Ask the Author: Jim McGrath
Answered Questions (12)
Jim McGrath
I wasn't afraid of death, after all there was nothing on the other side. Then I died and the terror began
Jim McGrath
Hi Laura,
Very sorry for the delay in responding to your inquiry. The books were taken down for a short time as they were moved from one publisher to another. The first two books are now available on Amazon as ebooks and paperbacks and the third will be available in August.
Once again my apologises for not responding more quickly.
Very best wishes,
Jim
Very sorry for the delay in responding to your inquiry. The books were taken down for a short time as they were moved from one publisher to another. The first two books are now available on Amazon as ebooks and paperbacks and the third will be available in August.
Once again my apologises for not responding more quickly.
Very best wishes,
Jim
Jim McGrath
Hi Cheryl,
Many thanks for your message. I'm delighted that you have found The Little Book series so useful for your students. I haven't got a new management book on the go at the moment as I've been busy finding a publisher for my novels (Unashamed plug - If you like police thrillers check out A Death in Winter: 1963 which is available as an ebook now and a paperback from November 22. It's contains a wide variety of killings and jokes in it).
With the management books I usually need something to spark an idea then I check out if Pearson's think its financially viable. I don't have an idea at present but that might change tomorrow (If you have something in mind let me know). As for second editions that's always up to the publisher and they base their decision purely on sales to date. I've got to say I would love to redo and extend the Questions book.
If your students have to write a research project or dissertation you might want to take a look at Your Education Research Project Companion. Although I was required to have the word Education in the title the book is really about social research of any kind including management. It's also written in an interesting and novel way.
Finally many thanks for becoming a follower. I need all the friends I can get.
Best wishes,
jim
Many thanks for your message. I'm delighted that you have found The Little Book series so useful for your students. I haven't got a new management book on the go at the moment as I've been busy finding a publisher for my novels (Unashamed plug - If you like police thrillers check out A Death in Winter: 1963 which is available as an ebook now and a paperback from November 22. It's contains a wide variety of killings and jokes in it).
With the management books I usually need something to spark an idea then I check out if Pearson's think its financially viable. I don't have an idea at present but that might change tomorrow (If you have something in mind let me know). As for second editions that's always up to the publisher and they base their decision purely on sales to date. I've got to say I would love to redo and extend the Questions book.
If your students have to write a research project or dissertation you might want to take a look at Your Education Research Project Companion. Although I was required to have the word Education in the title the book is really about social research of any kind including management. It's also written in an interesting and novel way.
Finally many thanks for becoming a follower. I need all the friends I can get.
Best wishes,
jim
Jim McGrath
I'll be:
Re-reading Live and Let Die and OHMSS by Ian Fleming which are two of his best books.
I'm also going to read The Library of America's collected works of John Steinbeck. I've probably read about half of Steinbeck's books. It's time I read the rest and reacquainted myself with Grapes of Wrath and Travels with Charlie.
And Finally I'm going to re-read all the Raymond Chandler books in the order he wrote them.
For me:
Fleming's work is the yardstick by which I measure all thrillers.
I use Steinbeck's to assess the work of all serious novelists.
And I compare all crime writers (including myself) to Chandler just to see how far short we all fall of the Master.
Cheers,
Jim
Re-reading Live and Let Die and OHMSS by Ian Fleming which are two of his best books.
I'm also going to read The Library of America's collected works of John Steinbeck. I've probably read about half of Steinbeck's books. It's time I read the rest and reacquainted myself with Grapes of Wrath and Travels with Charlie.
And Finally I'm going to re-read all the Raymond Chandler books in the order he wrote them.
For me:
Fleming's work is the yardstick by which I measure all thrillers.
I use Steinbeck's to assess the work of all serious novelists.
And I compare all crime writers (including myself) to Chandler just to see how far short we all fall of the Master.
Cheers,
Jim
Jim McGrath
Hi Jeffrey,
Yes I'm writing away. I think I write pretty good dialogue, have a look at A Death in Winter on Amazon and you can look inside the book. What I do is speak the dialogue out load. I find it a great help - especially with accents.
Best wishes,
Jim
Yes I'm writing away. I think I write pretty good dialogue, have a look at A Death in Winter on Amazon and you can look inside the book. What I do is speak the dialogue out load. I find it a great help - especially with accents.
Best wishes,
Jim
Jim McGrath
Hi Jeffrey,
I'm sorry to say that you have me confused with another writer. I've never written a screen play and in all honesty wouldn't know where to start.
