The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard By Derek R. King

6/13/2020

Award winning, multi-volume, multi-genre author Derek R. King introduces us to his amazing book about a man, an era and a crusade, “The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard”:
In 1955, Clyde Kennard, a decorated army veteran, was forced to cut short the final year of his studies at the University of Chicago and return home to Mississippi due to family circumstances, where Kennard made the decision to complete his education. Yet still on the eve of the civil rights movement in America, Kennard’s decision would be one of the first serious attempts to integrate any public school at the college level in the state. The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard tells the true story of Kennard’s efforts to complete his further education at Mississippi Southern College (now the University of Southern Mississippi) against the backdrop of the institutionalized social order of the times and the prevailing winds of change attempting to blow that social order away. As Meredith’s admission to "Ole Miss" became more widely known at the time, Kennard became the forgotten man. Author Derek R. King shares his extensive research into Kennard’s life, and touches on key events that shaped those times.

What an amazing book! Starting from the earliest days of slavery in the new world, Derek takes us through the significant events in American history that led to the Civil Rights Movement in the middle of the twentieth century.
It came down to the decision of Clyde Kennard to leave college and return to the family farm in Mississippi, so he could care for his mother and keep the farm going. His decision and that of others to want to finish their education in a good college, that they were barred from attending by state law and practice is the crux of the matter.
The events that have unfolded for Clyde and many others since that time, more than 50 years ago, have led to unprecedented changes in our society. We have outlawed racism in as many forms as possible and continue to seek expanded opportunities for all people. We haven’t reached the finish line yet, but knowing how far we have come as a society since Clyde’s life ended is a great encouragement. We can feel strengthened to continue the course and root out this pernicious evil wherever it may be found.
Derek uses a plethora of source material from both sides of the issue to weave a coherent and understandable story. All sides are well represented at all levels of government.
This is a book well worth reading. It is hard to put down at times and it is hard to read at times about the abuse that these Americans endured simply because of their skin color. Even though I found a small handful of spelling errors, I am going to award 5 stars to “The Life and Times of Clyde Kinnard”! Thank you, Mr. King, for giving 10 years of your life to bring this story to light.

You can buy this book:
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-life-and-times-of-clyde-kennard
https://www.lulu.com/derek-r-king/the-life-and-times-of-clyde-kennard
https://smile.amazon.com/Life-Times-Clyde-Kennard
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-life-and-times-of-clyde-kennard
https://books.apple.com/the-life-and-times-of-clyde-kennard
https://play.google.comThe_Life_and_Times_of_Clyde_Kennard
You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/DerekRKing2
https://www.clydekennardlifeandtimesof.com

Tags: civil rights, civil disobedience, movement, history, slavery, slaves, Africa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, Emmett Till,

Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz Except the author's introduction

49 Comments

Derek King link

6/14/2020 11:22:09 am

Many thanks for the kind and positive feedback, Mark. It's comments like this the truly make the ten year process of researching and writing feel all the more worthwhile.

Mark

6/14/2020 11:29:37 am

I enjoy reading about history quite a bit. Your book gave me more context to understand the issue of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s better than I had before.
First question.
Please, tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

Derek King

6/14/2020 11:45:17 am

As you may know, I live in Scotland. I enjoy the great outdoors of this small and fantastic country.
I’m partial to the occasional malt whisky, art in all its forms (particularly the art nouveau, deco, impressionism, surrealist and contemporary periods), photography and of course writing, there must be some writing going on.
My first loves are music and poetry, pretty diverse tastes in both to be honest. I play guitar, but not as often as I used to. I was in a band for a few years, guitar, wordsmith and arranger, had a few pro-recording demos over those years. It was great fun.
Now, I mostly write do some walking, taking photos on the way.

6/14/2020 11:50:21 am

I am just beginning to learn about hard spirits. I do enjoy hand-crafted beers and hard ciders a great deal. Photography is a hobby of mine also. We have a number of things in common. My musical abilities are limited to playing the stereo, however. ;-)
New questions.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer?
What kind of work do you do? Feel free to skip that question, if you would rather not answer.
Does your work, or past work if you are retired, have any influence on your writing?

6/14/2020 12:07:28 pm

I’m a part time writer, which is a factor in why the book took so long. I carried out research weeknights and some weekends. I mainly wrote over long weekend or holidays, the latter as much as possible for consistency of writing style as much as anything else.

My day job is in construction, I deal with contractual and financial matters. The essence of which is collating information and evidence, corroborating it and analysing it to provide financial and contractual advice and outputs. There are a few transferable skills in that which assisted with this book, from the legal side of things to researching to the actual writing itself, in what I hope was as factual, balanced and easy to understand way.

6/14/2020 01:25:22 pm

You are part of a large family of part time writers. Many dream of the day when they can be full time writers.
I retired from construction a few years ago, I did commercial sheet metal work and became a HVAC service technician.
Your writing was very clear, I found it to be quite factual and balanced. These things are missing from most journalism these days.
New questions.
Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.
What do the elements on the cover represent?
Was it hard to come up with the title? What was the process?

6/15/2020 12:14:15 pm

It’s a small world indeed, Mark. My second appointment was with was a multi national M&E contractor, so HVAC is an area I’m familiar with. Since then I’ve mostly been in main contracting.

