Q&A with Simon Williams author of Dark Summer’s Waters.
I am very excited to host this author question and answer with the immensely talented Simon Williams. If you are looking for a children’s book unlike anything you have ever read before then I suggest you grab a copy of ‘Summer’s Dark Waters,’ from Amazon now! Read on to learn more about Simon Williams and his work.
Simon Williams
Why did you start writing?
I honestly don’t know, because it really was a long time ago. I started scribbling down stories from the age of five (albeit infantile ones, naturally) and never really stopped. As time went on, I also discovered that I didn’t really have any particular talent for the world of “proper work” so I guess that made me even more determined to stick with it.
If you could meet any author dead or alive who would it be and why?
Alan Garner, if only to let him know how his books really changed my life when I was around 9 and 10. Thinking back, it was reading his books that really made me determined to be an author.
I love Alan Garner too. When you are not reading or writing what do you enjoy doing?
Unfortunately, like many authors I have to spend far too much of my time marketing and plugging one book or another something I really don’t enjoy, but generally speaking if you don’t help yourself then you shouldn’t expect help from others, so I just get stuck in and get on with it.
I tend to just read if I’m not writing or on social media. I don’t have much appetite for television I watch the news (to remind myself about the nature of humanity not that one needs too many such reminders) and some sports, maybe a film now and then.
I love the illustrations for ‘Summer’s Dark Waters.’ What made you choose to work with artist Ankolie?
I was already familiar with her work as we’d been connected for a few years, and I absolutely love her style. I thought she would be perfect as my collaborator, and as it turned out she somehow managed to get the various characters so spot on that it sent shivers through me when I received the first proofs of the drawings for the book. There’s no explanation that I can think of for how she managed to draw them pretty much exactly as I imagined them. But the whole “putting together” phase of developing the book was an amazing experience, and the good news is that she’s agreed to work with me on a few more projects.
While I remember, it would be timely to plug her website www.ankolie.com
So now the exciting bit – tell us a bit about Joe and Amber the protagonists of the story?
Well, they seem to be pretty ordinary kids to begin with but it quickly becomes evident that they have special abilities but there are a few twists and turns in the story before that becomes evident. I try to make the reader (who would more than likely be a young teen or tween) think about what conclusion *they* might draw if someone starts to behave oddly or erratically so although it’s very much a sci-fi / fantasy adventure, Summer’s Dark Waters does explore a whole range of other themes that anyone can relate to- things like fear, prejudice, difficult decisions, and most of all how you feel when it seems like your world has been swept away from under your feet.
It’s also very much about the importance of family- neither Joe nor Amber are members of what society once called a “typical” family- and I suppose in essence I wanted to explain the characters rather than just “have stuff happen to them”. All my work is broadly character-based. It was a little more difficult writing about them at first, but in the end I found it (surprisingly) easier than I expected.
I know this is an annoying question but where did the idea for Summer’s Dark Waters come from?
It was originally based on an idea that my niece Danielle and I came up with, which at the time was quite different. The story was basically about a boy who had to hide himself away sometimes because he turned into a kind of crocodile-boy hybrid (with super powers). Clearly the story changed almost completely, but that was the starting point and some things from the original idea have survived the lake in the woods, and the names Joe and Amber, a couple of other things.
How has your current job informed your writing?
It hasn’t, is the short answer! The jobs I do are really just to earn enough money for food and rent. And on the flipside, I don’t really think of writing as “work” even though it is very hard work a lot of the time- at least, it can be a struggle. I see it more as a calling.
I am fascinated by the writing process itself. What are your least and most favourite parts and why?
Editing can be a real chore because that often involves going over things meticulously again and again, which for me always feels like quite a technical, mechanical process.
My favourite part is probably when I’ve just had a (hopefully) great idea and rush to write it all down- whether it’s a hundred words or five thousand. That’s always quite an experience.
Marketing is a difficult and frustrating part of the self publishing process. What has worked so far for you and what tips would you give to a new author with regards to marketing?
The problem with marketing is trying to figure out not only where to target it, but how much and how little to do. There are many authors who frown upon other authors constantly marketing their works- but then again, they tend to do it because they feel they have to.
It’s difficult to know which approach has worked for me because I use several different social networks and do a number of different things- I suppose it’s a scattershot approach, but broadly it’s worked. The tricky thing is knowing which networks and which specific approaches work and which don’t- because that’s very challenging to work out from book sales.
For new authors, I would say don’t be afraid to market your work if you feel it’s good enough- after all, no one else will do it for you, at least at first- but at the same time don’t be too pushy about it.
Thank you for the valuable advice with regards to marketing. Will there be a sequel to Summer’s Dark Waters and are you working on any other writing projects that we can look forward to reading in the future?
Aona Series
Yes, in fact I’m writing the sequel to Summer’s Dark Waters already and I’m hoping to have it completed by the end of 2015. Ankolie has agreed to do the illustrations again.
Other things I’m working on:
The fifth and final Aona book, “Salvation’s Door”, which brings to an end the Aona saga. This could end up being quite long…
A collection of short stories- some old, some new- which should be out very shortly. My stories don’t really belong in any genre and I’m not sure putting them together in a single volume is the best idea-
but I don’t believe in selling something that small individually and at the same time I’d like to think they’re worth a few pence.
A new book for kids around ages 7 to 9 (roughly), a fun but thought-provoking fantasy about which I can’t (or won’t) give any more details yet, mainly because I’m amused and enthused in equal measure about the whole plot and concept. I’m hoping that Guess-Who will be doing the artwork for this as well.
Thank you so much Simon for giving up your time to answer my questions here at http://www.swordofair.net. It has been a pleasure to host this question and answer with you.
You can learn more about Simon and his work here on the internet:
Blog: www.simonwilliamsauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Simon-Williams/167649143291810
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094097.Simon_Williams
R J Madigan
