James Farner's Blog

One year ago I left the UK for the first time. Today is the anniversary of my leaving, to the day. I returned briefly at Christmas to Yorkshire before leaving again. Right now I’m writing this from Sarajevo, the war-torn capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I’ve decided to stay here considerably longer than I anticipated, such is the vibe of the city. At first glance, this is a small city, with about 300,000 people. It’s one of the smallest capitals you can find in Europe, and yet it has something to it. There’s more history to this city than in those five times its size.
It could be all of that or it could be that it’s so cheap here. I don’t know, but I like it anyway.
The End of Another Series 
I’m also writing this as I’m in the middle of the final part of the Pomp and Poverty series with The World As We Know It. It’s the end of my third series and now I find myself at a crossroads, once again. I have to decide what I want to write about next.

With every other series, it was easy to figure out what I wanted to write about. I already had rough plotlines in my mind. This time I don’t have anything in mind. I have lots of possible time periods I would like to write about, but that’s nothing to go on. I can’t do anything with that.
Writing on the Road
I continue to write on the road and I continue to find it easy. I hear from many people in the places I stay at that it’s difficult for them to work whilst they travel. Granted, most of them don’t have the opportunity to do this, but I can understand that it’s hard to imagine.
It has got easier as time has gone on just because I’m becoming used to it. And I think it’s only going to get even easier.
So What Next?
I said it in a previous blog post and I will say it again, I have no desire to go back to the UK. And if the UK should leave Europe I have even less of a reason to return. Right now I’m continuing my journey east. The time I’ve already spent in the Balkans means that this journey has lasted much longer than I expected.
But I’m okay with that. I have nothing really to go back to the UK for. I really don’t see why I would pay more to live in the UK when I can pay less to go on a permanent holiday.
Until next time…
James Farner

Since my last blog in Salamanca, Spain, I’ve entered Portugal, travelled all the way down the country, and popped out in South Spain again. I’m currently writing this from Cordoba in Andalucia. I’m on the cusp of finishing Masters of Our Fate (Pomp and Poverty Book 4) and beginning the fifth edition of the series entitled Hard Luck.
But constant writing does take its toll because I have to balance so many facets all at once. If I write too much, I lose out on the actual tourism. If I do too much of both, I miss out on the social aspect of meeting people.
Burnout is a very real threat, and I’m incredibly conscious of it.
Photography as a Second Option
You may or may not know that I run an Instagram page called Farnerauthor. This is where I post the photos from my travels. Right now I’m uploading two of them each day. The quality isn’t fantastic because I’m taking them from an iPhone instead of my DSLR, but for efficiency purposes I have no real choice in the matter.

Photography is something I’ve had an interest in for quite a few years. I’m no good at drawing, but I always love art. So photography is a good second option because I can freeze the moments I like and enhance them through the right machinery and the right software, namely Lightroom.
Preventing Burnout
I have always believed that creative people are multi-talented. The skills and attributes they have in one area can be carried over into other areas. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that a painter could instantly pick up a guitar and start headbanging along to Highway to Hell; at least not well. But I do believe that some of the most closely related fields are within reach.

That’s what I think with me and photography. I think in many ways writing and photography are connected. The difference is instead of seeing the scenes in my head I’m seeing them in person.
Perhaps these scenes will become part of my writing work, but it’s a nice break from writing. It’s a new way to see things, and that’s why I believe it prevents burnout.
Moving Forward
I do so many things to make money while travelling. The vast bulk of what I need to keep travelling does come with writing, but I have multiple streams of income. Over the last few months, they have become more prominent and it’s made it difficult to juggle everything at once.
I only expect that to intensify as I make my way out of Spain and towards Italy.
Masters of Our Fate (Pomp and Poverty Book 4) will be on its way on April 1st, so check it out. If you haven’t already got round to it, take a look at The Worst Sins (Pomp and Poverty Book 3).
Until next time…
James Farner

I like to collect the coins I encounter on my travels. They’re a memento that I can easily carry around, and I don’t have to spend anything; well apart from on the value of the coins in the first place. Throughout last year, I assumed all Euro coins were the same. They aren’t.
If you look on the back of every coin, each one has a separate design for each country. They’re all legal tender in every Euro country, but they’re inherently different.

