Writer - Tony Walker

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I'd like to welcome you to my interview with writer, Tony Walker.  Enjoy.

Tony Walker

Hello Tony.  Can you please introduce yourself?

My name’s Tony Walker, and right now, I’m based in Scarborough, N. Yorkshire, after detours via London and a period of exile in Arizona (18 years).

How long have you been writing?

My first attempt at writing took place in 1972, when I was dealing in military collectibles in Portobello Road, London. A friend knew I specialised in US Army items, and asked me to write an article on them for a new magazine he was publishing.

I wrote 1000 words, it was published, and most importantly, I was paid for it!

What first got you interested in writing?

Realising that I could get paid for doing something I enjoyed.

Do you attend a writing group?

We moved back to the UK from Arizona last November, and began to attend the Scarborough Writers Circle in January last.

Why do you attend a writing group?

I’ve been a professional (well, I’ve always been paid for my work) writer for years, so I joined to see if I could be of help to anyone wanting to write.

What genre(s) do you write?

My magazine writing was mainly for shooting magazines, both here and in the USA, but I’ve also had pieces published in collector magazines.

My fiction work is ‘thud and blunder’ stories, or action thrillers as they are called now.

Are there any genres that you don't enjoy writing?

I can’t get interested in vampires, zombies, sci-fi, or romance. Vampires? Boring people, who you’ll never see eating Italian food (too much garlic), or stretched out on a sunbed. Zombies? I prefer villains who can move a little faster. Sci-fi? Too much of it is little more than cowboys and Indians in space suits. Romance? There’s romance in my novels, but I prefer some action too.

If you're only interested in making money from writing, perhaps you should jump on the vampire bandwagon!  What types of things do you write?

I did once, when we lived in a little place called Apache Junction in Arizona, start to write a country song. The first verse began like this:

We-ell the pickup’s broke,

My wife’s done gone,

And now the cat’s got cancer

Couldn’t think of anything else depressing enough to write, so I gave it up as a bad job. 

Have you ever had anything published?

Non-Fiction: 

Military Collectibles, published by Salamander Press in the 1980s

How to Win a Gunfight, self published 2005 and still selling! 

Fiction:   

Snides, self published 2004

Pilgrim’s Banner, self published 2009 

Have you sent your writing to agents/publishers?

In the USA, I had an agent, who loved Snides. After signing up with him, he sent it to all of his ‘A’ list publishers (Penguin, Dutton, Doubleday, etc.) and received rejections from them all. Having no illusions about my work, I suggested he try his ‘B’ and ‘C’ list, but he didn’t want to do this, so we parted ways. I then found another agent, who promised me the sun, moon and stars, but I found out that her hard work consisted of listing the book on her website, with a banner saying ‘Open to offers’.Having dumped her, I decided to go solo. 

I don't blame you at all!  Would you ever consider e-publishing?

I have self-published 3 books, two of which are available as ebooks, with the third being prepared for e-publishing as we speak.

Ebooks are fine, but I do prefer the feel of paper.

Who/what influences your writing?  Where do you get your inspiration from?

Samuel Johnson. He wrote, ‘No one but a blockhead ever wrote anything, except for money.’

My inspiration for my fiction comes from my background in the shooting industry in the USA, and from my time as a dealer in dodgy antiques and militaria in London. 

How do you come up with your characters' names and personalities?

In order to avoid possible lawsuits, I use place names as last names. The characters’ personalities are drawn from people I have known. 

What is your writing routine?

I write when I feel in the mood. 

Do you start out with a complete idea for your stories, or do you just start writing and hope for the best?

I usually start with the ‘McGuffin’, as Alfred Hitchcock described it. This is the treasure, the secret plans, or whatever, that the good guy wants and has to fight the bad guys to get it. After that, I rough out a plan of where the story needs to go. 

Do you have an editing process?

I usually edit after every 3 chapters. When the book’s completed, I hand it over to my editor in chief (my wife), who then makes further comments and suggestions.

Generally speaking, I write once and edit at least half a dozen times. 

How important is it for you to share your writing?

I’ve never written just for myself. I always wanted someone to read my work.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever been given?

Write – even if it’s rubbish. Don’t sit in front of the screen waiting for inspiration.

What's advice could you give to a new writer?

First: You’re not a writer until you’ve actually written something, so stop mooning about and blogsturbating about how hard it is to be a writer. Forget the blog, because 99% of the people who see it won’t care. Instead, write something that people will want to read.

You do know that this interview is going up on a blog, right?!  What do you enjoy the most/least about writing?

Most: It’s an easy way to earn money.

Least: Sometimes it’s a chore.

But I guess the money makes up for that.  Apart from writing, what are your other hobbies/interests?

Handgun shooting (in the USA), photography, archaeology, reading, drinking gin (Tanqueray) and tonic while the sun’s up, and Jameson Irish whiskey when it sets, avoiding all forms of hard work.