I’m grateful for the feedback on the writing, it’s very much appreciated. One thing I was very conscious of, writing on such a sensitive and potentially polarising issue, was viewing and writing about the past through the prism of 21st century sensibilities. I wanted to write about what had happened in the context of those times.

The cover of the book, well, that was me. While I was with the band, I produced the graphic art for covers, posters etc along with various miscellaneous pieces of artwork. Admittedly, those were vastly different from the cover of this book but I think the cover works reasonably well with the subject matter of the book.

That said, I would have loved to have had a picture of Clyde Kennard on the cover but, the pictures of Mr Kennard I found were subject to copyright and the fees for use were frankly eye water to an indie author like me. I also figured that anyone who was interested in seeing a photo of Clyde Kennard could hop on their preferred internet search engine or browser and quickly find a photo.

In the end, the image I settled on for the front cover is the Administration Building of University of Southern Mississippi, (known as Mississippi Southern College, in Mr Kennard’s time), which seemed appropriate given Mr Kennard’s efforts to enrol there.

While the cover is pretty plain, save for the colourful photograph of Southern Miss, as it’s known, I opted to add the yellow border to the book edge. It was a bit of a nod to the institution’s colours, which are black and gold I believe.

Selecting the book title was an interesting process. I pondered over the title for quite a while to be honest, I guess most folks do. Questions like “Is the title too long? How will it work in a search engine? Does it describe the content of the book? Will it draw people in? Is it dull and boring?” That type of thing. In the end, I decided on “The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard,” because that is what the book is about. Not the most glamorous title perhaps.

6/15/2020 12:42:01 pm

You handled the sensitivity quite well. I wish journalist would exercise the same sensitivity. Racism is a very hot topic.
Not a glamorous title, but it is very effective and the book delivers on the title.
New questions.
What other books and genres have you written?
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

6/15/2020 01:24:11 pm

Thank you. I always feel, that regardless of the time spend on it, the loving care you devote to it, that the minute you hit the publish button, the first “I wish I’d said that differently” rears its head.

I was invited to contributed to the Winter Chills collection of short spooky fiction stories by SJ Lomas last year. I was delighted when my story was accepted for the collection, particularly with it sitting alongside SJ Lomas, DB Carter and Natalie Reeves Billing.

At the moment I’m collating a collection of my poetry for publication later this year. It’s a project that has been much talked about for a while now and I’m really looking forward to that journey.

I’ve never entered a writing contest, finding the time to write for pleasure can be challenging in itself.

Awards, yes, The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard received 5-star gold book award from Literary Titan. I was absolutely thrilled to bits to receive it, especially for my first book. I felt that the 10-year researching and writing period was somehow validated, if that makes sense. The Winter Chills short story collection also received the same award from Literary Titan so that was wonderful thing for the group.

6/15/2020 01:43:09 pm

The inner critic always has a better idea after hitting send. That darn guy is so frustrating. Making a person doubt everything. It takes a lot of work to ignore him, sometimes.
There are all kinds of writing contests. Some are good and some are bad. Anne R Allen is one of my favorite bloggers and she has blogged about this very topic. At the bottom of her blogs is a list of current contests that she thinks are good and honest.
That is a wonderful award. I hope you submit your book to other contests, I would not be surprised if you have a bunch of stickers on your book in a few years.
New questions.
I noticed that you didn’t put your book in Kindle Unlimited. Why is that?
Have you ever gone through the query process, seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers or did you go straight to indie publishing or self-publishing, and why?

6/15/2020 02:33:54 pm

Thanks for the competition tip, Mark. I’ll make a point of checking it out.

I published my book through Lulu and a far as I know Kindle Unlimited is not an option with them. It is a question I asked after the fact, as it were.

The query process is not something I’ve gone through, nor have I sought and agent or submitted directly, as yet. With The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard, I took the view, rightly or wrongly, that this was a niche book for a niche market about someone who was largely unknown and as such was unlikely to attract much “commercial interest.” But it was a story I was committed to and I wanted it to see the light of day, and so that was part of the motivation to self-publish.

I was also very conscious that, this being my first book, I needed some advice editorially and for other US market specific elements associated with the book, so I procured those services through Lulu. One has to tread carefully with non-fiction works and US and UK have their differences. It was a bit of an investment, but I believe it was worth it.

6/15/2020 05:47:41 pm

https://annerallen.com/2019/05/beware-bogus-writing-contests/
Here is a link to the post I mentioned. The functionality of the search feature on my website is very limited. I have some work cut out for me.
Not being in KU might be to your advantage in the long run. If I understand it correctly, they demand an exclusive license for six months. Going wide. like you have done, would not have been possible, perhaps.
Non-fiction does not always have the same wide appeal as fiction. Considering the topic and the current social upheaval, your book could sell well, relatively speaking. I imagine your publisher knows more about the market than I do.
It would not hurt to take a look at websites and groups that focus on history and such.
On my Twitter home page I have lists of people who provide services to authors, one of the lists is for book reviewers, 463 strong. Most of them have genres they prefer, but it might be worthwhile for you to scan the list, you may find some who like history books. There is also a list of book promoters.
New questions.
Do you think independent publishers can produce a book as good as mainstream publishers?
What are the three most important considerations for an independent author to be certain of when signing a contract with an independent or hybrid publisher?
Is using Twitter and other social media part of your marketing strategy?

