Ken Howard: The Young Chieftain

This month, Ken Howard's The Young Chieftain is released. This week Ken drops by the blog to talk about his new book and the writing process. Don't forget to watch the trailer below to find out more information.

Has it ever happened to you? Has life ever ganged up on you, hit you from behind when you least expected it, and catapulted you into a totally new direction? Into a new person? Perhaps someone you never knew you were, or could ever become?  

That’s actually the beginning of my teen novel, The Young Chieftain, published on September 2, but it could equally apply to the whole business of becoming an author. I mean, one moment you are happily making films for TV and writing music and the next you are correcting proofs, discussing book jackets and posters and planning workshops at literary festivals. But then, life is like that. Certainly my hero, young Jamie MacDoran, a black teenager living in California had no idea that his plans for a summer of sun, sea and surf would be suddenly shattered. When his dad was killed and he had to travel to a remote Scottish island to bury him. He hadn’t planned to stay. But he did and found himself at the heart of ancient feuds where his very life was at risk.

I hadn’t planned to write a novel. I wrote The Young Chieftain as a TV movie for Disney. We were almost in production, when Disney found a problem. They couldn’t have a parent dying. Come again? What about The Lion King, or even Bambi?  I wouldn’t change the storyline so I vowed I would turn it into a book – as you see. And now it seems it may well make its way back on to the screen! Which all goes to show that you never know what is round the corner – and I suppose that is what the book is about -  what we are and who we can become.

 Did I mention that writing books is great fun? Well it is. Just as enjoyable as reading them, only a bit harder work. I know lots of other writers on these blogs have mentioned how characters often have their own idea of what they want to do, and it’s true. I once made a film about Enid Blyton and she said when she sat down to write, the story unfolded before her as if projected on a cinema screen and she often was amazed and surprised by what happened.

The Young Chieftain is set in a fictitious Scottish island and clan, but the warm remembrance and affection I still hold from the years I spent in Scotland, are very real.

You can find out more information by visiting Ken Howard's blog.  

You can also win a copy of The Young Chieftain by answering the following question. What is the name of the young hero in the book?

To enter, just send your answer, along with your name and address, to teen@scottishbooktrust.com with the subject line "The Young Chieftain". Competition closes on Monday the 6th of September 2010 at 1pm.

This competition is now closed but check back soon to see what other competition we have on offer!

Watch the trailer for The Young Chieftain below.  

Other News:

The Green Pencil Award 2010 was launched this week and it will run until the 15th of October.  Organised by Edinburgh Libraries and supported by Eco-Schools in Edinburgh, this popular creative writing competition is now in its third year. This year's theme is ‘nature on our doorstep’ and the competition is open to all primary 4 to primary 7 pupils in Edinburgh.  

To find out more information about the awards, and about how you can enter, click the following link. Good Luck!  

We have a new book of the month competition for September. To win a copy of D. A. Nelson's Darkisle 2: Resurrection, visit our book of the month page.

 Keep up-to-date with us on Twitter and Facebook to get all the latest news from Scottish Book Trust.

Have a fantastic weekend!