I’m delighted to welcome Mick Arnold to my blog.
Hello
Mick,
It
was lovely to connect through the Romantic Novelists’ Association. As a
published romance author, I find the RNA a great group to belong to. Its
members are generally extremely supportive and helpful, and as we travel on our
individual writing journeys, someone is often there to offer encouragement and advice
when most needed. But before we discover some more about your latest writing
project…
Here
are a few questions which will hopefully give your readers an insight into some
of the things that matter to you.
Arabella: Authors can release
books, making them available to readers in various ways…via an agent, or working
directly with a traditional publisher, or they can even go the self-publishing
route. Which method of publishing do you prefer, and why?
Mick: I
think everything comes down to personal choice, especially these days. It
really can be a case of whatever either works best for you. So far, I’ve only
had one book published with a traditional publisher, albeit in e-book format,
and that was with a US-based publisher, so everything was done via email and
all the promotion was done via a blog tour I arranged myself, plus my own
promotion. Therefore, I’m probably not the best to be able to give a
preference.
Arabella: A slice of Chocolate
Cake, a piece of Fruit, or Burger and Fries?
Mick: Oh
heck! Can I have all three? Though not at the same time.
Arabella: Who or what inspired you
to write your latest release?
Mick: It’s
not released yet (or with any publisher), but my current WIP is a new departure
for me. I’d been fortunate enough to be asked to read the latest of Elaine
Everest’s Woolies series, ‘Christmas at Woolworths’. I hadn’t read anything
like it and loved the interaction of the characters in the wartime situation
and it was reading this that inspired me to write my own saga novel, the WIP.
Arabella: If the person of your dreams, (husband/wife/partner/or superstar), were to take you out for the night, where would they take you and what would you do?
Mick: Now
this is a good one. Between the two of us, and my good Lady Wife would agree
with me, I’m the romantic one and so tend to often choose the places to go to.
However, she does know me very well, so I expect it would be to a concert,
preferably to see my all-time musical hero, Brian Wilson (of The Beach Boys
fame). I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen him and I love to lose
myself in his music. It makes me forget all my own troubles, plus those of the
world in general.
Arabella: Currently, what is your
most favourite T.V. programme, and why?
Mick: At
the moment, I have three that vie for that dubious honour, and choosing between
them is pretty impossible as the three are pretty different. There’s ‘Good
Witch’ (a single mother in small town USA seems to always find a way of helping
anyone through their problems – fluff, yes, but it helps with me settle); ‘Chilling
Adventures of Sabrina’ (nothing like the older children’s series, more like
‘Buffy’ on steroids); finally, Star Trek: Discovery (I’m a die in the wool
Trekker and love this new series).
Arabella: When writing a book or chapter, which do you concentrate on first: plot, character, or setting?
Mick: They
say that you are either a ‘Panster’ or ‘Planster’. My first couple of books
were generally written as ideas came to me, so there was minimal planning. I
did know how they were going to end, and two or three main characters, but what
was written down, was what occurred to me at that time.
However,
for my WIP, I decided to give real planning a go. I’ve pages devoted to both
characters and plot/settings, as for me, those two latter fit together nicely.
So far, it’s working quite well, though keeping on track is a little hard, as
my mind likes to wander off track.
Arabella: How do you research your
novels and characters?
Mick: Being
very new to the business, I’d say that I’m still finding my way on how I do
this. However, characters are sometimes based on people I know or whom I’ve
come across (as we all do), but mostly they’re an amalgamation of
characteristics I’d like them to have. With research, I use library’s, online
resources etc. My favourite places are museums though. I can especially
recommend authors spending time in The Imperial War Museum of London’s reading
room.
Arabella: What advice would you
give to someone who is starting out on their writing journey?
Mick: Read.
Read and read again, not necessarily in the genre you intend writing in either.
Don’t take rejection to heart. If you get an acceptance with your first
submission, then you may very well be the only one that’s ever happened to.
Rejection is part of the learning process and it will happen. Keep writing, as
you write, you will learn and above all, enjoy the process. Join a writing
group, if there are any local to you. If you want to write Romance/Women’s
Fiction and then do your best to join and get yourself on the New Writer’s
Scheme, you’ll never regret it.
Thank
you very much for having me Arabella, it’s been a lot of fun!
Mick, Thank you for joining me on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat. I hope the new genre works out for you. I’ve learnt from this interview that you’ve lots of interests that range from the ancient, historical Woolworth’s era to the futuristic, infinity and beyond.
Best wishes with your Work-In-Progress (WIP) writing and don’t forget to “boldly go where no man has gone before.’
Arabella Sheen
About Mick Arnold
Mick is a hopeless romantic who was born in England,
and spent fifteen years roaming around the world in the pay of HM Queen
Elisabeth II in the Royal Air Force, before putting down roots, and realising
how much he missed the travel. This, he’s replaced with his writing, including
reviewing books and writing a regular post at the www.NovelKicks.co.uk
blog site.
He’s the proud keeper of a cat bent on world domination,
is mad on the music of the Beach Boys and enjoys the theatre and humouring his
Manchester United supporting wife. Finally, and most importantly, Mick’s a Full
member of the Romantic Novelists Association with this, the publication of his
debut novel The Season for Love.
Author/Social
Media links –
Twitter:
@Mick859
http://www.novelkicks.co.uk/category/mick-arnold/
The Season for Love
Blurb:
Believing
she was responsible for the death of her husband, Chrissie Stewart retreats
from all those who love her. A chance meeting with mysterious stranger,
single-parent Josh Morgan and his bewitching young daughter Lizzy, breathe new
life into her and gradually, she feels able to start to let go of the memory of
her lost love. Unexpected links are revealed between the two families that
strengthen the growing bonds she feels to this man and with the encouragement
of her best friend Annie, herself hiding a hidden conflict from Chrissie, she
battles with her demons to believe in her ability to trust and love again.
Everything comes to a head on Christmas Day; which all goes to show that this
is truly The Season for Love.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Season-Love-M-W-Arnold-ebook/dp/B078486B25/
