Ask the Author: W.C. Leger
Answered Questions (6)
W.C. Leger
I listen to music while I type. Sometimes modern music works but mostly I listen to classical music. If I'm writing about an emotional or intimate moment I like soft music, battles require crescendo music.
Sometimes I will just go for a walk and let the story tell itself to me as I walk. Other times I will just put the story out of my mind for a day.
Frequently I will put myself into the character that I am writing and play act the scene in my mind.
And sometimes a good night's sleep will do it.
Sometimes I will just go for a walk and let the story tell itself to me as I walk. Other times I will just put the story out of my mind for a day.
Frequently I will put myself into the character that I am writing and play act the scene in my mind.
And sometimes a good night's sleep will do it.
W.C. Leger
Being able to express your point of view without being interrupted as happens when you're trying to speak.
Every author has a point of view which will show in their work. Some are more subtle than others. Caution is advised since it can insult other's sensibilities if applied to overtly.
Creating something that actually only exists in your mind and presenting it so others can hopefully experience it with you.
Learning to do it well enough so that others will actually experience the mood, feeling and atmosphere of the world that you have created.
Every author has a point of view which will show in their work. Some are more subtle than others. Caution is advised since it can insult other's sensibilities if applied to overtly.
Creating something that actually only exists in your mind and presenting it so others can hopefully experience it with you.
Learning to do it well enough so that others will actually experience the mood, feeling and atmosphere of the world that you have created.
W.C. Leger
I am just a newbie at novel writing myself so my knowledge is likely limited. I have written hundreds of reports and assessments which must be clear, concise and interesting enough not to put your reader to sleep before he can decide what needs to be done.
I would suggest, however that if you have an idea or dream that inspires you, pursue it. That is true for any kind of art though I've found writing to require more discipline.
I will warn you and I've seen other authors write the same thing. Don't expect everyone, no anyone to crave to read what you've just written. In fact, I've found that telling someone that you've just written a book is like telling them that you crave the intimate company of their wife or children.
You can sing them a song or show them a picture that you've drawn and they will likely be polite and say very nice (no matter how bad it might be) but tell them that you have a book you'd like them to read and they will suddenly have a dental appointment that they've been looking forward to attending.
Don't let it discourage you. Follow your dream, learn the craft (this is very important) and write to your heart's content. Then read it as if you've never seen it before and don't really like books. You'll know when your stuff is good.
If you have to figure out what you just said, so will others. If it bores you, it will others. Keep it simply. Unless you speak in flowery English (most people don't) don't try to write in flowery language.
Editing is not just important; it's vital. A badly written page with misspelled words, poor grammar and punctuation that is badly formatted will go nowhere very fast. Another thing that can happen with characters and action: I once had a character put on her shoes then stand up and put on her shoes. I didn't notice it the first time but found it while editing.
Speaking of editing: Word Processing programs like Word have spell checkers. Use them! They will not only spot misspelled words but questionable grammar. BUT be careful. It will not understand intentionally misspelled words (like in dialogue) and sometimes has problems with verbs.
Don't ramble: If you can't explain why you wrote something then it doesn't belong. George Bernard Shaw supposedly said, If there is a gun in act one, somebody should damn well be shot by act 3. There is something called foreshadowing however so if the appearance of someone's sofa will be important later don't be afraid to include it earlier.
No real artist ever thinks their work is good enough. Listen to criticism; seek it then take it to heart and always try to make your product worthy of other's praise.
And one more thing which I frequently forget: Learn when to shut up. Good luck!
I would suggest, however that if you have an idea or dream that inspires you, pursue it. That is true for any kind of art though I've found writing to require more discipline.
I will warn you and I've seen other authors write the same thing. Don't expect everyone, no anyone to crave to read what you've just written. In fact, I've found that telling someone that you've just written a book is like telling them that you crave the intimate company of their wife or children.
You can sing them a song or show them a picture that you've drawn and they will likely be polite and say very nice (no matter how bad it might be) but tell them that you have a book you'd like them to read and they will suddenly have a dental appointment that they've been looking forward to attending.
Don't let it discourage you. Follow your dream, learn the craft (this is very important) and write to your heart's content. Then read it as if you've never seen it before and don't really like books. You'll know when your stuff is good.
If you have to figure out what you just said, so will others. If it bores you, it will others. Keep it simply. Unless you speak in flowery English (most people don't) don't try to write in flowery language.
Editing is not just important; it's vital. A badly written page with misspelled words, poor grammar and punctuation that is badly formatted will go nowhere very fast. Another thing that can happen with characters and action: I once had a character put on her shoes then stand up and put on her shoes. I didn't notice it the first time but found it while editing.
Speaking of editing: Word Processing programs like Word have spell checkers. Use them! They will not only spot misspelled words but questionable grammar. BUT be careful. It will not understand intentionally misspelled words (like in dialogue) and sometimes has problems with verbs.
