Ask the Author: Tom Clempson
Answered Questions (3)
Tom Clempson
This is the weirdest question for me. There are two things that I'm always craving - time with my family and time to write. I'm ALWAYS inspired to write. I spend all of my days clamouring to find an extra few minutes to write. Even when I'm not physically putting pen to paper I'm still writing in my head. I write while I'm driving, on the walk to pick the kids up from school, when I'm washing the dishes, having a bath, even when I'm reading a book or watching a film. Writing is never something I struggle to switch on because it's never switched off. It's my guilt-free addiction.
Tom Clempson
The only times I get stuck - and I'm not saying this is true of all authors, but definitely of me - it's usually because of one or all of the following three reasons:
3. Too many distractions. I have to be away from the house and the internet (a treehouse is my dream).
2. Not enough sleep. My brain has to be really sharp in order to stay focussed.
1. I've probably taken a wrong turn somewhere in my writing. Writing, for me, is like walking a maze - if I hit a dead end I have to retrace my steps and figure out where I went wrong. Thinking about my characters' motivations usually gets me back in the right direction.
3. Too many distractions. I have to be away from the house and the internet (a treehouse is my dream).
2. Not enough sleep. My brain has to be really sharp in order to stay focussed.
1. I've probably taken a wrong turn somewhere in my writing. Writing, for me, is like walking a maze - if I hit a dead end I have to retrace my steps and figure out where I went wrong. Thinking about my characters' motivations usually gets me back in the right direction.
Tom Clempson
The main characters in my new book How to Avoid Certain Death - Sarah and Charlie - were inspired by stories that my granddad used to tell me when I was little - Charlie Cheesecake and Sarah Wormcake (he based these characters on my mum, and her brother).
The world of How to Avoid Certain Death is a bit of a love letter to my favourite book of all time - The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Pirates, princesses, witches... what could be better?
The idea for the character Vladimir Death Pirate came to me one day when I was having a bath and he hasn't stopped making me laugh since!
The world of How to Avoid Certain Death is a bit of a love letter to my favourite book of all time - The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Pirates, princesses, witches... what could be better?
The idea for the character Vladimir Death Pirate came to me one day when I was having a bath and he hasn't stopped making me laugh since!
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