Blog Ring of Power Presents: P.T. Dilloway

February 22, 2013

Wait for it... wait for it... Okay!

It's that time again! That time where I rant about stupid things? No no no.

It's Blog Ring of Power time!

When five blogs stick one author in the spotlight for a week and make them shine.

(Um Terri, the glitter isn't working in this light, tell Irene to quit messing with it. No no, Dean, the computer wants a makeover, that's why it's messing with you. Sandra... wait, what was that in the shadows? T.W. um can you time warp this to work right? No?

Don't worry, it's all good. I think I've got it. The glitter has to go though. Now where is that super hero cape... Don't worry P.T. this will look great on you.)

Okay, all joking aside. I'd like to introduce you all to P.T. Dilloway. Welcome to the Realm. This is Part 5 of the five part interview. I hope everyone gets a chance to check out the other four parts.

Part 1 @ Sandra - Monday, February 18th

Part 2 @ Dean - Tuesday, February 19th

Part 3 @ Terri - Wednesday, February 20th

Part 4 @ Teresa - Thursday, February 21st

P.T. has never climbed Mt. Everest, never fronted a rock band (or played a musical instrument), never played on a pro sports team, never dated (or even seen up close) a supermodel, never been linked to any celebrity (A, B, D-list or otherwise), never walked down a red carpet, never had anyone discuss a "baby bump," never been featured on reality TV, and never been the star of a YouTube video. However, Pat has spent many lonely evenings (early mornings and mid-afternoons too!) reading and writing, and that has resulted in the publication of this novel.

Words of Wisdom

BRoP: What are the most important elements of good writing?

P.T. I think if history has taught us anything, it’s that people will forgive most anything as long as the story keeps their interest. Books like The da Vinci Code or Twilight I don’t consider to have very strong writing from a technical standpoint, nor do they have very well-rounded, interesting characters. (I would argue the opposite is the case with Twilight.) Yet lots of people read those and made them successes because the story maintained their interest. So if you have a good story that will usually cover up any other deficiencies. Conversely, there are a lot of beautiful writers whose stories are as interesting a soup can label. A great story can make up for dull prose but great prose cannot make up for a dull story.

BRoP: What tools are must-haves for writers?

P.T. These days you need to have a computer with a word processing program on it. I just use the same copy of MS Word I’ve had for pretty much 13 years now. I think you can still download OpenOffice for free if you don’t want to spend much money. You also need a printer, which laser printers are pretty cheap these days; I got mine for about $50. And never underestimate the value of a good red pen when editing.

BRoP: Do you have any advice for other writers?

P.T. I think the best advice is to read a lot, especially early on. It’s important to see what’s out there in the world before you try to make your mark on the world. It’s good to read in your genre of choice, but it’s even better to read in a variety of genres. That way you can experience more styles and techniques to get a broader view of the literary world. The worst thing you can do is just read one book and decide you want to write a book just like it. All you’re going to be doing then is parroting that other author instead of making your own book.

BRoP: What are your current / future project(s)?

P.T. Current and future is releasing all eight volumes of the Tales of the Scarlet Knight series. The first one is already released, the second is dropping February 12 and the rest will follow with one in each successive month right on through August. I think the series goes in some unexpected directions that I hope will take readers by surprise.

BRoP: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

P.T. I would just like to thank Sandra Ulbrich Almazan and the whole Blog Ring of Power gang for letting me take up space on your blogs. Thanks a lot and good luck in your own writing endeavors!

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