Questions and Answers What are you currently working on? My third novel, the working title being Cronan The Librarian, which I am roughly a third of the way through. I finished my second book six months ago and set immediately to work on Cronan. This one is a spin off from my first scribblings, entitled Reluctant Heroes, which is due out in February 2003 with Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie under their Vanguard Press inprint. Is there a book or story you wish you had written? Quite a few, actally. And all of them written by David Gemmell. I think DG is one of the all time greats of heroic fantasy. When I first started to write, it was with the view to emulate his style of writing. Unfortunately, my version of straight heroic fantasy was nothing like DG's. More like an episode of the Clangers, really. Is writing your full time occupation, if not what is? I wish. I part own a small timber preservation company here on the Isle of Man. The good thing about it is I am my own boss, which means I can sometimes find time to sneak in some additional writing during the day. At the moment, I tend to write most evenings and at weekends, when the kids and chores let me. What was your first professional sale? How did it feel when you received the acceptance? My first professional sale was two in one, actually. I sold two short stories to Deadthings Magazine, for the grand sum of £20. Sadly, the magazine has now gone by the wayside. Nothing to do with my stories, I hasten to add. The two shorts were humorous horror. I thought they were fantasy, but the fantasy mags I submitted to prior to Deadthings informed me they were horror, and suggested I tried that market. When Deadthings accepted the two stories I had a smile on my face that was wider than the River Mersey. It stayed stuck in place for days. People started giving me strange looks after a while, so I had to act normal to save being locked away in a padded cell. When Pegasus offered me the contract for Reluctant Heroes, I just sat there, stunned. I had to read the acceptance letter two or three times before it eventually sank in. Then I emailed and telephoned everyone I knew to let them know of my success. I haven't stopped grinning since. Who is you favourite author? As you may have guessed from my comment above, it is David Gemmell, which probably seems strange considering I write humorous fantasy. When I get started on one of DG's books, I can't put it down. I get lost in the worlds he creates. His characterisation is quite superb. As a reader, I feel a part of the whole story, which is what writing should be about, getting the reader involved. If you could give one piece of advice to a would-be author, what would it be? Believe in yourself and persevere. Writing is a lonely occupation with very little feedback. Usually, the only feedback you get is a standard rejection letter, which I have a few of, so it is all too easy to become despondant about the whole thing. But if you can write, and believe you can write, there is an editor out there who will also believe you can write. The hard part is finding him or her. So persevere and keep sending your work out. I did. When did you first decide that you wanted to be an author? When I couldn't find enough books to read that I enjoyed. Before I started writing, I read all the time - fantasy, of course - but started to run out of what I considered good authors to read. After bemoaning the fact that there just weren't enough good books out there, and that perhaps I should write a book myself, my wife, Carole, told me to stop complaining and get on with it. So I enrolled on a correspondance course for writing, which gave me some basic knowledge of 'how to write', then set about writing my heroic fantasy. I did finish the book and try to sell it, to no avail. On going back and reading it now, I can see why! I kept wanting to add humorous situations in the story, the end result being something not straight, but not funny either. So I had to make a decision. Straight or humorous? Humorous won. When did you first feel that you were an author? When Reluctant Heroes was accepted for publication by Pegasus I felt like I was nearly an author. I felt like a 'writer' when the two short stories were accepted but, to me, an author is someone who writes books. I don't think I will have truly bridged the gap between a writer and an author until February when the book comes out. Are you a music fan? If so, what? Totally, although most people think my music taste is offbeat. I listen to techno-rock bands such as Dream Theater, euro-rock such as Everon, Evergreen and Threshold, and synth music along the lines of Eloy. Slotted in amongst that lot is Celtus, a Scottish folk rock band. I have different bands to suit different moods. Dream Theater, Threshold, etc, are for when I am busy doing physical work around the farmhouse we are renovating, while Eloy and Celtus are for when I want to chill out and relax. Do you enjoy book signings/conventions? I haven't actually done any book signings yet - roll on February! - but I did attend the British Fantasy Society con in London during September. The whole weekend was superb. It started with a book launch by Mark Chadbourn on the friday, then the main event on Saturday. I was amazed at how approachable the famous writers were. You sort of expect them to be aloof, but they weren't. Mark Chadbourn was a super, down to earth guy. A pleasure to meet and converse with, and his books are pretty darn good, too. I was in the same quizz team as Juliet E. McKenna on the Saturday - we won, by the way - and she had me laughing all the while. She really is fun, as is James Barclay, who had me clutching my sides with laughter. So yes, up to now, I have enjoyed the lot. All one of them! Can't wait for the rest, now. What influences the names of people and places in your work? Where I live, really. The Isle of Man is full of Celtic history and sites of interest, with the Manx language still spoken. In fact, Manx gaelic is taught in schools so that the language lives on and doesn't die, like most of the gaelic spoken word has. The problem with using Manx names in my writing is I have no idea what most of them mean. I could be calling someone 'small room to pee in' for all I know. Well, maybe not. I know that Thie Veg is not a name to use. What book are you reading at the moment? Since I started writing I don't read that much any more. The problem if you read the genre in which you write, you can't always be sure that the brilliant idea you have just jotted down is, in fact, your own. I have found that writing has spoiled my enjoyment of reading, if that makes any sense. That said, I am actually in the middle of reading two books. Morevi by Lisa Lee and Tee Morris, and Darkest Hour by Mark Chadbourn. Both are excellant books, but very different in their style. The book by Lisa and Tee is a rollocking, thigh-slapping tale of the high seas. The way in which they have mixed a fantasy setting with medieval England is quite superb. It is a good, fun read which keeps the reader engrossed. Mark's tale is a heavier read that immerses you in the world he has created. The earth of today has been taken back by the celtic gods of old, the Tuatha de Dannan and the Formori and it falls on six people to prevent then from wreaking havoc with our planet. The six protagonists are so diverse and 'real' that you are with them all the way. Mark has a knack for making the reader 'feel' for the characters, wanting to shout 'they're behind you' when the bad guys appear. In places, the suspence makes the hair on my neck stand on end. Again, it comes down to mood as to which one I pick up to read. Do You Always know a Story's Ending When You Begin Writing? I think I do, until the characters yell at me and tell me that is not the way in which they want the story to finish. I usually have at least two alternative endings, but, to date, the endings have not turned out as I expected, which came as a complete surprise to the author. Not that he is complaining. Who am I to moan about the characters and what they want? After all, it is their story. Plug away - what do you have coming out? Hurrah! I get the chance to plug the book - again. Reluctant Heroes is out on the Vanguard Press inprint of Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie in February 2003. However, it is available for pre-release orders through Amazon.co.uk or direct from the publisher's website, www.pegasuspublishers.com . My second novel, Bruvvers in Arms, is completed and will be with Pegasus in January 2003 for working toward publication later on the same year. At this point I would like to thank David Newstead, Sarah Titkin, Kate Leadbeater and all at Pegasus for their professionalism and help, and also for taking a chance on an unknown. Many Thanks, Steve! Relevant Links Steve Westcott Main Bibliography Vanguard Press