Nothing like the smell of blood in the morning. (I’m kidding. I’m just a writer)
I love crime fiction. Thrillers. I discovered my love for writing when I was a kid but wrote my first book about nine years ago, after watching Sherlock.
Yes, that Sherlock.
Growing up, I watched a lot of fast-paced action movies–guns and explosion. Always fascinated by mysteries. I love the thrill of them. When I started writing my first book in 2011, it looked a lot like Sherlock. Two detectives, who are best friends, fighting crime and whatnot. The story seemed more like a fan-fiction of sorts, rather than an original idea.
In other words, I looked at my first draft and thought, “Ohhh. This is absolute garbage.”
Even now, when I look at that horrid first draft, my face goes:
*Nervous laughter* No, that’s not my writing. That’s just… someone else.
Then I knew I wanted to write something original, so I wrote my official first first draft. Like, with an actual plot and twists and stuff. And I can confidently tell you…
That was also garbage.
It took me a while to realize that’s normal. It’s okay if your first draft is trash because that’s how it should be. Doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. It’s just part of the process. You write the first draft from the heart, then you rewrite and edit it using your head. Emotions first, logic next. I, personally, make the whole thing up as I go. In other words, when you’re starting out on a book, just let it go.
That’s huge, coming from me, the person who’s perpetually anxious.
When you rewrite and edit, the story gets a structure. I wouldn’t exactly say my first draft was all that bad. I found gold within the trash. Never get rid of your original drafts. They can be good inspirations.
Over the years, I grew and learned a lot from people, criticisms (some unwarranted ones too) and experiences. I made a story out of that draft with characters I fell deeply in love with and which I can call my own. That’s where my Aidan Hunter series started.
It’s safe to say my life revolves around my books and writing.
All my stories have an LGBTQIA+ theme. Male romances and relationships. I grew up in an environment where anything LGBTQIA+ was usually made fun of and the law of the country I used to live in, saw it as illegal. So, nobody knew anything about my books. That’s why I figured online publishing was the only way to go.
A few friends asked me why I write such stories. Honestly, I don’t know how to answer those questions. The first thing that always comes to mind is, ‘I just love male romances.’ Beyond that, I can’t seem to explain it. I don’t need to. I love them, period. You’re not going to find a single book of mine where there isn’t a gay relationship.
That raised other questions from a friend too, like, “If that’s the case, why don’t you write a romance, since you like it so much?” That’s a fair question.
The thing is, I simply cannot, for the life of me, write a book purely of the romance genre. I simply can’t. I don’t have the patience for it. Like I said before, I love detectives, mysteries, thrillers, fast-paced action, cliffhangers. Crime thrillers come naturally to me. As such, I prefer incorporating romance into that genre. I like it more that way.
Of course, coming up with original plots is quite the challenge nowadays. Especially if you’re writing a series, because then you’d have to make sure the books are connected in some way, even if the plot takes a different route. People want to avoid cliches as much as possible.
The thing is, it’s okay if your plot ideas are a little cliche. My books have them too. A lot of stories nowadays are. Cliches are bad, yes, but you can’t avoid them entirely sometimes and that’s fine. The whole point is to make something new out of them, add your unique essence into them.
For example, in case of crime thrillers, you can take a typical serial killer and give him a twist. Maybe he likes chasing his victims around before killing them. Maybe he only kills at a particular time, with a particular MO–staging deaths as accidents/suicides. Yeah, you may have seen those before. My point is about spicing it up a little. It’s the way you write it that makes it unique. As long as you’re able to keep the readers on their toes.
I usually come up with random scenes, rather than a whole structured plot. Piecing them together is key to forming a story. I note the ideas down in my trusty phone, as and when they come. I suck at planning, so 90% of my books are improvisation. In other words, I’m a Pantser.
The ideas play out like a really cool movie in my head, and I spend my time daydreaming more than anything. Eventually, they do end up coming together, though. That’s how it works for me.
If you’re like me in that context–the one who makes things up as they go–that’s fine. There are no hard and fast rules here. If you have a bunch of random ideas, note them down, every single one. Even if they come at two a.m in the morning. You can make something out of them later.
That said, this whole post was an excuse to bring my book into the picture. The first book of my Aidan Hunter series, Trickster, is out on Amazon. Available in all marketplaces. It’s for $1.50 only, so do check it out. Leave a review. It would mean a lot.
Synopsis:
It’s all a game.
How much does the life of three hostages weigh against the life of an entire city?
For ex-detective Henry Wood, hunting a diamond thief seems like the best way to get him and his partner back into the team. Back into their jobs. It’s been a year since they were fired and it can’t go on like this.
His over-confident genius of a partner isn’t so sure. As they delve deeper into the case, all is not as it seems. What starts out as an ordinary theft soon turns into a twisted game of life and death. Aidan is faced with an enemy from his past, with a mind as sharp as his. Known only as ‘The Trickster’, he makes Aidan doubt everything he believes in.
As the stakes rise higher, and time is running out, all that remains is one question:
Who will play the better trick?
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Do check it out please.
The key is to keep writing no matter what. Write your heart out, and don’t worry about what people think.
Speaking of which, here’s to all my fellow Pantsers out there. Cheers guys.
Paperback Writer 