We’ve decided to give you, oh dear aspiring writers, an insight of how other writers and aspiring novelists are doing their bit of writing. This time, Douglas S. Taylor (action-packed hero – really, we’re not kidding, check out his website – and writer) welcomes us take a peek at his writing method. Come to the dark side, into Mr Taylor’s mind.

Do you have a ritual for writing?

As a ritual in setting up and to preparing, the writing atmosphere is rather simple. I make sure I have my coffee, my music play list, and remove any distractions I may have except for my two critter. Having no distractions and my mind already ablaze into what I am about to write, I am now ready to begin this journey in taking whatever vision, the story, or topic that I see in my mind’s eye to put it to digital ink.

When did you start introducing yourself as a writer? What changed in your life that made you say ‘Yes, I’m a writer’?

I have had the “writing bug” since I was a child back in 1969-70 when I sat down to write a short essay on my favorite carnival ride. I remember that I was of a poor family and we just didn’t go. I spoke with my teacher and she said to write about something you would like to ride. She told me to use my imagination and doing so, I did. The essay was published in the Medford Mail Tribune. It was a story of a boy and a girl who went up in a Double Farris Wheel high into the brooding dark sky above them. Unfortunately, there were a set of circumstances, event leading up to the mechanical failure. Once these things were fixed, the contraption returned and there was only blood, clothing, and some body parts that I manage to write down in vivid detail.

Upon receipt of my story, I was immediately interviewed by my teacher, principal, and others who were very concerned about my story. Indeed, when it was sent into the Medford Mail Tribune, the Editor in Chief did a back-story of the entire project. My story won first place in the school district. I loved to write even then but I certainly didn’t see myself as a “writer,” “author” or a “novelist.”

I wrote another piece in the Nixon Years. I believe it was about the Nixon anti-Drug Campaign and my story was complete with illustrations of hand drawings and the story was taken from the viewpoint of an adult looking back on a fiery death of an oncoming train while on LSD and Heroin. It was, for the time, horrific, graphically vivid, and that brought up immediate concerns. This piece too took top honors and putting the Editor-In-Chief into a particular situation. You see, the public had a hard time with my first piece because of my age, and with the second piece, well, a lot of folks wondered who the real writer was. Because no kid my age wasn’t suppose that know so much about the drugs and the effects of said drugs on the mind and body.

I would write several more stories but nothing of any significance.

It would be decades after before I realized any believed in myself enough to dare call myself a writer and author when the, “Chronicles of Caledon” were written and published. It was at that time of 2006 as to the moment I had the Trade Paperbacks in my hand, physically in my hand. Therefore, looking back is when I took a hobby of mine and made it into the small professional ring of Independent Authors in 2006.

What tools do you use for writing?

The tools I use depend heavily on what I am writing about as far as the genre, topic, and post. However, since all my work is done on a laptop, to include my graphics work which I do everything digitally, I need the best and most powerful ways of doing things to the highest standard I can. As I delved into the digital work of graphic arts, a web designer, and publisher, I have become a unique type of people. I have become a “One-Man” operation. Other needing a high performance laptop that would kill out any need for the desktop, which was one of the most important things I needed.

Then of course is the matter of what I chose to write or use as a word document software. I use nothing but Microsoft Office and migrate to the latest and greatest generation each time. I also use the Internet hot and very heavy taking full advantage of the beneficial powerhouse ways of gaining exposure and generating book sales. I also use Adobe Creative Cloud and such applications as Photoshop in designing my blog, book, and other graphic projects I work on.

Naturally, the Internet I use for not only promoting my work and selling my literary endeavors on AmazonBooks, I also use the Internet for research, fact checking, fact-finding, and other things to season my stories. Write what you know, and if you need to know more about it, take the time to go back to class. You will benefit in the research and knowledge gained. Also, your readership will benefit from this as well.

Where do you get inspiration from?

From the people, places, music, and other artists of all kinds is where I get my inspiration.

How do you approach your characters, how do you create them?

Character building as I call it is something that I draw from actual people around me and the adventures of my life. When I write about a given character, I attempt to make him or her as realistic as possible. I want my characters to walk right off the pages you are reading and stroll right into the reader’s mind. There my characters shall live and thrive.

Who’s the writer that has influenced you the most?

The author that influenced me the most was indeed, Edgar Allen Poe in my early years. Then it was so many others to include, JRR Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, Thomas Harris, Dean Koontz, and Chelsea Cain.

How much do you read?

Daily.

How much and how often do you write?

Daily.

How would you describe your writing method?

The ideas or visions of these stories hit me as if I kissed an oncoming freight train. Spontaneous and remarkably vivid.

Paperback or Kindle?

Kindle.