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To begin,
Julian, why have you left it so late in life to start
authoring books, when clearly you have a certain flair
for writing?
Well the
fact is, I've always enjoyed writing. Even at primary
school I got a buzz out of writing essays, and
fortunately I still have one of these short stories -
which I've published on this site -
The Mysterious Ghost.
But to answer your
question, it never occurred to me to take up writing as
a serious creative occupation. I've always funnelled my
enjoyment of writing into the demands of the workplace,
and this has satiated, to a greater degree, my need for
literary self-expression.
OK, so what
finally inspired you to start writing fiction?
Four years
ago I retired. Not wanting to be idle l looked to devise
a simple business venture that could be regarded as both
work and pleasure. Plenty of ideas came to mind, but
implementing them successfully required time, money and
effort, and did I really want that sort of commitment?.
Then out of the blue, I realised that instead of trying
to formulate and implement business ideas for real, I
could go the virtual route and make things happen in a
fictional environment. The wonderful thing about writing
is that you can create anything you want: people,
places, situations, a trip to Mars, millionaires,
tramps, exotic buildings, successful businesses - and
all from the kitchen table.
And what
inspired the subject of your first novel?
Out of
nowhere a storyline came to mind. Perhaps it was just a
daydream, or an idle reverie, but somehow it stuck, and
I found myself adding substance each time I revisited
the scenario.
How did you
develop the story - did you plan it out beforehand?
I would have
preferred to have created a framework for the novel and
then fleshed out the detail. But I didn't know how the
story would pan out and I certainly had no idea how it
would end. So it was a case of progressively building on
the initial theme.
So how did
you get the necessary inspiration to progress the novel?
For me, the
process was as if a creative part of my mind was
crafting the storyline, and drip-feeding it into my
conscious mind in fits and starts. I say this, because
each progressive increment of the story would come to
mind spontaneously - it was almost a case of sitting
around waiting until the lights came on.
Is the
material in your books based on personal experience?
Definitely -
one of the advantages of writing at my age is being able
to draw on the accumulated experience of people, places
and situations. But I hasten to add that neither of my
books is a parody of myself or my life. Most of my
characters, though, are styled verbatim on people I've
known.
How would
describe your style?
I've tended
to adopt the sort of stylistics that would appeal to me.
Thus I aim for good economy of words, the avoidance of
overly long descriptive passages and sub-plots that have
little relevance and are little more than padding. I try
to keep the narrative slick and well paced and ensure
that all the storyline threads tie in properly. Good
characterisation is key, such that the reader can almost
believe the players really exist. Realism is important.
Too many novels comprise events and detail that simply
wouldn't or couldn't exist in true life. Most important
perhaps, is a completely unique storyline, one that
hasn't been recycled.
And what
audience are you targeting?
Anyone who
likes an entertaining storyline, twelve years old and
above.
I understand
you self-publish your books - why?
Finding a
publisher who'll take on a relatively new author is
extremely difficult. That aside, most publishers would
want to take control of my creative output, which I
wouldn't be happy about. Self-publishing is very
affordable these days and if my books take off, a
greater percentage of the sales revenue will find its
way into my pocket than through conventional channels.
What is your
next book about?
It's a bit
of a deviation from fictional novels - a children's
illustrated storybook. The central character is Jack,
who is, believe it or not, a trolley jack, the type used
in garages to jack up vehicles. The book's aimed at
young boys, aged five to eight, for whom there is a
defined shortage of reading material. This will be on
the shelves in October this year (2008).
Julian,
thanks for talking with me and good luck with you
various publications. |