It's a cold and dreary day, perfect for sharing an informative and fun interview with you. He's a male author writing female action heroines in thrilling and pulse-pounding situations. Characters are no-holds-barred, tough, gritty, and like to kick a little butt (or a lot). Welcome to the blog, fellow indie author A.D. Phillips.
DAB: Where do you
come up with ideas for your novels?
ADP: My main hobbies
(besides writing of course!) are cinema and computer games. Favourite genres
are action, thrillers, and science fiction. I've worked as a research
scientist, and hold a PhD in Applied Mathematics (unusual for a fiction author,
perhaps). Because of this, it's probably not too surprising that I tend to
favour writing action and science fiction.
I often picture scenes playing out in my head as I write
them, which gives my work a strong cinematic style. Often my chapters are full
of intense action sequences and short, snappy dialogue. Ideas themselves can
sometimes just come to me (don't really have a trick or any advice here). I
tend to avoid 'being inspired' by something I've recently read/seen, as this
can make novels highly derivative.
DAB: Very much so! Do you ever
have difficulty writing from the point-of-view of a member of the opposite sex?
ADP: A good
question, given I'm a male author and my publishing label is Action Girl Books!
Almost everything I've done features a female in the role of
action heroine, villainess, or both. I'm not quite sure what draws me to write
female main characters. Perhaps its because they're still relatively rare in
the action world and have tended to feature more in romance and mysteries
(though that is changing, particularly with the growth in indie publishers and
the restrictions that 'writing to the market' can impose).
I don't fret too much about writing/including females. If
anything, I sometimes worry that maybe I make mine too tough (and possibly
unrealistic). But the genres I write are quite escapist, really. A lot of male
heroes perform unrealistic feats, so why should it be any different for women?
One of my recent works - Edith Clayton and the Wisdom of
Athena - is written in first person perspective through the eyes of a teenage
girl. This was a bit more challenging to do, as you're constantly writing
through the eyes/mind of the opposite sex. Thankfully there are quite a few
books out now told from female first person in the action/thriller genre, which
helped a bit for preparation.
DAB: And oh, that teenaged angst. Who is your
favorite character in your novel, and why?
ADP: Always the
villain(ess), regardless of the novel. Won't give his/her name for this book,
as it would rather spoil the mystery! I guess it's similar to actors/actresses
who like to play villainous roles and do deeds they would (hopefully) never do
in real life. Because it's more fun to be the bad guy/girl!
I especially enjoy writing crafty villains. I always try to
avoid overly complex plans that rely on pure chance/luck (can be very annoying
to any reader), but carefully laid, thought-out schemes that dupe the main
character... I love putting those in. And intelligent adversaries that can
match the hero(ine) mentally and physically. Nobody likes a one-sided affair or
anticlimax.
DAB: Two thumbs up from me in that regard. Villains can be so interesting to write. What kind of
research practices do you utilize for writing?
ADP: I tend to use
the Internet for most things, though I've known people who advise not to.
Sometimes it can be frustrating digging up information, but with my research
background I enjoy the process. Ideally I would like to spend some time in
foreign countries to get a better feel than you can from encyclopaedias and
videos, but obviously money's a factor (particularly for an indie publisher!).
For now, I tend to base my scenes around locations I've
visited / things I know something about. In any case, I would advise other
authors not to worry too much. Having been a scientist, teacher and researcher,
I know reality is very different from how it is portrayed in media. If things
were written too realistically, they would be dreadfully dull (particularly for
the genres I work in). I concentrate on getting the essentials right (where
major landmark buildings are, appropriate clothes / speech for characters etc.)
and invent most minor details.
For instance, Termination Notice is probably much closer to
detective thriller fiction novels / Lifetime TV movies than real life police
work. But that's what a lot of readers enjoy, and the tone I'm aiming for.
DAB: There's the
eternal debate whether to outline or not. What is your preference?
ADP: I did things
very differently with my two recent novels. Edith Clayton I just had general
ideas for, and went from there. The main plot elements were in my head from the
beginning, but as I was writing and researching other details popped into my
head.
Termination Notice was based around an unsold / unproduced
film script I wrote some time ago. So I already had a lot of dialogue and the
main plot developments. There were still some changes (cool bits that came to
me when writing), and characters were more fleshed out for the book.
For first time authors out there, I would advise them to
finish a book. Even if it's a poor first attempt (and they usually are), the
big psychological barrier is that first book. Once you've finished one, the
second feels easier - because you know you've done it before.
DAB: So true. Write, write, write. How do you
handle negative feedback about your novel(s)?
ADP: I've managed to
avoid negative feedback on my novels so far, but in the past I've written
interactive fiction. I imagine most readers of this blog won't know what I'm
talking about, so I've put a brief explanation below.
To summarise, they're text-based computer games similar in
design to choose your own adventure books, but a lot more complicated. In these
you play a character, move through various described locations, input action
commands, and get responses back. Think of them as interactive novels with
multiple plot branches. I've done five of these and most took many months
(essentially book length in terms of text).
