Nik Perring Interview

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A longer version of this interview is available to WriteWords Full and Community Members.
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WriteWords talks to Nik Perring, WW member and author of recently published children's book I Met A Roman Last Night, What Did You Do?

Tell us something about your background.

I’m the author of the children’s book, ‘I Met a Roman Last Night, What Did You Do?’ I’ve also had success with short stories, for both children and adults, and poetry – most recently contributing to the Anchor Books anthology, ‘A Bedtime Poem for Every Day of the Year’ which is out at the end of October.

I’m currently working on a few projects – a couple of novels for children and one for adults.

As well as writing, I lead story writing workshops, mainly for primary school children, but occasionally for adults as well (though not at the same time!

How did you start writing?

I’ve been writing, in some shape of form, for as long as I can remember. I can remember writing and drawing comic strips when I was very young - about pirates I think. That, I think, is my strongest and earliest writing memory. In my teens I tried short stories, poems and music, and after being made redundant from a job in the motor trade, tried my hand, with a little success, at feature writing. It’s fiction I love though, and that’s what I came back to.

Who are your favourite writers and why?

Crikey! Now there’s a question! Far too many to mention. I have to say that I tend to go in for stories, rather than individual writers. The ones that come to mind as I type this are people like Alice Walker (The Color Purple), Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist), Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird), Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveller’s Wife) Maggie O’Farrell (The Distance Between Us), John Wyndham (The Day of the Triffids) C.S Lewis, L.Frank Baum, L.M. Montgomery and pretty much anything by The Brothers Grimm… The list goes on! I like Neil Gaiman and lots of Native American writing as well.

Actually, two big non-author influences would have to be the late and very great Joe Strummer and Sugar Ray Robinson.

How did you get your first agent/ commission?

After a lot of rejection for previous novels and with a lot of hard work and luck! My first published piece was an article for a local magazine, Cheshire Life, which I sent in on-spec. The editor phoned me up, said he loved it and a few months later I got to see my words in print for the first time, which is a feeling, I think, one only gets once but never forgets.

What's the worst thing about writing?

Without the shadow of a doubt: the waiting. The whole industry, through little fault of its own, appears so slow to writers. There’s the months of waiting for responses from agents and publishers – and then even once everything’s agreed and signed it can be months (sometimes even years) before your book is released. I think the lesson to be learned from that is that you don’t need to rush anything where your writing’s concerned. Take your time and make sure you get it right.

Being such a solitary process it can get a wee bit lonely. Being a member of the fab writewords community helps with that though.

Oh, and hearing the hoover start up when you’re trying desperately to concentrate comes a close second!

And the best?

Connecting with readers. I know it’s a bit of a cliché but there really isn’t anything better than seeing that what you’ve written has stirred up something inside someone. It can be something as simple as people laughing in the right place, or a class all going ‘eugh!’ at the same time. That for me is something quite special.

Tell us what kind of responses you get from audiences\ readers.

I’m lucky enough to be able to go into schools to talk to them about writing and part of what I do usually involves a reading so I’m able to see people’s reactions first hand. So far, the reaction has been really positive. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed it continues!

I think one of my favourites was when I found that someone had gone to the trouble of visiting my website to sign my guestbook. That was really nice.

I don’t think it influences my writing though. Not consciously. I just do what I do to the best of my ability.

What's your breakthrough moment been?

I don’t think there’s been one I could single out. I should say someone saying they’d like to publish something I’ve written, but I think I’ll stick with: every time someone, editor or publisher, says ‘yes.’

A longer version of this interview is available to WriteWords Full and Community Members.
Click here to learn more about becoming a member.

Comments by other Members

rogernmorris at 09:05 on 13 October 2006 Report this post

Yes, I'm looking for that place where ideas come from in my office. I desperately need it right now! Great interview, Nik. I particularly agree with the advice about not trying to write with a hangover.

By the way, I'm still waiting for my copy of ‘I Met a Roman Last Night, What Did You Do?’ I thought it would be out by now?!

Rog