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“You need to write if you really have to write. I would advise against it in any other circumstances, really, because it’s so hard and it’s such a long path for most people to get anywhere with it. It’s difficult…So if you must do it, then do it, and you’ll find your own way.” 

The Townsend Prize for Fiction is given every two years to a novel or short story collection published by a Georgia writer. Literary giants like Alice Walker, for The Color Purple, and Kathryn Stockett, for The Help have received this award.

This year, a local, John M. Williams, is a finalist for the prestigious award. A panel of judges chose his novel End Times as one of ten finalists. The winner will be announced in April.

Williams is not new to literary recognition. In 2002, after the release of his book Lake Moon, he was named Georgia Author of the Year.

The End Times follows a brother and sister Jon Karl and Summer Odom, who were orphaned at a young age. According to the Townsend synopsis, the pair are, “thrust into the human comedy of a small southern town and must survive a variety of predators.”

Williams says he really doesn’t know where this story came from. But he knew the characters. Years ago, he went into a grocery store. In front of him were a “striking” young man and woman shopping. 

“I just had a feeling they were surviving somehow on their own. And so later, when I decided to write the book, that popped back up. And it really was an attempt to figure out who they were,” Williams said.

He describes the novel as a mystical dark comedy. It, like him, is based in a small rural town in Georgia. 

“What goes on in small towns, There’s enough for 100 careers, and that’s what most southern writing has been about. [There’s] not too many southern urban novels,” Williams said smiling. 

He has written everything from non-fiction to plays and film scripts. 

“When I look back over the stuff that has been real important to me, that I’ve written, it all has the same theme… It’s about somebody trying to challenge or stand up to the conforming forces of society, trying to find individuality in a world that is trying to crush it everywhere you turn, and that’s a story. I mean, I think that’s the story,” Williams said. 

Although he is known as a Georgia writer, he is an Alabama native. Williams grew up in Auburn, later attending Auburn University. His time post-college was spent wandering. He had a printing business for a stint, taught English to prisoners and later on army bases in Germany.  

He was working as an adjunct professor at his alma mater when his officemate saw an advertisement for a one-year professor position at LaGrange College.

“I never heard of Lagrange College…I didn’t see [staying here] coming, yeah. I really didn’t. I came for one year,” William said. “I just walked in the door, and I don’t know, it was kind of creepy, really, I just felt at home. I just knew I was meant to be there. I don’t know how, but I just knew I was meant to be there.”

What was supposed to be a year has turned into decades. Ten years ago, he retired from the college as a tenured professor. However, soon after, he began mentoring for a Master’s writing program at Reinhardt University. 

“I learned everything I know from teaching, not from student-ing, but teaching,” he said. 

Working with young writers, Williams has some words of advice for those trying to break into the writing world. He encourages them to say yes, to all opportunities and connections.

“Anne Lamott, Stephen King, they do these books of advice….They say, ‘be yourself’. There’s stuff on social media all the time, how to do this, how to do that, how to succeed. If you’re thinking about that, you’re not really thinking about writing,” he summed up simply that in order to write, one has to “love it.”

Williams clearly loves it. 

“The actual writing, when it really starts to come together, and you can hear the characters talking, you know, that’s when it’s great. There’s nothing better than that,” he said.

The winner of the Townsend Prize will be announced at a Banquet in Atlanta on April 16.