakdown...or shattered nerves, as the professionals call it. How do I know they don't call it a breakdown? Research! I've looked into signs and symptoms of shattered nerves; the early signs to watch out for; I've got the web address for the site saved into my favourites. To friends and family who might catch a glimpse of my search history, I'm fine, please don't worry! In addition to this, I'm looking up geographical locations, making sure they fit the look I'm going for (thank you Google Street View, you've saved me a lot of money in petrol) and I'm looking up local businesses... street names... all sorts. Not that it's hindering my progress. I've already finished the first chapter and I'm happy with how it all looks and feels. I think I've got enough solid material to work on now. Researching the area has been such a fun experience and it's certainly making my characters feel more real. For me, it wasn't until I started writing that I discovered the things that I actually needed to know before putting the proverbial pen to paper. On the other hand, I honestly don't think I could have done all of the research before I started to write and it's kind of a paradox for me at the moment. I've read a lot of different articles online about how to approach research and I must agree with all of the ones that say the best thing to do is get everything organised. There's nothing worse than knowing you've seen the answer that you need in an article but you can't remember, for the life of you, where to find it. Create folders, favourite articles and label them correctly so you can refer back to them easily, write a story outline so you've got an idea of where the story is going. All of these things will help in the long run. I wholeheartedly expected to need to do this for book number two, which is the opus that I really wanted to get properly stuck into. I didn't think I would want to delve in so deep into something I might not even publish. Although, I must admit that finding this out at this early stage is so enlightening and great for my book two preparation. If you're an author reading this, please let me know how you tackle the research. Is it something you do most of before you start writing, or is it something you do more of as your story progresses? Thanks for reading! I look forward to hearing what you think. Until next time! When you're starting out as a writer there is a good chance that it's not going to be your main job from the outset. You'll have other things that get in the way such as that pesky job that helps you pay your bills. Then, of course you have to socialize, account for trips away (whether it be for business or a family holiday) and generally show an interest in family life.
So does that leave your writing at the back of the pile? Not necessarily! I mentioned in a previous blog how I've started to make changes to help me write most days, whether it's productive or not. Getting yourself into the habit of writing is not easy. Luckily, my wife is very supportive and understands that this is something I have to do for myself and she's read the first excerpt and really enjoyed it, so I am relatively confident that I can ease writing into my way of life. For others, it may not be so easy. In the fear of sounding like a broken record, the key is time management. I can hear your moans and groans already. You probably thought I'd have a quick fix but the truth is... it quite simply doesn't exist. If you want to write, you have to work hard at it. Not just the writing itself but also in the preparation. Plan out when you're going to write, allot yourself some time... 8pm every weekday evening and 9am on a Sunday morning, just an hour each time. Even if you find yourself free-writing, planning out a story, developing a character, researching and taking notes... you are getting yourself into the habit. I've spoken about my strategy... my game plan... but part of that is getting into the rhythm of writing. You may have all of the ideas... all of the spiel... even the talent. But, if you haven't allowed yourself any time to put pen to paper, fingertips to keyboard then you're less likely to make swift progress. Hey, if I can do it... you can too. If you've got the passion and the drive then stick at it. Time management doesn't have to be a drag, though. Remember, you're doing this for yourself so enjoy the experience. Once you get the basics out of the way, they will come as second nature. At the risk of sounding like I'm writing a fourteen-year-old's diary entry... I went to the beach today. On today's outing I had two revelations. Firstly, SPF30 sun cream does not cut it for me. I'm as rigid as Michael Keaton's Batman. Secondly (and more poignantly), I actually started writing my first novel. Just to recap, if you've not been following my previous blogs, my first endeavour is to write one full story, not worrying about bad story lines, poor grammar, plot holes or anything... just so that once I finish it, I have the power to know that I am capable of finishing a book.
Initially, I had the plan set out. This book was going to be the most bog-standard supernatural horror out there. You've seen all of those B-Movies with the same type of story line. Male antagonist kills wife; covers it up so suicide is ruled; he re-marries; dead wife haunts family; truth is exposed and then somehow the supernatural entity kills the antagonist in a showdown in the final chapter. Now, my female protagonist needs to be in an abusive relationship, so in my first paragraph I wanted to show that she was under serious emotional distress. So, I'm on the beach looking at the horizon, searching for words... searching... perfect! All of a sudden in my minds eye, I envisage my protagonist standing on the beach, the tide edging closer to her feet as she stood staring at the horizon searching for freedom... searching for strength... searching for solace. That was the point that my story and my understanding of the process changed. I was shocked at how strongly I suddenly felt about not wanting to write a crappy first novel. I want some depth and I want to still make it as good as I can but I'm still not going to worry about the little things. However, I do want a good story line. Although I can't give away the new plot (because, hello! I want you to enjoy it in full when it's ready), I can tell you that it won't contain anything supernatural. I'm not a big believer in that, so I'd struggle to be convincing. I must confess that even though I shouldn't be worrying about semantics... I have been doing a little research into the geographical area the story is set in. I know that I said that I was going to talk about the topic of writer's block. I might still cover that this week, but just like my story line, things change. I suppose the message to you today is to embrace change. Don't let it worry you because when it comes to writing... let's face it, other than SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) there is no right or wrong way to approach this journey. If you're writing and doing this for the first time too, then I hope that these blogs are helping. You're not alone! Don't be shy, leave me a comment, start a discussion... maybe sign up for my newsletter so you don't miss out on new blog pieces. Share and engage! It's fun! Thank you for reading... Until next time! As the title suggests, I took my first step this week towards becoming a published author.
