I was having a little think earlier on, [the dangerous activity] . I was trying to work out just why we 'Indies' bother to write. On reflection there was a different reason for each of my published books, I'll ignore the five I wrote previously, all which lead up to 'The Day the Ravens Died' and need so much work to get them to a fit state to publish they are best left until current projects are completed. Great stories, but the writing!!! AAAhHG!!
There is so much difference between writing a story and producing a readable book, as I found out with 'RO', the first book I had published.
The book 'RO' came about because an old army mate told me to write it when I had to pack up work [driving] when the mishap that resulted in a medical discharge from the army finally caught up with me.
'Ro' is a gut wrenching true story, well as true as I dare make it. To be perfectly frank it needs a rewrite, knowing what I know now. It is still available, but only from 'Authors OnLine', unless amazon are still sitting on a few copies. As soon as the follow up to 'Ravens' is complete I intend to re-write 'Ro'to do the memory of her the justice it deserves.
I have to say without the help of the great and sadly late Wendy Lake, who was submissions editor for Authors OnLine at the time, I would never have got it to even a just about readable state.
So, I wrote 'RO' to honour one of the toughest, bravest individuals I have ever had the honour to meet.Sorry about the double 'honour' but other words seem inadequate.
I wrote 'The DAY the Ravens Died' because I wanted to, and I'd had the underlying plot floating around in my head for years.
Now for something completely different, 'Beyond the Potting Shed' written under my real name [Paul Rix] was at my publishers behest, as we were always taking him bags of fresh veg. 'Everytime you come to see us, we are in the garden, and you always know an easier way of doing what ever job we're struggling with, write it down, I'll publish it!' So I did and he has.
According to the head of Horticulture at Easton College it is the most useful, practical book on the subject of 'growing your own veg'he has ever read. He actually said live on the BBC it was better than those written by people who just write books and present things'!!
I just say it is a different way of doing things, aimed at getting the best crops possible but without SPENDING a fortune. Not better, just different, and written to save you money. The book tells you what to do, as do all the rest, but it also tells you HOW and WHY to do the various jobs, and because of this the techniques will work almost any where.
More thoughts another day!
Paul Rix [oldgeezer]