Good luck with your writing.
Jim
I'm sorry to say that you have me confused with another writer. I've never written a screen play and in all honesty wouldn't know where to start.
Good luck with your writing.
Jim
Jim McGrath
Ideas for stories come to those with a prepared mind.
You have to be constantly on the lookout for ideas that you can use and bend to your purpose.
A Death in Spring: 1968 contains two very different stories.
The first deals with a killer of homosexuals. In the 1960s someone told me that there had been one or more murders of homosexual men in Birmingham during the late 50s early 60s. I've never been able to verify this but I've often thought it would make an interesting story. The reason I thought it would be worth writing about is that at the time homosexuality was a crime and most homosexuals did everything they could not to attract police attention and that included acting as a witness. (Note I've checked with gay friends and they tell me that the term gay was not in use during the 60s).
The second story is about the centralisation of criminal power. I have no idea where that came from. Mind you I'm watching A Game of Thrones, in which the centralisation of power is a key concept so maybe it came from there.
The best advice I can give anyone interested in writing is to keep a note book handy and write down any ideas when they get it. Don't delay. If you do you'll forget it.
Cheers,
Jim
You have to be constantly on the lookout for ideas that you can use and bend to your purpose.
A Death in Spring: 1968 contains two very different stories.
The first deals with a killer of homosexuals. In the 1960s someone told me that there had been one or more murders of homosexual men in Birmingham during the late 50s early 60s. I've never been able to verify this but I've often thought it would make an interesting story. The reason I thought it would be worth writing about is that at the time homosexuality was a crime and most homosexuals did everything they could not to attract police attention and that included acting as a witness. (Note I've checked with gay friends and they tell me that the term gay was not in use during the 60s).
The second story is about the centralisation of criminal power. I have no idea where that came from. Mind you I'm watching A Game of Thrones, in which the centralisation of power is a key concept so maybe it came from there.
The best advice I can give anyone interested in writing is to keep a note book handy and write down any ideas when they get it. Don't delay. If you do you'll forget it.
Cheers,
Jim
Jim McGrath
I'm currently working on A Death in Spring: 1968, the second book in The Handsworth Quartet.
I spent a lot of time recently finishing off The Little Book of Big Management Wisdom for Pearson's so it was lovely to get back to my friends Collins, Clark and Agnes.
One of the things that I've found most interesting writing this book is that Collins is five years older and is now an acting Sergeant. So inevitably the dynamic between Collins and Clark is slightly different. Neither of them pay any attention to the stripes on Collins sleeve but his experience means that their relationship is now one of equals. Although Clark remains Number 1 when it comes to a punch-up, Collins is really starting to develop as a detective.
I'm also finding the research into the type of corruption that developers, builders and council officials got up to in the 1960s really interesting. What I've got to guard against is spending too much time writing about the details. Readers don't need or want that. After all it's a thriller I'm writing not a book on accounting fraud.
Stay well,
Jim
I spent a lot of time recently finishing off The Little Book of Big Management Wisdom for Pearson's so it was lovely to get back to my friends Collins, Clark and Agnes.
One of the things that I've found most interesting writing this book is that Collins is five years older and is now an acting Sergeant. So inevitably the dynamic between Collins and Clark is slightly different. Neither of them pay any attention to the stripes on Collins sleeve but his experience means that their relationship is now one of equals. Although Clark remains Number 1 when it comes to a punch-up, Collins is really starting to develop as a detective.
I'm also finding the research into the type of corruption that developers, builders and council officials got up to in the 1960s really interesting. What I've got to guard against is spending too much time writing about the details. Readers don't need or want that. After all it's a thriller I'm writing not a book on accounting fraud.
Stay well,
Jim
Jim McGrath
If you wait for inspiration you'll never write anything!
Thomas Edison said that inventing was 99% perspiration and I% inspiration. It's the same with writing. But even that 1% does not occur in a vacuum. Sitting there with a blank mind waiting for the big idea to pop into your mind fully formed is not going to work.
For me inspiration comes when I'm sitting at the computer hammering away. Concentrating on what I'm doing. Not thinking beyond the next sentence. It's then that inspiration strikes in the form of new ideas or fully formed characters or answers to problems I've been struggling with for days.
When such inspiration strikes it's essential that you write the idea down immediately otherwise you will forget it.
Cheers,
Jim
Thomas Edison said that inventing was 99% perspiration and I% inspiration. It's the same with writing. But even that 1% does not occur in a vacuum. Sitting there with a blank mind waiting for the big idea to pop into your mind fully formed is not going to work.