What types of things do you read?

I read history 1700 – 1945, biographies, and a little fiction.

If you could have written anything, what do you wish that could have been?

The Bible – it’s still in print – think of the royalties!

What are you working on at the moment?

Volume 3 of the John and Sally Pilgrim series, currently titled Pilgrim’s Traitor.

Do you have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook dedicated to your writing?

My website is www.tonywalkerbooks.com.  This is based in the USA, so I guess I’ll have to start a UK-based site soon. 

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

You’re not an author until you’ve written something that’s been published (self, electronic or otherwise). Until then, you’re a writer.

Would you be able to provide a short piece of your work?

This is part of a chapter from my novel, Pilgrim's Banner.

Arizona - 1981

Sally Pilgrim woke up with a start, as she heard the  unmistakable ‘slack-slack’ sound of a pump shotgun being racked outside her bedroom. In one swift  movement, she rolled out of bed, grabbing for  the Colt  Diamondback .38 revolver on the nightstand. Taking cover behind the bed, she saw a tall, masked figure silhouetted in the doorway. Pointing the gun, she called out, “Freeze! I’ve got a  gun! Get out, or I’ll shoot! Get the hell out of here!”  

The figure paused for an instant, and then swung the shotgun’s barrel towards where she lay behind the bed. Sally fired two fast shots into the intruder’s chest, and then ducked back and rolled across the floor, appearing again from around the end of the bed. He was still on his feet, so she fired two more shots at him, and the man staggered back, and pulled off his mask, revealing the smiling face of her husband, John Pilgrim. 

“That was good, really good. I liked the way you warned me before you fired.” He rubbed his chest, where the rubber training bullets had hit him. “Good hits, too.” He put down the shotgun. “I think you won that one.” 

© Tony Walker 

Thank you Tony.

LLTW November

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Yesterday was the third meeting of Lowestoft Library Teen Writing Group.  Five girls came along; four regulars and a new girl.  Slowly, their confidence is building and they're becoming more talkative, which is nice to see (even though the conversation does go off at odd tangents sometimes - one topic we touched on yesterday was what would happen if a goat mated with a chicken.  The result would be a delicious, bi-meated animal, that laid eggs and also produced milk.  One animal; one meal!)

I set three pieces of homework last session.  The main part was to bring along a page of a story they had previously written.  I will be using these in a future activity.  Secondly was to think of a name for the group.  No-one could think of anything, and I'm always pretty unimaginative when it comes to names, but I guess I'll have to put my thinking cap on for this one.  Lastly was to write a character profile.  No-one did that; myself included.  I have no excuse, other than I've been spending so much time getting my NaNoWriMo novel written that I haven't had much time to write anything else.

So we got down to the business of writing, and the task was a game of consequences.  There are various versions of this game, but as we only have an hour to write, I limited it to six sections.  Each person writes one section on a piece of paper, folds it over, and passes it to their right.  Everyone then writes the second section, folds it over, and passes it to their right.  This is repeated until all sections have been written.

• Man - who is he?  name/age/job/hobbies/appearance

MEETS

• Woman - who is she?  name/age/job/hobbies/appearance

AT

• Place - where is it?  building/event/institution
• He says
• She says
• What happens in the end

Everyone ended up with the piece of paper they started with.  Mine looked something like this:

Man

Ted is 40 years old.  He's overweight but not to the point of obesity; he just gets out of breath walking up stairs.  He's unemployed and spends most of his time playing World of Warcraft and eating Pringles.

Woman

A student of art, she is profound and unique.  She favours fashion, but hides it and paints instead.  Her name, Emma, is that of her grandmother's.  When she paints, it covers her hands and face and sticks her brown hair together in clumps.

Place

The man meets the woman when he was working.  He was a vending machine workman and he got stuck whilst trying to dislodge a Twix bar from the twirly thing.  She saw him and freed him.

He says

When they first meet he doesn't speak to her with spoken words, but in a letter, and signing it as your mystery man.

She says

The woman frowns.  "You're mental," she announces.

What happens in the end

They both went their separate ways, promising to meet up in a fortnight.  But alas!  The man got hit by a train on his way to the meeting, killing him instantly.  So they never saw each other again.

We then spent the rest of the session each writing a complete story based on or inspired by our own series of events.

