Interview with Alaric Bond author of, True Colours

Read an excerpt and see the video for True Colours at: www.blazingtrailers.com



When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

When I was told by my English teacher that I never would, because I could not spell. In those days most folk thought Dyslexia was a posh girl's name.

Do you have another job besides writing?

Yup, my wife and I run a small Restaurant and Tea Rooms in Herstmoncuex, East Sussex. www.scolfes.co.uk

What so you see for the future of publishing and ebooks?

In the same way as the sixpenny Penguin paperback revolutionised the publishing work, the ebook will make some major changes. The electronic readers have a way to go yet, but once they are cheap enough, they will take the mass market over. Of course the logical progression will then be for Authors to cut out the publisher; that might not be such a good move as, love them or hate them, they do act as a choke on rubbish!

Nothing compares with a real, physical book, however. Nothing feels the same or (sorry) smells the same!

What type of writer are you—the one who experiences before writing, like Hemingway, or the one who mostly daydreams and fantasizes?

I'm the kind that gets distracted easily. Look, there's a squirrel!


From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?

The last one was about a year from first word to book shelf. (And during that time I aged about ten.)

Describe your working environment.

I write in a small office next to the old back door. The house is very old and the roof is low; I constantly bang my head – which probably explains a lot.

They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?

I've been very lucky so far. If ever I become unlucky, I know a phone number (which might explain why there are more writers than critics).

As a writer, what scares you the most?

Spiders in my office (I get a lot).

For writer moms: How do you divide your time between taking care of a home and children, and writing? Do you plan your writing sessions in advance?

I say! This would not go down well where I come from – chores, and family, are a shared joy – really you should be ashamed!

When it comes to writing, are you an early bird, or a night owl?

Early in the morning for correction and polish, late at night for the creative stuff.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?

No. When I worked for the BBC I had to produce stunningly funny gags of a topical nature every Friday morning; otherwise I did not get paid. Writers block is an indulgence; we must not be indulgent.

Technically speaking, what do you struggle the most with when writing? How do you tackle it?

My appalling spelling is a constant hamper. Word processors and helpful friends are a bonus, but the frustration knowing a word, but not having a clue how it is formed, can rather slow down the creative process. If this sounds trite to the many good spellers out there, I can only say that you KNOW how to spell, whereas most dyslexics have to REMEMBER – there is a difference. The bonus is that our memories develop extremely well. And there is something else, but it escapes me.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?
Yup, www.alaricbond.com Be warned, there is a trailer (and a photo).


Read an excerpt and see the video for True Colours at: www.blazingtrailers.com