6/16/2020 12:25:41 pm

I believe so, if the independent publishing process is carried out diligently. By that I mean editorial checks and in the case of non-fiction legal compliance. It may be those services are outsourced by independent publishers more so than mainstream, but I think that may be changing or at least evolving. The bigger challenge as I see it is what happens post publication, the PR / marketing side of things. You’d like to think that mainstream publishers have the resources to put together a robust campaign of sorts at a variety of levels to suit various authors types, but recent articles I’ve read have suggested some mainstream published authors face the same challenges as independent authors in that area.

Considerations, well, as a contractual guy the main thing I’d say is reading the contract isn’t enough you need to understand what you’re planning to sign up to. Once you’ve done that, think about what you want for your book, pre-publication (edits, layouts, design etc) and post publication (distribution, PR/ marketing, author / book website, sales info/ revenue timescales) does the contract deliver those things, if not will the publisher negotiate or is it a one size fits all, take it or leave it. I’d also say be prepared to shop around for what you want, be prepared for disappointment and be prepared to compromise.

Interesting question about social media. It wasn’t part of my marketing strategy when I joined Twitter, but I have to say it’s definitely elevated the profile and sales of my book.
I’m also proud to add that I’ve purchased several books by indie author over the near 18 months I’ve been on Twitter. I guess the message is never underestimate the power of interaction.

6/16/2020 01:16:28 pm

I agree, unless your last name is King, Rowling, Patterson or others of the same level, most authors will not see much assistance in terms of marketing and promotion. In fact, some publishers will not even look at an author unless they have an active social media presence and a website with a mailing list of several thousand fans. To the publisher this represents a certain amount of guaranteed sales and a good chance to make a profit.
Those are very important, I would add Intellectual Property rights. Those are key for the author in terms of long-term profitability. Honest publishers request a license to publish the book for a certain length of time or number of copies. The IP rights should return to the author for renegotiation or not. Some unscrupulous publishers take all the IP rights for years, even decades. The author loses all control of their book. There are so many different way to publish a story, audio book, movie, play and graphic novel to mention a few. There are also foreign distribution rights, in English and translations.
Interaction is important. Many authors like to do book fairs, signings and readings for that very reason.
New questions.
When you decided to indie-publish how did you pick a publisher?
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?
Have you thought about doing an audio book?

6/16/2020 02:01:58 pm

Hang on mo, Mark, my last name is King!

That is an excellent point on IP, particularly these days. I've seen folks complain of plagiarism issues on Twitter, that’s not good for anyone.

Interesting question on the publisher selection. On reflection it feels as if it was quite easy. That probably means I either didn’t do a through job or I knew what I wanted. It was the latter in reality. With a demanding day job, coupled with the facts that I had been working on this project for over 10 years and that it was my first book publication, I was very much aware that I was too close to the writing, perhaps read what I had intended to write rather than the words on the page. So a fresh pair of unbiased, critical eyes were required, in my mind, and that is what I opted for. I was looking for as much of a “one stop publishing shop” as I could find.

Ultimately, I wanted the book to be the best it could be within my means and who doesn’t want that.

I have to say, and perhaps I’ve been lucky on the route I’ve taken, but I haven’t come across unethical practices. It seems as though you have or have heard of some, would you care to share?

Audio book is something I have thought off. Some author friends have, others are considering it. I think it’s a great medium to pass time enroute to a destination or just relaxing. I’d never really considered it at all, until I began listening to audio files of oral histories as part of my research for the book. As for the subject matter of my book, I think careful and sensitive consideration of the narrator would require. But is something that does interest me.

6/16/2020 02:32:38 pm

I stand corrected, I guess the last name isn't enough. Mea culpa.
Plagiarism is a serious problem. It's so easy, it seems. I have at least one good article on the Highly Regarded Blogs page about plagiarism. There are specific steps to take when that is encountered.
I understand about one-stop publishing, some publishers offer different packages and some are ala carte.
I alluded to certain unethical practices involving IP rights previously. That is number one in my mind because it's outright legal theft by deception, once the contract is signed. It's incumbent upon authors to have every contract reviewed by a lawyer. Even if you can't afford an ounce of protection, you certainly can't afford a pound of cure.
Another practice I don't like is the requirement to buy a thousand copies of your book. That guarantees the publisher a nice profit, then the author is responsible for the marketing of all those books.
There are many good blogs written about audio books, even some on how to do it yourself. There are a number of them on the aforementioned Highly Regarded Blogs page. I actually got to interview a man who read and produced audio books in a previous interview, here is the copy-and-paste link: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/heir-to-a-prophecy-by-mercedes-rochelle-narrated-by-kevin-e-green
Audio books are very popular in America and they are exploding all over the world. Many countries use English as the official language of government and business and millions of their citizens access the internet only through their smart phone. The audio book is perfect for consumption and for those who want to improve their use and understanding of English.
New questions.
Do you have a favorite book by another author or just favorite authors?
Did you have a favorite book as a child?
Do you ever read a book more than once? If so, which one?