And that’s what writing is like now I’ve moved down to the Iberian Peninsula.
Working in Spain
Spain is different from the rest of Europe. Little Englanders huddled in the resorts all day likely don’t notice because everything is fundamentally designed to avoid the culture of the country. Iberia has long been cut off from the rest of Europe, mainly due to the presence of Franco and his enduring legacy.
Here the level of English is poor and people are much slower to actually do things, which annoys me to no end.
But that’s also altered the way I work simply because I can’t guarantee something is going to work or be on-time.
Salamanca and the Worst Manager in the World
Take for instance where I’m writing this blog. I’m in the centre of the old part of Salamanca. The place is a world heritage site and yet I’m outside writing this blog. Why? Because the manager doesn’t know how to do his job and open the damn door.
On the plus side, it’s given me ample time to write this blog. I know I’ve been quite slow on these lately. During my time in the UK I had little to write about. So experiences like this at least give me some inspiration.
Travelling in Winter
I’ve never travelled in the winter before. I suspect most people don’t. It’s definitely a new experience, and that’s not just because everything happens to be cheaper and more accessible. I imagine that travelling in South Spain in the summer is like walking through the seventh circle of hell with nothing but a loincloth and a pair of sandals.
I’m not sure how I feel about winter time. Although there are advantages, it’s rather difficult to meet other people. Many places are empty. Good for writing but not so much for socialising or gaining inspiration for new characters.
Book Updates
As of right now, my next book The Worst Sins is in the editing stage and will soon be ready to go. This is set to be the darkest part of the series yet as all three of your favourite characters hit middle age and have to contend with the horror that is the future.

Buy it on February 15th and tell me what you think!
Until next time…
James Farner

The end of 2015 brought with it my return to the UK, briefly. I promised to return for Christmas, but I’ve quickly made the decision that I will not live in this country any longer. I won’t say that it’s because I hate the UK or that I’ve turned against Yorkshire, but the world beyond has altered me.
Although 2015 has yet to end, I already know what I’m going to do in 2016.
A Life on the Road

Leeds Upon My Return

I’ve spoken to many people about how leaving home feels. And I can confirm that how I feel about home is entirely normal. When you leave your home you often never want to go back to it. From the first day back in the UK, I realised I didn’t really want to be here.
The reality is I find life far more interesting abroad. And that’s why in 2016 I fully intend on continuing my life of travel. The first year demonstrated that I could sustain it with few problems, and considering I managed it in Europe I’m sure in cheaper parts of the world it will be no problem.
The Churn
But of course I’m not going on holiday when I travel. I still have to work. I’m still limited by my need to access the Internet. I hope one day that satellite technology will enable me to use the Internet regardless of where I am in the world, but until that time I have to be careful.
I’m continuing to write my books and I’m going to continue releasing them. You should expect an extra week or two added to my release schedule simply because my current Pomp and Poverty series is longer than anything I’ve written before. Every book is at least 20k words more.
Plus, later this year I want to begin opening a beta reading team, where you can receive my latest releases for free in exchange for nothing but your opinion. More on that in the future, but if you subscribe to my newsletter you’ll be hearing all about it soon.
First Destination

The bridge to my departure from Amsterdam

My first destination in 2016 is most certainly Spain. Why? Because I figure it’s one of the warmest places in Europe at this time of year. Granted, it’s still not that warm, but when you’ve been living in Ukraine in November and December I’m sure it can’t be that bad.
Yes, I’m staying in Europe again. I think I’m going to travel along the Mediterranean this year all the way to Istanbul again.
Writing business will be resumed as normal, however.
Until next time…
James Farner

Since I left Kiev, Ukraine, my movements have sped up. I rarely spend longer than a few days in each place. And these are big places. Right now I’m in Prague and I’ll soon be going to Berlin. Now I want to see these places, so I only have a limited amount of time to write.
Oh…and it’s bloody cold!


