Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, where I lived and studied until I graduated from St. Andrews University (aye, the one the prince went to…after me!) with a Masters in English. My thesis focused on Creative Writing but that was no surprise as I’ve been writing since I was a child and my dream was always to use English to become an author.
That path has not been easy and it has only been thanks to self-publishing that my début novel is now out there. Over the years I’ve written several books but I have only published two. My novel, “The One: The Tale of a Lost Romantic in Seoul” is my polished pride and joy. “Altered Egos”, my collection of short stories, almost feels like a work in progress as I keep adding new material to it.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The One: The Tale of a Lost Romantic in Seoul
The original idea came when I was lying in bed with a beautiful woman (yes, it does happen to writers sometimes) and I was thinking about the idea of when people say, “I would do anything for you”. Do they really mean that? If you loved someone, would you do anything to make them happy, or to save them? Would you hurt someone? Kill someone?
That then developed into the deeper idea that I believe all people, especially the most boring, drab people, are one incident away from descending into madness. It could be losing their job, losing their wife, losing their home – whatever it is, I think humanity’s sanity is a fragile thing.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does drinking absurd amounts of whisky while writing count as unusual?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favourite author is Haruki Murakami and I believe he must have influenced me greatly. George Orwell is also a favourite and I admire his ability to engage serious issues in an entertaining manner. This also applies to Kurt Vonnegut, who is able to convey his message without losing the dark humour that makes his books so appealing. For me, these three authors idealise what I want to do: provide depth and thought while still entertaining.
As for books, for my first novel there is one book that clearly had an influence and that is “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov. I loved the idea of having a narrator that is not a particularly likeable character, but one that feels justified in what he is doing. In fact, the original title I wanted to use for my novel was “The Confession of a Justified Sinner” but James Hogg beat me to it by, oh, just about 200 years.
What are you working on now?
I’ve now started work on my second novel, which will be something completely different. It is sort of a dystopian novel, but as with my first novel, I’ll be trying to put a new spin on an old idea.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to work all that out. I’m quite terrible at marketing. There was a reason I chose to study English and not Business – I’m just not cut out for it. The day I have enough money to hire a publicist is the day I can relax again.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do not believe you can self-edit fully. I thought I could. I’ve worked in publishing companies as an editor, have edited countless theses and essays from university students, and I spent over a year editing my own novel. Nonetheless, I still missed a boatload of typos.
Paying for something before you even earn any money is a tough pill to swallow but it has to be done. Think of it as an investment. Get a professional editor to check over your manuscript before you publish. Then you know it is all good and you can move onto your next work without any worries.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever received was from John Burnside, a successful Scottish novelist who I was lucky enough to study under at St. Andrews. Upon receiving one of my less impressive pieces of writing, he left a note saying “Needs inspiration – try more cigarettes and alcohol!’.
I still got an A+ for that paper, but it was the advice that really stuck with me.
What are you reading now?
These days I try to read as many books by fellow indie authors as I can, so I can then leave an honest review. Knowing how important reviews are to indie authors, and being part of the community now, I find it hard to turn back to mainstream novels, unless it is something I am desperate to read, like Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, the last mainstream published book I read.
Right now I’m reading a book called The Enchanted Castle by Marc Secchia, another indie writer. So far, so good! Uly
What’s next for you as a writer?
Get the first draft of my second novel out of my head and onto paper. Then comes the oh-so-fun editing part, though I will be making far greater use of professional editors this time.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Is the Complete Works of Shakespeare allowed? I’m going to pretend it is.
In addition to that, I would bring:
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami – my favourite novel and I never tire of it.
Ulysses by James Joyce – I spent 6 months studying it at university and only scratched the surface. Something to keep my mind busy.
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby – A little random but I love football (soccer) and no book better explains the passion of being a football fan. I’d miss the beautiful game on that island, so this book would remind me.
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