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'Of Mice and Men' set in
What did you learn
while writing it?
The entire book is written
in the first person vernacular of an East London
lad. The thing I learnt whilst writing
the book is vernacular has its own very strict rules of grammar, just like any
other language or dialect. To be
convincing, everything has to be spot on.
Consistency is paramount. One
missed letter, one dropped ending from the wrong mouth – each character speaks
a slightly different way in the book – and the whole thing crumbles. The Caffeine Nights copy-editor for AWM was
the brilliant Julie Lewthwaite – a Geordie.
Talk about a clash of cultures.
But, bless her, she did a fantastic job.
Provide a YouTube link
to a song you'd like to be the title track to the movie adaptation of your
book.
To what extent do you
view writing a business?
I was always one of those
writers who believed business has no place in writing, that a writer's job was
to write, and it was the publisher's job to look after the business side of
things. But, I was so wrong. Blimey. See, as soon as I'd finished ABIDE WITH ME
and started sending it out to publishers and agents, I'd become a businessman –
pitching my product, seeking the most
profitable connections. I didn't see it
then. I see it now. I thought I was just a writer wanting people
to read my book. That was all. Ah, bless.
But the submission process is the tipping point where writer becomes
businessman – where writer needs to become businessman. Then there is the promotional aspects of the
job of a writer, the interviews, the social networking, the blog posts – all of
these are to advertise your product, to pull in the punters.
A writer needs to be both
writer and businessman. Whether he/she
likes it or not, once you've sent you precious darling out into the world
you've become a businessman.
What do you do when
you're not writing?
I work twenty-two and a
half hours every weekend in a residential care home for adults with learning
difficulties and mental health issues – so that's my weekends shot to pieces,
writing wise. During the week, I play
the part of house-husband – with varying degrees of competence, it has to be
said – and I am also currently completing an Open University degree in English
Lit. Apart from these admirable
pastimes, the remainder of my time is filled in with eating chocolate, drinking
coffee, and staring out the window. Oh,
and following the fortunes of the Mighty Dagenham and Redbridge. Take away the coffee, and I could be ten
years old again. A little disturbing,
that, thinking about it.
How much time do you
dedicate to writing? How much time would you like to spend writing?
As I implied in my
previous answer, my writing time is pretty limited. Add to that my complete inability to organise
myself, the writing happens in fits and spurts, as they say. Most of ABIDE WITH ME was written in my head
waiting in the playground for the kids to come out of school, walking the
littl'un round the park in her push-chair, or waiting in the queue at
Tescos.
How much time would I like
to spend writing? I'd like to say, 'My
whole life,' but the honest answer is I need a degree of pressure, a degree of
emotional rawness to be able to write the stuff I write. I have a feeling given all the time in the
world and a massive study, instead of no time and a place in a corner covered
with the kids' bits and pieces, last month's bills, and dust, I wouldn't write
a single word.
What was the last book
you bought and how did you find out about it?
The last book I bought was
Nick Quantrill's latest Joe Geraghty novel 'THE LATE GREATS'. Myself and Nick are both with Caffeine
Nights, and we exchange emails almost daily about writing and other odds and
ends. I've had the pleasure of seeing
TLG birth from an idea to what is a brilliant novel. It really has been a privilege.
How effective is social
media as a marketing aid?
As a marketing aid, I
think social media has its limitations.
As a writer, it can very quickly become an exercise in either
advertising to other writers or preaching to the converted. Facebook is great for building relationships
– for me, the essence of good marketing – whereas Twitter appears to me to be a
better forum for spreading the word, although the relationship thing there is
still key.
How do you feel about
reviews?
I love reviews. Good, bad, or indifferent. As long as they're honest. That's what matters most.
Do you have any other
projects on the go?
I have almost completed my
first novella, entitled JASON DEAN, due out later this year through Byker
Books. I've also begun my second novel, and
hope to have another collection of short stories out by the end of the year.
