World, Writing, Wealth discussion

Thank you, Ian, for taking the time to participate in our interview and help people get to know you better.

Members: If you have any follow-up questions for Ian, please feel free to post them.

Tell us about your writing.
To be honest, I don’t know what got me started in writing. I know I spent the first three quarters of my life thoroughly discouraged from any form of creative writing, scarred by the pretentious expectations of the classroom. Then about 14 years ago a scene popped into my head that I decided to try writing, and it was all downhill from there.

I write science fiction, with a strong leaning toward action and adventure with twists and turns along the way. I’ve always been inspired by the 20th century sci-fi greats (Asimov, Heinlein, Clark ...) but my biggest influences must be Frank Herbert’s Dune, Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, and more recently Iain M Banks’ Culture novels.

Early on, when I started writing I stopped reading altogether, but that changed a few years ago and I started reading again. I do have to suppress my inner editor, and I’m a lot less tolerant of poor writing than I used to be, but apart from that I don’t find writing interferes. I read for pleasure, as a relaxation from writing which, let’s face it, is bloody hard work!

Just as well there are still readers out there to enjoy it. I don’t see the written word retreating any time soon, given the number of people I see at work who spend lunch breaks with books in their hands.

So far I’ve written two novels, with a third nearing publication. I’m excited by this WIP because it’s a return to the universe of my first novel and both were tremendous fun to write. My main hobby used to be painting, and I loved showing people scenes that they could never see in real life. I now write because I can go deeper into those unreal worlds like Mary Poppins stepping into a chalk drawing. And because it’s fun. That’s important. Whether you are having fun or not, I think it shows through.

The reward I try to offer my reader is deep immersion in an entirely foreign world, to experience it through the senses of that world’s inhabitants, to make the extraordinary commonplace and bring it within reach.

It feels a bit rich for me to offer advice to aspiring writers, being such an unknown myself, but I can offer two thoughts from my own journey. First, know what you want out of your writing and be realistic about it. Your goals, your measures of success, are entirely your own, so own them and don’t let your sense of your worth be defined by other people’s expectations. Second, do listen to the mountains of real advice out there but don’t get lost in it. Each writer’s process is unique, and what works for one won’t necessarily work for another. So keep your wits and develop your own judgment about what works for you and what doesn’t.

What are your recommendations for reading and why?
I’m not going to give recommendations because your tastes are different from mine, and you have a whole website right here to help introduce you to good reads! Read what you enjoy. Time is too precious to waste on mental self-flagellation.

What non-writing-related things would you like to say about yourself?
Although I’ve come to writing late in life, I’ve always been creative. I’ve been handy with pencils and paints since my earliest childhood memories. My favorite pastimes used to involve constructing things in Lego, modeling clay, and model kits. Big boy projects in more recent years came in the form of a tree fort, tire swing, and a pirate ship in the back yard when the kids were young.

Greatest life achievements are my wonderful family, and the courage to leave our comfortable home in Britain for the unknowns of western Canada. So many people talk about moves like that, but so few follow through on the talk.

Where can readers connect with you?
My Goodreads account
My website: http://www.iansbott.com
My blog: Views from the Bald Patch

Although not in the form of our questionnaire, the interview nonetheless gives a good insight into Ian's work and interests

Thanks Ian for your insights. I agree, it does take courage to emigrate, I hope that you are happy and settled where you are.

Great interview! Well done on your international move.

Hi Nik, I took the liberty of viewing the questionnaire as more a set of prompts than anything. I think you'll find I covered off a lot of them in the ramble :)

Jen & Marie, in hindsight the move scares me witless. There was so much that could have gone wrong, but luckily didn't. It's meant a lot of adjustments, but my wife & I still occasionally look at each other and ask "any regrets?". The answer is always an emphatic "no!"

No problem, Ian, we are not rigid on formalities -:) Enjoyed your interview.
Now that you are adapted for relocations, maybe you can consider participating in colonization of Moon or Mars -:)

Thanks, Ian. I enjoyed getting to know more about you. I have a couple of questions. First, how long does it take you to write a book? Second, why did you choose Canada?

Hi Scout, if everything goes right, I reckon on about 2 years from starting the first draft through to ready to publish. Give or take. The actual drafting is about 6 to 8 months.

Of course, real life isn't as neat as that. My first book was stretched out over 7 years, Tiamat's Nest over 6, but they were interleaved with each other plus other projects. But my current WIP has been more true to that timetable.

As for "why Canada?" My wife & I traveled here a couple of times before we'd even thought of starting a family. Even as a carefree childless couple we both commented on how family friendly the place was, far more so than the "seen and not heard" attitude in England. When we got serious about our own family, it seemed only natural that this is where our minds kept returning to.

I grew up in a "seen and not heard" era, so I understand your choice. Anything unexpected since you moved?

Scout wrote: "I grew up in a "seen and not heard" era, so I understand your choice. Anything unexpected since you moved?"

Lots of little things, but probably the biggest shock was trying to make ends meet financially. When you live in Britain and look at prices of goods in Canada it's tempting - but misleading - to apply the exchange rate and think things are relatively cheap. We knew not to fall into that trap but even so there are so many factors that affect the cost of living we soon found we had no idea what we'd let ourselves in for. There seems to be so many more things to take into account that we learned about along the way. The whole landscape of income v. outgoings is different.

You made a gutsy move. I hope it works out for you and your family.

Thanks Scout and Denise. Making a living here is still tough, as I mentioned, but from time to time my wife & I look at each other and ask ourselves if we have any regrets. The answer is always "none".