Wednesday 27 February 2013

Blog Hop: My Next Book – Another Journal of Ted Terrier by Ted Terrier (Dog) and Emma Knight (Human)


Many thanks to Michelle Goode for tagging me in this Blog Hop, which consists of ten questions about my current project/s and then tagging other authors/writers. Here goes!
1. What is the working title of your next book?
Ted: It will probably be Another Journal of Ted Terrier as The Journal of Ted Terrier was my first book and that is already published on Kindle and will be out very soon as a normal paper book too. And if a lot of people (or anyone else who isn’t human) like it and want more then I will do another one. In fact the first one isn’t all my writings that I’ve already done – it is only some of them, which I chose with my human sister, Emma – whom I rely on for mind-reading, so that she collects my thoughts, and then writing or typing to put them down – and then a friend of ours – Sue Mynall - did the drawings for those bits of writing we had selected. And also while I am about it Gejo Canovas did the cover for us too and is a very good friend, whose best friend I fancy!
2. Where did the idea come from for your book?
Ted: It came from me! It’s all my ideas and about my life and what I think and feel about the things that the humans in my life do.
Emma says I have to let her say something about it too. You might find we argue during this Q&A, but don’t worry that’s normal for a brother and sister – even though different species – and also for those who collaborate and it’s called creative tension – when it’s about creating something, which is what we have done.
Emma: Hi Everyone, Emma Knight is my pen-name; appropriate as I am the one holding the pen because Ted cannot. (Though Ted is also not his real name: We’re a pair of pseudonyms ;))
In real life I, Emma, - though as Ted is keen to remind you I’m not really called Emma - am a writer of screenplays and a psychotherapist. When the idea for this came – and to be fair it wasn’t really even an idea, it just simply popped out! – I was suffering a severe case of writer’s block, and feeling quite miserable about it. Writing makes me feel good! I was sitting on the sofa next to our Jack Russell Terrier and, fortunately, with a little journal in my hand and a pen. I spontaneously started writing from his point of view. And out poured a great deal of ideas, thoughts, concepts, observations in and around the life of a dog; how they may see the world, and adventures that go on around them. Of course, real Ted’s own character had a massive influence on how it all came out.
Ted: So, just as I said, it came from me!
Emma: Yes it all came from you, Ted J
3. What genre does the book fall under?
Ted: It doesn’t fall under any genre – nothing fell on top of it – and anyway I don’t know what a genre is but it sounds a bit like it might be painful?! ;)
Emma: No, Ted, it’s not painful – it just means what sort of a book is it. What is a bit painful though is trying to fit it into a genre. It’s a bit like instalments in a diary – as in The Diary of Adrian Mole – though the order is a bit random because Ted can’t focus on one thing for too long, and I am appalling with dates. So it’s disorganized but linked because the people in it are all Ted’s humans. Some readers have likened it to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, though we hasten to add that no dogs get murdered in this book. It was also not planned with any particular readers in mind, though it seems to appeal to older children and adults.
4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movies rendition?
Ted: If you read my book then you’ll find out ;)
5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
Ted: I find it impossible to write just a single sentence, and if I did, it would be very long cos my sentences always are, and in fact they should be several sentences really.
Emma: Anecdotes in the Life of a Jack Russell Terrier.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Ted: It’s been self-published cos no publisher will accept the way I write. They say you have to send the first three chapters and have to have a plan for a story, but as we said above, I don’t write in a straight-line order and I don’t think in chapters or for long enough to plan a story, and also my sentences are too long - so I’ve just got the human I love best to publish it for me! You can find it on the amazon dot websites on the internet J
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Ted: I don’t know. It just took however long it took and is still taking.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Ted: It’s just a book of all its own type and can’t be compared to anything, and also cos it doesn’t have a story, or at least it has lots of stories, but we already answered this in the wrong question, or this is the wrong answer to this question and the answer to it is above!
9. Who or what inspired you write this book?
Ted: Me! Me and Emma together. Me and my other humans. Watching how they behave and how different we are and yet the same and how we relate to each other. And cos dogs and humans are best friends.
10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
Ted: My theory that human beings are too intelligent for their own, and others, goods – even though I love them more than any other species including my own - and so they have muddled thinking and that’s why it’s interesting to study them. But they are brilliant too! Please read and let me know if you agree with me…

Tagging for the next blog hop:

Ray Noble is a scientist, musician, singer, writer and song-writer, who also writes a blog on ethics.
Esame Okwoche is a mother and prolific insightful writer. You can find some of her work at her blog Esame's Rants.
Mike Howarth-Baker is the author of What If? He writes poems and quotes based upon his life experiences and thoughts and feelings on everyday life. His facebook page.


Bit of a late entry and extra addition just in case ;):

Murna Safford-Kuaea is a ‘moderately conservative writer, poet, inventor of really cool stuff, novelist and closet idealist.’ She has seven titles available on amazon and can tell you what she is working on in her blog hop J Her facebook: NovelIdealist SK and Twitter: Novelidealistmsk.

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