Response on these has varied dramatically. One particular
game got highlighted by a review site on a list titled 'The Worst of
Interactive Fiction' (ouch!). But then another reviewer loved / praised the
exact same work! Literature is very subjective, so I don't let bad reviews get
me down. So long as they're written constructively and go into some detail
about what aspects they didn't like, I don't really regard them as 'bad reviews'.
The worst feedback is none at all - that can be very depressing.
I typically strive to improve and take heed of those
comments I agree with. And disregard those I don't. You have to accept not
everyone will like your work, and it's impossible to please everyone. I've seen
a lot of TV series producers attempt to attract new viewers over the years by
changing tone/style, and most ended up annoying their core audience. Sometimes
you just have to stick to your style and keep working to make your books better.
DAB: Usually
authors are also avid readers - what are you currently reading?
ADP: I'm currently
focused on reading books with female central characters, partly to put them up
at my
review/blog site. I'm trying to mix traditionally published and independent
works. I've finished the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins (think
everyone interested in action girl has read those!), and am just about to start
on Divergent by Veronica Roth. I'm a bit late getting to these popular books
because I've been working on my own stuff. I'm focusing on young adult because
of my own Edith Clayton series.
For independent works, I'm on book two of your very own
'Rising' trilogy (and looking forward to the third when it comes out), and am
about to start Pentecost by Joanna Penn - another blogger with many helpful
tips for indie writers/publishers.
DAB: Thank you so much for reading. Of all your
novels, which one is your favorite, and why?
ADP: Edith Clayton
and the Wisdom of Athena. It's an idea I've had for a while, and it's also a
historical novel (which brought extra challenges) that blends in action and
science fiction for good measure.
The book is my longest to date - around 81,000 words. Most
of my books tend to be shorter because I absolutely hate filler and cut it out
wherever I feel it doesn't advance something - plot or character development.
DAB: Me too! What’s the
best thing about being an author? The most difficult?
ADP: Best thing:
when you finish something, read it, and enjoy it. I've always believed in
writing books you'd want to pick up off a shelf (and not following whatever the
current trend happens to be). But finishing a novel feels wonderful. At least
until you get around to the rewrites!
Worst thing: when you publish a book, and very few people
read it. This is particularly frustrating for those new to the scene. But it's
important to remember there's a lot of competition these days, and independent
publishing is often a struggle except for the fortunate/talented few. That
said, I've endured plenty of form rejections over the years, so it's nice when
you actually get positive comments. And having creative control is a wonderful
feeling I wouldn't trade away.
DAB: Amen to that. What are some
things you’ve done to get the word out about your novel(s)?
ADP: A lot of it has
been trial and error so far. I sometimes feel the 'author platform' is
overrated, and working on craft is essential. It's very easy to get bogged down
by marketing.
I've put myself out on social media, started a blog - the
usual. I find Twitter to be much more useful for making contacts than
advertising. A lot of people seem to auto-tweet about their books continuously
and do little else (a big turn-off for me, and I imagine most others).
So far, most stuff I've tried hasn't worked, but it's a case
of experimenting. For instance, through my networking I got this interview with
D.A. Bale. Also you have to remember to give and take a little. Reviewing other
author's work / helping them gets a lot more respect than simply plugging your
own work endlessly.
DAB: I'm right there with you too. Now’s your
chance – give us the final plug for your novel.
ADP: Termination
Notice is different to a lot of thrillers (indeed books), because it's not
written from the viewpoint (heads) of its characters. I imagined watching a
film and wrote only what could be seen and heard. This should give it a more
original flavour, though I imagine the style I've chosen won't appeal to
everyone.
As I've said, I don't like filler so I'm hoping I've put
together something with plenty of drama, twists and turns. I do fast-paced
thrillers with high body counts, so don't expect too many lulls in the action.
There's a sample over at the Action Girl Books blog
(http://actiongirlbooks.wordpress.com) if people want to try before they buy.
It's worth a look for anybody interested in murder mysteries with lots of
action, thrills, and scares.
One last word to the blog-runner: thanks very much for the
interview opportunity. Sometimes it's easy to forget that people who manage
these sites are often writers too (certainly true in D.A. Bale's case), so any
time given up to help a fellow author is much appreciated.
And thanks to you too, A.D., for taking time to give us this insight into your writing method and your novels. I plan to read them someday - but not until finishing the final book in my series. Until then, dear readers, take a moment and check out A.D.'s novels, available through all eReaders sales channels. For more information, visit his website
www.actiongirlbooks.wordpress.com.
Author Bio:
A.D. Phillips lives in Manchester,
UK. The author
holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics and currently works as an analyst, but has
previously been a mathematics teacher and a researcher based at NASA Goddard, USA.
Despite having a non-literary background, A.D. has a passion for creative
writing, and is the author of numerous works of fiction, most notably a series
of text adventure games (in the style of 80s Infocom works) that are currently
available as free downloads from specialist websites.
Most of the author's works feature female protagonists and/or villainesses.
Favourite genres are action adventures, thrillers, and science fiction.