6/16/2020 03:05:43 pm

I’m more a favourite book/ books than favourite authors person. For me it’s like music or art, you have a favourite piece or pieces but you may not like the whole body of work.

My first favourite book as a child was probably Ladybird’s “Three Little Pigs.” That was my first introduction to the frailties of construction. More seriously it would be Lewis Carol’s “Alice In Wonderland” and “Through The looking Glass”. It was the imagery, wordplay and absurdity in those books that really piqued my interest.

I have read a few books more than once, that list would include Sylvia Plath’s “The Colossus” and “Bell Jar”, Giles Whittell’s “Spitfire Women”, Hodding Carter III “The South Strikes Back”, Homer’s “The Iliad” to name a few but there are more.

Of those I’ve read most recently I will certainly be re-reading D B Carter’s "The Cherries", Lali A Love’s "Heart of Warrior Angel" and SJ Lomas’s "Dream Frequency". There are so many great indie authors and books out there at the moment. I have quite a few new indie author books on my TBR too which I’m planning to read when I complete my current WIP. Having had a sneaky peek in a few already I’m really looking forward to reading them.

6/16/2020 10:13:27 pm

Alice in Wonderland was an interesting book. As a young boy, I enjoyed the Disney version a lot before seeing the book. I recall struggling with Through the Looking Glass, I think I was too young.
I remember reading Tolkien's Lord of The Rings three times before graduating from high school. I was so enthralled with that trilogy. I read the Hobbit once or twice also.
There are so many good books out there. I wish I had time to read them all. But I doubt I will live long enough.
New questions.
Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?
Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?

6/17/2020 02:48:20 pm

For a lot of folks, I think writing does have an element of a spiritual or healing component to it at the positive end of the spectrum, on a soul food type basis if nothing else. For others, perhaps at the opposite end from time to time it’s perhaps more of a cathartic process, an exorcism of sorts. I’ll leave it to those who know me to decide which group I belong to.

The energy and fatigue levels are a very interesting thing, and in reality it depends on what has been written and the emotional that goes along with it, I believe. For example, with the short story in Winter Chills, I woke at 4am, with the seed on an idea. Fell back to sleep, by 7am the sub-conscious had the beginning, middle and end shell of the piece. I got up, fired up the computer and hammered away at it until 11am and that was the caffeine fuelled first draft, aided and abetted by an album I’d been listening to that just seemed to meshed with the vibe of the story. It was exhilarating and I didn’t feel drained until a few days later.

On the other hand I’ve written ten or so lines of tough, emotive poetry and been pretty wiped out. Hope I’m not alone in that.

We are humans, we either relate to individuals and what the individual is going through or we don’t. In my view, to make characters believable there has do be a connection on an emotive level with the reader. That’s a very important part of the engagement with the reader, the readers experience and what they take from the book. That feels like a very obvious thing to say, to be honest but I think it is true.

Derek

6/17/2020 03:41:18 pm

Only a word master could answer a question so well without answering the question. I love it! I also don't expect you to answer any question that makes you uncomfortable.
I like how you differentiate by the type of writing. That makes a lot of sense. I have no doubt that there are other poets and writers who have had similar experiences.
We are all emotional creatures, quite simply. Emotions form a central core of our life and color every bit of our life for weal or woe. If the character comes across as flat, there is no connection for the reader to make. You made the point quite succinctly.
New questions.
Have you ever done NaNoWriMo?
Are you an under-writer or an over-writer? When the first draft is done, do you need to add more to flesh it out or do you have to cut material because there is too much?

6/17/2020 04:07:42 pm

I do like the phrase “word master” however I’m not sure I’ve earned that just yet.

NaNoWriMo is not something I’ve done, nor ever likely to do as the demands of the day job mean I could never fully commit. I have full respect for those who do.

Also I need to be inspired to write, or I should say moved to write. I can tell when I’ve forced a piece, it usually ends up in the round filing cabinet.

Under or over? Well both, and for different reasons. In the Clyde Kennard book, for example, I was governed by page count production cost and what I saw as potentially reader attrition. By that I mean the Prologue was at once stage twice the page count. It flowed better as a story, but as a prologue it was too lengthy so I cut it. Probably enough material for another book though if I ever decided to go down that route.

In other sections of the Clyde Kennard book, having complete the full project, the information within some sections felt like too much detail and while good was not entirely necessary. Some of those elements were scarified to make way to enhance other sections that were, in retrospect I felt, a bit light or could be presented differently.

6/17/2020 09:38:56 pm

I can see how NaNoWriMo could be very challenging for a person with a full-time job. I am not a writer, so it's hard for me to imagine trying to meet a daily quota of almost 3,000 words. It can't be very easy.
I was surprised by the length of the prologue at first. After thinking about it, I decided it was necessary and appropriate. I have no doubt it could have been twice as long or more.
Every paragraph, page and chapter has it's own balance and it is very important for smooth reading. I have no doubt that it took quite awhile to find the balance that you wanted.
New questions.
Did you cut mostly descriptions, action, dialogue or whole sections?
Did you save the parts that didn't make it into the final version?

6/18/2020 02:37:04 pm

The edit, redaction and outright cuts were a mix of descriptions, action, dialogue and whole segments. They were largely driven by the needs of book, the context, i.e. which events really were key in Clyde Kennard’s story, e.g. those that related directly to him and those that influenced the times he lived in. Basically, honing the book.