People


I like meeting people. They present new and interesting material for my books. But sometimes it’s difficult to find time to write when you’re working with so many people.
I admit that sometimes I have to come off as completely anti-social just to get any work done. When writing in environments where there are lots of people, it’s just harder to find peace, and particularly with limited time.


Unexpected Environments


You really have to take the facilities you can get. I finished my latest novel in the Pomp and Poverty series in a nice little living room under a reading lamp.

The Charles Bridge!

But many of those chapters were written on moving trains, and even next to the Charles Bridge in Prague.




Work-Life Balance


As I touched upon before, you try balancing having a fictional character murdered and seeing the sights of one of the great European capitals. This is something I readily struggle with. I can sit down and work for hours on end. Pulling back is the greatest challenge of all.


Too Much Inspiration


I’ve seen and done a great many things. Like most writers, I take it and it ends up in a book in some form. But sometimes there’s such a thing as having too much inspiration. You want to fit everything into a book and it just becomes too overwhelming to manage.
There are so many plotlines I wish I could have kept, but sadly they ended up on the cutting room floor.


It’s Bloody Cold


Now I know why so many people leave Europe during the winter. I first encountered the cold in Romania, but as I went through Eastern Europe it just got worse. This isn’t even the worst of the cold. You try writing when you’re wearing a pair of woollen gloves, whilst your fingers are basically working in slow motion.
To Rant or Not to Rant
I’m not sure whether all this comes off more as a rant. I hope it doesn’t because that’s not what I intended. It’s been a pleasure to write about some of the realities of travelling and being an author. I believe it’s a lifestyle that’s certainly not for everybody and many will find it hard to fathom.
Have you ever tried to work and travel before?
Until next time…
James Farner

The Victorian Era is one historical period that I’ve always loved. It was the golden age of the British Empire, where it was the undisputed major power. The Royal Navy helped it to dominate world trade and it never fought a European war against another major power for 99 years, from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the First World War.
In a theme that seems to have me going backwards in time with each series, my next series will chart the entire Victorian period.
From the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign to the eve of the First World War, I chart Britain’s golden age through the eyes of three main characters.
Edward Urwin – The Rising Poor
When you were born into a class, you generally stayed there. An extreme minority did manage to escape poverty and rise up through society, though. When Edward Urwin wins a scholarship to St. John’s Boarding School, he joins this exclusive club.
Here he meets the great and the good of British society. Introduced to an entirely new way of living, he must cope with the demands and expectations of those who have the power to strike him down as quickly as they rose him up.
Theodore Norlong – Son of the Aristocracy
Born into one of the great families of the British Empire, you do as you’re told…or else, at least that’s what Theodore’s father Lord Norlong would say. Determined to avoid the life of idleness and search for some purpose in life, Theodore has no intention of living the life his father has set out for him.
When he meets Edward, that opportunity presents itself…
Gertrude Ebonson – A Woman in a Man’s World
Women in the Victorian period had little say in their lives, and even less say when they came from a family with means. The Ebonson family is a family on the rise. Led by Sir Arnold Ebonson, his son Hugo schemes and connives to increase his lot in life.
For Gertrude, she is but one of his tools. Set up to marry into one of Britain’s great families, Hugo soon discovers Gertrude isn’t the weak-willed flower he thought.
Each character goes through peaks and troughs throughout the course of their lives. Their families rise and fall and rise again. Start the first book ‘Changing of the Guard’ today.
Amazon UK/Amazon US
Visit the Changing of the Guard page for a full list of bookstores.
And don’t forget to leave a review if you like the book. It really helps me get the book out to more readers like you.
Until next time…
James Farner

