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Alexander Francis

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February 2016

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I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina and went to college there. I still have the sand in my shoes and the smell of the salt air in my nose, and when I return, encountering those two things brings back floods of memories.My first attempt at writing was to re-create some of my favorite episodes from childhood and, also, to poke a bit of harmless fun at my brother. In college, I discovered an ability to write poetry, thanks to a rather demanding English professor, who eventually came to appreciate and encourage my work.

Life intervenes, as it does for everyone, and there was a large hiatus before I found time to write again. My first attempt came almost by accident, because one day I simply wrote down what had happened to me the previous ev I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina and went to college there. I still have the sand in my shoes and the smell of the salt air in my nose, and when I return, encountering those two things brings back floods of memories.My first attempt at writing was to re-create some of my favorite episodes from childhood and, also, to poke a bit of harmless fun at my brother. In college, I discovered an ability to write poetry, thanks to a rather demanding English professor, who eventually came to appreciate and encourage my work.

Life intervenes, as it does for everyone, and there was a large hiatus before I found time to write again. My first attempt came almost by accident, because one day I simply wrote down what had happened to me the previous evening. The story slowly became a book…Are We A Band Yet?, and at the time, the few who read it were full of praise. Because the story was personal, and some of the characters real, I declined to publish it for a long time. But my language skills and my storytelling were re-awakened by that first attempt, and since then, I have gone on to write eight full-length novels, all the while working on my style and literary abilities.

I found that what most interests me is the interrelationship between a man and a woman. It’s a subject which has tested writers and storytellers for eons and is truly inexhaustible, for each situation is both unique and timeless, as well as compelling.

During my rather short career, my emotions have been awakened, and I attempt to give my readers the intensity of my feelings through my words. Two of my novels (Beware The Exit and Memory Gap) were inspired by dreams, and after recalling the fragments that remained the next morning, I put the essence down on paper and began the laborious task of creating an exciting book.

Writing has made me grow as a person, not only because of attention to the emotional content of my books, but also attention to detail, both environmental and personal. Writing is like photography in that it brings the world around you into your consciousness, occasionally for the first time.

Instead of being exhausted, my writing is just getting started, because everywhere I look, I can see the outline of yet another book which needs telling, another exciting tale or tender moment which can be created in ink and paper.

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Alexander Francis At one time, I would have said that I never got writer’s block, didn’t understand it, never even considered it. That was my view until I started Dream…moreAt one time, I would have said that I never got writer’s block, didn’t understand it, never even considered it. That was my view until I started Dreamers and Schemers. Even after all the previous books I have written, the new one stopped me dead cold. Truly, some of my best prose is in there, and I’ve invested quite a few hours of writing. I reached a point that I couldn’t get past, and it caused me to completely stop writing for a while.

I started two new books after that, one being only sketched out for now, and guess what? The writing came easily to me after all; in fact, I had to hold back because it was devouring my time. To me, the reason is apparent. I was writing out of my element, describing a situation too foreign to me to be comfortable with, and I was struggling to be competent. They say to write what you know, and though it couldn’t possibly be true that you have to restrict yourself to your own experiences, it does help to have something to go on.

So, for what it’s worth, I’d say that you shouldn’t write on a subject that you know nothing about. If you get blocked and a little study of the subject doesn’t work, then start a new project and your writing will come back to you.
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What’s the best thing about being a writer?

Alexander Francis The best thing about writing for some is money or notoriety. That’s especially true for those who use a ghostwriter, and they are more common and more…moreThe best thing about writing for some is money or notoriety. That’s especially true for those who use a ghostwriter, and they are more common and more successful than you might think. I haven’t had fame, money or used ghostwriters yet, so I have a different point of view. When I started, I daydreamed about my finished book lying on the coffee table in front of the couch. A real book! My book! And it could be picked up and shown to people! After nine, I’ve become more mature about it (not really), and my biggest thrill comes from someone telling me that they enjoyed one of them. In the end, we want to please someone other than ourselves, to prove that all that effort meant something. So, if you want to see me smile, tell me how much you loved one of my books. That’s why I write.
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Alexander Francis’s books

Average rating: 4.43 · 14 ratings · 5 reviews · 28 distinct works

	Memory Gap 3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Revenge Of Jesus it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Spy Hunt: Mick Grundy Book 1 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Geminknot 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Russian Connection: Mick Grundy Book 2 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Elapid: Mick Grundy Book 3 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Are We A Band Yet? it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Copy Candidate it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Green Scarf 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Beware the Exit 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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The first in a series: Boxcar to Nowhere

This book is the first of a series of ten which tell the tales of adventure, intrigue, danger and love which happen to a young girl named Hope and her dog Jazzy, a retired police canine. The series (Hope and Jazzy) starts with a book designed to be read by children between ten and fifteen or so. As we go deeper into the series we will be creating for an increasingly mature audience. Th