I wanted to try to bring the past to life for the reader as best I could, to try to take the reader back to those times and I wanted to include as many of Clyde Kennard’s own words as possible so the reader could get an impression of the man. Readers will decide I achieved that whether or not.

Digitally, I have every iteration right back to my first six pages of notes from 2007. It’s a day job thing, I think.

I’ve retained a number of the WIP prints along the years, mainly at key edits, reactions and insertions. Not quite sure why I still have them, I guess someday I may look back at the elements that were taken out.

6/18/2020 02:49:18 pm

That makes a lot of sense. Finding the best way to tell a story of this nature is a journey in and of itself.
Using Clyde's words made it quite real and gave a good picture of the man.
Attention to detail is certainly a job requirement for your type of work, as it is mine. I would save the previous drafts also, if I was a writer.
Those elements may come in useful, you never know for sure.
New questions.
Do you prefer dialogue tags or action beats in your books?
What is your writing routine when you sit down to write?

6/18/2020 03:56:34 pm

I mostly use dialogue tags in the Clyde Kennard book, as much to do with the fact that most of the dialogue originates in quoted source material and I didn’t want to detract from the information being conveyed, if that makes sense. In other words I felt the information itself was more important than the manner in which it was delivered.
In other work I’ve used action tags, it’s all part of fiction narrative writing for me.

Routine, well I’ll come onto the Clyde Kennard book in a moment, but generally I don’t have a writing routine as such, I rarely sit down at a desk to write creatively from scratch. I touched on how the Winter Chills short story came about a little earlier and my poetry writing is similar. That is, an idea has already formed and developed in my head and is ready to be “transcribed” by the time I sit down at a keyboard.

I have many random scraps of paper, napkins, menus and beermats with hastily scribbled prose and poetry etching onto them when the inspiration strikes. I’m not alone in that I am sure. That’s the way it’s always been for me, music, words or art.

When I am “transcribing” I usually listen to music that, for me, fits with what I’m writing, either the period of the piece or a general vibe I’m trying to create. I usually have water and breadsticks, or tea, coffee, biscuits and cake to hand. So all good and healthy on that side of things. Beyond that, there really is no other routine.

The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard was very, very different. If I were to tell you that this was never more than a little research project in my spare time between music projects to keep my little grey cells going would you be surprised? Well that was exactly what it was, except I was drawn in, I wanted to learn more about this man who is often mentioned in other books on those times, but rarely receives more than a couple of paragraphs or a couple of pages, and so it began.

I mentioned earlier that I carried out research weeknights and some weekends. I mainly wrote over long weekend or holidays. So this was very much a structured writing experience compared to the my other writing. So that was my writing process for that book.

Years later learned of the Toni Morrison quote “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it.” I didn’t know it then, but that is exactly what I did.

6/18/2020 04:19:21 pm

Using dialogue tags in a historical book does make sense, the content is more important than the form.
That is an interesting process you follow for much of your writing, I love the bits and pieces of inspiration that you preserve at the moment your muse speaks to you.
I am surprised that it started out as idle curiosity about a mostly unknown person. A man far from you in time and space. I love that quote from Toni Morrison, you fulfilled it perfectly.
New questions.
Do you write in a straight line or do you write whatever the muse provides for you at a given moment?
Which is more important to a story pace or flow? How do you control it?

6/19/2020 08:26:35 am

Idle curiosity is a good way to put it. I became intrigued as to why so many of the key civil rights books I was reading only touched on Clyde Kennard briefly. That’s what drove me to find out more and the more I discovered the more passionate I became about telling his story.

Most of my poetry and short story work is muse driven. I can tell when it’s not, it can feel laboured, but I’m not sure if others would be able to sense that.

The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard was more linear, just by the very nature of the project, although the muse was present at times.

I feel pace and flow go hand in hand for me. Without flow the pace can feel disjointed, clunky almost. Kind of like a hurdles race, goes well until you start clipping those hurdles them the pace and rhythm is lost. There is also a balance I feel with pace, it’s not a race. In the Clyde Kennard book I was keen to try to keep a good pace to keep readers engaged, balanced against the information content that was important to the unfolding story.

In the short stories the muse is the main driver really. I do revisit as you’d expect, pace and flow are usually pretty good already, it’s more an adding a bit of detail, descriptions and such like, and a little embellishment and finessing, really.

6/19/2020 09:55:58 am

You were chosen to write Clyde's story, it seems. The story certainly needed to be told in a linear fashion. I imagine that your research was pretty far from linear at times.
Flow and pace are important, both contribute to keeping the reader engaged. In short stories every word has to earn it's place on the page. There is no room for slackers.
New questions.
Now that your book is published, is there anything about it you would like to change?
How do you think your book relates to the world we live in today?
What is the one thing you hope readers will remember from your book?

6/19/2020 10:56:27 am

I try not to think about changes I’d like to make, this far on from the project to be honest. There is always that initial feeling once you hit the send button of “wish I had” that we touched on earlier. But beyond that I tend not to dwell on changes I’d like to make, it’s all about the “what’s next” for me.

