About Donald Scott:
Donald Scott is a former cross-country truck driver who lives in Bellingham, Washington, USA, aboard the sailing sloop, Odyssea. Foundation of Evil is his first novel, and he is currently writing a historical-adventure trilogy set in 16th century Port Royal, Jamaica.
What inspires you to write?
I get bored within a few pages of most books I pick up, and I've always liked to write, so I decided to create something that moves along at a quick enough pace to keep people like me interested. Here I am over eight years later with my first novel up on kindle and the first book of a Jamaica trilogy due out in early 2018.
Tell us about your writing process.
I like to read a novel similar to the one I'm writing for about a half hour each morning before I start writing. I often get distracted for hours or days researching my topics. Sometimes I'm up writing until five a.m. and other times I just sit there staring at the page all day. At times it's fun and exciting–and other times I'd rather be cleaning the bottom of the toilet bowl–with my tongue (:
I often take little-known characters from real life, change their specifics, and incorporate them into my stories. They could be a historical figure, a character from the news, or an interesting acquaintance. I often find them while engaged in research. Since I've already got there personal traits, appearance, as histories, using these ready-made characters saves a lot of time and work.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I seem to have a natural ability to empathize with my characters. I can drift in and out of their lives with little or no effort.
What advice would you give other writers?
I would suggest that new writers develop a habit of reading and writing every day, write what they want to read, and remember that the first few drafts are usually just place holders for the final product.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
About seven years ago I sent 70 query letters out to the top NYC literary agents and received only one request for a few chapters. The response to this sample of my work was "Not our cup of tea." Looking back I realize that the manuscript was horrible. After reading Let's Get Digital (2nd edition), by David Gaughran, I decided to use the book as a guide to self-publish my novel. The only bad advise I found in the book was about self-formatting. I hired that out for $115.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the trend toward self-publishing is great and will continue to excel. It's a lot of work though! ( :
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Action-Adventure & Historical Thriller
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Donald Scott Home Page Link
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
