https://johnpendletonauthor.wordpress.com/
How did you become an author and get published? Share your experience.
I self-published my first two novels "Ill Winds"" and "All For Blood" through Amazon. Then I managed to find a publisher for my later novels "Hector's Revenge" and "The Men in the Marsh".
Can you explain your writing process? Do you prefer to create an outline and plan beforehand, or do you prefer to write more spontaneously and organically?
I start with an idea for a plot, the central message I wish the book to convey and the main characters. After that, I do write organically and quite literally anything can happen!
What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
Among the authors I would recommend to readers are Anthony Trollope, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Evelyn Waugh, D. H. Lawrence, William Golding, and, among living authors, Kate Atkinson. My favourite books are Homer's "The Iliad", D. H. Lawrence's "The Plumed Serpent", Evelyn Waugh's "Decline and Fall" and T. E. Lawrence "Seven Pillars of Wisdom".
Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in [jobs/education] in your writing?
In my four novels I have been able to adapt some of my experiences of being a newsaper editor and reporter. My school days have also provided me with some useful storylines and characters.
Do you identify with your main character or did you create a character that is your opposite?
I do identify with the main character in "The Men in the Marsh" to the extent that I share his politics, his loyalty to old school friends, his attitude to the women in his life and his sense of the importance of kindness and community spirit. However, he is an ambitious and highly successful entrepreneur, which I am decidedly not!
Describe the [book/series] in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.
The life, loves, politics and adventures of an ambitious entpreneur.
Would you like readers to have any specific takeaway from your book?
My novel has the premise that a Conservative-supporting capitalist can also be a decent, kind and altruistic human being. Almost invariably such characters are presented as being selfish, callous and corrupt. “The Men in the Marsh” bucks the trend with its empathetic treatment of the main character. It also explores his passion for bringing about a popular form of capitalism where all workers have a share in the success of the businesses or other organisations which employ them. I hope readers will take some of these ideas on board.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write on my laptop sitting on a sofa in our lounge at home. The TV is nearly always on in the background, as I find it less likely that my mind will wander from my writing if I have competition from the telly.
Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?1. What is your favorite line from your book?
My main advice to aspiring authors is to write something which you would like to read yourself. Don't be put off by rejections from literary agents and publishers. There will always be an audience somewhere which will apreciate what you produce. My favourite line from "The Men in the Marsh" (which I pinched from someone else!) is “A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.”
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How did you deal with it?
I have occasionally suffered from writer's block. When it happens, I go to bed at night and often wake up in the early hours to find that a solution to my block has presented itself.
Was there anything you had to research for the book?
I carried out detailed research into the Brighton bombing. The main action in the novel takes place among the salt marshes at a fictional English east coast holiday resort. I therefore did some research on the flora and fauna of salt marshes. There is a kidnapping in the novel, so I also researched police methods of dealing with such a crime.
Did you have any say in the cover design?
I had the original idea for the cover design. I then asked my daughter-in-law, a talented illustrator, to sketch out her interpretation of my thoughts. The final version was drawn up by an expert designer at my publishers.
What are you reading right now?
I am currently reading La Vendee by Anthony Trollope, a fictional history of royalist reactions to and revolts against the French Revolution.
Did you always want to be an author? If not, what did you want to be when you grew up?
From being a young child I have enjoyed writing stories. My first ambition was to become a journalist and I fulfilled this over a long career as a reporter and newspaper editor. When I semi-retired I thought I would have a go at being an author to satisfy the creative side of my nature.
How long did it take you to write this book?
About a year - off and on!
What other hobbies do you have outside of writing?
I am keenly interested in politics. I regularly go to the gym. I enjoy all forms of angling, I like socialising with friends and family, as well as reading, playing tennis and watching Test Match cricket.
Are any of the characters in your book based on people in your real life? If so, can you tell us more about that process and how it influenced your writing?
Many of my characters have personality traits or physical characteristics which are similar to those of people in real life. Quite a number are amalgams of several people I have known. But I believe it is very unlikely that anyone still living would recognise themselves in my books.
Do you have any personal connection to the story or characters?
I attended the 1984 UK Conservative Party Conference as a delegate. I left the Grand Hotel at Brighton a few minutes before the bomb exploded in an attempt by the IRA to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and members of her Cabinet. I thought that experience would an ineresting one to base a story on. The main character in my novel The Men in the Marsh, young enterpreneur Graham Robinson, had a similar experience to mine.
https://johnpendletonauthor.wordpress.com/
How did you become an author and get published? Share your experience.
