Ask the Author: William E. Simpson
Answered Questions (5)
William E. Simpson
My advice for aspiring writers is to start by reading what best selling author Ryan Holiday had to say on the subject in his article titled: 'So You Want To Be A Writer? That’s Mistake #1' ... here is the link
http://ryanholiday.net/so-you-want-to...
Second to that, if you're still compelled to write driven by a passion and a story that is bursting out of you, and not by some expectation in life related to being an 'author', you should give it your best shot and let the chips fall where they may. Who knows, maybe you'll be as successful as Ryan or?
For me, the opportunity to do a little writing came by happenstance. A National Geographic casting producer read an online article I wrote and that led to a TV show, which then led to my first book deal with Ulysses Press for the 'Nautical Prepper'. That sorta peaked my interest... getting a check to 'go write' a book. The following book (Dark Stallions - Legend of the Centaurians), which dealt with a totally different genre (YA Fantasy), was the result of an experience I had in the wilderness with wild horses... and that seed, that experience, germinated into a passion to tell a story...
https://www.newswire.com/news/bizarre...
Dark Stallions - Legend of the Centaurians was a story that I felt I was ill equipped to write as an indie author. I have to say here that having a publisher on the first go-round made launching into a writing enterprise easy by comparison to doing a book indie style. When you have a publisher the advantages are many... including editorial support that is unbiased, and who are not trying to make a living by selling their advice. They just want the book to be the best that it can be, since it will become part of their catalog. Indie authors are now the new fodder for writers turned salespeople. In many cases, these are authors who failed to make a living writing themselves, so now they are selling all kinds of services to unsuspecting aspiring writers using shiny websites full of claims and advice. But when you dig past the shiny cover material and ask the hard questions, like 'show me your actual experience and financial success writing', they have none to show. In some cases these advisors have books that have books ranking in the millions on Amazon... not exactly what anyone would label as a bell-ringer.
Shockingly, as I learned by reading resumes, many creative writing professors at colleges and universities have no commercial writing success themselves, so they default to a career 'teaching writing'. Go figure!
From my chair, if I am gonna pay for writing advice or 'teaching', I want it from someone who has a record of success... Of course there's the problem; those who have made it big as writers have little time to provide one-on-one help to aspiring writers by providing story critique or editing services, etc. So now I have come full circle to what Ryan Holiday quoted in his article:
To quote Schopenhauer again, “to have something to say” is “by itself virtually a sufficient condition for good style.” I’ll take grade school dropout writing passionately in his prison cell over some empty, superior Yale MFA any day.
My advice is to take Ryan's advice, I think he's hit the nail on the head.
Cheers! Will
http://ryanholiday.net/so-you-want-to...
Second to that, if you're still compelled to write driven by a passion and a story that is bursting out of you, and not by some expectation in life related to being an 'author', you should give it your best shot and let the chips fall where they may. Who knows, maybe you'll be as successful as Ryan or?
For me, the opportunity to do a little writing came by happenstance. A National Geographic casting producer read an online article I wrote and that led to a TV show, which then led to my first book deal with Ulysses Press for the 'Nautical Prepper'. That sorta peaked my interest... getting a check to 'go write' a book. The following book (Dark Stallions - Legend of the Centaurians), which dealt with a totally different genre (YA Fantasy), was the result of an experience I had in the wilderness with wild horses... and that seed, that experience, germinated into a passion to tell a story...
https://www.newswire.com/news/bizarre...
Dark Stallions - Legend of the Centaurians was a story that I felt I was ill equipped to write as an indie author. I have to say here that having a publisher on the first go-round made launching into a writing enterprise easy by comparison to doing a book indie style. When you have a publisher the advantages are many... including editorial support that is unbiased, and who are not trying to make a living by selling their advice. They just want the book to be the best that it can be, since it will become part of their catalog. Indie authors are now the new fodder for writers turned salespeople. In many cases, these are authors who failed to make a living writing themselves, so now they are selling all kinds of services to unsuspecting aspiring writers using shiny websites full of claims and advice. But when you dig past the shiny cover material and ask the hard questions, like 'show me your actual experience and financial success writing', they have none to show. In some cases these advisors have books that have books ranking in the millions on Amazon... not exactly what anyone would label as a bell-ringer.
Shockingly, as I learned by reading resumes, many creative writing professors at colleges and universities have no commercial writing success themselves, so they default to a career 'teaching writing'. Go figure!
From my chair, if I am gonna pay for writing advice or 'teaching', I want it from someone who has a record of success... Of course there's the problem; those who have made it big as writers have little time to provide one-on-one help to aspiring writers by providing story critique or editing services, etc. So now I have come full circle to what Ryan Holiday quoted in his article:
To quote Schopenhauer again, “to have something to say” is “by itself virtually a sufficient condition for good style.” I’ll take grade school dropout writing passionately in his prison cell over some empty, superior Yale MFA any day.
