Ask the Author: Sean-Paul Thomas
Answered Questions (13)
Sean-Paul Thomas
Thanks for the question. Yes, I kind of write a very rough shorthand blueprint from start to finish of around 10 to 20k words. Kind of like a skeleton treatment novel or a screenplay version of the book. Then I let it sit and stew for a few weeks (or perhaps months like a fine Rioja) attend to some other commitments in life, and then finally come back to the full novel again from the beginning until the end. Going over, and weaving my way through, one chapter at a time, deeply fleshing it out as best I can, just really aiming for one chapter a day really. But always beginning the day with a good solid reread and edit of the previous chapter first, before I wading knee-deep into the thick mud of the next chapter.
So I suppose two chapters a day lol
So I suppose two chapters a day lol
Sean-Paul Thomas
Hmmm, I guess that every few days, particularly when I'm in a frantic rush to do something or leave my house for work or an errand, things I desperately need and things that I'd 100 percent thought that I'd left somewhere, tend not to be bloody there anymore.
This can be anything from keys, to headphones, my wallet, condoms, ear plugs, favourite items of clothing, even my favourite tennis shoes went missing for a whole twenty minutes before reappearing, almost by magic, underneath an old towel beside my bed that I'd already checked five damn times previously - Could I have a cheeky little poltergeist hanging around or a mischievous pair of wee shite fairies perhaps, holed up in my apartment, who like nothing more than to annoy the hell out of me at my most vulnerable time. Or could I just be loosing my fragile little mind in my old age. Who knows, and will I ever know, that is the real question.
Now, where the hell is my laptop....
This can be anything from keys, to headphones, my wallet, condoms, ear plugs, favourite items of clothing, even my favourite tennis shoes went missing for a whole twenty minutes before reappearing, almost by magic, underneath an old towel beside my bed that I'd already checked five damn times previously - Could I have a cheeky little poltergeist hanging around or a mischievous pair of wee shite fairies perhaps, holed up in my apartment, who like nothing more than to annoy the hell out of me at my most vulnerable time. Or could I just be loosing my fragile little mind in my old age. Who knows, and will I ever know, that is the real question.
Now, where the hell is my laptop....
Sean-Paul Thomas
It would have to be the wonderfully complex and feisty Arturo and Camilla from John Fante's brilliant, heart breaking novel, Ask the Dust. They are funny and adorable to read and learn about, just as much as they are tragic and frustrating to get to know too. If any book proves that opposites do attract, then it is definitely this fictional couple.
Sean-Paul Thomas
Hi Paul and many thanks for the question.
Yeah, Calton hill is always gonna be a gorgeous little, hidden gem, and up there with one of my favorite places in Edinburgh. I much prefer it though in the quiet seasons, like Autumn, Winter and Spring, (some cracking sunsets in the winter) when there's not too many tourists kicking about lol
I think my favorite place is Dean Village though, and the wee delightful walk through the village from the old mill, at the old dean bridge, walking west along the water of leith, until you reach the waterfall and the stairs up to bedford road and the modern art galley. It's a stunning wee walk, where you feel like you are in a whole new world entirely.
Yeah, Calton hill is always gonna be a gorgeous little, hidden gem, and up there with one of my favorite places in Edinburgh. I much prefer it though in the quiet seasons, like Autumn, Winter and Spring, (some cracking sunsets in the winter) when there's not too many tourists kicking about lol
I think my favorite place is Dean Village though, and the wee delightful walk through the village from the old mill, at the old dean bridge, walking west along the water of leith, until you reach the waterfall and the stairs up to bedford road and the modern art galley. It's a stunning wee walk, where you feel like you are in a whole new world entirely.
Sean-Paul Thomas
John Fante has been a big influence on me, especially Ask the Dust and The Brotherhood of the grape. I love a good Knut Hamson yarn too like Pan, Victoria, Mysteries or the Wanderer. Love a bit of Irvine Welsh too. More than anything I just love a bit of gritty raw realism and well grounded, simple writing, with complex, interesting and raw characters that I can totally relate too. I guess when it comes down to it I prefer my characters to be complex rather than the plot.
