Gary Davison
Interview by Sammi Hide
Gary Davison is the author 'Fat Tuesday' which is due out on the 11th of Feb 2008.
Hi Gary, congratulations on your debut novel!
So, what made you decide to start writing?
Seven years ago, after the millennium new year, I decided to give up smoking and take up writing. I love reading. Read every day. So I thought why not start writing? I sat down and started writing a story called Missing. 125 000 words later I had my first novel. It was, according to friends and family, a blockbuster. In reality, it was crap. But that was me off and running and I’ve never stopped since.
Tell us a bit about your book, ‘Fat Tuesday’.
Fat Tuesday is about a twenty-year-old lad who turns his back on a
Multi-million pound inheritance and takes off backpacking. Three months later he makes Australia’s Ten Most Wanted. It has been described as a brilliant, ahem I didn’t add that bit by the way, portrait of a disintegration of a personality. I wouldn’t disagree too much with that, but where there’re young people on the rampage, there’s bound to be violence, sex, drugs and scams, isn’t there?
How did you come up with the idea for ‘Fat Tuesday’?
I was standing in Asda, day dreaming, listening to the tills ringing, when I thought: how good would it feel to rob this place? And the story just grew from there.
Are you very disciplined when it comes to your writing, or do you tend to just write a bit whenever the mood strikes?
Disciplined. I’m a morning person so it’s generally 9 – 11, or as close as I can get it. I write for two hours, or edit, or just stare at the white boards on the wall. Staying at the computer sometimes feels like a chore, but then you start messing around and before you know it you’ve had the best writing day of the week.
Talk us through what a typical day’s writing involves for you.
I get settled and it depends on what I’m up to. If it’s new writing I’m only good for an hour, typing at speed, then I’ll mess about with it for half an hour or so. Oh, and before I get started I always read the last couple of chapters I’ve written, to get my eyes adjusted to the screen and get back into things. When I’m editing I often spend the full two hours on one page or even a paragraph, messing about with a word, a reaction etc.
When I finish a book I like to put it to one side for as long as possible. Six months is ideal. That way I can come back and read it as a reader, if you know what I mean. Makes a huge difference to a final edit. When I finish writing for the day I scribble ideas on the white boards in my room for the following day.
Once the book was finished how long did it take you to find a publisher?
The publisher actually found me, which is ridiculous, I know. After the appraisal company had read my MS (writing.co.uk), the publisher associated with them called and asked if they could take a look at it. They said they were very interested, but it was all about timing and could I wait a while. About 6-8 months later, I sent them the first three chapters of my next novel and they offered me a three book deal.
How did you feel when you found out ‘Fat Tuesday’ was going to be published?
When I read the email, the actual words on screen that said, ‘We have finally reached a point where we think we can take on new authors and really push your books at a young adult market with (hopefully) lots of success. So – we would like to offer you a deal.’
Those were the exact words. About an hour later and half a bottle of red wine later, I was back at the screen with my wife, admiring them like they were a work of art. And of course I was jumping around like a nutta!
Lastly, how about a few words of advice for any struggling authors out there?
Learn your craft. If you love writing and reading, just get on with. Enjoy. Don’t get hung up on getting published and getting ‘somewhere’. The fact you’re writing anything, means you are creating something that means a lot to you. I’ve been writing for 8 years and after the first year I stopped sending stuff out to publishers and agents because I knew it wasn’t good enough.
If you can write something and go back a year later and it still sounds spot on, then you’re just about there. I’ve got no writing back ground what-so-ever, so you don’t have to be a journalist, celebrity or come from a long line of authors, to get a shot at it. Just committed and have a bit of luck.
Also! Says the now overnight- expert! Read. For me, reading is the training, writing is match day. Read, read, read, and one day it’ll click. You’ll no longer be heavily influenced by other writers and be able to find your own style.
Best of luck to you all and if anyone has any questions or anything, I’d be more than happy to help. My blog’s at paperbooks.co.uk.
To contact Gary, or view his blog, click here