Williams '07 breaks into pop culture

The name Timothy Williams '07 may not sound familiar today, but by next year millions will be tuning into his life on an upcoming reality series. While Williams could not disclose too much information about the new show, or which network will take it up (because of contract agreements), the series will follow the development of his first novel, "Trumpet."

Williams, an aspiring author and movie producer, describes the novel as a "thriller" that explores the dynamics of the urban world, including the attraction of hip-hop culture and the underbelly of the drug dealing industry. If everything goes as planned, the book will hit stores in July 2005. But for now, Williams, who is called T.J. by his closest friends, is just trying to get through fall semester.

"It is exhausting, it definitely feels like a job," Williams said.

Like many Princeton sophomores, Williams has gripes about his tight academic schedule and hopes he will survive his five classes.

"If I'm at a 2.0 (G.P.A.), that's fine, and let's call it a day," Williams joked.

He is also technically on the JV tennis team roster, but admits he hasn't been able to pick up the racket in awhile. Then again, Williams does have a good excuse.

This past year has been a whirlwind for the Chicago native, who runs back and forth between his dorm room in Witherspoon and his new sublet in New York. Classes are Mondays through Thursdays, but on Friday, he takes the train up to New York for his reality series (which is still taping) and any other associated responsibilities, such as celebrity parties.

According to Williams, highly publicized parties are practically mandatory for newbies, whose publicists are working to generate "industry buzz." It's only the beginning for Williams, but by next month, he will be the new spokesman/model for a clothing line. He claims that it's not as glamorous as it sounds and even the parties are sometimes "boring."

Unlike most Princeton students, he also shares a unique bond with Sean Connery and Simon Cowell. They are all represented by Luke Janklow, a famous literary agent.

Williams's high-paced life in New York may seem far from the ivory towers of Princeton, but his newfound success is strangely connected to campus.

"Last year, a group of my friends convinced me to go to an open call at Yale," Williams said. He went pretty far in the audition process and almost made the final cut for a reality show that was looking to fill seven slots, but the producers decided to cast someone else at the end.

Williams missed out on the role, but he did manage to catch the attention of one of the producers. Months after the audition, the production company was still interested in Williams — for another reality project. When Williams started the first draft of "Trumpet" in April, the project piqued a network's interest, and within a few months a new reality series was born.

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"Depending on who you're working with, things can happen magically," Williams said.

By June, he finished the almost 200-page initial draft. Today, Williams is still deep in his second draft and feverishly adding corrections whether in Princeton or New York.

Williams may have started "Trumpet" in his freshman Holder dorm room, but the novel is mainly influenced by his life before Princeton. The setting of the novel draws from his experience in Chicago, where he lived with his mother and five brothers during the first four years of his life and Ohio, where his aunt raised him for the remainder of his childhood.

"A large part of it is about the drug industry in general. I guess you can't learn about that sort of thing in Princeton," Williams said.

His very interest in writing is also rooted in his background. Ironically, for Williams, the idea of becoming a novelist dawned on him after he read a horrible book in the 10th grade.

"I thought, well, maybe I can do this better," Williams said.

Williams doesn't only want to excel in print, but also on the large screen. He's a novelist with a modern sensibility and understands the importance of packaging his message in different mediums. He plans on retaining the movie rights to "Trumpet" and turning it into a movie after it is released.

"You can reach so many more people with a movie," Williams said.

With all these ambitious projects, Williams is prepared for the possibility that his private life may turn very public, very soon. The opinionated novelist is also ready for personal criticisms against his character on the series.

"I'm worried that people might think that I'm the biggest bitch, but it's an honest portrayal and I don't really care," Williams said. "I don't mind controversy. If it makes people think and talk about the novel, that's good."

Williams is also ready for other personal sacrifices — namely, the next 4-5 years of his life.

"I'm not sure what I'll do afterward, maybe nothing, I'll be so exhausted," Williams said. But then again, he admits, there is another novel in the wings.