This Saturday 11th August is the Carmarthen Book Fair, created and organised by two of my favourite people, John and Sarada Thompson.

I met them at the Llandeilo Book Fair a few years ago and we’ve been friends ever since. I invited them to come and share a little more about themselves.

Today is John’s turn to let us into his creative mind and tell us more about what makes him tick, and I have to say, I learned a few things and love so many of these answers.  Thank you so much, John for sharing with us..

1 How do you write? Is everything plotted, planned to perfection? Do you ever change tack as

you go along or always stick to a pre-made plan?

I have a general plan of how the story should go, but often find that as characters develop, the plot has to move in a direction I had not envisaged  –  including bringing in more characters.  I never stick rigidly to a plot-line  –  I’m a great believer in letting things take their course.

2 Do you have a writing ritual? Meditation, certain cup for your tea, writing trousers?

 No, no rituals.

3 Aside from writing, what makes you tick? Tell us 5 things about yourself we probably don’t know.

1) I’m a sports fanatic (excepting snooker and golf!)  –  have supported Arsenal for over 60 years

2) I’m very sentimental –  I still cherish the moment I held my first grandchild over 16 years ago

3) I love India and can’t wait to go back  –  but you probably knew that

4) I’m very left-wing  –  you would probably have guessed that too

5) I worry that I won’t live long enough to write all the stories that buzz around in my mind

4 If you were stranded on a desert island with shelter, food and water, what 5 items would you

want with you?

1) a solar-powered hi-fi set

2) a complete set of classical CDs (excluding very modern stuff)

3) a set of wine-making equipment

4) lots of paper and pens

5) a bundle of puzzle books – sudoku, word wheel, crossword etc.

5 On said island, what 5 books would you take and why?

 1) War and Peace  –  having taken years to read it when I was much younger, I feel I’d have the time to get through it again

2) Wolf Hall  –  I just loved Mantel’s take on Thomas Cromwell

3) Pride and Prejudice  –  probably my favourite book of all time, filled with wonderfully drawn characters;

4) The Lord of the Rings  –  I’ve read it a dozen times over the years, so a few more wouldn’t hurt

5) Bleak House  – or any other Dickens novel  –  the supreme story-teller.

6 Off the island now, which famous person would you like to have dinner with?­

No-one.

 7 Your current writing projects?

 Currently planning the final volume of the Brindavan series, and in the middle of writing a number of children’s books: 1) a boy who wants to be a good footballer is coached by the ghost of Stanley Matthews; 2) a boy from the 15th century who was transported into a magical world through an enchanted mirror finds himself in the 21st century; 3) the Ringo stories  –  about a magician turned into a dog but retaining his magical powers.

8 Other published work and links…

The first two volumes of the Brindavan Chronicle –  Genesis and Nemesis  –  were published in 2015 and 2017; Judas, the Man Behind the Myth is due to be published on 11th August.  I have also a number of short-story booklets: 1) Adventures in Time – stories for children; 2) Beyond Boundaries  –  unearthly tales; 3) The Female of the Species  –  stories of women who seek revenge for ill-treatment; 4) Strange Encounters  –  ghost stories.

 

You can find links to these books on John’s author page https://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Thompson/e/B012NZ3V8W/ref