Don't ramble: If you can't explain why you wrote something then it doesn't belong. George Bernard Shaw supposedly said, If there is a gun in act one, somebody should damn well be shot by act 3. There is something called foreshadowing however so if the appearance of someone's sofa will be important later don't be afraid to include it earlier.
No real artist ever thinks their work is good enough. Listen to criticism; seek it then take it to heart and always try to make your product worthy of other's praise.
And one more thing which I frequently forget: Learn when to shut up. Good luck!
W.C. Leger
I am currently editing and finishing the novels which I wrote 15 years ago. I did not have the writing expertise that I later developed so I tried to tell the whole story in three very long books. I have since begun to split, edit and where necessary rewrite parts of those novels into more readable (and hopefully) more enjoyable editions.
W.C. Leger
My College degree is in History; I love it, especially military history. I don't see history as being just names, dates and places. History is about people and what they did during those dates in those places.
So when I read about a battle or siege or disaster I find myself wondering what it was like to be there. I suppose I am empathetic in that when I read about a city being put to the sword I wince as if it was a place where I once lived. It is after all the people and not the city which is put to the sword. Those people all had lives filled with the same kinds of desires and hopes as the rest of us.
That is why I decided to write the series of books under the title On Destiny's Doorstep. I felt inspired to tell the stories of those whose lives were impacted by the battles, intrigues and politics 500 years ago just as we are today. The technical aspects of today may have not existed back then but you can be sure they felt happiness, and loss just as deeply as we do today.
So when I read about a battle or siege or disaster I find myself wondering what it was like to be there. I suppose I am empathetic in that when I read about a city being put to the sword I wince as if it was a place where I once lived. It is after all the people and not the city which is put to the sword. Those people all had lives filled with the same kinds of desires and hopes as the rest of us.
That is why I decided to write the series of books under the title On Destiny's Doorstep. I felt inspired to tell the stories of those whose lives were impacted by the battles, intrigues and politics 500 years ago just as we are today. The technical aspects of today may have not existed back then but you can be sure they felt happiness, and loss just as deeply as we do today.
W.C. Leger
In college I was assigned to read The Crescent and the Cross which is about the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. As all accounts of history it is a cold account of the people involved and what was done. I thought it would be good to actually know who these people were just like the accounts we now get about the siege at the Alamo which was in many ways similar.
The Alamo has become a national legend; 300 Texans holding out for 15 days against ten times their number all the while hoping for a relief force that never came. We are told about Travis, Bowie, Crockett and the others in several different stories which makes them more than just some of the 300 defenders.
The 8000 defenders of Constantinople defended 14 miles of walls and a harbor and beat off several attacks by almost a hundred thousand troops led by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II over the course of 53 days. The siege was one of the first where the bombardment by cannons (gunpowder) had an impact.
I decided to put faces of not only the characters who were instrumental in the defense and conquest but like the stories about Travis et al to highlight the fact that these were men and women who were normal people living under extraordinary circumstances. So I've tried to tell the story from several points of view; of the defenders, the attackers and those desperately trying to send help to the besieged.
To do so, I created several people through whose eyes we could all see and experience these historical events but before that happened I thought it necessary to tell the story of who these people were, where they came from and how they came to be there.
The first two books; The Innkeeper's Nephew and The Condottieri (to be released April 16 from Kindle) tell the stories of Giacomo Sforza and those that impact his life and make him the man he is and will become.
Subsequent books will continue his saga and permit us to meet those others who were involved in the siege of Constantinople and experience the horror and valor that ended the last vestige of ancient Rome.
The Alamo has become a national legend; 300 Texans holding out for 15 days against ten times their number all the while hoping for a relief force that never came. We are told about Travis, Bowie, Crockett and the others in several different stories which makes them more than just some of the 300 defenders.
The 8000 defenders of Constantinople defended 14 miles of walls and a harbor and beat off several attacks by almost a hundred thousand troops led by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II over the course of 53 days. The siege was one of the first where the bombardment by cannons (gunpowder) had an impact.
I decided to put faces of not only the characters who were instrumental in the defense and conquest but like the stories about Travis et al to highlight the fact that these were men and women who were normal people living under extraordinary circumstances. So I've tried to tell the story from several points of view; of the defenders, the attackers and those desperately trying to send help to the besieged.
To do so, I created several people through whose eyes we could all see and experience these historical events but before that happened I thought it necessary to tell the story of who these people were, where they came from and how they came to be there.
The first two books; The Innkeeper's Nephew and The Condottieri (to be released April 16 from Kindle) tell the stories of Giacomo Sforza and those that impact his life and make him the man he is and will become.
Subsequent books will continue his saga and permit us to meet those others who were involved in the siege of Constantinople and experience the horror and valor that ended the last vestige of ancient Rome.
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