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Hello
everyone! We at Boson Books welcome you to another newsletter. This time out, we
do the q-and-a with Frank Almond, author of the science fiction novel,
Tempus Fugit. Frank took time out from his home in Cornwall, England to
offer his (most interesting) thoughts on his work and his inspirations.
Enjoy!
Q: Where did you get the idea for Tempus
Fugit?
Frank: I�d
always wanted to write a time travel novel. I like history and was attracted by
the limitless possibilities of the science fiction genre. I started writing one
about this immortal Frenchman, but it was all getting a bit ponderous and
serious, so I put it away and decided to inject some of the ideas I�d thought up
into something a bit lighter and more entertaining. More me. The character of
Sloane is basically my natural voice- but exaggerated- and the Duck�s is a voice
I sometimes use when I�m having a laugh with my family- a sort of funny
character I invented. So, the idea really sprang from those two parts of my
personality.
Q: The plot
is quite intricate and unexpected. How did you come up with the idea for that?
Frank:
Well, without giving too much away, for those who haven�t read it, it sort of
evolved from the two main characters and their predicaments, as I conceived them
at the start of the book. You begin with a premise, which becomes
complicated, and then you resolve it. Basic storytelling technique- though I do
favour a spiral narrative- with plenty of twists! I also believe in the two
truisms of fiction writing: write about what you know and write in your own
voice. But I�m naturally a bit of a voice inventor, so that helps with the
second one. I know with the first one some writers believe they can write about
anything, but I think most of them would admit they have at least an affinity
with their subject matter and perhaps even some empathy of
purpose.
Q: What do
you mean by �empathy of purpose�?
Frank: I
think I mean: an emotional/psychological reason for delving into the subject
matter in the first place. We choose to write about something for a personal
reason, unless, of course, we�re copying someone else. A writer has to get over
that problem somehow and resist the temptation to wear the clothes of another
writer.
Q: What is
your empathy of purpose in Tempus Fugit?
Frank:
Identity and parenthood issues. One of my favourite books is Turgenev�s Fathers
and Sons. One of my favourite television series was Steptoe and Son. I never
knew my father, you see, although until I was about fourteen I thought I did.
Also, my mother was involved in a very serious road accident when I was thirteen
and as a result I had to go and live with my aunt and uncle. Now, I�m not
complaining- they practically brought me up through my early teenage years- but
it was a bit like Tom Sawyer meets One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch. I
believe any empathy of purpose I share with my characters is directly related to
my childhood and youth. That�s what gives them any emotional charge they may
have- what makes them bounce off each other
Q: You make
Tempus Fugit sound serious. But it�s not, is it?
Frank: No.
It�s written as a science fiction adventure. I�m just saying that the underlying
emotions- the psychology, if you like- is real enough to me. That�s just the way
I am and write. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I find it very hard to be
serious for longer than about five minutes. And then when I am serious, I�m very
gloomy! My main aim was to keep it exciting and funny, on the surface. But
actually it�s a quest.
Q: A quest
to find what?
Frank:
Whatever it is that makes me what I am. I mean, I may discover something
consoling about myself when I write these books. I�d like people to read what I
write and say ah-ah, that�s very funny! But then I want to be able to read it
and see myself- something from the deep bit of me- in it, too. But I don�t
want to put it in- I want to just find it there, like a fossil, and think: yeah,
I know where that came from. How did that get in there? Why did that get in
there?
Q: Writing
as therapy?
Frank:
Definitely. And writing as self-discovery. But having fun while you�re doing it.
The revelation comes later, when you read it through and find out what it was
really about.
Q: You make
quite a few references to Pink Floyd in the book- are you a big
fan?
Frank: Yes.
Well, the Duckworth part of me is! I like any music that moves me, like The
London Symphony by Vaughn-Williams, for instance. A current favourite. I like
old folk music, too. I like something if I think I recognise some integrity in
it. For example, if someone�s singing about something and I don�t believe they
mean it, I probably won�t like it. The same applies to anything I read. I think
music is important to writers, because it can inspire them. Although if I�m
deeply into my writing, I will turn any music off. It can be a distraction, too.
Q: What
writers inspire you?
Frank: I
took my degree in English Literature, so I like all the obvious ones. And all
good writing is inspiring. But I�m especially drawn to comedy, so I tend to
admire comic writers. And that, of course, means comic writers in all media. I
particularly like Douglas Adams, Galton and Simpson, the Monty Python team,
Woody Allen and Moliere. Anyone who can make me laugh gets my vote. Jane Austen
is very funny and so is Dickens, of course. The Marx Brothers are immortal and
so is Tony Hancock. I�m a member of The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society. And
it�s well worth joining because you can hire all the tapes of his radio and tv
shows- most of which are masterpieces of comedy. This may sound strange, but I
actually like listening to the Hancocks that don�t work as well as the great
shows. I like to try and work out why. You learn a lot that way. There�s one
show where Hancock�s bored and you just hear him sighing for about a minute or
so. It�s very funny. But, of course, you know it wouldn�t work in a book. My
idea of inspiring writing, from a writer�s viewpoint, would be: something that
helps me to see what I�m doing.
Q: One
critic said Tempus Fugit is breathtakingly pacy- how do you achieve
such a fast narrative?
Frank:
Well, it�s not up to me to say how good or bad my writing is, but a lot of
people have noticed this. I don�t know. I just try to leave out everything that
isn�t necessary. I mean, writing a book is about making thousands of creative
decisions and getting a high percentage of them right, giving the reader exactly
and only what you think will hold their interest. Then again, sometimes we want
to savour a good book like a gourmet dinner and devour it slowly. I guess
Tempus Fugit is the novel equivalent of fast food. Like a chocolate bar
maybe. Comfort reading. My next one is much longer- a whole box of
chocolates!
Q: Is your
next one another Duckworth and Sloane story?
Frank: You
make them sound like a firm of solicitors. Yes. I�ve just finished the sequel,
which picks up exactly where Tempus Fugit leaves off. It�s called Future
Tense and features Sloane�s girlfriend, Emma Gummer. I like Emma so much
that she features heavily in the third book in the series, too, which is called,
Time Share- the one I�m currently working on. If all goes according to plan, I
will write a series of seven Tempus Fugit books.
Q: Are they
going to be sequential?
Frank: More
or less. All except the last one, which is going to be a sort of prequel, but
you can�t have a prequel or a sequel in a time travel story really, can
you? I mean: the past could be the future and the future could be the
past, or, to put it another way, the end could be the beginning and the
beginning could be the end.
Q: I think
that might be a good place to end this interview. Thanks for chatting to us,
Frank.
Frank. It�s
been a pleasure. Could I just say one more thing?
Q: Of
course you can.
Frank: This
is to anyone who reads my work: thank you. I hope you found it different as well
as funny, and I hope you come along for the rest of the ride.
And
readers, thanks again for your interest in Boson Books. You can learn about more
about Frank's work here: http://www.bosonbooks.com/boson/fiction/tempusfugit/tempusfugit.html
Until
next time, Boson Books wishes you happy reading.
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