The interweb is an incredible resource for budding writers. Yes, there's a lot of crap out there that you definitely shouldn't take any notice of. However, if you're gleaning your information from a reputable source (like, perhaps another author), then you can be a little more re-assured that things are taking a step in the right direction. So, I did just that. I took to the oracle that is YouTube and came across a self-help video from author Scott Sigler. These are the steps that he recommended: 1. Write your first novel (sounds simple enough). Don't worry about a good storyline, non-two-dimensional characters, plot holes and bad grammar. Just get to the end of it. This gives you power in knowing that you can write a full novel (much like this first blog). 2. Put your finished first novel away and don't look at it for six months. That way, when you come back to it, you can read it as though you were reading it for the first time. Then you can learn from your mistakes, 3. While your first novel is 'in the oven' , plan out book number two. This is your actual novel that you will want to try to get published. Develop the characters, develop the storyline and iron out potential plot holes. 4. Six months are up, so take out book number one and read it front-to-back. Make notes, evaluate your own work and learn from things you would like to change and incorporate these in book number two. 5. Write your novel. I know that this writing thing isn't just going to happen over night. It's going to take will and determination. Months and months will pass before there is something fit for human consumption written down. I'm in it for the long haul... I hope you'll join me! Any tips and pointers are welcome also. Until next time! Thank you for reading. reference: Scott Sigler - How to Write your First Novel - YouTube - https://youtu.be/3UW4Y3svkA Okay, the plan is in place... so what's the best thing to consider next?
Do I focus on characters; what they look like and their ideals? How about setting... where do they live? What do they do for work? Nope... as the title would suggest, I need to figure out a genre. Work from the outside, in. So what do I do? There are so many genres to choose from. Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Crime, Fantasy, Horror. Well, thankfully I've already given that a great deal of thought. As established in my first blog, my plan is to first simply write and finish a novel. Nothing too complex, nothing that's going to take years perfecting before submitting it into the public domain. I can do all of the clever referencing and focus on accuracy in book two. It would seem like the best path would be to draw on feelings... nothing that requires extensive research. Fantasy is a good idea because it mainly stems from imagination. That's out of the window, though because at present, I don't really have time to construct a new world with communities and clans and such. Romance is also a no-go for me. This is just my personal preference at the moment... never say never, though... just don't let my mother read it! Sci-Fi isn't really my forté either... I was never a fan of Star Trek or Star Wars as a kid. So how about crime fiction? I read a tonne of crime fiction and I'm quite partial to the works of Simon Kernick, Jeffrey Deaver and Sean Black and I actually have a BNC in Forensic Science, so I could quite easily harp on about Luminol, fingerprint analysis, gas chromatography and walking the grid (as Jeffrey Deaver would put it). This is probably a genre I'll return to but my first book needs to be simplistic so for me... it just has to be horror. I remember reading Chasm by Stephen Laws when I was about 14 years old. I'm one of these people who likes to listen to music while I read because I find it really immerses me in the world that the author wants me to sit within. So, I read the whole book whilst listening to the Believe album by Disturbed. I can honestly say that was the most immersive experience I've had with reading (other than, dare I say, the Harry Potter series). Horror has it's challenges, mind you. Do you write in the first person as a person committing the unthinkable? How do you get into that head-space and make it believable? Do you write in great detail, or just stick to the implications and let the reader's mind do the rest? I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. In all fairness, there's a good chance nobody will get to read this practice novel... so I'm not going to worry too much. I'm just going to have some fun with it. Oh, and spoiler alert... there's going to be some supernatural stuff in there, too! This 'working from the outside, in' thing seems like the right way to go. Genre... tick! Next up... rough story line! What do you think? Have I made the right choice? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Until next time! Ok, so in my last blog I talked about a step by step program which should help me on my way to becoming a published author.
Admittedly, I missed a step when I was noting them down. This was on a completely sub-conscious level but when returning to the topic, it made sense to leave it off the original post. That step was to write every day. Have I been? No, no I have not. However, I have been making changes in my life to accommodate this. I've put time aside in the evenings and at weekends to plan out these blogs, I've made the decision to take the train to work instead of driving to give myself an extra eight-or-so hours per week to write and (equally as imporantly)...read! It's been over nine months since I've sat down and read a book. Sure, I can spout all of the "It's been hectic at work", "I just don't find the time" and a multitude of other poor excuses until the cows come home but the truth is... I've been lazy. Changing your life to accommodate things you want to do is smart! I could be binge-watching 13 Reasons Why on Netflix right now instead of writing this blog. But I'm not! Not just because I've already finished it, either! It's a choice! Now, before I get side-tracked... I do have a point; that for an author, reading is just as important as writing. You can learn different techniques from seasoned authors and find out the writing styles you prefer. Do you want to write in the first person or the third person? Which tense are you going to write in? Which genre interests you the most? Personally, I started reading a book the other day that was written in the third person... but in the present tense. It weirded me out! Thus, I have learned that I don't want to use that for my own work. Yes, I may have spent £7.99 on a book that I'll now never read but it was a good lesson learned. So... although I've not been writing every day I am making some progress and on the next blog... I'm going to be discussing genres. Things are going to start getting technical! Hope you stick with me! Please drop a comment if you've got anything you want to add! |
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Hi, I'm Phil Williams. Welcome to my blog.
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