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On The Table Read Magazine, “the best book magazine in the UK“, Simon Ward talks about the inspiration behind his new book, Time To Click, and his creative writing process.
Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed Simon Ward about his life and career, the story of his new book, Time To Click, and what inspired his characters.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
During my main working career, I have worked in manufacturing as a production planner, continuous improvement engineer and consultant. I’m married and have two teenage boys.
When did you first WANT to write a book?
I had written some short stories, but the wider story came alive in my head. I just had to get it down to see where my imagination could take the story.
When did you take a step to start writing?
After sharing some of my short stories with a colleague, he told me about a short story writing competition. I tentatively stepped in and submitted a gruesome story or the Create 50 Twisted competition.
The outstanding feedback I received for my story inspired me to continue.
How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?
As you may imagine, it was a slow process. It took four years. I completed the first draft in just over twelve months, but completed wave after wave of edits. I had my writing reviewed in a writing group, but the group broke apart before we completed the book.
I created the “Shark Tank” writing group and re-edited again from the first chapter.
How long did it take you to complete your latest book from the first idea to release?
I completed “Time to Click”, in nine months, but taking part of the story from the twisted short story gave me a head start.
Focusing on your latest release. What made you want to write Time To Click?
Mia’s story in “Finding Love in 2045” only scratched the surface of Ethan’s painful past before they’d met. We hadn’t thoroughly explored Ethan’s story, but now it leads the trilogy and flows into “Finding Love in 2045”.
What were your biggest challenges with writing Time To Click?
Revisiting Finding love in 2045 and Awoken in 2046 was part of my process for making them all fit together. In my previous books, the heat level had been a tad high, so I pulled the heat level down to suit a wider audience.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Protagonist?
I like the actor Jack Black. He provided the starting point to the character. Ethan, however, makes a series of mistakes which many guys make. He just doesn’t get away with them. The message is one of warning that straying in a relationship can have serious consequences.
The effect of them is clear in the first chapter.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Antagonist?
What is the inciting incident of Time To Click?
The inciting incident is when Ethan enters the lair of the antagonist and ends up in a deep ditch or rather a grave plot. The story begins with him in the ditch before it shows us the events which landed him in trouble.
What is the main conflict of Time To Click?
Ethan has to decide whether to get on with his life or avenge her horrendous deed.
Did you plot Time To Click in advance, or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?
I often write with a loose guideline and then fly by the seat of my pants, but I plotted more of Time to Click as it needed to fit within the correct timeline and story of the rest of the trilogy.
Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did Time To Click need?
ProWritingAid and the Shark Tank writing group provided help with the editing before I took the story to proofreaders. Both proofreaders and the shark tank enjoyed the relatively fast pace of the story.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?
Just start writing whenever you have the time and let the story unfold as you write. Don’t stop to edit until the whole first draft is done. I’ve spent hours editing a scene which I’ve then had to change to fit with another scene.
There’s a wealth of advice on YouTube which I’ve found useful.
Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?
I’m currently writing an eight episode drama about a boy who has had his life completely foretold in a leather-bound book. When he goes against the foretold path, the print in the book changes and he is in trouble.
I’m currently writing episode 5, but I won’t start editing until I’ve finished the first draft of all eight episodes.
And, finally, are you proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?
I am immensely proud of my achievement. It was definitely worth the effort. The negative is the challenge of getting people to read my books. Despite good reviews, gaining traction is difficult. It’s not about the money, I just want people to enjoy my stories.
Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3QEpbJy
You can start to read Time to Click for free with this link;
The whole trilogy is available on Kindle Unlimited
If you’d like to follow my blog and see the other stuff I’ve done, this is my website: https://simonwardauthor.wordpress.com/
If you’d like me to speak at your book club, contact me to discuss thru my website contact page or direct via email @ s111ssw@outlook.com
I’m not as active on Twitter and Instagram but here are those.
Twitter @simonwardauthor
Instagram @simon_ward_author
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