You’ve written poetry, plays and prose, which of those three disciplines are you most fond of? Is it the discipline that you find yourself best at?
I suppose poetry, as I’ve been writing it the longest. I see poetry as underlying everything else - the best films are poetic, the best fiction. But of the other disciplines, I want to write more fiction.
Many people enter the field of writing with purpose and others find themselves writing as a reflection of opportunity or new epiphany. When did you decide in life to become a writer and why do you think you did?
I always wanted to be a writer. I remember my father asking me when I was about eight years old what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I replied that I wanted to be a writer. He did not encourage me. He said ‘you can’t be a writer until you’ve got something to write about.’ That was his way of discouraging me, but in a sense, he was right. You need to find what it is you want to write about, and then write it. Having said that, I spent a long time focussing on other projects (films), and only thinking of myself as a part-time writer. Now having lost a certain amount of faith in filmmaking, I want to concentrate more on the writing.
What life experiences have helped in developing your life as a writer? Do you think that your education was helpful beyond the basics of learning skills to go along with your talents?
As a child, I always liked writing stories, and being asked to write a story for school was the best homework ever. But beyond that, I’m not sure how much my education played a part. I had a brilliant English teacher, Mr Thompson, whose enthusiasm and passion (and humour) were certainly a major factor in getting me interested in reading contemporary writers. I don’t think any life experiences as such played a part in my writing, more my developing perception of the world.
You’ve addressed the Templars, Black Death, the Gnostics, the Cathars and much more in your work. As I’ve told you in private conversation, I think your Templar book was the best of the many books I’ve read about them… Do your plays and or poetry involve those subject matter? Do you pursue the exotic aspects of Christianity to understand better the wide span of the Christian world? Is it a matter of belief or curiosity?
I’ve written a couple of poems with Cathar themes, and I’ve been trying to write a poem about alchemy for years, but keep not finishing it. I see all those books being linked by my love of all things mediaeval; and also heresy (or free thinking). I’ve always been opposed to the idea that someone can tell you what you can or can’t imagine. I’m interested in church history, but that’s about as far as it goes. I’m deeply suspicious of organised religion, and the three Western monotheisms in particular. It always seems to be that the heretics and outsiders are closer to the truth. (Whatever that may be!)
What part of writing do you wish you could improve upon? Which of your talents regarding writing is your strength?
I wish I was more disciplined and productive! I’ve always been rather stop-start in my writing schedule; blame poetry for that.
Do you follow a routine in writing, is it done daily, do you write the book first and then offer it to publishers, or, do you give a proposal and then write the work thereafter?
I usually do a proposal, and then take it from there. When writing, I try to work every day, but it doesn’t always work out like that. I can often take days off, and then write a lot quickly.
What subject areas do you desire to approach in your non fiction, and do you intend upon covering other than European history and cultural?
I’ve toyed with the idea of doing a book on the Dark Ages. I know most historians tend to use the term ‘early middle ages’ now, but I think Dark Ages is more evocative. And we’re living in one at the moment. My PhD, when it’s finished, will hopefully become a book. It’s on the Scottish metaphysical fantasy writer David Lindsay who wrote A Voyage to Arcturus.
What internet tools do you make use of in writing, do you use the “Cloud”, does Wikipedia help, or do you have grammar or spell check? Do you think perhaps that using those tools makes a writer, say a writer like me, lazy or forgetful and too dependent upon them?
I use Google Drive and Docs a lot. Wikipedia can be a good starting place, but for serious research, I always use the National Library of Scotland here in Edinburgh. When I lived in London, I used the British Library a lot. Real books win out over websites every time. I find spell-checkers and auto-fill/auto-correct very annoying and try to avoid them.
What is the best advice you’ve received as a developing writer, and, what advice do you hear commonly given that you think is perhaps not as good or less than helpful?
A difficult question to answer, as I’ve received a lot of good advice over the years. I think realising that it was OK to write about the things I’m interested in was crucial. You have to write what you are, in a sense. If you’re not doing that, then perhaps you’re not writing what you really should be writing. I think the famous adage, ‘write what you know’ is perhaps not very helpful. You need to write what you’re passionately interested in.
With such an esoteric set of works, do you risk having the mainstream dismiss your work, or, are people more sophisticated now than previous generations? How do you engage the mainstream if they are either defenders of the orthodoxy, or, rather, nutjobs?
You always run the risk of being dismissed. But I’ve had good reviews from the mainstream media as well. I think it really depends on the reviewer! I don’t really think about engaging the mainstream. I just want to write more books, and hope that they will find readers, one way or another. This could be via mainstream publishers or small presses. I think a writer these days has to work with all available channels, moving between them as appropriate.
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