Ask the Author: Greg Taylor
Answered Questions (6)
Greg Taylor
I believe I largely avoided writer's block by adhering to plan during the "execution" phase of actually writing Lusitania R.E.X. I invested a year doing research first, then I worked very hard on my plot outline. I cut out pieces of paper with scenes and characters on them so that I could lay them out on the dining table and move them around. This eventually became more permanent as a giant bulletin board timeline with coloured yarn marking the progress of each character from 1911 to 1915. This provided impetus to the actual writing process, as I had already invested so much time in the creative process of crafting the story before a single word was put to paper.
Greg Taylor
Discovery and creation. For me it was exciting to discover a web of potentially inter-related true facts about my subject, and then weave them together with fictional elements. Far from inhibiting my creativity, the objective of remaining within the envelope of the true facts spurred me to think creatively about how to bring it all together. This even applied to instances where I had to rewrite part of my book to reflect a fact that came to my attention after the initial drafting.
Greg Taylor
Steal every minute you can to work on your book. There is no point waiting for that magic period when you suddenly have all the time you require - it will never happen. When you think about putting it aside and going to see a movie, ask yourself - am I a writer or not? Am I going to write this book or not? If yes, you must stay the course - and rest assured that it is incredibly rewarding to finally see the project through to completion.
Greg Taylor
I am still recovering from writing L U S I T A N I A R. E. X, it was huge commitment. I do have some ideas for subjects that might prove fertile ground for another historical fiction. In addition, since LRex ends on May 7th 1915 with the sinking of the great liner, I can always pick up the tale of the surviving characters as they struggle to come to terms with the mounting toll of the Great War.
Greg Taylor
The subject matter of the Lusitania was so interesting to me that I wanted to learn more about it and share that knowledge with others. I found that historical fiction permitted me to utilise my research, which included some surprising facts, while giving me the leeway to create a plot with fictional elements. The real characters in the book were also fascinating to me and I created or synthesized a few others to serve as the glue that binds the story together.
Greg Taylor
I always thought the story of the Lusitania was more interesting than the Titanic. When she sails from New York on May 1st 1915, the New York Times and other papers carry a warning to passengers of the danger of sailing into the war zone of Europe. Everyone ignores it - she's a passenger liner from a neutral country and the fastest ship in the world. When she is struck by a torpedo, she sinks in only 18 minutes at a 30 degree to prevents launching most of the lifeboats. It's an incredible story.
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