Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 75 years old and when I gave up TV comedy scriptwriting some fifteen years ago I started writing books. I’ve published fourteen so far, most of which are available in paperback, all of which are available as ebooks on Kindle. My books are: Dear Air 2000 and Dear Coca-Cola, which are humorous correspondence with, respectively, airlines and food & drink companies; Football Crazy, Captain’s Day, James Blond-Stockport is too Much, Inflatable Hugh and I’m in Heaven, which are humorous novels; Stairlift to Heaven and Stairlift to Heaven 2 – Further up the Stairlift, which are autobiographical journals; Zephyr Zodiac, which is a volume of connected short stories; Good Old George and Call me a Taxi, which are novellas; Les Dawsons’s Cissie & Ada, which is a book of television scripts; and The Razzamatazz Fun eBook, which is a compendium of humorous stories and sketches.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Stairlift to Heaven 2 – Further up the Stairlift. I was driven to write it because its predecessor, Stairlift to Heaven, has sold over 80,000 copies thus far in addition to receiving 101 x 5 Star Amazon Customer Reviews in the UK plus 21 in the US.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Apart from swinging from the ceiling light fittings and writing in Swahili with my toes, no.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The books of David Lodge, Tom Sharpe, P G Wodehouse and John Steinbeck.
What are you working on now?
It’s Not Cricket, which is a book with a cricket background. However, as the title suggests, it is not so much about the game of cricket but about the characters in the book and how they behave.
I am also writing a blog, www.stairlifttoheaven.com which will eventually become the third volume of my autobiographical journal series Stairlift to Heaven, if I live long enough. Visitors welcome.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Twitter and facebook and a number of facebook author/reader websites including Awesome Gang.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stick at it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t piss into the wind. However the best advice I can give, especially to new writers, is – don’t waste time trying to find a publisher (which, by the way, is more often than not pissing into the wind) – but save yourself a lot of heartbeak and self publish, especially with Amazon.
What are you reading now?
Re-reading David Lodge’s ‘Nice Work’.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Just to keep on writing.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Tom Sharpe’s ‘Wilt’.
Author Websites and Profiles
Terry Ravenscroft Website
Terry Ravenscroft Amazon Profile
Terry Ravenscroft’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account