**

On a miserable Wednesday morning, art student Emma skived off college to sit in a graveyard and contemplate the meaning of life.  She gazed at the headstones, imagining the lives of the people she stepped over.  She stood by Alfred March who'd died when he was only 24 years old, in 1876.  She ran her fingers through her long, brown hair, picking out flecks of dried paint and dropping them to the ground like confetti.  At lunch time she wandered into town, and paced the streets trying to decide what to eat.  Bored of sandwiches and fast food, she wanted something different, exciting.  Passing through the shopping centre, she rummages in her bag for her mobile phone.  Oblivious to her surroundings, she bumps into a man.  "Oh, I'm sorry," she says, looking at the large man in the navy blue overalls.  He smiles at her.  "Are you ok?" she asks.  The man shakes his head.  He moves his body to the side and Emma notices that his hand is stuck inside a vending machine.  "Do you want some help?" she asks.  He nods.  "I'm Emma, by the way," she says, smiling at him.  With his free hand the man points to a security badge hanging around his neck.  Emma lifts it up and reads it, "My name is Ted.  I'm an official vending machine repair man.  I can't speak but I can hear.  Thank you for your cooperation."  Ted smiles at Emma.  "Nice to meet you Ted.  Now let's see what we can do here," Emma says.  She leans inside the vending machine and untangles Ted's sleeve from the twirly contraption that holds the chocolate bars in place.  She notices that his wrist is bleeding.  She takes a tissue from her bag and holds it tightly on the cut.  "There you go.  You should get that cleaned up though," she says.  Ted smiles and bows his head in thanks.  He takes a Twix from the vending machine and passes it to Emma.  "Oh thank you," she says.  He smiles and nods.  He puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out a five pound note.  He slides it into Emma's hand.  "I can't take this," she says, surprised.  He holds her fist closed around the money and bows his head in thanks again.  "Are you sure?" she asks.  He nods.  "Thank you," she says.  As she walks away, she looks at the five pound note.  Wrapped up inside is a small piece of paper.  She reads the note.  "I have loved you for years but I've never been able to tell you until now, from your secret admirer."  She turns and walks back towards Ted.  She taps him on the shoulder and he smiles when he turns around.  She passes him the note and says, "I don't think this was meant for me."  His face flushes red.  He drops his face into his hand with embarrassment.  He takes the note from her and stuffs it back into his pocket.  He shakes his head and smiles.  "You're mental," she announces.  Ted nods.  Emma laughs.  Ted takes a notepad from his bag and scribbles; 'I'm going on holiday next week, but would you be free to meet the week after, maybe for a coffee, just to say thank you for helping me and for bringing back my note.'  He adds his phone number to the bottom.  "Sure, why not?" Emma says.  Ted grins and bows his head.  "Have a good holiday and I'll see you in a couple of weeks," she says.

Emma sits in the coffee shop at a table by the window.  She checks her phone every five minutes, wondering where Ted is.  After waiting for half an hour, she picks up her bag and leaves.  Driving home, she turns on the car radio and listens to the news.  Earlier this morning, Ted Winston, a 40 year old vending machine repair man, was killed after three angry youths pushed him off a busy train platform into the path of an oncoming train.  He died instantly.

**

The homework for next session is to write a story of no more than 500 words, about anything, but it must include at least four of the following words:

• light
• plastic
• death
• paint
• tortoise
• map
• cabinet
• follow

I randomly opened a dictionary to various pages to find these words.

Our next meeting is Monday 10th December, 17:00-18:00, at Lowestoft Library.

CIE Writers' Group

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Welcome to my interview with Mattie Lenon from CIE Writers' Group.

*****

Hello Mattie.  Can you tell us a bit about your group?

We don't meet as such.  We are a group of people who worked for a transport company (CIE).  About eight years ago we got together and published a collection of our writings, There's Love and There's Sex and There's the 46A.  In 2010 we brought out a further collection, It Happens Between Stops.

How many members, on average, does your group have?

About 20.

Who are you and what is your role within the group?

I'm the secretary and the founder of the group.

How are your sessions structured?

We have had a couple of workshops over the years, that's all.

What types of things do you cover in your group?

Articles, essays, short stories, ballads.

What have been some of your most popular/successful activities?

The production of the two collections.  Our latest collection, It Happens Between Stops, is available from Original Writing.

What kind of support does your writing group provide for its writers?

The opportunity to publish as soon as there are enough pieces.

Where do you get your ideas/writing prompts from?

We were all dealing with the public, so plenty of material there.

What is the best piece of writing advice you've been given?

Write it.  Rewrite it.  And then write again.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

Start now.

Does your writing group have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook?

No, but I have a website; www.mattielennon.com

How would someone go about joining your writing group?

We're based in Ireland and so far we have been made up of transport workers but we might be willing to "stretch a point".

Thank you Mattie.

Writer - Nicky Peacock

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I'd like to welcome you to my interview with writer, Nicky Peacock.  Enjoy.

Nicky Peacock

Hello Nicky.  Can you please introduce yourself.

I’m Nicky Peacock. I’m a published author who writes horror, paranormal romance and supernatural YA.

How long have you been writing?

All my life but only seriously and with success the last two years.

What first got you interested in writing?

My mum. She always wanted to be a writer. 

Do you attend a writing group?