That said there were two separate segments that were a little bit incendiary (not salacious) regarding two separate individuals. Those segments really drove to the heart of things for me, but Legal had some concerns so I took a step back.

The events that have led to the recent upsurge in the Black Lives Matter campaign, sadden me. To an outsider looking in, having carried out the research for the book, it feels like I’m watching color re-runs of civil rights newsreels from the 1950s and 60s, it’s too familiar. History seems to be repeating and not in a good way, so I think this book is particularly relevant at a time like this, the solution can only lie in cleansing the wounds and reconciliation.

Sorry, Mark, I can’t stop at one thing.

I’d like folks to know Clyde Kennard as a person, what he went through for the sake of an education and those he inspired in 2006, decades after his passing.

Lastly, I’d add that regardless of the color of our skin, we all bleed red blood and cry clear tears.

6/19/2020 11:41:39 am

A recurring meme on social media is "I do my best proofreading after hitting send". There is a great deal of truth in that.
Racism is repeating theme on this earth. People are afraid of anyone who is different from them. It's one of the greatest sources of sadness humanity experiences.
Black lives do matter, there is no question about that at all. It's so unfortunate that so many people have taken advantage of the cover provided by peaceful protestors and caused further havoc in black lives, black families and black neighborhoods.
History is repeating itself in so many ways, it is unbelievable and sadness upon sadness. Mob rule has never solved a problem, only made more problems.
I think I would have liked Clyde, he seemed like a very nice person. He had a quiet, dogged determination that I admire.
New questions.
What else are you writing these days? Are you writing anything for yourself or only for readers?
Do you have a classical author or poet, you admire

6/19/2020 12:05:38 pm

I couldn’t agree more Mark. It’s desperately sad that the sensible voices of protest who should be heard are being drowned out by a violent minority.

At the moment I’m focused on my poetry WIP, I’ve promised to deliver a manuscript 5th July and that’s not too far away. It’s going well though and this weekend should see the cut and shuffle complete (or running order as some may call it).

I have a short story I need to finish and I can sense more short stories on the horizon. I think my work/ life balance suits the shorter format at the moment.

I don’t really write much for myself these days, the type of poetry I did write for that purpose has found a home on Twitter and seems to resonate with some folks, whether that’s the lighter pieces or the darker pieces.

Good question, classical is such a hard term to pin down I feel. I enjoyed the Iliad, Ethics, I enjoy Keats, Wordsworth, Plath and Poe in equal measure. And of course, one Robert Burns. There are great humanist and observational qualities to his work I feel, and a great sense of humor too.

6/19/2020 01:10:09 pm

Those sound like good projects.
I have heard that every author should write short stories because they are good practice for writing succinctly and making certain that every word is needed and nothing more.
Do you keep a record of the ideas your muse brings to you? It seems like a good idea to write them down, a paragraph or three, to prevent losing them. I use lists quite a bit.
Yes, classical means different things to different people. Robert Burns, of course! Unless you wish to turn your poet license in. ;-)
New questions.
What popular modern authors have influenced you?
If you could meet your favorite author, what would you ask them?
Are there any authors that influenced the writing of this book?

6/19/2020 02:31:51 pm

I do keep notes of those ideas that fly by, whatever I have to hand to write on will suffice, anything for bits of paper to menus, napkins or beermats.

For a period in the dim and distant past, I didn’t do that, and often lost those ideas by the time I got around to writing them down. I lost so much that I began to see and treat them as fleeting gift and started jotting them down as immediately as possible.

I’m a bit unconventional modern author wise I guess. Right now I’m enjoying supporting and reading Indie Author works. Prior to that it’s mostly been reading books as part of the research for the Clyde Kennard book. That covers the last decade plus.

I do keep returning to Sylvia Plath, I seem to be drawn to her work. I always have one of her poetry books to hand as I do Carol Anne Duffy, Robert Burns and Shell Zanne. I have a few new poetry books calling me from the bookshelf behind that I’m looking forward to reading after my manuscript is away.

Gosh, which author would I like to meet. Interesting and difficult choice. Of the living it would probably be Bob Woodward. I’d like to get a sense of his and Carl Bernstein’s feelings during the initial days of their investigations into the Watergate burglary when the penny began to drop.

Authors who influenced this book, that’s quite straight forward for me, other than the above, it’s Hodding Carter III, a Mississippi newspaper editor who wrote “The South Strikes” back, which I read as part of the research for the book. His book treats the facts in a pacey journalistic style rather than some of the staid academic type books on the same topic I read. I found Carter’s writing style interesting and engaging, I strived for that balance myself.

6/19/2020 05:28:48 pm

I think that is wise, to treat the hints from the muse as gifts.
Every author has a unique style. Some have great respect for the past and others are focused on other areas.
Bob Woodward is an interesting choice. His work is considered quite monumental in the field of investigative journalism.
I think you did an admirable job of replicating Mr. Carter's style of writing. Your book has an old-school, journalistic-style of writing. I found it quite refreshing.
New questions.
What software do you use to write and publish your books, and why do you use those?
How do you keep track of all the characters and events in your books?

6/20/2020 10:52:54 am

Thank you for your kind comments on the writing style, Mark. That makes me very happy.