For me inspiration comes when I'm sitting at the computer hammering away. Concentrating on what I'm doing. Not thinking beyond the next sentence. It's then that inspiration strikes in the form of new ideas or fully formed characters or answers to problems I've been struggling with for days.
When such inspiration strikes it's essential that you write the idea down immediately otherwise you will forget it.
Cheers,
Jim
Jim McGrath
If you want to be a writer, write.
No one can stop you from being a writer. You don't need any qualifications to be a writer. You don't have to pass a selection interview to become a writer. You just need to write.
Starting to write, starting to think of yourself as a writer are important steps in becoming a writer. But it is the next step that puts people off. Writing is a craft. To master your craft you have to be willing to practice. How much practice you need to put in I can't say. But if you expect to practice for 10,000 hours before you hit your stride I don't think you'll be far off. To put that in context 10,000 hours is equivalent to 270 weeks work or 5.2 years. Which when you come to think about is to the amount of time most professional qualifications take to obtain.
To keep your enthusiasm up along the way:
1) Join a good writers group that provides supportive feedback.
2) Read what writers have to say about how they write and pinch any ideas that are useful to you. But remember just because it worked for them does not mean it will work for you.
3) Look to get something published. Even if it's only a letter, poem or short story/article in your local paper. One of my early thrills was to get a letter published in the You Say section of the Sunday Times Culture Magazine. No money but a grin of satisfaction that lasted all day.
Good luck.
Jim
No one can stop you from being a writer. You don't need any qualifications to be a writer. You don't have to pass a selection interview to become a writer. You just need to write.
Starting to write, starting to think of yourself as a writer are important steps in becoming a writer. But it is the next step that puts people off. Writing is a craft. To master your craft you have to be willing to practice. How much practice you need to put in I can't say. But if you expect to practice for 10,000 hours before you hit your stride I don't think you'll be far off. To put that in context 10,000 hours is equivalent to 270 weeks work or 5.2 years. Which when you come to think about is to the amount of time most professional qualifications take to obtain.
To keep your enthusiasm up along the way:
1) Join a good writers group that provides supportive feedback.
2) Read what writers have to say about how they write and pinch any ideas that are useful to you. But remember just because it worked for them does not mean it will work for you.
3) Look to get something published. Even if it's only a letter, poem or short story/article in your local paper. One of my early thrills was to get a letter published in the You Say section of the Sunday Times Culture Magazine. No money but a grin of satisfaction that lasted all day.
Good luck.
Jim
Jim McGrath
I've always had a problem with authority. I've never liked people telling me what to do or treating me like a moronic cog in a giant wheel.
As a writer no one can tell me what to do, when to do it or how to do it. Within the constraints imposed on me by the law and the market place I am free to write whatever I want to.
Writing allows me to march to my own tune, even if to date it's paid way below the national minimum wage!
Cheers,
Jim
As a writer no one can tell me what to do, when to do it or how to do it. Within the constraints imposed on me by the law and the market place I am free to write whatever I want to.
Writing allows me to march to my own tune, even if to date it's paid way below the national minimum wage!
Cheers,
Jim
Jim McGrath
I don't believe in writer's block.
There are many days when I sit down to write and have nothing in my mind except for the title of a scene. What happens in the scene is a mystery to me and will forever remain so unless I start writing. It is only when I start to write that my mind can access the tacit knowledge that I hold in my subconscious. Here resides the half forgotten emotions, events, incidents, books, films, plays, conversations and dreams that are the raw materials of the writers craft.
Just staring at a blank page will not access this store of information you have to engage in the writing process. Give yourself permission to write a load of rubbish and then start writing. Pretty soon you'll find yourself in the zone and it is your characters and not you that are driving both the narrative and the conversations they are having.
Trust in the power of your subconscious and surrender to it.
Take care
Jim
There are many days when I sit down to write and have nothing in my mind except for the title of a scene. What happens in the scene is a mystery to me and will forever remain so unless I start writing. It is only when I start to write that my mind can access the tacit knowledge that I hold in my subconscious. Here resides the half forgotten emotions, events, incidents, books, films, plays, conversations and dreams that are the raw materials of the writers craft.
Just staring at a blank page will not access this store of information you have to engage in the writing process. Give yourself permission to write a load of rubbish and then start writing. Pretty soon you'll find yourself in the zone and it is your characters and not you that are driving both the narrative and the conversations they are having.
Trust in the power of your subconscious and surrender to it.
Take care
Jim
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