I run the Creative Minds Writing Group in Corby and put it together two years ago after I decided I needed to meet like minded individuals who would motivate me to write. 

Why do you attend a writing group?

Motivation, Inspiration, sharing my work and to have a good laugh!   

What is the most valuable thing you've taken away from your writing group?

The value of what you do. Family and friends can be supportive but only other writers will know what you went through to get that story written. 

What genre(s) do you write?  What drew you to this/these genre(s)?

I write horror and paranormal romance both for adults and young adults. I read this genre and so writing these types of stories always felt right and interested me. 

Are there any genres that you don't enjoy writing?

I don’t like writing generic fiction – I find it hard not to throw in a dark element to what I write.

What types of things do you write?

I write short stories for anthologies and have my first novel being published end of this year.

Congratulations.  I bet you're excited!  Have you ever had anything published?

Yes. I have over 30 stories published/accepted for publication in 5 countries.  My novel ‘Bad Blood’ will be end of the year (if all goes well with the editing). 

Have you sent your writing to agents/publishers?  Have you received any rejections?

I have received rejections. It’s part of any writer’s life and its something that you have to come to terms with quickly if you are to make it. The best advice I can give is to know that you can’t please everyone all the time – one publisher may reject you but the next one might snap you up! 

Would you consider self-publishing/e-publishing?

Many of my books are available in both ebooks and print. Personally I prefer to go with publishers rather than self-publish. With everyone and their dog out there self publishing the quality is questionable. As a reader I would only ever read something that has a publisher backing it.

Do you have a writing routine?

I write mostly at night – I tend to be more creative in twilight hours.

I'm the same.  Do you start out with a complete idea for your stories, or do you just start writing and hope for the best?

I always start with an idea and a vague plan – I then write and let the story evolve organically.

Do you have an editing process?

Yes – I have a drafting system. I do at least 6 edits and each one looks for one point in particular. For example – tenses, info dumps, clichés, story sense etc.

Who/what influences your writing?  Where do you get your inspiration from?

I mainly tend to write the stories I would want to read. I also write to order for anthology call outs.

How do you come up with your characters' names and personalities?

A lot of my characters have a personality trait of my own in there to make them believable. The rest is woven around what I need them to do as characters. I use a baby name book and just pick what feels right.

Have you ever entered any writing competitions?

I won runner up in the Stamford Ghost Story competition.

Have you ever been to an open mic event for spoken word performers?

Yes – It was awful and performers really hadn’t been vetted!

Oh, that's a shame.  How important is it for you to share your writing?

Very, why write if no one reads it? 

Exactly!  What do you enjoy the most/least about writing?

That I can create anything I want to and entertain other people with my ideas. 

What is the best piece of writing advice you've ever been given?

Always read publishers guidelines – they are not all the same and not formatting your work correctly can mean that it’s just rejected without being read.

What advice could you give to a new writer?

Join a group. Start small and work up to a novel. Write the genre you read. Read, read, read! 

Apart from writing, what are your other hobbies/interests?

I’m a hardened shopper, so anywhere money is exchanged for goods – I’m there!

I think I have that addiction too!  If you could have written anything, what do you wish that could have been?

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

What are you working on at the moment?

A sequel to my book and also a few novellas to start a couple of other series.

Do you have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook dedicated to your writing?

Yes:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NickyP_author

Blog: http://nickypeacockauthor.wordpress.com/

Group Website: http://www.creativemindswriting.co.uk/

Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4958833.Nicky_Peacock

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Nicky-Peacock/e/B007UH2ACW/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_4 

Would you be able to provide a short piece of your work?

This is the opening of my story Fountain of Flesh. The challenge was to write a vampire story with a twist. I set the whole thing in Venice and the twist was that the vampire is unconscious for the whole story but is the catalyst for the bad things which happen.  

The Venice Carnival, a sea of annual decadence, pushed itself through the Italian streets; men and woman dressed in a mixture of colourful costumes and fake finery danced and drank with a sense of belonging born from years of tradition. The aroma of a hundred different Italian dishes mingled together in the air, giving the carnival an almost edible scent, making everyone who smelled it crazed with thirst and hunger. 

© Nicky Peacock 

Thank you Nicky.

Creative Minds Writing

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Welcome to my interview with Nicky Peacock from Creative Minds Writing.

*****

Hello Nicky.  Can you please tell us a bit about your writing group?

Creative Minds Writing, held every second Thursday at 7.30pm at the Beefeater pub in Corby.

How many members, on average, does your group have?

11

Who are you and what is your role within the group?

I’m the organiser.

How are your sessions structured?

We have an initial chat, then talk about work that has been previously emailed around. We then update each other on what we are working on. Sometimes we also do writing exercises and games. 

What types of things do you cover in your group?

Anything to do with writing, publishing and reading as well.

What have been some of your most popular/successful activities?