I used a lot of hardware for Clyde Kennard, my trusty fountain pen Excalibur, paper and highlighters, that’s how it took shape really.
Once I was ready to commit, it was standard office software. I think I’ve gone through at least three generations of that software now. Gosh I am getting old. Fortunately, when I picked the publisher it was their preferred format, so that worked out well.

Believe it or not, I used mind maps to keep track of characters, old school I know but it’s “at a glance” effective. Beyond that I bought some blank postcards and created a, well I suppose kind of a trading card type thing, a pic and some words, a quote wherever possible. I realise that might sound daft, but it did two things for me. One it helped bring those characters out of history, gave a visual reference and a focal point, and secondly by their words it sort of helped get a better understanding of at least their public face or persona, as much as one can with the passage of time.

6/20/2020 11:08:41 am

I really enjoyed your style of writing. You are welcome.
You are an old-school writer, no question about that. I think it's cool. I remember using a fountain pen in high school.
Mind maps can be very effective.
I love the idea of your trading cards. Heroes of the American Civil Rights Movement. You have a darn good idea there that has distinct licensing potential. You could add the page numbers where they appear in your book. Save those originals also. You could do a kid's version as well as an adult version.
New questions.
Do you have defined space for writing at home, or are you a coffee-shop writer?
Do you listen to music or have the TV on when writing at home, or do you need quiet?

6/20/2020 11:21:49 am

That’s a great idea for the cards “Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement.” I need to come up with appropriate terminology for the other side of that debate for those cards.

No, I don’t have a defined writing space. There are a couple of rooms in the house I use but I also write in the garden and the laptop is always close to hand when we’re on holiday.

I’ve typed on park benches, cliff tops, and worryingly in the park grounds of ancient castles and other monuments, at a respectful and secluded spot.

Never TV, I rarely watch TV in any case other than for music or documentaries that look interesting.

Depending on what I’m doing in the writing process, music of some type will be played, other than when I’m editing, at those times I prefer “library conditions.”

6/20/2020 12:09:49 pm

I am glad you like the idea. Cards for the opponents may or may not be a good idea. I am on the fence. Perhaps cards for pivotal situations and important places and events. Each category could be a separate series.
A lot of writers do have spaces dedicated for writing. Every writer has a different situation. I like that you can write almost anywhere. I find that especially important for a poet.
I can read anywhere, anytime. Proofreading is a different story, I need a good deal of quiet.
New questions.
Action, dialogue, or narration; which is easiest to write?
Of the five senses which is the easiest to write and which is the hardest?

6/21/2020 03:09:11 am

I like the pivotal event angle for the trading cards, that makes sense. For balance though I do think there must be a place for the segregationists, otherwise the balance and perspective could be lost.

I think action, dialogue and narration each present their own little challenges. With action it’s avoiding being swept along in an overly enthusiastic manner and ending up with too many “and then” moments, even in a first draft that’s a cringe.

Dialogue, for me as writers we have to be a little bit of an actor too. We need to understand how our characters think, their turn of phrase, how they would react in a particularly situation, but always allowing for a wildcard moment. We’re all human after all, unless you’re writing about inanimate machines.

When I began writing, a long long time ago, my narratives, were pretty verbose. I described in great detail locations and scenes, character appearance and background, to such an extent they overwrote the plot, if that makes sense. I had to curb my enthusiasm, as they say. Nowadays, I try to strike a balance between enough narrative to inform reader of context etc, but importantly, I leave breathing space for the reader’s imagination to take it on from there in their own minds eye.

I’m have to stress that I’m no expert on this topic by any measure, these are just my thoughts.

The five senses are interesting points and for me that’s easy. I have to confess I’m not a very tactile person, don’t really know why. A psychologist would probably have a field day with that. I’ve never had a problem writing passionately, wistfully or soulfully but touch is probably the one I had a little difficulty with initially. The imagination is a great thing and so is a thesaurus. Thankfully that little challenge in my writing passed some time ago.

6/21/2020 08:57:31 am

You covered all three points quite well. An excess of narration can easily turn into an information overload. While some information is necessary to keep the plotline connected, much of that can be accomplished through dialogue and action.
I certainly agree with leaving room for the reader's imagination. A writer must never detail common actions unless it's necessary for the plot.
New questions.
Have you ever participated in theater in some way, acted, behind the scenes or written a play?
What kind of marketing are you doing or planning on doing for your book?

6/21/2020 09:50:06 am

I was invited to join the local amateur dramatic company in my 20’s but I was too busy writing for and playing with the band to commit to it. I guess the only lines I’ve had to learn and perform on stage with those with the band. I made a bit of an effort with the stage clothes, no T shirt or jeans for me and that and strapping the guitar on created a bit of character acting of sorts, I guess.

I did write a few short musical plays around the same time. Mostly to see if I could. Some of those lyrics live on, but the plays were never performed.

My publisher arranged PR / marketing for me for an 8-week period for a fee of course. I have to say I don’t think the PR co was a good fit for my book. It’s not something I want to go into. I’ve made my views known.

I’ve actually had more success outwith that PR/ marketing campaign selling the book. Raising the profile of the book through social media, blog tours and other similar promo work.

