Ask the Author: Jon Gamble
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Jon Gamble
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Jon Gamble
My most recent book is The Field of Hum. When we moved to our farm I told my daughter I'd write a novel about two cats. I had no idea what it would be about at that point, but in my spare time I just started jotting things down. Being of a farm, and around farm animals, is very grounding and natural. Of course you talk to your animals just like they are people. From their you see the personalities of your animals too. I knew this already, from when I grew up on a dairy farm. Each of the cows we milked had their own personalities. When you enter this non verbal communication with animals it kind of opens up another dimension of creativity. So being with nature, having time and space, are the things which allowed my inspiration to start.
Then I was reminded of the romance poets of the 19th century, how they were reacting to the industrial revolution, and attempting to rekindle with nature when they could see the old world was fast changing. It's just the same today, with the destruction of our natural world on a grand scale, and with the rapid rise of technology we don't know how that's going to ultimately affect our sense of who we are, and our ability to be grounded when confronted with day to day pressure.
So I wanted to draw on the wisdom of the romance poets and bring those threads into the real threats before us today. I asked myself, how do young adults deal with a confronting world before them? How can they find something within which will bring calm, insight and grounding. The Field of Hum is the result. I hope you enjoy it.
Then I was reminded of the romance poets of the 19th century, how they were reacting to the industrial revolution, and attempting to rekindle with nature when they could see the old world was fast changing. It's just the same today, with the destruction of our natural world on a grand scale, and with the rapid rise of technology we don't know how that's going to ultimately affect our sense of who we are, and our ability to be grounded when confronted with day to day pressure.
So I wanted to draw on the wisdom of the romance poets and bring those threads into the real threats before us today. I asked myself, how do young adults deal with a confronting world before them? How can they find something within which will bring calm, insight and grounding. The Field of Hum is the result. I hope you enjoy it.
Jon Gamble
Writing is by its nature a solitary process. You have to take yourself off somewhere so that you know you won't be disturbed. Even switch off your phone. You have to create a space of emptiness for the creativity to start to come in. And creative energy does not flow when your head is full of day to day concerns and distractions.
As well as being solitary, it's very intimate. That might sound weird, but being alone with yourself for an extended time can be confronting. Then accessing your creative energy means going within, or in-to-me. I'm not talking about a head full of thoughts, I'm talking about no thoughts, and from that void new things start to appear.
As well as being solitary, it's very intimate. That might sound weird, but being alone with yourself for an extended time can be confronting. Then accessing your creative energy means going within, or in-to-me. I'm not talking about a head full of thoughts, I'm talking about no thoughts, and from that void new things start to appear.
Jon Gamble
The best way to start is to create your characters first. Jot down their characteristics, how they speak, their mannerisms, their likes and dislikes. You have to create real characters if your story is to take shape. Once you become familiar with your characters they will start to speak with you. I know that sounds weird, but you'll start to have conversations with them, you'll smile at their wit, sympathise with their woes. Now you have a solid base from which your story can evolve.
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