From A Certain Point Of View
By Phil Richardson (3/8/2022)
Note from John: This week’s post is guest-written by Phil Richardson, a close friend of mine. Phil has provided critical, constructive feedback on each book I have written so far. Kingdom’s End is dedicated to him in thanks for his efforts.
To begin with, I suppose I should explain how I know John. We first met as coworkers where we bonded over our mutual love of video games and literature, having many lively conversations about all topics from film to politics. That relationship persisted after we both moved to new jobs, and we still speak almost daily about all manner of things.
A couple years ago, John asked me if I would like to read a draft copy of his first book, The Last Wizard, and tell him what I thought. I could hardly pass up the opportunity to be a part of the creative process while not actually having to do any of the hard work, so I gladly accepted his draft and dug in with my red pen.
John’s rough draft was, like all rough drafts, rough. John is an engineer, and by his own admission, at times he wrote like one. I, myself an engineer and making no claims to literary genius, questioned everything from plot to grammar to character development. John defended his writing while, to his great credit, remaining open to what I intended to be honest and constructive feedback. My questions and comments became the basis for many an enjoyable conversation. We spent many hours discussing the finer points of his lore, ironing out plot twists, tweaking dialog, and even restructuring entire chapters to help him express his vision as best as possible. John didn’t always take the advice I offered, but he always listened, responded thoughtfully, and was as gracious as ever in the face of my criticism. Even when I was perhaps too insistent, dare I say, obnoxious? Working with John has been truly enjoyable.
Shortly after The Last Wizard came a draft for its sequel. Cue yet another round of debate, even more text dissection, and minute analysis of dialog. And then came more drafts of more stories. I won’t spoil anything, but to say that John has more irons in the fire will surprise no one who knows him.
Note from John: This is where I want to point out that Phil and I’s conversations turned into humorous “what if” scenarios now and again, some of which led to the “Outtakes” found at the back of Kingdom’s End.
The thrilling thing for me has been to see how immeasurably John has grown and developed as a writer. When TLW released, I was proud of my friend merely for having succeeded in what he had set out to do. To write a novel set in an original world with unique and engaging characters, to follow through multiple rounds of edits, and to eventually self-publish requires at the very least an immense determination and great persistence. John set out to achieve a dream and saw it through to the end—something anyone should be proud of. But even more than that, I saw how much John had improved his skills with the draft of Kingdom’s End. Having worked with him through editing and seeing his thought process, I appreciate how much his approach to his stories and how he weaves a world together has matured. The next (hitherto secret) draft is better yet.
That, I think, is the greatest part of this experience. While I do enjoy the books themselves, the most rewarding part of the experience of editing with John has been to watch him set and achieve goals, while simultaneously honing his skills and growing as an author. If he continues to write future works with the same determination and dedication to improving his craft that he has shown so far, then I can’t wait to see what new worlds he creates.