6/21/2020 11:23:43 am

Acting might have been in your blood, but it was beat out by music. Music is very powerful and can influence more people than a play can much of the time.
There are so many ways to market a book. It's am ultra-marathon rather than a sprint. The never ending story. I recommend to authors they set aside an hour or two, every week or two, to keep chipping away at it. So marketing a book doesn't prevent you from working on the next book. Here are a few ideas, getting books placed in libraries, book signings in book stores, speaking before civic and special interest groups about the book, having a table at a book fair, placing your book in areas frequented by tourists, seeking interviews on cable access shows, seeking interviews with major and local newspapers. There are many more. Many blogs have been written about marketing and promoting books. I have several on my Guest Blog and Highly Regarded Blogs pages.
New questions.
Has writing musical plays helped you in writing your books?
Do you have a newsletter you send out to fans? Why or why not?
Speaking of marketing, why did you pick me to help promote your book?

6/21/2020 02:07:20 pm

I don’t think the plays really helped the writing beyond that it was an interesting and challenging thing to do. Although I suspect that I probably took some experiences from that time subconsciously at least.

I’m not one for newsletters to be honest, largely because there’s never much news to put in one. Any plans I have I typically share through social media and any bloggers who may be interested.

I approached you for various reasons really. I enjoy your posts, you have an informative website, you have good coverage and because I was keen to have an impartial view of the calibre of book The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard is.

6/21/2020 03:38:16 pm

I asked about newsletters because some publishers won't even look at an author if the author doesn't have a mailing list of at least a thousand members. Some insist on several thousand. The mailing list demonstrates an active fan base and to the publisher represents guaranteed sales. Not to all on the mailing list but a respectable percentage in the publisher's eyes. Many blogs have been written about what should go into a newsletter. There are many things you can include in a newsletter. You may find it interesting to subscribe to a few newsletters from popular authors in your favorite genres.
Thank you, my plan for world domination is proceeding, albeit very slowly. ;-) I was wowed by your book. I can only recall one other time I gave five stars or more to a book that had spelling errors. That was a magnificent sci-fi story called Lenders, reviewed elsewhere on my website. It knocked me out! I gave it 5.1 stars even though there were several dozen spelling errors. The author hired me to proofread his book and the next, so the spelling errors are gone.
New questions.
I have seen some authors use music to flesh out the characters, they create a playlist for them. They publish the playlist in the back of the book. Some use music for inspiration for chapters and share that, or song titles or a few words of lyrics as chapter titles.
Have you ever thought of adding music to future books, like what the characters listen to or they went to a concert as a plot point?
You are a musician yourself. Do you have a favorite song or band?

6/22/2020 01:14:04 am

I understand the publishers view point on newletters, in a music context it’s the same for a band seeking a record deal, you need a ready-made fan base to get a good deal. That said, independents and self-publication/ recording allow folks to be creative in their own way. For me there is a trade off between career construction professional and author. I’d rather be writing creatively in the spare time I do have than pulling a newsletter together (sorry fans), but that’s my choice, it’s time management as much as anything else.

I added music into Defying Convention, the short story in Winter Chills. The main character is on a long car journey, so he has some albums to listen to on the journey. I also gave a shout out, in the biography in that book, to the album that kept me company for the four hours or so that I created the short story.

Favourite band and tracks are difficult to pin down really. It varies depending on what I’m trying to achieve and how I’m feeling. I suspect that’s much the same for many folks. I have a pretty eclectic music collection, which covers most genres from classical to industrial heavy metal, vintage rock and roll to indie, pop, rock and electronic music too.

6/22/2020 09:28:47 am

Time management is important, no question. We make choices many times a day, choosing between instant gratification and delayed gratification.
A road trip means music for so many, that was very relatable for many readers, I am sure.
Last questions.
A lot of new authors struggle with finding beta readers. Because, after the first draft is done, fresh eyes and feedback become very important.
Do you have alpha-readers and/or beta-readers to help you smooth out a lot of wrinkles before publishing? If you didn’t, why?
Do you give them an e-version like a PDF or a hard copy you printed?

6/22/2020 01:59:25 pm

I couldn’t agree more with the fresh pair of eyes comment and I certainly benefited from that with Defying Convention, which was a very quick turnaround.

The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard on the other hand was quite different. I think I mentioned that this was really just a project to keep the grey cells going between music projects, publication was never in my thoughts at the beginning.

In reality over the decade it took to write, I was the fresh pair of eyes many times over. Aside from that, the publisher performed some checks for me predominantly checking for US English variances, given I’m a Scot writing in UK English. So, in short, no alpha or beta readers outwith the publisher and that was all done electronically.

6/22/2020 03:29:31 pm

You and your publisher did a great job. This felt very much like it was written by an American. Writing the way you did, having long breaks many times over a decade, your eyes were fresh in many ways.
Are there any more stories from this time period to be written? I am sure there are.
Thank you, Derek, I have thoroughly enjoyed our conversation over the last week or so. I am very glad you are writing more in other genres and styles.
I have another promotion to prepare for beginning tomorrow. I wish you the best and urge you to keep on writing.

6/23/2020 01:54:57 am

Thank you, Mark.

I have also thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and I'm most grateful for the tips and links you've provided along the way.

It's been a lovely chat.

Take care and all the best
Derek

The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard By Derek R. King

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