What is your writing process like?
It can be a little chaotic, especially in the early stages of developing a book. Having come up with a basic outline, I try to flesh that out into a slightly more detailed look at where it might go, the principal characters, the main 'events' and so on. During that process I sometimes find the advice I got from a very successful author helpful. His suggestion? Write the book description first! Once I have a firm outline the real slog begins, and one of the key elements is getting to know the characters. I often write a whole 'biography' for a key character, sometimes they even stick to it!
How do you come up with ideas for stories and characters?
Sometimes it's a fairly long gestation for a storyline. I may have the kernal of an idea kicking around in my head for some time until it gels into something that starts to take form. The ideas often come from life around me. Some event, or saying, triggers an idea and I start to play with it. Characters are similar. I find I need to 'know' a character in order to write about them, so some, not all, of my characters are built on people I have met. Obviously I change them physically, and many are combinations of a number of character traits no single person I know has or displays.
What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you?
Aaargh! When this happens I find the best cure is to leave what I'm working on completely, and focus on something else. For me 'Writer's Block' generally means my story isn't coming together, that something I have written is not right. Often focussing on a completely different piece of writing brings the problem into focus and I can go back, review and revise what I was working on and clear 'the Block':
How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
Reviews are always tricky. Some people will love your story and your characters, others do not. It is the reader's personal opinion. The one's I have most difficulty appreciating are those that begin; "I don't normally read this genre ..." and proceed to award a one line, one star review. Obviously you wonder why they bought the book at all. Generally, where appropriate, and where possible, I post a thank you or a comment along the lines of "I'm sorry you didn't enjoy my book."
What is the most challenging part of your writing process?
I'm tempted to say 'all of it', but in reality it's remembering who is what and where and when. This is especially so when your editor really hates a character or a part of the storyline and demands a rewrite. That can really challenge, especially if it involves major changes. I keep a notebook handy and note names and places they're in, but don't always remember in the heat of the creative moment to make the note. So I go through the MS line by line and try to spot any anomalies and correct them when I'm back at the desk and have the book to hand.
How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
At school, though I got very little published until well into my full-time career when I started having to write training materials, technical notes and guidance. I had a lot of technical articles and conference papers published and have always enjoyed the challenge of writing, so I started developing my fiction writing around 2002, thinking I needed to find a hobby for retirement. That led to a couple of attempts at novels, one of which has now become two novels in the Harry Heron Series.
What advice would you give writers working on their first book?
Best advice I can give is, structure it carefully and get a really good 'developmental editor' to go through it and tell you what's wrong with it before even attempting to approach a publisher.
How do you develop your plot and characters?
As I said earlier, it's a drawn out process. The plot has to have some basic answers to where, when, who and why, and the characters have to be people you can relate to at some level. It pays to remember that the 'bad guy' is not entirely bad, just human, and the good guy isn't 'perfect' either. This is why I try to have a mental image of the kind of person I'm describing in the story.
How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?
I have twelve books currently in print on amazon, and three more 'technical' books published by a professional body. I don't think I have a single favourite, the Captain James Heron First Into the Fray comes close. Another is my Limehouse Boys story set in London's East End in the early 19th Century.
What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?
Being slightly flippant, probably the first three or four chapters of all of them.
What inspired the idea for your book?
The idea that got the Harry Heron series underway was a discussion on the subject of lost skills, and how each generation since about 1800 has 'lost' skills the previous generation considered essential or commonplace. That got me thinking of what someone thrown well into his or her future might have to adjust to, and what skill sets they would have that, perhaps, in the future might have gone AWOL.
What was your hardest scene to write, and why?
The death of a much loved character and the responses of the people round him in Magnus Patricius, my fictional biography of St Patrick. It was incredibly hard, because in researching the book and then writing it from his perspective it felt a little like a small part of me went with him 'into the light'.
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
Music! Classical music for preference, so I have a radio going or my iPad and headphones, and a variety of clkassical music playing ...
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
This question makes me think of Sir Terry Pratchett and his comment that "writing is the most fun you can have on your own." He'd be my first choice, though I'd love a conversation with Charles Dickens.
When was the last time you Googled yourself and what did you find?
Now I'll have to go and Google myself. I've not tried recently.