Why this Style?

Before I started writing ‘The Blackwater Prince’, I had recently finished reading the ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ series (yes, all seven books). While I thoroughly enjoyed it, the story moves quite slowly, and there is SO much information to take in.

I had also read a few novels by Matthew Reilly, such as ‘Contest’, ‘Temple’, and the ‘Scarecrow’ and ‘Jack West Jr.’ action thrillers. His novels generally move along at a cracking pace, giving scant time to take a breath between scenes.

I wanted to blend the best of both and create an easy-to-read, engaging story set in a medieval fantasy world. The plot should move along at a decent pace and not burden the reader with too much information. I feel I have achieved that…

…time will tell.

Why this Genre?

I love reading fantasy novels and have done since I was young, with stories that transport you to another world, even if only for a short time. ‘Magician’, 'The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant' and 'Lord of the Rings', to name a few, are on my list of favourite novels.

I also enjoy historical novels, with the amazing ‘Pillars of the Earth’ by Ken Follett, my absolute favourite novel of all time. These types of stories also take you to another world, or at least another version of our world, and most of the time, I learn something as well.

I consider ‘The Blackwater Prince’ a ‘medieval fantasy’, combining my love of historical fiction and fantasy. It should appeal to readers who enjoy both of these genres as well as those not generally into reading fantasy.

Why did I start writing a novel?

I absolutely love reading!

Because of that, I wanted to tell a tale of my own, so my first novel is a story that I would like to read. With ‘The Blackwater Prince’, I really enjoyed developing the plot, creating the world, and populating it with interesting places and characters.

Another reason I started writing was the desire to do something better with my time other than playing video games or watching TV (though I still enjoy both pursuits, just not to the same extent).

Writing a novel was a HUGE challenge, much bigger than I had expected, and I’ll admit I sometimes felt I’d bitten off more than I could chew. However, I persisted, and now I have a complete novel of which I am proud. I sincerely hope people will enjoy reading it.

Despite the challenges, frustrations, and time it took to write ’The Blackwater Prince’, I still enjoy the writing process. I am already working on the next story in ‘The Blackwater Chronicles’ and a novella in a completely different genre…exciting times ahead!

The Blackwater Prince - The Lords

One is the Governor and head of the ruling council, second only to the King in power. He has accomplished nearly everything he has set out to achieve, finishing what his father started many years ago. The other is a confidante and close friend of the King. He is anxiously awaiting his family’s arrival in the capitol for his daughter’s upcoming betrothal.

Aside from the royal family, they head the two most powerful houses in the realm, each gaining immense influence and riches through their far-reaching business empires.

The southern lord wears his heart on his sleeve, leaving little doubt about his feelings. The lord from the north plays his cards close to his chest, revealing little about what he is thinking.

Despite fighting on the same side in the War of Colours, the two lords are far from friends. One could go so far as to say they hate each other. They are heading for a clash that will ultimately decide the fate of the realm, and neither house will escape unscathed.

The Blackwater Prince - The Handmaiden

Although unafraid of hard work, she yearned for more excitement than life on the farm delivered. She loved her family, but at the tender age of sixteen, despite her mother’s objections, she left for the capitol, Twin Falls. She found work in her uncle’s tavern but quickly tired of being groped and propositioned by the men who frequented the establishment.

The gods finally smiled on her when she gained employment in the Governor’s household. Whilst not as glamorous as imagined, it was far better than the farm or the tavern. She worked hard, even garnering praise from the tetchy head cook.

One day, she was plucked from the kitchen to be handmaiden to the Governor’s wife. Her new mistress was a demanding aristocrat, but before long, they became close, much closer than she had ever been to anyone.

Despite her fortunate circumstances, she couldn’t fully enjoy her new life, for she harboured a secret that, if revealed, could have deadly consequences.

Who is the Blackwater Prince?

The prince has barely seen eighteen summers, but he has already experienced more than his share of family tragedy. His older brother and grandmother were missing at sea, presumed dead, and his mother succumbed to a suspicious case of food poisoning. Then, last winter, his uncle was murdered by bandits while returning to the capitol from a wedding in the Greenhavens.

As heir to the throne, he lives a life of privilege. He wants for nothing but resents having his future planned out for him. He rebels, causing strife with members of the court, being in places he shouldn't be, and continually raising the ire of his father, the King.

Little does he know that he will soon be thrust into the centre of an age-old feud that will force him to re-evaluate what is really important in his life.

Do I listen to music while I write?

The answer is a resounding Yes, especially if I’m writing at a cafe or there is other noise around.