And I think there is no better example of this than in Stephen Vizinczey's - In Praise of Older Women. A brilliant simple book, basically about his love life from the age of 12 right up into his twenties, played out to the backdrop of the second world war and the new communist regime in Hungary directly after.
And I think there is no better example of this than in Stephen Vizinczey's - In Praise of Older Women. A brilliant simple book, basically about his love life from the age of 12 right up into his twenties, played out to the backdrop of the second world war and the new communist regime in Hungary directly after.
Sean-Paul Thomas
Never bet on Scotland to win a football match, ever. You're asking for trouble and an empty wallet.
Regarding writing - My dad always told me before he passed away, that I should try and have a back up career to writing, just in case things never worked out in author world, so in my early twenties I took a few years off and trained to be a plumber. And I'm so glad I did. It keeps me sane, grounded and alive, and gives me a steady/flexible income, when I'm still struggling to pay the bills with my writing. It's a baseline platform to start a new way of life too, if I ever decide I've had enough of this writing lark.
Another piece of advice would be, always hire a proofreader before you publish anything, no matter how much you can't afford it, get a credit card or 2 if you have to, but get it bloody proofread. Hell has no fury like a reader who purchased your book for 99 pence, or worse, for free lol and they find spelling and grammar mistakes. They will not let you forget it for as long as you both shall live.
Regarding writing - My dad always told me before he passed away, that I should try and have a back up career to writing, just in case things never worked out in author world, so in my early twenties I took a few years off and trained to be a plumber. And I'm so glad I did. It keeps me sane, grounded and alive, and gives me a steady/flexible income, when I'm still struggling to pay the bills with my writing. It's a baseline platform to start a new way of life too, if I ever decide I've had enough of this writing lark.
Another piece of advice would be, always hire a proofreader before you publish anything, no matter how much you can't afford it, get a credit card or 2 if you have to, but get it bloody proofread. Hell has no fury like a reader who purchased your book for 99 pence, or worse, for free lol and they find spelling and grammar mistakes. They will not let you forget it for as long as you both shall live.
Sean-Paul Thomas
My latest book is called 'The Old Man and The Princess'. The novel was inspired by a lot of things, for example the old man in the book is loosely based on the brilliant Irish actor Brendan Gleeson and some of the more darkly humorous characters he has played throughout his career, in the likes of 'In Bruge' 'The guard' and 'Calvary'
The other main, and most influential inspiration for the book, is actually another old classic sci fi tale, but I can't really discuss it without ruining the story, and main plot of my own novel and the important role this old classic tale has throughout the narrative.
The other main, and most influential inspiration for the book, is actually another old classic sci fi tale, but I can't really discuss it without ruining the story, and main plot of my own novel and the important role this old classic tale has throughout the narrative.
Sean-Paul Thomas
Lust for Life?
In the early stages of dating an ex french girlfriend of mine from a few years back, she always acted so mysterious about why I could never see where she lived when we first started dating, and so she'd always make me drop her off a few streets away from her actual flat. After the second time of dropping her off on the random street corner, I noticed a Sauna (Brothel) nearby. So of course my writer mind went into crazy overdrive and ran with a wild amok, about all these crazy different scenarios that the reason she was so secretive about her place of residence was because she was actually an escort lol But in actual fact the truth was... well that's another story entirely, or you'll just have to read the book one day instead ;)
In the early stages of dating an ex french girlfriend of mine from a few years back, she always acted so mysterious about why I could never see where she lived when we first started dating, and so she'd always make me drop her off a few streets away from her actual flat. After the second time of dropping her off on the random street corner, I noticed a Sauna (Brothel) nearby. So of course my writer mind went into crazy overdrive and ran with a wild amok, about all these crazy different scenarios that the reason she was so secretive about her place of residence was because she was actually an escort lol But in actual fact the truth was... well that's another story entirely, or you'll just have to read the book one day instead ;)
Sean-Paul Thomas
Thinking about it lol I'm not sure if this is gonna sound entirely unusual to any writers out there, and might just be the norm, but in order for me to get into the best possible mood for writing, I usually mediate for 20 minutes, followed by a couple of sets of hand stands, up against the living room door, (for health and safety reasons this is best done when my girlfriend isn't home) then brew myself a nice wee delicious cup of of pure black syrupy coffee, listen to one excruciatingly cheesy feel good song or two, usually from the grease soundtrack/abba/ or Irish Celtic folk songs, usually the Malleys. And then I'm pretty much good to go.
