You’re writing under two pen names in two genres, so you’re essentially two writers in one. How do you manage that?

I first started to write the erotic genre as a trial to see if I could actually discipline myself in the daily mechanics and submitted a sample to another writer (Vanessa Wu) with whom I corresponded, to see if it was acceptable. I guess I was a little shy about it because of the subject and also maybe I just wasn’t confident enough in my writing at that stage to publish. After a favourable response from Vanessa, I continued with my more traditional novel simultaneously. I then used Byron George (erotic) as Brian George’s alter ego and as a sort of therapy for when I got a spot of writer’s block in the longer novel. This is how my brain copes with so many different subjects, separating my day jobs and businesses from my writing. I have thought about bringing in another genre at a later stage, just to prove that I can be a real writer I guess. It is probably an underlying lack of self confidence or fear of failure that drives me to do that!

 

You’ve seen quite a bit of the world, which has undoubtedly shaped you as a writer. When it comes to writing based on experience – how old do you think a writer should be to be really good? Or, to put it another way, how should one go about collecting experiences in such a way that they’re usable in writing?

I wouldn’t presume to tell anyone else about what age to write as the situation varies from person to person. I had written often over many years, but was never satisfied with what I had produced, so I left a trail of scrapped stories. With my first adventure novel “The Dream Team” I had the plot in my head for about 10 years but I just couldn’t work out how to get the main protagonist “Barry” to where the plot really kicked in. Again, the other author that I corresponded with, Vanessa Wu, came to my rescue with the advice to use my personal experiences, and it all clicked into place. I had wanted to write an autobiography of my earlier years for a while, so I used that to get my character to where I wanted in the plot. After writing about my early years and getting the character to where I wanted I went back and ‘tweaked’ the situations until I was satisfied with him and how he morphed into Barry and the storyline. After that it went smoothly. From then on I have had the 3 main characters and their friends and can weave them in and out of the new adventures as they come into my head. I like to use my experiences of travelling the world in my writing, and that has taken me many years, but as the old adage goes “travel broadens the mind” and I see that as continuing for as long as I can. My advice to anybody seeking to collect experiences is to mix and accept with local people and their customs, eat what they do, even take the occasional risk, don’t always accept other’s advice. Obviously be aware of your personal safety though. I would say do as much people watching as you can. Love people in general anyhow, that seems to get me around, but does get me into trouble sometimes! I also read local newspapers wherever I am as they give you such a cultural awareness and many instances for the beginnings of a story or a new character.

With the Byron George, Desert Loves series I try to make them more like romances with the more descriptive sex added. In Desert Loves 2-For the Love of Si-Si, I wrote much of the dialogue as e.mails over a period of about 5 years. It was a difficult story to write, as the Si-Si character being a Chinese Girl and writing it as in her pidgin English was hard to put over. It was also a very painful book to write emotionally as it relates to a very poignant personal love affair. Writing from personal experiences can hurt also, much like songwriters, you have to learn to put your heart out for all the world to see.

What’s the one thing in your life that most influenced your career as a writer?

I would say the one thing above all else was a love of reading. From as far back as sitting with my Mother as an infant and being read to or being asked to read out loud at school, gave me a real desire to be able to write like others before me. I read anything that was put in front of me even down to the scraps of newspaper my Mother wrapped her old vegetable peelings in. I remember that she used try and pull the paper slowly away from me while I was still reading it. I wouldn’t say that I have a “career” as a writer yet as I am still having to earn my living elsewhere, but the first part of my dream has been fulfilled, that of publishing my own work.

Would you say writers have a moral obligation to change the world, or at least try to? If so, how?

Hmmm, that is a deep one! I deeply believe that writers can change the world for the better, and as far as that goes yes we all have an obligation whether writing or in our daily life. Morality is a difficult issue though, as one person’s morals are different to another. I try never to judge other people’s personal morals, how could I when I write erotica? So many tyrants and despots have resorted to attacking writers over centuries because of their opinions, so for me freedom of expression is very important. Witness the recent terrible events in Paris at Charlie Hebdo as an example of tyranny akin to the book burning of old during periods of religious persecution. However, Hitler and Marx and Mao produced writing that did change the world, so it is probably better not to, so in that respect I think I’ll stick to writing for pleasure or escapism.

Do you have any practical tips for authors when it comes to sales, marketing, or writing?

I am still learning about the Sales and Marketing side of writing. There are so many ways as an Independent, I initially have been up and down many high streets with paperback copies of my books, chatting to strangers, going to pubs and coffee shops, selling them where I can & trying to build up a following. Word of Mouth is always a great sales tool. I visit and e.mail small book shops getting them to take a few copies on sale & return. I volunteer to do talks at schools & libraries or other venues. I give copies away in exchange for people putting reviews on Amazon. I am shocked and surprised at how many people tell me “I don’t read” and now see it as a bit of a mission to encourage those to read. This is where I can use the shorter Byron George erotic stories and hope that they will graduate up to other novels.

These days you have to use all of the social media sites that you can and set up a web site, my shameless plug here www.brianandbyrongeorge.com is my site and we are still adding to it.

With writing I will pass on what Vanessa & other writers advised me about the discipline. Write regularly, so many words a day, I set myself a target of 500 words early morning then finish. If I am on a roll I might do a 1000 or more but generally so long as I average out at 500 I am happy. The evening before I go to bed I am thinking about what to write the next day. Just get it down, you will naturally keep returning to parts of the story as you go and revise it. After you have written a full book, re-read and self edit it at least 3 times before getting it professionally edited, respond to the editor’s changes, then go through it again. Eventually you will begin to hate having to read it again and that is the time to let go and submit it for publishing.

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to talk about?

For me it is important to encourage as many people as possible to read for pleasure, it will help society at all levels. Reading and Writing for me are therapeutic, a cure at times of stress and loneliness on my travels. It was an ambition of mine to write a single novel since my youth, I didn’t succeed until I was 63, now I have written 5 books and have a back catalogue of short stories and plots in my head for many more novels. I have another of Byron’s erotic memoirs almost finished and am now writing the 3rd in the Dream Team series, all this has been done in the past 2 years. Once it all clicked I couldn’t stop, it was as if all those years of wanting to do it came out in a flood.

These days I am following my instincts more, I am studying some more esoteric writing and meditation and that may yet show in my style or even yet as another genre! I am learning to let go and be more confident about my work.

Finally, I would ask for anybody to write to me, especially about books or others’ favourite writers and their books or even about travel or life in general. As others helped me in the past I would willingly help them.

Lastly, I thank Jan Jacob for giving me the opportunity to take part in his blog.