We all wrote a paragraph of a story and had to identify who wrote which piece.

What genres do the members of your group write?

There is a lot of diversity - everything from thrillers to creative non-fiction.

Have you ever written collectively as a group, such as producing an anthology?

We have all written stories inspired by a theme, but not put them together into an anthology.

What kind of support does your writing group provide for its writers?

Help with formatting, editing, opportunities.

Where do you get your ideas/writing prompts from?

They just seem to come up whilst talking to one another.

What is the best piece of writing advice you've been given?

Read the publisher guidelines.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

As above! Plus actually write something! You’d be surprised how many writers there are out there who don’t actually produce any work.

Do you have guest speakers at your group?

Yes. 

Do members of the group get a chance to run/lead a session or part of a session?

No.

Does your writing group have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook?

www.creativemindswriting.co.uk

How would someone go about joining your group?

They need to get in touch with me Nicky, my email is on the website.

Thank you Nicky.

Writers Forum

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Welcome to my interview with Lawrence Upton from Writers Forum.

*****

Hello Lawrence.  Can you tell us a bit about your writing group?

It's called Writers Forum (no apostrophe). It's held at The Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon Rd and we meet on average every three weeks except for a break in high summer and in the Christmas period. During the summer, as it stands, the dates for the next academic year are announced: It makes more sense than the calendar year. There is no charge. Occasionally, when we have needed money for something, we ask for a donation but don't enforce it

Meetings last two hours with a bit either side in the bar at people's whim. Until 10 years ago it used to last late and sometimes early in terms of all being in the pub before and after. Now it's become more sedate. Getting older I suppose. Certainly getting busier.

We seem to have a good relationship with the pub and that includes cooperating if they double book etc. They are very supportive and friendly and we try to reciprocate

It was founded in the 1950s by Cobbing as first among equals.  In those days it was rather formal, poems printed in advance, or so I believe, and discussions towards analysis.

It was refounded in 1963, again by Cobbing and others. Within a decade he was largely on his own. He continued, helped now and then by others, including me, as he got older. As he approached death in 2002 he passed it on to two of us, of whom I was one. The other left in 2010 and now it is me, with Tina Bass as  my deputy.

From 1963, wf did a lot of publishing. Nowadays it does much less; but the world is different. I wouldn't want us wasting time trying to be THE little press publisher. Some have wanted that. Nowadays there is a range of publishers and printing is easier and more affordable than it was. Being the lead organisation is a waste of effort. If it happens, it happens.

At the workshop, our emphasis is on performance of the poems and more general discussion following.

It is a strong understated house rule that you never tell anyone how their poem fails but always how it can be improved.

Anyone can bring anything – a work, an idea, a proposal. There has been from the beginning an emphasis on what is called the avant garde or other equally unsatisfactory terms; but all are welcome.

Allen Ginsberg was one of the writers published in 1963, helping to set the broad agenda of the press, hardly tremendously avant garde, or accepting of a narrow audience. It is a wide range and I value that.

People remember what interests them and thus the more supposedly “innovative” works are taken as typical by them; but I'll say again that the range is wide.

We exclude no one.  Many people move on while some stay. I have been going for 42 or 43 years of which maybe 30 were years of regular attendance

It has been by many criteria extremely successful and there is a sort of avant garde cachet in having belonged to it. For careerists who did not attend that creates a problem. This seems to have resulted in poets who have not or rarely attended encouraging others to believe they attended regularly. Also others include the words “writers forum” in their titles, apparently to encourage a belief that they have the true avant garde gospel.

I suppose that's quite flattering to the memory of Cobbing.

There is a group in Chile and another in Australia which are broadly similar and based to greater or lesser extent on our (Cobbing's) ideas and have checked with us that it is ok with us for them to use the name or versions of it. And of course it is.

It's just the passing off that offends.

But these are only annoying gnat bites.

How many members, on average, does your group have?

It varies very widely. We don't particularly want many. I'd like about 12 people attending. Currently it may be 6. Over 12 it's hard for everyone to have a turn... The mailing list is much larger; but it's spread over the world with names in every continent.

Who are you and what is your role within the group?

Lawrence Upton. I convene the meetings. Also called the director. I prefer just to be spoken of and to in my first name. 

How are your sessions structured?

We start. I invite someone (anyone) to start – that allows me to make any announcements I want to, but sometimes people just start; I cope. I keep an eye on the clock having declared things we ought to try to get through and try not to interrupt. I do join in.

Most “business” is performance or showing of work. Discussion may arise from that. Non performance stuff may well be dealt with before or after

If people take too much time... but that hardly happens. 

What types of things do you cover in your group?

We read, show and perform poems to each other.

What have been some of your most popular/successful activities?

Well! reading showing and performing poems to each other!

What genres do the members of your group write?

