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Me (on a Quad, rather than a bike) being happy although I have one of those faces that manages to look grumpy even when I'm not. And is that a bit of a bogey stuck up my right nostril?

How and Why I Write

It would be a bit simplistic to say that I always wanted to be a writer.

But I was, from my earliest memories, always trying to write.

In the summer of 1984, something happened that made it seem inevitable.

At the time, I was working at The Carlisle (a seafront pub in Hastings) and a couple of off-licenses as well.

For once, I had more money than I needed and, during the warm spring of 1984, I was working hard and doing a lot of reading.

As I often do, I had two books on the go: Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Daphne Du Maurier’s Frenchman’s Creek.

I also had a new motorbike – the first and only motorbike that I have ever owned from new. OK – it was only a Kawasaki KC100 but I hadn’t passed my test, it was on special offer and, at the time, it served me fine.

The Nitty Gritty of it All

I never tend to tell people that I'm a writer.

If I do they always ask... "Have you been published?"

And, until recently, I would always have to be honest and say... "Well, no but..."

However, I have now been published. Some of my short stories have appeared in the wonderful Back Street Heroes and so I can now give the questioner a withering look and reply... "Of course..."

Do you know how good that makes me feel!

What I usually tell people (those who can be bothered to ask, that is) is that "I work on a farm with horses and, in my spare time I do some writing." That way it doesn't raise any expectations.

I then always asked get the same questions...

Dirty Habits

I am in no way going to try and intellectualise anything that follows.

It is just a list of things that I do (and dirty habits that I can't avoid) that are part and parcel of my writing process.

1. Exercise books...

Although I word process everything (using a very simple wordprocessor that I talk about here - the Nitty Gritty of it all) I almost always do the first draft with pen on paper.

For me, the paper has to be a French school exercise book.

Finding the Time

How do you find the time to write?

This is my biggest bugbear.

I guard my time jealously, trying to ensure that I get enough time to write.

Confessions and other lies

Where do you get your ideas from?

Normally I get asked this question at social gatherings; expat barbeques and suchlike.

And it's the one question that I find really difficult to answer.

I look around and think to myself...

Just here, with the 40 or 50 of us enjoying greasy sausage and baguette sandwiches and drinking too much red wine, there much be at least one novel and half a dozen short stories. For me it's not a struggle to find ideas; it's sifting all the ideas out and choosing only the worthwhile ones that is the hard task.

That couple over there, they're not married. Are they having an affair? Are they about to start an affair? I'd love to write that story even if I had to make it all up myself.

That other couple. They are married but she doesn't seem happy. Is he beating her or is she worried that he's suddenly become interested (in a non-appropriate way) to their teenage daughter? I wonder what their story is.

The hostess seems to be hitting the red wine rather hard. Is there something there that I should know (and write about?)

I hope that you have enjoyed these articles.

I may add more as and when they occur to me.

All the best

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