Ask the Author: Clare Cogbill
Answered Questions (6)
Clare Cogbill
Harold and Maude because I would love to be free-spirited just like Maude when I am old and grey.
Clare Cogbill
My most recent book is a vegan cookbook. Just as I feel passionate about dogs, I feel passionate about all animals, and I guess this book is my contribution to demonstrating how simple it can be to eat vegan. I haven't added it on here yet - I guess I better had.
A Soldier Like Jack is my latest 'proper' book, and the idea for that came from a true story I stumbled across when doing family research about World War One. At every turn the story became more fascinating and (once I had written Ralph's story) I became completely absorbed in it, researching in every spare minute I could find and constantly corroborating the information I found with birth/marriage/death certificates and war documents. I loved every minute of it and, once the book had reached its natural conclusion, I felt an empty space in my life. My one regret is that my mother didn't live long enough to see it in print.
A Soldier Like Jack is my latest 'proper' book, and the idea for that came from a true story I stumbled across when doing family research about World War One. At every turn the story became more fascinating and (once I had written Ralph's story) I became completely absorbed in it, researching in every spare minute I could find and constantly corroborating the information I found with birth/marriage/death certificates and war documents. I loved every minute of it and, once the book had reached its natural conclusion, I felt an empty space in my life. My one regret is that my mother didn't live long enough to see it in print.
Clare Cogbill
Oh gosh, life experiences and animals.
I am passionate about animals, and even when a book isn't particularly about animals, I will make sure they have a presence. In 'A Soldier Like Jack', for instance, I knew that Grace had had a dog when she died and that she loved dogs, so although I didn't know her previous dogs' names, I made sure that she had that constant presence of a dog in her life.
The human-animal bond is so important to me, and I truly believe that we benefit from having animals in our lives. My next book will, I hope, strengthen that concept. In a lot of cases animals benefit from having us in theirs, but not all of them do. In my work I have seen the very best human-animal relationships, and the worst and most horrific consequences; I guess I have seen the very best and the worst of human nature.
With A Dog Like Ralph (my first book) I tried to portray some of this, along with the story of Ralph. He was absolutely my inspiration for that book. I remember the summer after we got him I had sat down on the sofa with my laptop and was about to continue my research for A Soldier Like Jack. Looking across the room, I saw Ralph curled up on the sofa and he looked peaceful - perhaps for the first time since we had got him from the shelter a few months before. I had a six-week summer break ahead of me, and decided at that moment I would write about him. His story required some background research so I guess I thought it was more manageable for my summer holiday - and then, of course, a few weeks later Peggy arrived in his world and was able to add 'her' perspective. In the end it took me a year to write, but I am so glad I did it. I feel passionate about the light of the rescue dog and hope those who read it do as well. It's not just Ralph's story but a variation of the story of every dog that enters a shelter; dogs that are shifted from one place to the next, and who may never find a 'forever' home due to there being more dogs flooding the market than homes available.
I am passionate about animals, and even when a book isn't particularly about animals, I will make sure they have a presence. In 'A Soldier Like Jack', for instance, I knew that Grace had had a dog when she died and that she loved dogs, so although I didn't know her previous dogs' names, I made sure that she had that constant presence of a dog in her life.
The human-animal bond is so important to me, and I truly believe that we benefit from having animals in our lives. My next book will, I hope, strengthen that concept. In a lot of cases animals benefit from having us in theirs, but not all of them do. In my work I have seen the very best human-animal relationships, and the worst and most horrific consequences; I guess I have seen the very best and the worst of human nature.
With A Dog Like Ralph (my first book) I tried to portray some of this, along with the story of Ralph. He was absolutely my inspiration for that book. I remember the summer after we got him I had sat down on the sofa with my laptop and was about to continue my research for A Soldier Like Jack. Looking across the room, I saw Ralph curled up on the sofa and he looked peaceful - perhaps for the first time since we had got him from the shelter a few months before. I had a six-week summer break ahead of me, and decided at that moment I would write about him. His story required some background research so I guess I thought it was more manageable for my summer holiday - and then, of course, a few weeks later Peggy arrived in his world and was able to add 'her' perspective. In the end it took me a year to write, but I am so glad I did it. I feel passionate about the light of the rescue dog and hope those who read it do as well. It's not just Ralph's story but a variation of the story of every dog that enters a shelter; dogs that are shifted from one place to the next, and who may never find a 'forever' home due to there being more dogs flooding the market than homes available.
Clare Cogbill
A follow-on from A Dog Like Ralph. which should be available towards the end of 2016. I also have a ghost story bubbling away inside of me, which will be my first truly-fictional (which Is a contradiction in terms, I know :)) story, but I suspect that book is couple of years away.
There's another fictional story trying to come to the fore, but I can't quite figure out where it is going - it's currently just a set of scribbled ideas in a notepad. I suspect it will change a lot before/if I manage to do something with it!
There's another fictional story trying to come to the fore, but I can't quite figure out where it is going - it's currently just a set of scribbled ideas in a notepad. I suspect it will change a lot before/if I manage to do something with it!
Clare Cogbill
Just don't ever give up on your dream... I work on several projects at once, and a project can sometimes take years to come to fruition. Just keep that spark alive inside of you and persevere. Try not to get stressed about it because that will take away the enjoyment of writing.
Once you're 'in print', realise that not everyone will like what you do, but take great joy from the good feedback you receive; those are the people who are on the same wavelength as you - and with whom you have made a connection :)
Write, write, write, and one day have the confidence to let your hard work go and allow it to be what it is going to be! It is a frightening world, but it can be what you had always hoped it would be...
Once you're 'in print', realise that not everyone will like what you do, but take great joy from the good feedback you receive; those are the people who are on the same wavelength as you - and with whom you have made a connection :)
Write, write, write, and one day have the confidence to let your hard work go and allow it to be what it is going to be! It is a frightening world, but it can be what you had always hoped it would be...
Clare Cogbill
Transferring ideas and thoughts that have rattled around in my head for months (sometimes years) onto the computer screen. I also love it when strangers get in touch and let me know that they have enjoyed what I have written.
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