When characters develop their own personalities like that it is extremely rewarding. It is as if they are doing the writing.
Jack Messenger – 9 June 2018
The Back Flap
A long, hot summer in the capital of the world.
When a patron of the arts named Serge loans him a luxurious penthouse apartment in central Paris, Howard can't believe his luck. Now he can live cheaply while he translates articles for shortlived websites and doomed art journals nobody reads. And he'll have more time to devote to his inscrutable French girlfriend, Delphine, a trainee lawyer.
Then, disaster strikes, in the shape of Eugene, Howard's half-brother and personal nemesis, who sows chaos and discord wherever he goes. Abruptly, Howard's uneventful life is plunged into mystery and farce. People are suddenly not what they seemed, and danger lurks in every restaurant. Serge himself is implicated in wrongdoing, while Giles, an Englishman abroad and seldom sober, knows more than he's prepared to tell.
Can Howard and Eugene overcome their mutual antagonism long enough to survive? Should Howard forgive Eugene for being better looking? Will Eugene ever help him with the housework? Above all, will they ever agree about anything, particularly women?
Farewell Olympus is about love and rivalry, ambition and morality, Armageddon and the quest for the perfect croissant. Witty, intelligent and entertaining, it will make you feel you are too, even if you have no experience of volleyball.
About the book
What is the book about?
Farewell Olympus is about an ambitious young man living in Paris who has his life turned upside down when his half-brother arrives unexpectedly. The resulting turmoil involves farce, love, and mystery, but the book is mostly concerned with relationships and how they change or endure.
When did you start writing the book?
I think it must have been at the start of 20017.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took around six months in total, but stretched over the entire year, as I had some health problems that stopped me writing for six months.
Where did you get the idea from?
Honestly, I don't know. It started with the setting – Paris – and the thought of Howard living there in borrowed luxury. Then the half-brother – Eugene – popped up, and I took it from there. I suppose I have always been interested in doubles or shadows, so the idea of two antagonistic relatives fits with that fascination.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I reached the end of chapter four and was pleased with what I'd written thus far, but then had no idea what to do next. I envisaged a completely different path to the one I eventually took. I always struggle with plot, but this time things worked out nicely.
What came easily?
Most of the characters and situations came very easily. Howard and Eugene simply took over and I followed where they led. When characters develop their own personalities like that it is extremely rewarding. It is as if they are doing the writing.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
As far as I am aware they are entirely fictitious, but who knows? Novelists sift and mix their experience until a character emerges. Much of that process is subconscious, so it's hard to say what is borrowed and what invented.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Every book I've ever read has influenced me in some way. I think books are like experiences: we can't recall everything that's ever happened to us, but all of it made us what we are today. Authors I admire include Dickens, Tolstoy, Capote – there are hundreds. Gore Vidal has had a huge impact on my writing. I admire his sureness of tone, his confidence and daring.
Do you have a target reader?
Not really. I know quite a lot about what sorts of people read my work – overwhelmingly women aged 30 and over etc. – but I don't consciously write with them in mind. I think one can only write for oneself and hope that it strikes a chord with readers. If a writer merely tries to give readers what they want or expect, he or she will probably disappoint them and then no one has the chance to discover something new. However, with Farewell Olympus, I found myself thinking of a friend of mine. I didn't write with him as my target reader, but it often occurred to me that he would enjoy the humour. He hasn't read it yet, so I hope I'm right!
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I suppose I do, but it's rather slow and unremarkable. First, I have to live with an idea for a long time before I am confident that I can write about it. I tend to come up with a lot of half-baked ideas, so I am extremely wary. Once I know I have the idea I need, I start to write and see where it leads. Beginnings are important for setting the tone and point of view etc., so I spend an awful lot of time trying to get it exactly right. If it is right, the book grows from there.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I have never been able to outline or plan ahead or know exactly what to do beforehand. I admire authors who can do that but, for me, it is the death of creativity. As I write, incidents and scenes come to mind and I write them more or less in chronological order. When the time is right, the book reaches its end. On Farewell Olympus, I was aiming for around 50,000 words and ten chapters. I got the ten chapters but they came in at around 65,000 words. That was the extent of my planning.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you've finished?
I edit as I go along, and I constanty reread in order to correct and improve. It's hard for me to progress if I think what I have already done is not as good as I can get it. I must have read Farewell Olympus a hundred times while writing it, which means my first draft is more or less my last draft by the time it's finished. I don't hold with those who say just keep writing even if it's a load of rubbish. Something that really is a load of rubbish is likely to remain a load of rubbish, in my view. One often hears that one should never go back to read what one has written until one has finished, but I don't hold with that either. Going back ad nauseam is part of my process.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Fortunately, I am a professional editor! And so is my wife. So that saves time and money. Otherwise, I would definitely hire a copyeditor – it is a grave error not to. I review books, and I can tell you that the ones full of errors don't get reviewed.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No, I have to have absolute quiet, which can be difficult living in a city.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I tried a few agents and publishers, but I didn't have much expectation of success. My career has always been in conventional publishing, so I know how things are. There are very few gatekeepers any more because most of the gates no longer exist. Publishers want a sure thing.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
It was always a twin track: I presumed I would publish independently but I always submitted my work when I could. It seemed sensible to pursue both options, even if one of them looked inevitable. And when I decided to be independent it was tremendously liberating. I could be in charge of everything. And whether you are independent or conventionally published, the hard work of marketing is left to you, so why not be independent? Plus there's the enormous benefit that your book doesn't have to find its audience within two weeks of publication or else be pulped. I am delighted to be independent.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Amateur covers look awful. I have a friend named Dave Pettit who is a professional designer. He's worked on all sorts of campaigns for major retailers and what have you. He now teaches design at a university. So he has designed the covers for Farewell Olympus and Four American Tales (my free ebook) for free. I am lucky. The covers Dave came up with really zing. If I didn't know him, I would definitely get a professional cover design. Off-the-shelf designs all look the same. As a reader and reviewer, copyediting and covers are important for creating the right impression. You can't cut corners and hope no one will notice. They will. Besides, why give up the marketing potential of an excellent cover?
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
There is a plan based on maximizing early reviews by using a giveaway for the chance to win a free Kindle. I've also made dozens of requests for book bloggers to review and put up profile pages everywhere at online retailers. Once the paperback is ready, I shall try to see if I can get it in the shops. Marketing is a marathon and I expect to be selling this book for the rest of my life but, after a while, I hope that it will take off. I have the prospect of an endorsement from an internationally bestselling novelist. If that materializes, I shall use it on the cover.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Be yourself. Learn from everyone, help other writers, write reviews (it helps other authors and it hones your skills and may get you noticed). Don't be dictated to. There are plenty of 'experts' who will tell you to do this or that, that it's essential you write their way, that you must focus on x, y or z. Pay no attention. Be true to your vision. Follow where it leads. Only then will you come up with something worthwhile.
End of Interview:
For more from Jack, visit his website and follow him on Twitter.
Get your copy of Farewell Olympus from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
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