New Pages of Writing Just Added

I've just posted the new pages for today. Click on the 'Chapter 1' tab and scroll down until you come to the first sentence made bold. That's where today's writing begins, and the action in the story continues...

The Best Action Hero... Ever!

Through the years there have been a lot of great heroic characters created by a lot of great adventure writers. For me, there are several who stand out. Nelson DeMille created a character named John Corey for his novel 'Plum Island'. Corey is a tough sarcastic cop.. and the kind of guy every reader wishes they were like.
Wilbur Smith created a character named Harry Fletcher for his novel, 'Eye of The Tiger'. Harry was a cool kind of guy and it was one of the few novels Wilbur Wrote in first person.
But for me, the best action adventure character is Richard Sharpe, created by Bernard Cornwell.
Sharpe is the hero of over 20 novels written by Cornwell, all centred around the Napoleonic Wars. Sharpe is tough, ruthless... a genuine heroic figure.
He's also the kinda guy Todd Kent isn't!
Where Sharpe, or John Corey.. or Harry Fletcher would fight and win, poor Todd is so far out of his depth, he's in danger of drowning.

I've just posted new pages for today. Click on the 'Chapter 1' tab and scroll down to the first sentence which I have made bold.

Things Getting Serious For Todd

I've just posted new pages to Chapter One. Poor Todd has suddenly walked into a dangerous situation. You can read the new work by clicking on the 'Chapter 1' tab and scrolling down to the first line I have made bold. Hope you enjoy!

Desmond Bagley; Wonderful Story Teller

There was a fabulous adventure author back in the 1960's and 1970's by the name of Desmond Bagley. Desmond's problem was that he rose to success at the same time as Alistair Maclean... so he ended up being a little overshadowed.
But his novels were wonderful.
Bagley's characters weren't the macho superheroes that seem to populate adventure novels these days. Bagley's characters were the reluctant hero.. the unassuming guy who finds himself in a crisis. In a lot of ways, Todd Kent is drawn from a Bagley-like character.
If you ever venture into a 2nd hand bookstore, I highly recommend the novels by Desmond Bagley. In particular, 'The Vivero Letter' and the 'Golden Keel'

New pages have just been added to Chapter 1. Click on the 'Chapter 1' tab (above) and scroll down to the bold first line. That's where we pick up today's action.

Confidence And Re-Writes

Writing is excruciatingly painful for me. The words always seem to be a struggle to find... and ultimately, they're not the best words. So I re-write. And re-write some more.
It's all about confidence.
If I'd published a few novels, I'd probably be able to write faster; write better. It's that confidence that seems to come only when you 'feel' accomplished.
Well I don't. So I re-write. And I'm still not sure I've got the best words... but they're the best I can come up with.

I've added todays new pages to Chapter 1. Click on the 'Chapter 1' tab above and scroll down. The new work begins with a bold first sentence.

Why Write In First Person?

This novel is written in first person. That might seem strange.
I think it made the story harder to plot (because I have to tell the story from one person's perspective, rather than as an overview), but I think it also helps the story in other ways.
One thing I wanted to show through this novel was the way Todd Kent would react to the extraordinary circumstances he finds himself in. I want him to be 'out of his depth'. Telling the tale from his perspective helps me make his plight more personal.
It's also reminiscent of the way Desmond Bagley and even Alistair Maclean wrote; that first person tale. In Maclean's case, the hero was often heroic... in Bagley's case that was less often the case.
Anyhow, Todd Kent is soon going to find himself out of his depth and in an adventure he is not prepared for!

I've posted new pages for Chapter One as the story begins to unfold. To find the latest pages click on the 'Chapter 1' tab and scroll down to the bold first sentence. That's where we pick up the action again.

Wilbur Smith's Influence On My Life

When my father gave me a paperback copy of Wilbur Smith's "When The Lion Feeds", my life changed forever.
I read the adventure novel, and knew instantly I wanted to be an author. Over the next decade I read and re-read everything Wilbur Smith wrote. In fact, from the age of thirteen until I was twenty-three I never read another author. I just re-read every Wilbur Smith book over and over again.
And that was despite getting my first job in a major bookstore!
In 1981, I wrote to Wilbur, and, to my amazement, the man wrote back; two handwritten pages of advice and help for a wannabe writer.
We exchanged other letters in the years that followed.
Then in the 1990's I published a small newspaper and actually managed to do a phone interview with Wilbur. The publicist gave me exactly seven minutes. But Wilbur and I chatted for almost an hour before the interview ended.
I've read lots of great authors since I was first introduced to Wilbur Smith's writing, but the day my father handed me "When the Lion Feeds" remains the most pivotal and influential of my early years.
It was because of that moment I've carried this dream with me for so long.

I've just published more pages as the novel continues. Click on the 'Chapter 1' tab above.
The opening line of today's work has been made bold so you can see where the action carries on from yesterday. I hope you enjoy!