I'll give you a few: one writes poetry and prose either lyrical or system. I hope she can accept my description. Another has translated Romanian surrealist writing but is trying out other ideas. Another favours visual poetry and we are I would say rather interested in the relationship of the visual to the uttered. Also poetry and music – we  have a very fine violist who attends when he can.

Less sound poetry than there used to be. Lots more sonnets (8+6s).

Have you ever written collectively as a group, such as producing an anthology?

I wouldn't call that writing collectively; but we publish magazines and are interested and engage in collaborative writing and collaborative performance – cross disciplinary work too.

What kind of support does your writing group provide for its writers?

Well, in that sense and others, we are not a group. It's an open chaired workshop and also an edited publisher. The support comes from regular attendance and building a small audience that way. Having said that there is a lot of support ad hoc. 

Do you have guest speakers at your group?

Most recently

Allen Fisher (UK)

Richard Tipping (Australia)

Jill Jones (Australia)

Carlos Cocina (Chile)

They talk about poetry.

Do members of the group get a chance to run/lead a session or part of a session?

There are no sessions. Or there is one session. Anyone can propose anything.  It's more like a Quaker meeting without ministry.

Sometimes people suggest whole group experiments. It happens rarely but it's fine. They say What about...? And we say yes or no. It's nearly always yes. As I say I am only there to worry about time (and the bar stock and state of the room etc etc – but these are well-behaved adults. I convene and then I  become one of the number.

What is the best piece of writing advice you've been given?

Read; and take your time. 

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

Read; and take more time; and read more.

Does your writing group have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook?

www.wfuk.org.uk/blog.  The main site is still a building site.

How would someone go about joining your writing group?

You turn up. Preferably you join the mailing list first by asking on info@wfuk.org.uk on our website in case plans change; and then you are as joined as you'll ever be. 

Thank you Lawrence.

Writer - Lawrence Upton

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I'd like to welcome you to my interview with writer, Lawrence Upton.  Enjoy.

Lawrence Upton

Hello Lawrence.  Can you please introduce yourself?

I am Lawrence Upton. I am based on the concrete edges of London though I spend a lot of time in Scilly and some elsewhere.

How long have you been writing?

About 50 years.

What first got you interested in writing?

Seemed an obvious thing to do. I first tried when I was very young; and failed. Tried again when I was 13 and told myself I would try to write every day once I was 14. Still going.

Do you attend a writing group?

I have attended a number of writing groups. I went to my first when I was 15 or 16, I think. Mid 1960s. I am 63 now. I run Writers Forum now. I first went to that in the early 1970s. 

 Why do you go to a writing group?

I am not sure. Of WF, I go to it and work for it because I get so much out of it.

What is the most valuable thing you have taken away from your writing group?

I kind of met my current literary exec through WF. We e-met before but the meetings cemented it. My first exec died a few years ago. So I got another to preserve my work. The world may not thank me for that; but it makes me feel better. That is also one of the most important / rewarding friendships I have.  A tremendous and joyous bonus.

And hearing and watching myself perform my poems to others is very different and more demanding than reading it alone. 

 What genre(s) do you write?

I write poetry but I also work collaboratively with musicians and painters so that I take writing into its graphic and sonic areas as well as writing lines that don't reach the other margin(s).

Are there any genres that you don't enjoy writing?

No. There are some I am less than good at; but that's something else.

Maybe novels.

I have hardly had an alcoholic drink since the start of 2009 - one sip of wine, one sip of beer and one entire glass of wine in over three years; but I wouldn't say I don't drink; just that if the thought or opportunity arises I can't much see the point

I have written novels which I have never even tried to publish. Now I don't see the point of trying to write them. I think once I thought one ought to write a novel.

I write short fiction... I'm ok at it, but I like to work with metre.

Have you ever had anything published?

Yes.

wrack, Quarter After Press, USA, forthcoming

Memory Fictions,  Argotist Ebooks, UK, 2012 (e-book)

Unframed pictures, Writers Forum, UK, 2011

Pictures, Cartoon Strips, Sound & Language, USA, 2010

a song and a film, Veer Publications, UK, 2009

Water lines and other poems, Chalk Editions, USA, 2009 (e-book)

Snapshots and video, Writers Forum, UK, 2009

Scat Songs on a text by Chris Funkhouser, Xexoxial Editions, USA, 2008

Wire Sculptures, Reality Street Editions, UK, 2003

Also

Word Score Utterance Choreography, edited with Cobbing Writers Forum, 1998

Some commentaries on Bob Cobbing, Argotist Ebooks, forthcoming

Have you sent your writing to agents/publishers?

Agents, no. Publishers yes. I have received rejections especially magazines because I speculate more there. It's best not to be indiscriminate in where one sends. Target to some degree. I target very carefully sort of with whole books.

What is your view on self-publishing/e-publishing?

