Derek has a vision. This became obvious after first chatting with this author based in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Whether measured by the quantity of words or the intended fantasy series stretching several books, author Derek Winters has the ideal ingredients to tempt new readers into his post-apocalyptic world. Read the first book of the series now, as his books are sure to fast become fan favourites.
Your author name
Derek Winters
Your book title
Lemuria – Scorched Earth (Book 1 of the ‘There Be Dragons’ series)
Give us the elevator pitch for your book?
It is not too hard these days to imagine an Earth beset by wars and famine… Add in an exhilarating dose of climate chaos, top it all off with a good old alien takeover – and you have an apocalyptic setting in which a young South African family finds themselves. Circumstances tears them apart and fate will work to reunite them against seemingly impossible odds… Along the way they encounter strange elder races and hybrids, and discover that below the shallow crust of our world, lies an ancient undiscovered one…
What would you give as your main reason or goal for writing?
I aim to incorporate mythology and ancient legends into a thrilling adventure story which will both captivate and uplift my readers.
Who was the book written for?
My teenage children… although along the way I inadvertently added in some mature themes, philosophies and theories… So anyone who is young at heart and open-minded.
How long did it take for you to finish the final draft of your book?
Six months. As a single parent, I was faced with many interruptions, so I could have completed it in half the time. (At a push)
What makes this book different from others on the shelf?
The sheer number of overlapping themes – ranging from futuristic sci-fi, to mythological fantasies and their cross-cultural connections.
What was the hardest part of the writing journey for you?
Fear of failure mainly. Wondering if anyone would even enjoy it.
Your favourite place to write?
A luxurious cabin in woods… but for now I’ll settle for being at my desk in my small home in Port Alfred.
What kept you motivated to write during the times you felt stuck?
The truth is I never feel stuck. My problem is that my writing skills rarely match my imaginative thought processes.
Tell us something about yourself that readers would not be able to guess?
I spent years (decades) trying to make it as an attorney, construction manager and business owner without much success. I have even attempted to settle into more basic employment in the not-too-distant past…
Have you written any other books?
Two. I am busy with ‘Atlantis’ – in what I hope will be a five-book series.
Assuming you may not write full time, what is your day job?
Fatherhood.
How should someone get in touch with you?
Hi Derek,
What technique did you use for outlining your novel?
Am looking at different techniques…. all seem to be useful…. bit of a mindfield (yes, I do mean ‘mindfield!)
Hey Renate, I will make sure Derek sees your question!
Hi Renate,
To be honest, I have never consciously used any one method. For my first book, I had a scrawled bunch of handwritten notes, which vaguely resembled a synopsis outline, as well as the first few chapters… but I found that this just added to my workload. Nowadays, other than jotting down a few research notes, I don’t bother with handwritten notes much. I focus mainly on imagining how some of my main characters will begin and end their adventure, as well as any twists along the way. (Kind of a book-end method). I type in a few key notes and summaries to jog my memory if needed, and I focus on one character until I become jaded, at which time I’ll incorporate another character. Often there is cutting and pasting to be done, as I incorporate other characters into the storyline.
Sorry about the long-winded answer…
P.S. Don’t worry about beginning a chapter with a setting, description, and an occurrence or event, without really knowing how it will all pan out. And don’t worry if it lacks content, you can always come back to it later.
I would never have been able to navigate the literary world alone, without the help of Dave at MyEBooks. Haughty Agents and Vanity Publishers lay out a far too formidable obstacle course for me to attempt to navigate. It is too early to know whether or not I’ll ever be able to earn a living by doing what I love, but at this early stage, it is extremely reassuring for me to have MyeBooks taking care of all the technical stuff, while I can be left to bury myself in my fantasy world. I believe there is a niche in the global market for inspiring and uplifting books. Life is pretty tough for a lot of us, and I truly believe a bit of ‘escapism’ now and then, helps the psyche… My writing will motivate young readers and lift the spirit of all those who allow themselves to be absorbed into the world I describe. Again… thank you Dave, Dave, and Gregg at MyeBooks.
As a pure business model: I aim to be a ‘Goosebumps’ type of author, whereby I produce a number of book series’, based on various recurring themes… A future dystopia/apocalypse; Inner earth; Mythological beings, and the possibility that some of these may have been real.
Hey Derek – I love your book and the story you have imagined over its pages. I really think that readers will love immersing themselves into the world you have created. Congratulations on your first book reaching the shelves, I cannot wait to help you publish the next!