TELL
US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.
Before I tell you about myself, I would like to thank
Clancy for the use of his blog today. It isn’t often I get asked to write on a
blog, and it means a lot to me.
I was born in North Yorkshire – local government changes
have changed the name of the area, to me it will always be Yorkshire – my
family moved to the Bristol area in the winter of 1963. I feature the coastal
area around where I grew up in a lot of my stories.
My journey started when I was in school, even though I
enjoyed sports and was a good swimmer and cricket player, I felt more at home
in the library. From an early age, I was able to tell a good story and I
learned to read fast for my age. My first publicised story came in my teens,
and was for a UK men’s magazine called Knave. Years later I had articles
printed in magazines as varied as Country Music People, Froots (Folk Music),
Jazzwise, Jazz Review, Trials and Moto-X news and Maverick. I also did a cd
review for singer Janie Kirk.
WHEN
AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?
I started to write full-time in June 2011, being
bed-ridden with a torn tendon and not being a big TV viewer gave me the
opportunity to try and live my schoolboy dream. I started writing “Chronicles
of Mark Johnson” for their enjoyment, and before long I had a weekly readership
to please. From there my passion flowered and has bloomed fully with the last
eighteen months.
WHAT
TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR
SHOOT FROM THE HIP?
That depends on what I am writing, while writing the Pat
Canella stories I had to research 1940’s US culture and arms, to ensure the
guns in the story were the ones of the time. When I write Chronicles, the writing
is free, because the universe in which it takes place is only in my mind. Some
of my ghost stories are based on historical events and others on unsolved
mysteries.
WHAT
DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
The thing I enjoy most about being a writer is at the
moment I am free to write when I feel like it.
WHAT
IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
One of the hardest things about being a writer is getting
publicity -- which is why I thank Clancy for this opportunity – it is fine to
have people tell me I have a huge US fan base, but sales don’t prove it to me.
The other thing which hurt for a while is false promises, people who say
they’ll buy but don’t. I said did hurt because after being lied to for three
years, my reaction when I read that is “I’ll believe it when I see the sale.”
WHAT
WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?
For fourteen years I worked in the Bristol Museums
service. A crime I witnessed during the time is mentioned in my book “Sexual
Explosions.” Before that I was in the Royal Air Force for six years.
WHAT
IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?
My biggest to date is being awarded the Seal and
Certificate of excellence for “Chronicles of Mark Johnson” by indiePENdents.org
in 2012. I hope to surpass that in
March, I have a story in a big Sci-Fi contest in Toronto and hope to get a top
six placing in the International event.
WHAT
ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
As usual I have a number of projects under way. They
include editing “The Descent of Mark Johnson” this is book 2 in the series. I
am writing the “Forgestriker” stories which are a hit on Draft2Digital. I have
started a story called “Caves of the Undead” which is the follow up to my
Amazon hit “Holding Richmond”
WHAT
INSPIRES YOU?
There is no one thing which inspired me. I can get
inspired by anything from a cloud shape to a mystery and from a smoke trail to
the behaviour of our cats.
WHAT
GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
A better answer would be what genres don’t I write. I
class as a writer not a genre-writer. I am most known for ghost/horror stories
but I have a growing fan base in Sci-Fi, if sales are a measure.
DO
YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?
I would say write what you feel is good for you, and
never follow a trend. My big hit “Holding Richmond” came out in the height of
the Twilight craze two years ago, at the time I made it clear that these
vampires are not (!) sexy young things who sparkle. Two years on and it is
still selling regularly. I wanted to be known for my work not a copy of somebody
else-I hope you do too.
DO
YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?
No, fortunately I have not suffered from WB. I do get a
block from the other side, my muse is always giving me new ideas for stories,
which is why short stories end up being
over 20,00 words. One thing which angers me, the attitude of “Paid Writers” who
say the block is an excuse for laziness. This is easy to say when you have
books in shops or a regular pay cheque, you try telling somebody struggling
like me. I got all of $11 last year from
Amazon.
DO
YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?
I prefer to write through from mid afternoon, mainly
because I am a night person and find it easier to work in the night time. So, I
tend to rise later.
DO
YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?
I don’t at the moment as my room is so small I have to
sit on my bed. The only thing I get jealous of is when I read about authors who
say they look out at nature. I have to contend with four walls a washing
machine and tumbler drier.
WHAT
IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?
My greatest joy is somebody liking my work. I had a few
e-books returned but on the big picture I think most people enjoy my stories.
WHO
IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?
I don’t think I have a favourite author. I read across
the scope from George Elliot to Cherie Priest and from Dan Abnett to
Checkov. I do like the old fashioned
adventures of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, in their time so much was to be
discovered it was an age of wonderful writers.
WHAT’S
THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?
From my editor, Julia, when she said “The Descent of Mark
Johnson” was a well written account of a man going through a mental breakdown.
WHAT
WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?
One reader – a sixteen year old girl – said “Sexual
Explosions” was not at all sexy and the characters were unreal. This comment
lead to a mass outrage, the main objection to it being, the girl had not
written a story herself, so, how could she criticize me?
WRITERS
ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?
