The author, playwright and book reviewer Cally Phillips recently tagged me on her blog, encouraging me to take part in something called The Next Big Thing. It’s a promotional device by which an author is invited to answer ten set questions about his or her latest work-in-progress and then to tag three more authors who are also working on a new book. A bit like a chain letter, I suppose, but with the nicest of motives.
So here’s what I have to say about my Next Big Thing – or, as any one of the characters in it might say, “Ma Next Big ’Hing”:
What is the working title of your book?
It’s a novel called The Burrymen War.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
The popular myth is that religious bigotry in Scotland only rears its ugly head at football matches in Glasgow. Nothing could be further from the truth. The poison is rife throughout the country, but particularly so along the Central Belt. In cities, towns and villages stretching from the West Coast to the East Coast, it’s as virulent today as it was hundreds of years ago. Through a fictional “war” in one of those towns, the novel sets out to explode the myth, to expose the full scale and ferocity of Scottish sectarianism. It’s set in South Queensferry (the Ferry), my hometown and the backdrop to most of my work. And its events take place around the annual Burryman ceremony, an ancient Ferry tradition that dates back to at least the sixteenth century.
What genre does your book fall under?
I’d love to class it as Literary Fiction, but apparently no-one will buy it if I do. So I’ll just settle for Contemporary Fiction.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
All the characters are working-class Scots, mostly in their thirties and forties. I couldn’t envisage any of them being played by American actors with fake accents. Ditto English actors. Ditto posh-boy Scottish actors. That kind of narrows the field, I suppose. But gritty, believable actors like Robert Carlyle and Ewen Bremner, and perhaps younger versions of Peter Mullan and Ken Stott, would certainly do the trick.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A story exposing the violence, bigotry and sectarianism that fester in the underbelly of small-town Scotland.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I do have a publisher, who is doing big things in America at this moment, but I don’t know if he’ll fall over himself to grab the novel. There again, I’ve already self-published a lot of my work, so I may go down that route. I’ll wait and see.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I’m only halfway through the manuscript – and that has taken far too long already! I really need to stop prevaricating by writing all these blog posts...
What other books would you compare the story to within your genre?
A cross between Trainspotting and The Wicker Man is the best comparison I can offer.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
All the characters in the novel, including their speech, their mannerisms, their humour and their actions, are based on real people from the Ferry. They are characters indeed. And they are the real inspiration behind the book.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The novel is very violent, it’s full of swearwords (swearing is de rigueur, ken?) and it’s totally authentic. The story may be fictional; the attitudes and behaviours are not. Oh, yes, and it comes complete with that unique brand of Scottish East Coast humour.
Finally, here are my three nominees for the next links in the Next Big Thing chain:
Andrew McCallum Crawford grew up in Grangemouth, an industrial town in East Central Scotland. He studied Science and Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and went on to take a teaching qualification at Jordanhill College, Glasgow. His work has appeared in more literary journals than one can shake a stick at. His story, A Man's Hands, received an Honourable Mention in the 2012 Spilling Ink Review Flash Fiction Award. His first novel, Drive!, was published in 2010. A collection of short fiction, The Next Stop Is Croy and other stories, was released in October, 2011. He lives in Greece.
Steven Porter was born in Inverness, Scotland, in the year man first stepped on the moon. Some say he is also on another planet. He is recognised for his versatile output: fiction, short stories, poetry, memoir, travelogues, reportage and sports writing. He is the author of four published books, including the acclaimed Countries of the World. His work has also appeared in collections and anthologies.
Kristen Stone describes herself as a frustrated writer looking to conquer the world. Although born in London, she knows all the words to 500 Miles, has attended several Burns Night Suppers and would love to play the bagpipes. She has even offered to change her name to McStone. Those are all good reasons for McStorytellers to grant her the status of Honorary Scot. Kristen has published four novels to date, including the acclaimed Edge of Extinction. She is also the co-founder of Blue Hour Publishing, which specialises in publishing ebooks.
So here’s what I have to say about my Next Big Thing – or, as any one of the characters in it might say, “Ma Next Big ’Hing”:
What is the working title of your book?
It’s a novel called The Burrymen War.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
The popular myth is that religious bigotry in Scotland only rears its ugly head at football matches in Glasgow. Nothing could be further from the truth. The poison is rife throughout the country, but particularly so along the Central Belt. In cities, towns and villages stretching from the West Coast to the East Coast, it’s as virulent today as it was hundreds of years ago. Through a fictional “war” in one of those towns, the novel sets out to explode the myth, to expose the full scale and ferocity of Scottish sectarianism. It’s set in South Queensferry (the Ferry), my hometown and the backdrop to most of my work. And its events take place around the annual Burryman ceremony, an ancient Ferry tradition that dates back to at least the sixteenth century.
What genre does your book fall under?
I’d love to class it as Literary Fiction, but apparently no-one will buy it if I do. So I’ll just settle for Contemporary Fiction.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
All the characters are working-class Scots, mostly in their thirties and forties. I couldn’t envisage any of them being played by American actors with fake accents. Ditto English actors. Ditto posh-boy Scottish actors. That kind of narrows the field, I suppose. But gritty, believable actors like Robert Carlyle and Ewen Bremner, and perhaps younger versions of Peter Mullan and Ken Stott, would certainly do the trick.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A story exposing the violence, bigotry and sectarianism that fester in the underbelly of small-town Scotland.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I do have a publisher, who is doing big things in America at this moment, but I don’t know if he’ll fall over himself to grab the novel. There again, I’ve already self-published a lot of my work, so I may go down that route. I’ll wait and see.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I’m only halfway through the manuscript – and that has taken far too long already! I really need to stop prevaricating by writing all these blog posts...
What other books would you compare the story to within your genre?
A cross between Trainspotting and The Wicker Man is the best comparison I can offer.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
All the characters in the novel, including their speech, their mannerisms, their humour and their actions, are based on real people from the Ferry. They are characters indeed. And they are the real inspiration behind the book.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The novel is very violent, it’s full of swearwords (swearing is de rigueur, ken?) and it’s totally authentic. The story may be fictional; the attitudes and behaviours are not. Oh, yes, and it comes complete with that unique brand of Scottish East Coast humour.
Finally, here are my three nominees for the next links in the Next Big Thing chain:
Andrew McCallum Crawford grew up in Grangemouth, an industrial town in East Central Scotland. He studied Science and Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and went on to take a teaching qualification at Jordanhill College, Glasgow. His work has appeared in more literary journals than one can shake a stick at. His story, A Man's Hands, received an Honourable Mention in the 2012 Spilling Ink Review Flash Fiction Award. His first novel, Drive!, was published in 2010. A collection of short fiction, The Next Stop Is Croy and other stories, was released in October, 2011. He lives in Greece.
Steven Porter was born in Inverness, Scotland, in the year man first stepped on the moon. Some say he is also on another planet. He is recognised for his versatile output: fiction, short stories, poetry, memoir, travelogues, reportage and sports writing. He is the author of four published books, including the acclaimed Countries of the World. His work has also appeared in collections and anthologies.
Kristen Stone describes herself as a frustrated writer looking to conquer the world. Although born in London, she knows all the words to 500 Miles, has attended several Burns Night Suppers and would love to play the bagpipes. She has even offered to change her name to McStone. Those are all good reasons for McStorytellers to grant her the status of Honorary Scot. Kristen has published four novels to date, including the acclaimed Edge of Extinction. She is also the co-founder of Blue Hour Publishing, which specialises in publishing ebooks.