“I went indie with LWNB because it would never have seen the light of day otherwise.”
Nick Spalding 1 April 2011
The Back Flap
Nick Spalding tried to write a book in 24 hours. Turns out that’s impossible… it took 30!
He had a dull, drizzly weekend to kill, so made a start on the book he’d been promising to write all his life… and had it finished by midnight Sunday.
You’ll laugh out loud reading his odyssey of non-stop writing, in a selection of anecdotes, asides and stories… all dredged up from an over-stimulated brain functioning on caffeine, nicotine and the occasional chocolate biscuit.
The book is a conversation with YOU and with Nick you’ll venture into the thorny topics of love, life, sex, horribly timed bowel movements and a deathly fear of sponges (among many other things).
After you’ve read Life… With No Breaks, you’ll never look at the world the same way again!
About the Book
What is the book about?
It’s an observational comedy book about my life. A series of anecdotes, stories and funny asides on any subject that happened to pop into my head over the time of writing it. There’s no real plot, except the device of writing the whole thing in one sitting!
When did you start writing the book?
6pm on a drizzly Saturday evening.
How long did it take you to write it?
30 hours!
Where did you get the idea from?
As I explain at the start of the book, the idea just came to me when I woke up that morning. This was just as well as I would have succumbed to writer’s block!
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Around the 5am mark… Trust me, writing a coherent narrative gets a bit difficult when you’ve been awake for twenty hours.
What came easily?
Erm… the sleep I fell into straight after writing ‘The End’.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Heh. All real people – only some names have been changed to protect the innocent J
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Style wise I guess Terry Pratchett and Robert Rankin have been important. Also Stephen Fry for his brilliant wit. I try to be as funny as possible when I write, and those three authors do it better than anyone else.
Do you have a target reader?
YOU!
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Meh. I’m not really one for over thinking this kind of thing, if I’m honest. I guess my process goes:
1. Buy alcohol. 2. Consume alcohol. 3. Worry I’ve consumed too much alcohol. 4. Consume more alcohol to make myself feel better. 5. Spend twenty minutes wondering what I was planning on doing before consuming the alcohol. 6. Decide I was planning on consuming alcohol… and consume more alcohol. 7. Completely fail to write anything. 8. Write a book in thirty hours… and consume alcohol.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just Chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Nope. Seat of the pants for both Life… With No Breaks and everything else. I figure the first person I get to tell the story to is me, and I don’t want to ruin the ending for myself, do I?
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I edit when finished. Then edit again. And again. And again. Then worry that I’ve done too much editing. Then edit again. Then consume alcohol.
Did you hire a professional editor?
No. I’m lucky enough to work with pro copywriters and proof readers, so providing I can catch them on a sober day, they look through my work for me.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Bavarian Oompah music and death metal.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Not Life.. With No Breaks, but as a writer I have of course put myself through the torment of the slush pile submission process.
What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I went indie with LWNB because it would never have seen the light of day otherwise.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?
All on my lonesome. That Adobe Photoshop course I did a few years ago is really paying dividends! I can even put my head on Bradley Cooper’s body.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I’ve been winging it up until now, but I think I’ve come across a marketing strategy that’s a sure fire winner. Two words: Indecent Exposure.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Wear comfortable shoes and eat at least five portions of fruit and veg a day. Keep your arms in the vehicle at all times, never rub another man’s rhubarb, and never stroke a cat backwards. Also, please don’t write an observational comedy book that’s better than mine. I will cry. And consume alcohol.
About You
Where did you grow up?
South coast of Great Britain.
Where do you live now?
A three bed semi detached… on the south coast of Great Britain. Which shows a marked lack of ambition on my part, I’ll concede.
What would you like readers to know about you?
That they were all lies and rumours, and I never inserted anything anywhere. Also, that I have all my own hair, teeth and neuroses.
What are you working on now?
Currently proofing a humorous fantasy novel and have an idea for a sequel to LWNB that will come to fruition sometime in the next few weeks with any luck.
And consuming alcohol.
End of Interview
You can buy Life… With No Breaks, at Amazon US