My advice is to take Ryan's advice, I think he's hit the nail on the head.
Cheers! Will
William E. Simpson
It's quite likely that what works for one person may not work for another, we are all individuals... That said, I find that dumping the distractions is key... there is way too much 'white noise' in our society today... and it does affect everyone to some degree or another. Some of my best ideas come to me when I'm on the top of a mountain or on a night watch alone in the middle of the ocean.
William E. Simpson
For me, inspiration stems from interactions with the world around me... things like piloting a ship through a storm on a dark night at sea, or hiking into a wilderness area... and the unexpected happening that may occur... I find that the right music is important in the creative writing process... it helps me to transcend into the story.
William E. Simpson
'DARK STALLIONS - The Revenge of Noxsor'
William E. Simpson
When I took up residence in the rugged mountain wilderness on the Oregon – California border with my wife Laura, I never expected what was to come next. We had acquired land that was in an area that was shrouded with mysteries and Indian lore, including the legendary ‘Big-Foot’.
But after having completed a four-year 18,000 mile voyage at sea in 2011, that had my wife and I living for months at remote uninhabited islands in the Sea of Cortez and experiencing the wonders and tempests of deep blue Pacific, what could be more terrifying than thirty-foot seas, a fifty-foot killer whale swimming under your sailboat, or scuba diving at night with sharks?
“It was a moonless night in early January when I went outside with my flashlight to investigate some strange sounds. I must admit that it’s a bit spooky being out at night in the middle of a remote mountain wilderness in the dark and alone. But at the same time, there is something magical about being alone in the wilderness at night under an infinite canopy of stars.
Suddenly in the blackness just beyond the range of my flashlight, a large dark silhouette moved.
I froze as the hair on the back of my neck stood on-end as if I were being electrocuted. It was at that moment that I saw a huge pair of piercing blue eyes staring at me. The eyes seemed to be hovering about seven-feet above the ground. I was initially terrified... was it Big Foot? Suddenly several sets of these 'eyes' were looking at me. As I began to regain my composure, I could make-out the outlines of three black and charcoal-grey stallions hovering in the darkness, watching me... 'Dark Stallions'...
As I drew nearer, I could see that these 'Dark Stallions' were a bachelor band of three wild stallions that had come up to visit our homestead.
That night when I retired, I had a vivid dream about these ‘Dark Stallions’ and an immortal being, Jack Walker. In a galactic instant, Jack Walker’s life flashed through my mind as my head lay on the pillow. The following morning I felt compelled to tell Jack Walker’s story, so I started writing.
Since then, we have become aware of the plight of Wild Horses and their dwindling numbers in America.
I am pleased to note that a portion of the sales proceeds from this book will be donated to non-profit organizations, such as Safe Haven Horse Rescue and Sanctuary, who are dedicated to providing advocacy, rescue and sanctuary for wild and domestic horses and burros.” ~ William E. Simpson II
But after having completed a four-year 18,000 mile voyage at sea in 2011, that had my wife and I living for months at remote uninhabited islands in the Sea of Cortez and experiencing the wonders and tempests of deep blue Pacific, what could be more terrifying than thirty-foot seas, a fifty-foot killer whale swimming under your sailboat, or scuba diving at night with sharks?
“It was a moonless night in early January when I went outside with my flashlight to investigate some strange sounds. I must admit that it’s a bit spooky being out at night in the middle of a remote mountain wilderness in the dark and alone. But at the same time, there is something magical about being alone in the wilderness at night under an infinite canopy of stars.
Suddenly in the blackness just beyond the range of my flashlight, a large dark silhouette moved.
I froze as the hair on the back of my neck stood on-end as if I were being electrocuted. It was at that moment that I saw a huge pair of piercing blue eyes staring at me. The eyes seemed to be hovering about seven-feet above the ground. I was initially terrified... was it Big Foot? Suddenly several sets of these 'eyes' were looking at me. As I began to regain my composure, I could make-out the outlines of three black and charcoal-grey stallions hovering in the darkness, watching me... 'Dark Stallions'...
As I drew nearer, I could see that these 'Dark Stallions' were a bachelor band of three wild stallions that had come up to visit our homestead.
That night when I retired, I had a vivid dream about these ‘Dark Stallions’ and an immortal being, Jack Walker. In a galactic instant, Jack Walker’s life flashed through my mind as my head lay on the pillow. The following morning I felt compelled to tell Jack Walker’s story, so I started writing.
Since then, we have become aware of the plight of Wild Horses and their dwindling numbers in America.
I am pleased to note that a portion of the sales proceeds from this book will be donated to non-profit organizations, such as Safe Haven Horse Rescue and Sanctuary, who are dedicated to providing advocacy, rescue and sanctuary for wild and domestic horses and burros.” ~ William E. Simpson II
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