Will Jordan

Published August 13, 2013 | By Laura

Will Jordan is the author of The Ryan Drake series – Redemption and Sacrifice. He lives in Fife and is currently working on book no. 3. Will popped in to chat about his writing day, his book series and Geordie Shore…

Can you tell us about the Ryan Drake series?

Ryan Drake is a former British soldier who used to be involved in shady blacks ops work, before being court martialled and forced out under murky circumstances. For the past few years he’s been working for the CIA as a ‘Shepherd’, finding and rescuing lost or missing agents. However, an offer to wipe his record clean in exchange for rescuing a prisoner from a Russian jail sets in motion a chain of events that will change his life forever. The prisoner in question is a woman named Anya, a former operative with the CIA who holds the key to a web of conspiracy and betrayal stretching back almost 20 years. A threat to his family forces Drake to go on the run with her, and he soon learns that Anya is more than a match for anything the CIA can throw at her. The only question is whether they can work together long enough to stay alive.

Describe your typical writing day…

For me it’s less a writing day and more a writing evening. I still work a full time job and have two kids to look after, so I have to wait until they’re in bed before I can kick things off properly. I try to churn over ideas throughout the day, so I’ll have a pretty good idea of what I’ll write in the evening. For me, it’s also important to get in the right frame of mind for writing. I can’t just switch from being a dad to being a writer, so a bit of quiet time to calm down and focus is really beneficial. All of this might sound like time-wasting, but I’d rather have two hours of quality writing than an entire day of screen-staring. So I’ll usually kick off about 8pm, then depending on how it goes I’ll carry on until about midnight. I’ve been known to work until 1 or 2 in the morning if I’m on a roll, particularly towards the end of the book when I like to do a sprint finish. It all depends on how much coffee I can drink before I start to hallucinate!

Are you a planner?

I didn’t used to be, but gradually I’ve learned that a good plan at the start can save you weeks or even months of work further down the line. Now I start with a really short synopsis, often just a few paragraphs outlining the main themes I want to address, then from this I’ll build up a really detailed picture of the story, sometimes up to 10 pages long, that includes all the main plot points and character arcs. I always end up making changes when I come to actually write the story (maybe a scene doesn’t flow as well as I’d hoped, or a plot point doesn’t quite work, or I just come up with some better ideas) but generally I’ll follow the plan. I’m on an endless quest to write the perfect synopsis!

Do you edit as you go along or wait for a final first draft?

Definitely edit later. Editing is the only part of writing that actually feels like work for me, because you have to be logical rather than creative, so I tend to put it off as long as possible! It’s also really important for me to keep the momentum of the story going, and nothing kills the momentum more than having to go back and change a bunch of stuff half way through.

Do you write in silence or do you prefer noise?

Depends on the situation, really. I don’t do well in places where there’s a lot of background noise and activity, so I couldn’t write in cafes etc. I need to be able to concentrate and focus on the work. That being said, music is really helpful to establish the emotion and pace of a scene, so I might go for something up-tempo for an action-packed chase etc, or something more poignant and moving for an emotional scene. I tend to use a lot of soundtracks rather than contemporary music, otherwise I’ll become too focused on the song itself and neglect the writing.

Do you get writers block? How do you combat it?

Generally, no. Writers block isn’t a problem for me. The most common problem I have is the ‘jigsaw effect’ – having all the right pieces but not quite knowing how to fit them together. That’s usually my cue to take a break, go for a walk or just watch TV – anything to take my mind off the problem. Usually I find the answer just comes to me once I’ve put that distance between me and the problem. The worst thing you can do is sit there and force yourself to write, because it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have to go back and change it later.

Is there a character from fiction you’d like to meet?

I’m going to be selfish and say I’d like to have a chat with Ryan Drake! Be interested to know if he’s miffed at me after everything I’ve put him through.

Which book has made the most impact on you?

Strangely, it’s a recent book called The Book Thief. It’s told from the point of view of the Grim Reaper, and follows a young girl living in Nazi Germany during the war. Sounds very morbid I know, but it’s an incredibly powerful, occasionally funny and ultimately uplifting book. You know you’ve read a good book when you need to go away and calm down after finishing it.

Which three things would you want with you on a desert island?

My Playstation, a Lazyboy chair and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Give me those things and I’d be good to go. Never mind the rescue!

What are you music/TV guilty pleasures?

I love zombie movies, so The Walking Dead is one of my favourite shows right now. Game of Thrones is also a biggie for me. I have to admit that I’ve also been known to watch Geordie Shore as a guilty pleasure, mostly for the sheer ridiculousness of the whole thing!

If you could time travel, where would you go?

Probably France, around 1812. I’d like to have a chat with Napoleon Bonaparte. I’ve been playing Napoleon: Total War lately and I was hoping he could give me some pointers…

Five tips for new writers.

1. Plan your story so you know where you’re going, and how you’ll get there. 5% more effort at the beginning usually means 50% less work later.

2. The characters have to drive the story, not the other way around. If you have to think of stuff for your characters to do, ask yourself whether they should even be in the story.

3. If you run into a snag, take a break. Forcing yourself to write won’t do anyone any favours.

4. Be prepared for disappointment. The road to getting published is not an easy one, and you’ll face more than a few knockbacks and frustrations along the way.

5. Have fun with it! Writing, like reading, is supposed to be fun, so enjoy it for the brilliant creative experience that it is.

Visit Will’s Website.

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