Without a doubt, my life has influenced my writing. My
early ghost stories came from trips to my county of birth and from the village
I lived in for over 25 years. I wrote a short book about a trip to Canada to
see a friend – who has since passed away – and the trip led to my second most
popular book on Amazon “Nerja” and its sequel “Glacier of Death.”
OTHER
THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
I like most forms of music from classical to rock, and I
am fond of the flute and woodwind sound. I love my pets and would be lost
without them.
DID
YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?
The first two or three were edited by Julia, my editor,
since she introduced me to AutoCrit I do most of my own editing now to cut more
costs.
DESCRIBE
YOUR PERFECT DAY.
To rise to the sound of nature-as I did on my trip to
Canada, our house was in a wooded area and it was heaven on earth. After having
a short walk to freshen up, to be able to sit quietly and work in peace for a
few hours. Before going on a trip to the coast/lake/docks to get the feel of
the wind and get inspired to write more.
IF
YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?
I would love to meet my Grandfather again, he was a
lovely person from what I recall and I never had the opportunity to hear about
his life as a fisherman.
WHAT
WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?
Pull your troops out. Let people who wish to fight, fight
in their own land and with their own people. Money needs to be spent in your
country on your people, we don’t want another Detroit.
WHAT
ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
For the near future, I hope to write book 3 in the
Chronicles series and more of the “Forgestriker” series and hopefully a sequel
to “A Sailor’s Love.”
WHAT
FIVE BOOKS WOULD YOU TAKE TO HEAVEN?
The first book I read “The Silver Sword” by Ian
Serrialier, “On the front line” the biography of the late Marie Colvin, “Silas
Marner” by George Eliot, “Native Ghost Stories” by Amos Gideon & Darren
Zeno and my own award winner “Chronicles of Mark Johnson.”
DO
YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS?
Yes, I do. Mark Johnson and I share a lot of beliefs and
we are both photographers who love our seclusion and the sea. I am also like my
character P A Canella, in as much as I wish to be read and yet remain unseen.
DOES
THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FRUSTRATE YOU?
Yes, it does. In this age of self publishing, I am
annoyed that Indie work is still considered cheap and little more than a quick
fix of porn. The recent Apple survey did little to quell this image, of the
four best selling Indie books, three featured semi-nude covers. How is a
serious writer going to get noticed when the world sees those as representing
Indies?
DID
YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?
About once a month I do, last month I almost took myself
off line. I saw my blog reads and worked out the vast array of G+ circles I got
put it – against my wishes – then added in the followers and followers of
followers on Twitter and thought “What the hell am I blogging for? Out of the
thousands of links, I’m lucky to get 20 readers for a blog.” That is the reason I stopped blogging, I only
started again in case I get a prize in the contest.
WHAT
WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY?
I think the latest story “A Sailor’s Love” has to be one
of my favourites. I liked it so much because it was both a joy to write and to
see how I turned a 1,500 word blog for a friend into a 35,000+ word book.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER?
My definition would
be to have people enjoy my work. But, I don’t consider myself a success by a
long way having taken 3 years to reach my first month with ten sales in.
Perhaps that will change if I get a prize this weekend.
WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM
YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?
I try not to preach,
I leave that to ministers. The main aspects of my writing focus on elements of
the unknown and I would say everything may not be what it appears. Also, in my
erotica the message is “No matter how sexually charged and explicit my story
gets, the men always respect the ladies.”
HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING
A BOOK COVER?
I take a lot of care
choosing images which fit the story, one reason for staying an Indie is I can
choose my covers rather than get a bunch thrown at me, which probably have
nothing to do with my work.
WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM?
My dream is to see a
book of mine on a shelf in a store.
WRITING
IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY
THOUGHTS?
I do most of my own
publicity, it’s a drag and takes time from writing but as I cannot afford a
publicist – and probably wouldn’t trust one – I have no options outside of
begging favours from friends.
ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?
All my books are SP
and always will be.
DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS.
A man of true spirit.
WHAT PISSES YOU OFF MOST?
People who say
they’ll buy a book and don’t. If you don’t intend to buy, why tell a lie?
WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK
YOU READ? GOOD ONE?
The last book I read
was “Marcel Proust – a life” by William C. Clarke. In the aspect of social
history it was a fascinating glimpse of French life at the time of the Dreyfus
Affair. However, as a biography of the
man, I have to admit to not finishing the book as I got overtired of reading
about Marcel’s asthma and his pompous attitudes.
WHAT WOULD BE THE VERY LAST SENTENCE
YOU’D WRITE?
He died writing.
WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU
ARE NOW? CARE TO SHARE?
My next targets are
to have a book sell ten copies in a month, to have a month when sales come to
more than $10 and to have a book replace “Holding Richmond” as best seller. I
would love to win the contest in Toronto, but reality tells me a top six
placement is the best hope.
ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
I would like to thank
you, Clancy, for allowing me this opportunity to visit the blog. I would like
to thank two special friends as well. My close friend Ruth, who never in the
last three years doubted my ability as a writer, and my good friend and editor
Julia, without whose help I would not be standing on the edge of a new era.
Ladies, I cannot thank you too much for your
support and help.
Clancy's comment: Thanks, Alan. It's been a pleasure. I do hope you see ALL of your books on shelves in many stores.
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