> Find out more about the Behind The Debut podcast here.
Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication.
In this episode, I chat with WJR Pollard, who shares his varied journey from the army, construction and maximum security prison guard to writing and self-publishing his debut book - Chosen - the first in his Norse-inspired epic series, Chronicles of Orn.
In our conversation you’ll hear:
Why creating a map was Will’s first step in planning his book and his favourite tool for doing that
The biggest challenge he faced in the writing process and what he has to STOP himself doing
How Will plans battle scenes so they don’t become formulaic
The first thing he does before he starts the revision process and how this saves him time (and money) at the editing stage
The surprising discovery he made about himself while writing Chosen and the challenges he faces with promoting it as a non-salesy writer (something a LOT of us will resonate with)
HOW TO LISTEN:
If you’re reading this on your desktop, there are buttons at the top left of the post to switch between video and audio options. (The video is just an image fyi.)
On the Substack app the video is at the top of the page and the audio is underneath the title.
You can also listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts and also on YouTube.
More about ‘Chosen’
Orn Avdlak's peaceful life shatters when slavers, posing as soldiers from across the sea, raid his island village and capture his father, a renowned warrior, once known as 'The Black Bear Berserk.'
Orn, harbouring a secret power to command the elements, must now rescue his father. Untrained and seeking justice, he realizes he needs allies as he navigates a perilous path.
His journey to reunite his family takes him closer to the heart of a conflict where an ancient evil entwines with the ruthless ambitions of man. In a world where past glories and buried secrets collide, Orn Avdlak stands on the precipice of destiny. To save his father and unearth the truth, he must embrace his power and confront the shadows threatening to engulf them all.
Connect with Will
WJRPollardWriter.com / Instagram / Threads
Buy Chosen as a paperbook or ebook here
Azgaar Fantasy Map Generator - mentioned by Will as his favourite tool
If you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to michelle@michellereeveswrites.com
Show music by music_for_video from Pixabay
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