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| Jack Scott, author and publisher, Springtime Books |
Six months into their Turkish affair, Jack and Liam, a gay couple
from London, took lodgings in the oldest ward of Bodrum Town. If they wanted to
shy away from the curtain-twitchers, they couldn’t have chosen a worse
position. Their terrace overlooked Turkey Street like the balcony of Buckingham
Palace and the middle-aged infidels stuck out like a couple of drunks at a
temperance meeting. Against all the odds, the boys from the Smoke were welcomed
into the fold by a feisty mix of eccentric locals and a select group of
trailblazing expats, irresistible ladies with racy pasts and plucky presents.
Hop aboard Jack’s rainbow gulet as he navigates the choppy waters of
a town on the march and a national resurgence not seen since Suleiman the
Magnificent was at the gates of Vienna. Grab your deckchair for a whirlwind
tour of love and duty, passion and betrayal, broken hearts and broken bones,
dirty politics and the dawn of a new Ottoman era.
Where do you get your inspiration when writing?
I’ve always been a greedy
social observer and unrepentant eavesdropper. A move to a foreign field provided
the chance to witness the expat species in the wild, an opportunity I hadn’t anticipated
but relished. I soon discovered expatriates, like everyone else, came in all forms
– the mad, the sad and the glad – but boiled down and in your face. Expat life
was village life and your business was everyone’s business.
What’s your favourite genre to read and why?
I tend to be drawn mostly
to non-fiction, particularly history. This may be why I was attracted to Turkey.
As the true crossroad of civilisations – Hittite, Greek, Persian, Roman,
Byzantine, Ottoman to name only the best known – Anatolia has been won and lost
over countless centuries, the evidence of which lies casually underfoot and
around every corner. I didn’t expect the rough and tumble of expat life to
spoil the view.
How did you become a writer?
I’m an accidental
writer. When Liam and I first washed up on Turkey’s shores, we planned to put
our feet up and watch the pansies grow. But so many extraordinary things
happened around us I had to write them all down, first in a blog. As the months
trickled by, the blog took off spectacularly and a book started to form in my
mind. It really was that simple. I was lucky. My fellow expatriates handed me a
ripping yarn and for that I remain ever-grateful.
Do you have any helpful tips for other authors? Writing, publishing
or promoting?
Just write
You have to begin
somewhere. The more you write, the better you’ll get.
Be yourself
Think about what
will make your writing stand out. How is your message different? What’s
distinctive about your angle? Who will your writing appeal to? Are you prepared
to reveal the real you?
Think about ‘form’
This is one of the
biggest lessons I learned when turning my blog into a book. A story, even a
real-life story, needs order, pace, plot, a compelling blend of highs and lows
and a sense of purpose.
Think visually
Set the scene and
describe your characters and situations colourfully. Help your readers
visualise your story. Use dialogue to amplify and underscore the narrative and
keep the speech realistic.
Edit, edit, edit and edit again
Be bold and
decisive. If something adds nothing to the plot or message, cut it. Employ a
professional editor. You won’t be sorry.
Share your writing
Ask for feedback.
Then take a deep breath. Take the comments on board. Some of them will be
rubbish but some won’t. Try not to take things personally.
Be social
These days, authors
are expected to do a lot more to market their books. This means developing a
strong online presence. Don’t be shy.
Start a blog
Blogging is a great
audition for writing, and the best way to experiment and grow your fan-base.
What are you currently working on?
The book birthing for
Turkey Street was much more painful than expected. Eighteen months later than
planned, I fretted my comeback would be as welcome as another Spice Girls
reunion, but the pain eased as the reviews dropped onto the mat. For now I’ve
set my quill aside and focused my energies on Springtime Books, working in
partnership with the force of nature who is Jo Parfitt and editor
extraordinaire, Jane Dean. Together we publish authors who have something new
and different to say about the expat experience. This entirely unforeseen and radical
career change is a direct result of my time in Expatland and the success of my
first book.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
In 2012, Liam and I
ended our Turkish affair and paddled back to Britain on the evening tide. We currently
live quietly in Norwich, a surprising city in eastern England. Springtime Books
keeps me on my toes and Liam has a part time job in a local village. It all
helps to keep us out of the workhouse. I still blog regularly at Perking thePansies. Even now, my random musings seem to strike a chord. For us the good
life involves hearty fare, quality time with those who matter, taking in a show
and supping in local hostelries where I can quench my thirst for social
observation and eavesdropping. And so it goes on!
If you'd like to see what Jack is up to check out his book site visit his blog and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
If you’d like to receive my updates, book
launch announcements or information on upcoming writing retreats, go ahead and
sign up for my newsletter. When you sign up you’ll receive a free, signed PDF
of my first novel, Mental Pause.
Comments
Carol, you won't be disappointed. Get both books but read Perking the Pansies first!!!
Phuket Property
Thanks,
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