I did self-publish in my teens and still circulate material samisdat. Self publishing is good but I favour a little press approach. Best not to be one's own editor; so long as the other editor's decision is not taken as gospel. The landscape book I am working on is going to a kind man who is going to look at it and at least make suggestions. I don't know why; I am not paying him; he must just be a good man; but I shall learn. (He is of course a reliably good poet – no point in being edited by someone who is not able to make the judgment on experience.

E-publishing is fine. I had an e-book MEMORY FICTIONS out as an e-book earlier this year; and my book WRACK is due out as an e-book and a real book in USA. I prefer real books; but e-books have many good points.

Have you ever attended an open mic event for spoken word performers?

Yes.

Have you ever entered writing competitions?

Once or twice I entered. Once when I was really encouraged to. The man who encouraged me did win. As a principle, no.  A stronger principle each year. It is not a principle I try to persuade others of.

How important is it for you to share your writing?

Very. There is no point otherwise.

Who/what influences your writing?  Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everything.

There is no such thing as inspiration. (Sorry. No offence intended).

None taken; we'll just have to agree to disagree on that.  

Well I don't agree, Rebeccah! I don't see there is any evidence for it. I don't see there is any clear meaning to the word. There is an original meaning which I regard as a fallacy; and generally the word is used so loosely as to be devoid of any specific meaning. For instance, some people ask “Where do you get your inspiration?” and mean “Where do you get your ideas?” Others mean something more tangible which is generally to do with being in a particular state of mind.

Now I might understand that, but there are better ways of saying it, ways that allow the writer or any artist to be active in the process of achieving that state of mind.
And then there are those who do seem to believe their words - or is it just their ideas? – come from somewhere outside of themselves.
The term is, at best, imprecise. 

How do you come up with your characters' names and personalities?

Well, that assumes that I write a certain kind of writing. It's not much of an issue for me; but it's also not much of an issue. When I need names, the entities seem to name themselves.

Currently I am writing the life of a mediaeval saint who may or may not have lived. But he has a name; so I use it. (That is: all that is known of him is that an island was once called Insula Sancti Elidii – hence Elidius or Elid.  They call it St Helen's island now but celebrate his feast day there on 8^th Aug.) I was conferring with him today about some problems he once had. His memory is surprisingly good for a man over a thousand years old. And I help him.

Do you have a writing routine?

Get up, write, stop for food and drink ad hoc, write, go to bed. Writing in this sense is not necessarily constant scribbling.

That's the default. Little things like shopping, doctors visits, friends disrupt and stretch the pattern but I write on the ways there and back. Ditto going to readings, concerts and exhibitions –  essential but have to be fitted in because life is rather short.

Ditto giving readings and talks both of which I really like doing.

The best time of day varies.

It depends what you mean by creative. I am looking to avoid repeating approaches which have worked. It's a matter of outwitting oneself.

I woke with a weird and somewhat private dream in my head last night. It didn't wake me. I found it there when I woke. In the middle of the night. 

I am currently spending nearly a month in a tent and occasionally my background consciousness wonders where it is.

I had a drink of water and continued writing a piece I had started earlier before sleep got me. (I have an LED lamp)

It is a very strange piece of writing and something I would not have come to by routine although it fits into a larger set. There were a lot of words in it but I am now of the opinion that most of those came as I began to wake up. The actual details of the dream, which I believe would have been inappropriate to make explicit here, have faded: they were just routine brain maintenance. I believe the linguistic element is shall I say higher level. I have known people to keep dream diaries; but they are usually trying to fathom them. I am content if I can find the occasional poem from one or derive one from a dream.

Nevertheless routine is rather important, essential. Routine can be broken but it's a minimum.  It should not be broken often. It can be stretched often. Writing a lot means that one is constantly “fit” to write so that when everything in the brain lines up with everything else and the ideas flow one isn't doing the imaginative equivalent of thinking “Now where did I leave the screwdriver.”

Do you start out with a complete idea for your poems, or do you just start writing and hope for the best?

Neither; but I often start vaguely to see where it goes. One can always try again and again. One must give each poem all the time in the world if it wants it; but taking ideas at they flood is important too.

The main thing is to write something.

Do you have an editing process?

Edit and edit again. If necessary + the workshop. + picking my editors carefully even if all they do is say yes or no. The poem I'll send you came almost as it is; but it is very short; yet even then it needed some work

I read aloud alone; but no mirrors.

The trick is to know when to stop editing.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever been given?

I am not sure one can compartmentalise that way. Read more would probably be the best answer.

What advice could you give to a new writer?

Don't rush to publish. And when you are absolutely sure it is time to publish your first book or pamphlet, consider waiting a year or so.

What do you enjoy the most/least about writing?

I might go mad if I didn't. Madder. That's the most and the least. And anyway after all these years I really have to stay with it now

Apart from writing, what are your other hobbies/interests?