I listen to instrumental music. Anything with lyrics is quite distracting, as is music that is too upbeat.

Spotify is my app of choice, and I’ve built up a sizable playlist of suitable instrumental tracks. It consists of both film scores and classical music tracks. At the time of writing, it had 92 tracks and was over 6 hours long.

Some of my favourites include:

• Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major - Yo-Yo Ma (Bach)

• Concerning Hobbits - Howard Shore - Lord of the Rings soundtrack

• Truman Sleeps - Philip Glass - Truman soundtrack

• Far Horizons - Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls game

• Comptine d’un autre ete, l’apres-midi - Yann Tiersen - Amelie from Montmartre soundtrack

• Cosmos Main Title - Alan Silvestri

• Princess Leia’s Theme - John Williams - Star Wars soundtrack

When I hear these tracks, I relax and think…time to write.

Let me know if you’re interested in listening, and I’ll share the playlist with you.

What tools do I use to write?

I have various items, devices, software and services in my creative toolbox.

The first draft of ‘The Blackwater Prince’ was written entirely in long-hand using Typo A4 Buffalo Journals, a hardback notebook, and Sharpie fine felt-tip pens.

I find that writing by hand works well for the pace at which the ideas flow out of my brain.

I then transcribed it into Microsoft Word and used the Review/Track Changes feature for editing of subsequent drafts.

However, I have recently begun using several new gadgets and services to make my writing life easier…

- Trello . . . with multiple main characters and intertwining plots, I use Trello for storyboarding the journey of each character and then ensuring the scenes for each are in the correct order when brought together. I also use it to manage and prepare my social media posts.

- MyHeritage . . . an online genealogy platform which I actually use to keep track of all my characters mentioned in the novels.

- Grammarly . . . the most recent addition to my writer's toolkit, this is great for general correction of bad grammar and assisting with rewriting phrases that just don’t seem right. I don’t always agree with its suggestions, but it keeps me honest with what I’m trying to say and educates me at the same time.

- reMarkable2 . . . an electronic paper tablet. I first used it to edit/mark up the most recent draft of The Blackwater Prince. It is now proving invaluable for outlining and writing the first draft of my new book, still all written by hand, without having to cut down a single tree! This is hands-down my favourite piece of technology at the moment.

My Favourite Books

If you want to see what I’ve read recently, then head on over to my Reading page.

Where did it all begin?

Where did it all begin?

Quite a while back, it was suggested that I try NaNoWriMo, a month-long writing challenge every November where participants commit to writing a 50,000-word novel during the 30 days of November. Fat chance, I thought. I’d written a couple of screenplays in the few years before that, and they took me years! So, I passed on the idea.

However, in the back of my mind, I kept asking myself, could I write something in the format of a novel or short story? Eventually, I decided to write a single scene to see how it worked out. It took a little while, but I finished it. It came in at just over 700 words, and I was reasonably happy with it, though it was more difficult than I had expected. So, I shelved the idea and life continued on.

After a while, I started thinking about the scene I had written. My brain was telling me, “It was quite good. You only need to write a bunch more, and you have a novel.” I had to admit I did enjoy the experience, so I eventually decided to give it a good crack.

I planned, wrote, edited, and edited some more. I then changed the story, wrote some more and edited some more, and now I finally have a novel I think is suitable for publication.

I look back on that original scene, and I cringe a little. Not the best prose ever to be put to paper, but I’ve learned a lot over the years, and I’m more than satisfied with the result. A radically different version of that scene is actually in the book, so you could consider it a sneak peek, of sorts.

You can find a copy of the original scene here. Enjoy.

A little more about my upcoming novel

‘The Blackwater Prince’ is a medieval drama set in a fictional world, and is intended to be read by mature audiences…definitely not bedtime reading for the kids.

It explores themes of life and death, loyalty and betrayal, love, and the importance of family, and contains drama, intrigue, humour, and action, all with just a touch of fantasy. It’s an easy read and should have broad appeal, even to those not normally into the fantasy genre.

I will give more hints on the story in a future post, I promise. I’ll also be elaborating on how I developed my story, and tools and techniques I used. And I’ll be more than happy to answer any writing related questions you may have. So, if this interests you, follow my page and enjoy the journey with me.

Exciting news...my novel is to be published!!

As some of you know, I’ve been toiling away on my first novel for quite a while now. I am beyond excited to announce I have just signed with Shawline Publishing Group to publish my debut novel, ‘The Blackwater Prince’, a fantasy adventure, in early 2025.

Watch this space, or follow me on Facebook and Instagram, as I share my journey through the publishing process to make the transition from someone who writes to being a published author.