Dear Writer: Episode 30

We started out with our favorite question—just how did Patrick get into writing? Patrick mentioned that he had always had an interest in writing, and started out by writing in prose rather than poetry. But he soon learned that he had a gift for writing in verse and has been working on developing his skills, particularly in verse novels, ever since.

We then began delving deeper into his process, being very interested in how verse novels are actually written. We asked about whether Patrick was a plotter or a pantser, and though he has the big ideas panned out, he identified more with pantsing, letting the words flow through him rather than adhering to a specific plot.

We also discussed the challenges of writing in verse, including building characters and revealing the plot in a very concise manner. Patrick discussed how his style is also different from other verse novelists he knows; there are few who write thrillers, and fewer still who follow the usual story arc.

In regards to his publishing journey, he studied marketing and self-publishing in depth before taking the plunge, and knew self-publishing was the right path for him. The biggest struggle he voiced was visibility, especially publishing in a relatively unknown genre such as verse novels.

Finally we talked about the resources he uses; Patrick studies successful books in order to discover the secrets hidden within the writing. He also uses Youtube to learn about writing techniques from well-known authors. He advises not to pay for mediocre writing lessons from writers who aren’t well known, but instead there is plenty of content for free from experts in the industry.

His final words were inspirational: “If you have an idea or passion, don’t let anyone tell you [that] you can’t do it, or it can’t be done, and just go for it.”