Ask the Author: Dougie Brimson
Answered Questions (8)
Dougie Brimson
I'd head for Mordor and tell Sauron where Frodo is.
Dougie Brimson
Hi Jon,
To be honest, I never actually set out to be a writer but simply spotted a gap in the market and thought I would go for it. But it was with a non-fiction book about a subject on which I was very well versed.
Ironically, I've only recently begun to write about the military, albeit in screenplay form.
One thing I will say is that a background in the military definitely helps as it instills in you the discipline every writer needs to see the work through.
Hope that helps in some way.
To be honest, I never actually set out to be a writer but simply spotted a gap in the market and thought I would go for it. But it was with a non-fiction book about a subject on which I was very well versed.
Ironically, I've only recently begun to write about the military, albeit in screenplay form.
One thing I will say is that a background in the military definitely helps as it instills in you the discipline every writer needs to see the work through.
Hope that helps in some way.
Dougie Brimson
I'm one of these authors who doesn't believe in writers block. I think it's either laziness or a failure to accept that either something isn't working or you're just not a good enough writer to pull it off.
Yes, of course there are times when I struggle with something but to combat that, I always have two projects on the go at the same time, both of which will be totally different from the other. That way, you can just switch from one to the other and use a different part of your creative brain for a while.
That might not work for everyone, but it works for me, and that's really all that matters.
Yes, of course there are times when I struggle with something but to combat that, I always have two projects on the go at the same time, both of which will be totally different from the other. That way, you can just switch from one to the other and use a different part of your creative brain for a while.
That might not work for everyone, but it works for me, and that's really all that matters.
Dougie Brimson
That's easy, the readers. I'm really lucky in that I have a solid fanbase who are very supportive of everything I do so I'm very careful to be respectful of them and what they expect from me.
Everything else comes secondary.
Everything else comes secondary.
Dougie Brimson
The first thing I would tell any aspiring writer is that if you can't take criticism, don't do it. It's a jungle out there and people can be brutal. That can be tough to handle at first, especially if it starts to become personal which sadly, it sometimes does.
After that, I'd tell people to think about why they are writing and just as importantly, who for. Those are fundamental questions, especially if you want to get published, but once you get all that kind of thing straight in your head, most things will follow.
After that, I'd tell people to think about why they are writing and just as importantly, who for. Those are fundamental questions, especially if you want to get published, but once you get all that kind of thing straight in your head, most things will follow.
Dougie Brimson
I'm currently working on the sequel to my novel, Billy's Log. Oddly, given my other stuff, this is the book that people continually ask about and so it would be foolish of me not to deliver it.
It's actually proving to be a great project to work on as it's ten years since the original so reintroducing myself to the character and researching subjects such as internet dating has been great fun.
It's actually proving to be a great project to work on as it's ten years since the original so reintroducing myself to the character and researching subjects such as internet dating has been great fun.
Dougie Brimson
For me, the question isn't about getting inspired to write, it's about keeping inspired to write. However, I suspect that the answer is the same one and it comes down to the story.
If I find it entertaining enough to keep me writing then I'll have no problem continuing but if at any point it becomes a chore, I'll park it. After all, if I'm not enjoying writing it, how can I expect a reader to enjoy reading it?
If I find it entertaining enough to keep me writing then I'll have no problem continuing but if at any point it becomes a chore, I'll park it. After all, if I'm not enjoying writing it, how can I expect a reader to enjoy reading it?
Dougie Brimson
My most recent book was Wings of a Sparrow which was inspired by a discussion I'd had at football a few years ago.
It involved the notion that as a fan, you suddenly inherited ownership of your local rivals and had the ultimate power over them. As a premise, it's quite brilliant and would actually work for any sport, but the key was how to turn it into an entertaining story which I hope is what I've done.
It involved the notion that as a fan, you suddenly inherited ownership of your local rivals and had the ultimate power over them. As a premise, it's quite brilliant and would actually work for any sport, but the key was how to turn it into an entertaining story which I hope is what I've done.
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