I self-published my first two novels "Ill Winds"" and "All For Blood" through Amazon. Then I managed to find a publisher for my later novels "Hector's Revenge" and "The Men in the Marsh".
Can you explain your writing process? Do you prefer to create an outline and plan beforehand, or do you prefer to write more spontaneously and organically?
I start with an idea for a plot, the central message I wish the book to convey and the main characters. After that, I do write organically and quite literally anything can happen!
What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
Among the authors I would recommend to readers are Anthony Trollope, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Evelyn Waugh, D. H. Lawrence, William Golding, and, among living authors, Kate Atkinson. My favourite books are Homer's "The Iliad", D. H. Lawrence's "The Plumed Serpent", Evelyn Waugh's "Decline and Fall" and T. E. Lawrence "Seven Pillars of Wisdom".
Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in [jobs/education] in your writing?
In my four novels I have been able to adapt some of my experiences of being a newsaper editor and reporter. My school days have also provided me with some useful storylines and characters.
Do you identify with your main character or did you create a character that is your opposite?
I do identify with the main character in "The Men in the Marsh" to the extent that I share his politics, his loyalty to old school friends, his attitude to the women in his life and his sense of the importance of kindness and community spirit. However, he is an ambitious and highly successful entrepreneur, which I am decidedly not!
Describe the [book/series] in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.
The life, loves, politics and adventures of an ambitious entpreneur.
Would you like readers to have any specific takeaway from your book?
My novel has the premise that a Conservative-supporting capitalist can also be a decent, kind and altruistic human being. Almost invariably such characters are presented as being selfish, callous and corrupt. “The Men in the Marsh” bucks the trend with its empathetic treatment of the main character. It also explores his passion for bringing about a popular form of capitalism where all workers have a share in the success of the businesses or other organisations which employ them. I hope readers will take some of these ideas on board.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write on my laptop sitting on a sofa in our lounge at home. The TV is nearly always on in the background, as I find it less likely that my mind will wander from my writing if I have competition from the telly.
Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?1. What is your favorite line from your book?
My main advice to aspiring authors is to write something which you would like to read yourself. Don't be put off by rejections from literary agents and publishers. There will always be an audience somewhere which will apreciate what you produce. My favourite line from "The Men in the Marsh" (which I pinched from someone else!) is “A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.”
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How did you deal with it?
I have occasionally suffered from writer's block. When it happens, I go to bed at night and often wake up in the early hours to find that a solution to my block has presented itself.
Was there anything you had to research for the book?
I carried out detailed research into the Brighton bombing. The main action in the novel takes place among the salt marshes at a fictional English east coast holiday resort. I therefore did some research on the flora and fauna of salt marshes. There is a kidnapping in the novel, so I also researched police methods of dealing with such a crime.
Did you have any say in the cover design?
I had the original idea for the cover design. I then asked my daughter-in-law, a talented illustrator, to sketch out her interpretation of my thoughts. The final version was drawn up by an expert designer at my publishers.
What are you reading right now?
I am currently reading La Vendee by Anthony Trollope, a fictional history of royalist reactions to and revolts against the French Revolution.
Did you always want to be an author? If not, what did you want to be when you grew up?
From being a young child I have enjoyed writing stories. My first ambition was to become a journalist and I fulfilled this over a long career as a reporter and newspaper editor. When I semi-retired I thought I would have a go at being an author to satisfy the creative side of my nature.
How long did it take you to write this book?
About a year - off and on!
What other hobbies do you have outside of writing?
I am keenly interested in politics. I regularly go to the gym. I enjoy all forms of angling, I like socialising with friends and family, as well as reading, playing tennis and watching Test Match cricket.
Are any of the characters in your book based on people in your real life? If so, can you tell us more about that process and how it influenced your writing?
Many of my characters have personality traits or physical characteristics which are similar to those of people in real life. Quite a number are amalgams of several people I have known. But I believe it is very unlikely that anyone still living would recognise themselves in my books.
Do you have any personal connection to the story or characters?
I attended the 1984 UK Conservative Party Conference as a delegate. I left the Grand Hotel at Brighton a few minutes before the bomb exploded in an attempt by the IRA to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and members of her Cabinet. I thought that experience would an ineresting one to base a story on. The main character in my novel The Men in the Marsh, young enterpreneur Graham Robinson, had a similar experience to mine.