Few. Writing takes all my time.  Most of it. I am not a hobbyist type. I am interested in archaeology. I walk. I stare at things absent-mindedly. I can spend all day stroking a cat. I like seeing and being with my friends and sometimes just descend on them. Galleries. Concerts. But I don't see that as hobbies, except perhaps staring at things.

If you could have written anything, what do you wish that could have been?

I try to write what I wish to write.

I wouldn't want to write LIKE anyone else. I do feel that I still have much to learn from, for instance, Browning, Stein, Auden, W S Graham (errors and omissions excepted) and many of my contemporaries about how to write better; but one does not want to imitate or pastiche. The list of contemporaries varies. The two who have always been on my list are Allen Fisher and Denise Riley in any order. Jeff Hilson is probably in that class; we're not getting  on very well with each other at present but I can't and won't deny that he is a fine poet.

What types of things do you read?  Do you think your writing reflects your book tastes?

I read anything and everything.  I think the second question is too general to answer. I just this month reread a collection of Updike stories which repulse and impress me; Titus Groan; Ashbee's book on the archaeology of Scilly;  Denise Riley's poems and (first time) the boy by Naseem Murr which I found on the campsite.

What are you working on at the moment?

Editing a LARGE collection of “landscape” poems  already referred to which will produce a number of possible  average length books, whatever that is, even with heavy weeding

Writing the book I referred to above (verse): Elidius on Ennor, as a working title.

And a few other things including an essay about aspects of poetry which is still rather vague – an editor's invitation to write “something”.

Do you have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook dedicated to your writing?

My website is www.lawrenceupton.org – it is in a permanent state of being not quite ready

I do not tweet.

I detest Facebook.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

You'd be here all night... yes... One of the important things I learned from Bob Cobbing was that we must take ourselves seriously as poets. As writers; but he said poet and so do I on my own account.

Few now realise how much he had to do with getting poets treated with respect, though it is slipping back. Two many organisers behave as if they are doing us a favour if they ask us to perform for nothing though they would be outraged perhaps if we suggested that they want tradesmen to plumb and build for nothing. There is an implicit assumption that art should not be paid for, which is rather convenient for those who might have to pay and rather inconvenient for writers wanting to eat.

It is still common for events to be poorly organised and badly advertised. And we are supposed to be grateful.

Of course one does have to learn the trade, as it were. And one of the things that needs is practice.

A gathering of writers can give that opportunity. However, in my experience, too many groups impose an idea of what writing should be instead of starting from where the writers are.

One workshop organiser to whom I went in my teens, Odette Tchernine, did go to her writers (metaphorically) and did give even very inexperienced writers great respect and therefore confidence. She did not impose herself.

I didn't stay there because, good as she was, what was possible was, I felt, limited; and it was also a hike to get there.

I next went to a local group which was also limiting in its own way but also so crowded that it took ages to get a turn. The approach was didactic and I felt  oppressed.

Then I went to WF.

I have been involved with other groupings without  in any sense belonging to them. I would guest there. All put too much weight on popular success. If one is seeking to be a journalist, that's ok perhaps.

Much writing may involve criteria which are likely to limit popular success unless quality is compromised.

There is some quality prose writing which sells in quantity; but not much which sells in quantity is well made.

If the desire to be published is the main criterion, fair enough; but I have nothing to say of that.

One group I have attended  includes reading and writing but goes beyond that remit. Though they are or think they are interested in poetry they seem collectively and individually to want what I have come to call comfort poetry, poetry which means to carry a message with which they are happy to agree. Beyond that, they just say they do not understand.

Poetry's mode of meaning isn't like a manual. (I have said this so often that I think I might just get it printed on labels.) If it is possible to say what the poem means in prose statement then what is the point of writing a poem?

Often a reader saying they do not understand is implicitly demanding that each poem carries an extractable meaning; and of course poetry is not like that.

Poetry and other writing found to be difficult is often referred to as modern whereas all writing made now is modern. Attempts to write in a manner and idiom of a past age nearly always result in pastiche and bluster because those manners and idioms are not ours.

Furthermore, one can very easily find many passages from poetry of the past which defy any easy rendition into simple prose. Some though cling to a few poems, comfort poems and say those few do or should typify poetry. They do the craft and themselves no good at all.

I have stuck with WF and now convene it because I have found there people who want to learn from and teach each other by example and who accept that to get anything worthwhile takes effort.

And it has tended to slough off dogmatism. It isn't for everyone; but it is for the serious.

Would you be able to provide a short piece of your work?

The overwhelming

Take good care; each moment'll hit your eyes,
changing appearance, bruising you inside

like puppies; or kittens; or children,
you look here, and there almost immediately

or, as Gertrude said: now; and now; and now;
the immediacy of things as things

overwhelming

Lawrence Upton, © September 2012, Periglis, Scilly

Thank you Lawrence.