The Philosophers' Game

Author's Note

If you're reading this, you've presumably read the whole book. Congrats! And of course, thank you! I know I say this a lot, but your reads, votes, and comments really do mean the world to me. They're the best kind of motivation. While not my longest book, this one took me the longest to write, for many reasons. Since starting university, I've been busier than ever before, and I hate rushing through chapters. My goal is to tell every one of my stories as best as possible and to improve my writing skills in the process.

Now onto the questions! As with my previous Author's Notes, please feel free to ask me any other questions you might have down in the comments, and I'll get back to you ASAP.

What was your inspiration for this story? I used to look up quotes for fun (BrainyQuote was my go-to source), but the real inspiration came when I was watching the film Rebel Without a Cause. For those of you who haven't seen it, it has a character named Plato, and there were several scenes featuring the main characters hanging out in an abandoned mansion. The idea of a group of teens sneaking away to hang out in a secret location led to the invention of the Shack and its underground room. And as you can tell from my other books, I've always been interested in Greek mythology and the history of ancient Greece, which is where the idea of the philosophers came in. Some of the attributes of the Philosophers in this book were taken directly from records of their real counterparts (i.e. Hypatia and Aristotle being good at math, Plato being a wrestler, Socrates having a wife/girlfriend with whom he didn't get along). Emma Watson was the inspiration for Alice, and the other characters were just imaginary.

When you write a story, do you have all the details and events planned out already, or do you just add them in as you go? I never start writing a story until I have a few things: the characters (names, appearances, personalities, etc.), a beginning, an end, and ideas for a few major events or important conversations somewhere in the middle of the book. Aside from that, I don't normally use any sort of outline or plan too far ahead. That way I have specific plot points to work toward, but also freedom to change things as I go along and my own perception of the story's overarching theme/goal changes. For this book, the long conversations between Hypatia and Socrates and the fight between Plato and Socrates were those major events.

How do you get over writer's block? I read other books, watch TV shows, and listen to music for ideas. I honestly don't have anything too specific for you. I just make mental notes of plot devices and events that I really like or, on the contrary, really dislike and think don't work well as a method for advancing the story. Sometimes it's good to take a break from writing for a couple days to clear you head, since coming back to it fresh might give you a new view or criticisms of what you already had.

What's next for you? Can we expect a new book anytime soon? I do have an idea that I really like, but it's nothing Greek related. Think: some action/adventure, some politics, a little bit post-apocalyptic, a little bit medieval, inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia and the Divergent series. Please let me know in the comments below if it sounds cool/like something you would read. Given my schedule right now, I don't know how soon I'll be able to put out the first chapter. I'll probably post the prologue plus 1-2 chapters at the same time, then decide whether or not to continue based on your responses/opinions and level of interest. Make sure you're following me for updates (I'm also on Twitter and Facebook). As you may have noticed, I have an unfinished book, the Council of Rogues, on my profile, but I like this new idea a lot better and will probably end up deleting CoR (again, depending on your reactions to the new one). But if you're bored in the meantime, you can read what I have and let me know what you think. I also hope to work on promoting my books that are released in print, the Forest Gods' Reign and its sequel, the Forest Gods' Fight (Amazon links below).

https://www.amazon.com/Forest-Gods-Reign-Alexandria-Hook-ebook/dp/B00XZM2MIS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487771106&sr=8-1&keywords=the+forest+gods+reign

https://www.amazon.com/Forest-Gods-Fight-Book-Fiction-ebook/dp/B01BBYXE2O/ref=pd_sim_351_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BDNQSJZAND7PA2FGCYH0

Thank you again! As always, make sure you've voted, and leave your last thoughts below. Have a favorite moment or quote from this book? I'd love to hear them! Really hope to see you guys following me and reading my future stories as well :) Have a great day xx

-Alexandria Hook, aka smile4pie