The Ukraine is a nation afflicted by war. Head to Donetsk and Luhansk and you have a place where people are murdered on a daily basis. Some of my friends reacted in horror when I told them where I was. But despite the war in the east, Ukraine is still a safe place. I’ve gone to the south and the centre and I’ve not experienced any problems, or even heightened security for that matter.
Right now I’m in Kiev writing this in an apartment building on the main street, about a block away from Independence Square, the scene of the last revolution.
I’m also writing a new novel in a new format.
The New Format

In Kiev grey is the new black

I’d like to see each series as slightly different. My Made in Yorkshire series was the first series. It follows at a leisurely pace, before sparking into life as the brown sticky stuff starts to hit the fan. The War Years series creates a feeling of impending death as bullets whizz past and bombs explode at any opportunity.
Fans of my work can enjoy and fall in love with both of these series, but they’re ultimately targeted at slightly different readers. I create alteration in my work as I change as a writer.
So my new Pomp and Poverty series takes on a different angle still.
There are multiple main characters and it will cover the entirety of the Victorian period. Prior to this series, the biggest period I’d covered between books was five years, and within a book I’d never covered more than a year. Changing of the Guard will cover over twenty years in a single book.
Challenges Hopefully Overcome
The main challenges are keeping the story going and remembering what the hell happened a hundred pages ago. It presented a challenge for both my storytelling skills and my memory. I frequently had to check back to remember what I’d done.
That’s why I’m thankful I was staying in such inspiring locations during the writing of this.
The bulk of Changing of the Guard was written in Istanbul, Turkey, with the finish coming in Bucharest, Romania.
Right now I’m using the lessons I’ve learned to complete the currently untitled second book of the Pomp and Poverty series. In Kiev I’m getting a lot of work done and I hope to finish this book by the time I return to Germany next month.
I’m finding writing in this way far easier to deal with, so I hope I will only get better in time.
If you have any thoughts on Changing of the Guard on November 30th, or any of my other books, drop me an email. I answer all of them personally.
Until next time…
James Farner

If you didn’t already know, there are still communist states in the world. North Korea and China are amongst the ones people talk about, but that’s not the end of it. There’s a little breakaway state known as the Republic of Transnistria. This is a tiny strip of land in East Moldova.
It’s recognised by nobody on the planet, and it’s supported entirely by Russian peacekeepers. No state in the world sees it as anything other than another part of Moldova, including Russia.
Nevertheless, this is a land of plastic coins, Lenin statues, and communism. And I was there.
Tiraspol the Capital of Communism

The Empty Station

I arrived in Tiraspol from the capital of Moldova, Chisinau. The first welcome you get is complete and abject silence. The train station is almost entirely deserted because all but two daily trains have been cancelled.
The first train is from Chisinau to Odessa in Ukraine, the train I took. The other is a long train from Chisinau all the way to Moscow. As you can imagine, working at the train station is a thankless job.
Naturally, I didn’t follow many of the rules here and thus fell victim to Soviet style bureaucracy. I would have been fined heavily because for not registering I was technically in the country illegally. A one-hundred Rouble note folded and strategically placed in my passport alleviated any problems, and a four-hundred Rouble fine.
Another New Novel
This month I released 1918 (The War Years Book 5). I already said I was writing the first book of a new series. Well, I finished that book soon after the release date and thus began the new one. I will then flip back to the first book to edit it after I’ve finished this.
I believe a gap is appropriate so the novel feels fresher when I eventually go through it again. Writing a novel in the time of Dickens is far more challenging than crafting something based on the modern day. I have to do much more research and entirely alter the behaviour of my character so they suit the time in which they’re in.
From Odessa

The T34 tank in Tiraspol

I’m actually located in the city of Odessa, on the Black Sea coast of Ukraine now. I expect to stay in the country for at least a month, although I will stay in Odessa for a little under a week. I hope to have completed the majority of my novel by the time I leave.
With any luck I won’t have the problem I mentioned on Twitter, that of my supporting characters becoming more interesting than my main characters.
Until next time…
James Farner

