Category: being an author

Where have you been?

Years ago I ploughed my way through Frank McCourt’s books because one of my students was reading Angela’s Ashes and raving about it in class, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I read the same book, loved it, and decided to read everything else he had written as well. Somewhere along the way, I came across a quote that really resonated with me. I think it must have been in Teacher Man but I’m not a hundred per cent sure so don’t quote me, ahem, while I quote him…

“I was teaching 11,000 students 33,000 lessons over 28 years. I was too busy to write.”

Frank McCourt

Too busy to write. I hear that all the time. Usually from my own lips. But the truth is I’ve written more in this last year than I ever have before. The Book and the Blade comes out in 2022 and I have a finished sequel, the first draft of a third, and 55k words of a fourth to follow it up with. Then there are short stories and a few little extras flitting around that I’m toying with. In November alone I wrote somewhere in the region of 60k words in what my wife would call a fever, somehow fitting that in around my job… as a teacher. And the thing is, that left me with very little time or energy to put anything down for this website. So here it sits, a neglected and forgotten little corner of the World Wide Web. But one of the great joys of being a teacher, especially a teacher in Australia, is the summer holidays. So after I’ve had a wee bit of a rest and recovered from smashing my way through a few litres of egg nog in 38 degrees I might carve out some time to do this whole social media/internet thing properly. I checked the stats… at least three people visit here a day (Woah! Woah! Calm down, Finlayson. Don’t let the fame go to your head now!) so it would probably be nice if they had something to read.

And here is a pic of a grotesque (not a gargoyle) in York Minster for no reason other than he looks awesome (and I also think it looks like he’s stroking the ear of a quizzical puppy but my kids just think I’m seeing things)

Take care lovely people,

Until next time

The Idea

I had the idea for The Book and the Blade nearly 20 years ago and it hurts me to write that!

When I was 18 I started University in York and one of the drawcards for the city was the rumoured 365 pubs… one for every day of the year.

There’s a famous street called Micklegate that has somewhere in the region of 20 of these establishments all crammed into the one cobbled area and some genius came up with the idea for The Micklegate Run – you start near the ironically named Bar (old Norse for “gate”) and have a drink in every pub on your – increasingly meandering – way down towards the river.

Let’s be honest, even if you only drink water that’s a LOT of liquid!

Well, we were young and stupid and sucked in by three-for-one prices and this wonderful new invention called Red Bull that went remarkably well with vodka and so we tried it.

It didn’t end well.

In fact, I don’t remember it ending at all.

What I do remember is an idea.

Imagine getting so drunk you didn’t realise the people you were talking to were ghosts. The world is spinning. You just want to get home. But you live in one of the most haunted cities in the world and the ghosts know you can see them.

I always thought it was a good idea and now, thanks to Parliament House Press, it will be published in 2022!

22 years after I started uni!

They say good things come to those who wait.

Here’s hoping.