Sean-Paul Thomas
I'm working on a sequel to my young adult, dark, fantasy novel - The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill. I'm about halfway through. It's my first attempt at a sequel to any of my books and it's proving to be a bit more difficult and complex that I originally thought it was going to be, or planned. That's the problem with writing fantasy, prepare for your imagination and your writing to take you anywhere, and I mean anywhere, while you totally loose track of everything else that's happening.
I'm also working on a play about a bitter, middle aged hermit, who lives with his sister after losing his legs in a mysterious accident after the second world war.
I'm also working on a play about a bitter, middle aged hermit, who lives with his sister after losing his legs in a mysterious accident after the second world war.
Sean-Paul Thomas
Get out now while you're still aspiring. Go and start a book review blog instead, you'll feel more wanted and less alone that way.
If not and you're still determined, then grow a thick skin and beard. Talk to people about your book and hear what they have to say, like really bloody hear them. Become a good listener. Become a good people watcher. Travel as much as you can, meeting weird and wonderful characters and having crazy, great experiences that you can one day write about. All new writers should learn how to say yes more than no, even to the illegal stuff, that's where you'll find your best stories.
Get out more. Become more present. Take a look at what is going on around you. Mediate for at least 15 minutes a day with your eyes open. Procrastination is your cancer. Read, write or edit something, between 30 minutes and up to 4 hours a day. Make a schedule. Get into a routine. Make at least one other writer/artist friend. Read each others work, but never, ever socialize with them or make them your girlfriend, that is a disaster just waiting to happen :)
Read everything that is put in front of you, and read often, even if it's just the first chapter and no more. Find a published writer who you think writes similar to you and emulate the hell out of them.
If not and you're still determined, then grow a thick skin and beard. Talk to people about your book and hear what they have to say, like really bloody hear them. Become a good listener. Become a good people watcher. Travel as much as you can, meeting weird and wonderful characters and having crazy, great experiences that you can one day write about. All new writers should learn how to say yes more than no, even to the illegal stuff, that's where you'll find your best stories.
Get out more. Become more present. Take a look at what is going on around you. Mediate for at least 15 minutes a day with your eyes open. Procrastination is your cancer. Read, write or edit something, between 30 minutes and up to 4 hours a day. Make a schedule. Get into a routine. Make at least one other writer/artist friend. Read each others work, but never, ever socialize with them or make them your girlfriend, that is a disaster just waiting to happen :)
Read everything that is put in front of you, and read often, even if it's just the first chapter and no more. Find a published writer who you think writes similar to you and emulate the hell out of them.
Sean-Paul Thomas
Creating words, lines, sentences, characters, personalities, stories and worlds that only you really, truly, understand the heart and soul core meaning and conception of.
Sean-Paul Thomas
I used to get writer's block all the time, I always found that I couldn't get my head around a particular scene and my mind would go a total blank, so I'd just give up, say screw it and go do something else, something non writey. It was only a year or two back that I suddenly released how easy it was to just leave that particular scene and move onto the next one, or a scene further along in the book that I could actually write about and had burning ideas for. For some bizarre reason I didn't realize until that moment that it was actually possible to come back to that scene later on, further down the line. The rough first draft of a book doesn't have to be written in chronological order. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you're having trouble writing chapter 5 then just go and write chapter 14 instead.
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