I haven’t updated you all on my travel progress lately. To those of you who don’t know, I travel around the world as I write as a working author. Until recently, I was residing in Istanbul for a whole month. This was entirely unexpected because I was only going to stay for about a week. Then it swiftly turned into a month.
Why Istanbul?
Istanbul is probably my favourite city thus far and I have no doubt that if I wasn’t returning home for Christmas I would have added another month or two on top of that.
For me, this is a city where you don’t need to partake in any of the tourist attractions to have a good time. Until my final week, I’d done almost none of the main attractions. I didn’t see the inside of the Haga Sophia until my final few days, for example.
It’s a city where I spent most of my time reading, writing, and drinking apple tea.
The Fountain of Productivity

The Fountain of Productivity!

This is the name of the fountain between the Haga Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Sultanahmet Square has this large fountain in the middle of it with coloured lights and water and all that stuff. Around the outside is a ring of benches.
It was here that I wrote the majority of the first book of my latest series, due to be released on November 30th.
I’m not sure why this fountain was the scene of so much productivity, but it was. It’s just a shame I was in Istanbul when the weather was getting worse. My last week was filled with rain and (relatively) freezing temperatures.
My Third Series
I hope that my third series will bring something different to my growing library of books. The last thing I want to do is to write more books that are exactly the same. I don’t believe that helps me to grow, and it’s a bit boring to do the same things over and over again.
This series will be faster, will utilise multiple points of view, and move even further back in time as I take in the 19th century and the era Charles Dickens wrote about.
Where am I Now?
Right now I’m sitting in Bucharest, Romania. It’s a rather uninspiring city, I have to say, but it’s worth visiting. This is one of those times where the tour guides didn’t lie!
On a side note, you’re probably wondering where Darth Vader’s helmet comes into it. I read this article from the BBC today. It details how the city of Odessa in Ukraine has just converted its old Lenin statue into a statue of Darth Vader, and I’m going to be amongst the first travellers to see it as I’m heading there very soon anyways.
It really does have free Wi-Fi in the helmet!
Until next time…
James Farner

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve written something in this little blog series. At the moment I’ve spent two weeks in Istanbul. I intend on staying for at least a month here, and perhaps longer. I love the city and I find it really easy to pass the time in.
It’s also been a god send for my writing. I find myself completing words faster than usual. By the time I leave I will have completed a full novel right here.
Anyway, on with the blog.
Richard’s father is an interesting character because he has so much potential. I used him throughout the series, but as Richard grows older his parents naturally drift into a back seat role. But my plans for Richard’s father, Jim Warren, changed.
As always, there will be spoilers in this blog, so if you haven’t read the series from start to finish I strongly recommend not reading any further.
Richard’s Father from the Beginning
Jim Warren began as all fathers do. He’s the primary authority figure in Richard’s life. Until the end of 1964, he is also the person Richard looks up to. He’s a man he can respect and grow up with. That is until he collaborates with Robert Hardy to burn down Lord Camberwell’s farm.
This deeply effects Richard and he never sees his father in the same way again, even if he never stops loving and respecting him.
By the events of 1969, it’s clear that Richard’s father is quickly becoming an alcoholic. This is compounded with his reappearance in 1973. After his father banishes him from the abode, he’s never seen again, although he does gain the occasional mention.
That was the plan I went with, but it wasn’t the plan I originally had.
The Alcoholic Goes to War
I wanted Richard to have a big angle with his father. I intended to have his father intervene in his plans as an alcoholic. The story was supposed to be about conflict within the family environment rather than outside it. Later on I would have Jim contribute directly to Richard’s mother’s death.
I admit I didn’t have the storyline fully mapped out for this one. They were ideas and they never went further than that.
This is one of those decisions I don’t regret taking. I believe that ultimately the books turned out for the better simply by having the stories pan out as they did. Jim would probably be an additional antagonist too far.
Next Time
1984 was not the original end of the series. There was more of the story still to unfold.
Find out what this means next time in part seven of this blog series.
Until next time…
James Farner