Author Interview – Rich Pitman

What is your inspiration?

I read so many books where they are about the hero and they get into a struggle but always seem to win. But what about the villain? Who are they? What happened to them?
So I decided to write Jimmy Threepwood from the viewpoint of the villain. It needed to be dark and full of twists but also a rich, deep storyline. The main ethos of the story is that Jimmy is thrust into the world of darkness, destined to destroy the world, but he is good. He loves his mother and his father so the creatures of darkness have to find a sinister way to change his mind…

What helps you get through writer’s block?

Thankfully I’ve not had writers block yet. I love writing the action and fighting scenes and they flow from my fingers but I find it hard to write certain bits and I leave it a few days, think about, and then come back.
Jimmy Threepwood is a five book series and I have all the books planned out on a storyboard. The drawings are terrible, stick men with lightning swords but I know each section of the book. Then…I go for a run and bring the characters and the action to life as a movie in my mind. I put myself in the action and see how I would react, what I would see and smell and use that to make the characters real.
Then I sit down and write the movie in my head on paper.

Do you listen to music when you write? Have a completely silent space?

I don’t have a specific place. Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness and Jimmy Threepwood and the Elixir of Light were written in my living room. I have the TV on silent so there’s something visual in the background to catch my eye but I can’t have any sound. It drowns out my thoughts.

When did you first start writing? What genre do you prefer?

I haven’t been writing that long, a few years maybe. I have two other stories in the pipeline after the Jimmy Threepwood series is written.
I love writing fantasy and adventure, there is lots of fight scenes, twists, magic, imagination, dragons, and snakes. This is definitely my favourite genre.

If you had to choose another genre to write, what would it be? Why?

I love writing children’s and young adult fantasy/adventure because it’s limitless. The characters can do anything, go anywhere. But, if I had to write in another genre it would have to be horror. Writing about a scary old house, that would be great.

Do you have another job and if so what is it?

I work as a Police Officer within the Gloucestershire Constabulary. I have worked there for just over ten years. That is my full time job, but it gives me time to write on my rest days.

Tell about your first book and how long it took you to write the first draft?

I wanted to write something a little different, something dark filled with creepy characters. I didn’t want it to be the hero struggling, but ultimately winning, I wanted to explore and make the villain the lead character. I wanted to investigate why a villain such as Darth Vader, Lord Voldamort or the Child Catcher were evil? What happened to them?

Jimmy Threepwood is a dark fantasy adventure series of five books starting with Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness. The story is about a young boy destined to one day destroy the world. Due to events revealed later in the book, Jimmy is unloved by his parents and not allowed friends or close connections.

Jimmy is collected from his home and handed to a sinister creation, the Gatekeeper, Lord of life and death. He is taken to a forest where he meets three other children, each pulsating evil and he is given his first powers, thus starting his journey to end the world… But Jimmy is different. There is one clear difference between Jimmy and his companions. Love. Love for his father…But a plan is set in place to sever the affection casting Jimmy on a path of vengeance and anger.

The story is filled with mythical creatures, magic and puzzles as the four children search for powers to unlock the secrets of the world. The essence of the book is ‘…even heroes do bad things…’

Amazingly the first book only took three months to write, then the journey began…it took about a year to edit the manuscript before it was ready to be sent off and considered seriously by publishers.

List all of your titles with a one sentence synopsis of each.

So far there is only one released, although the second book Jimmy Threepwood and the Elixir of Light is out this year in Ocotber.

Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness – Dark fantasy story mixed with magic, dragons, villains, twists and riding on a wave of limitless imagination

Who is your favourite character? Why?

My favourite character is Frank the Frog. This is a yellow mini with a red door which is rusted beyond repair and hops along the road.

This was my wife’s first car and I thought it would be great to use in the storyline. It’s something fun and a little different in a dark fantasy story.

Which character was most difficult to write?

It would have to be the Gatekeeper. He is the keeper between the realms. He was hard to write as things keep dying around him such as plants, people, but come back to life as he walks away. He also had hundreds of vile creatures crawling all over him and falling from his cloak such as cockroaches and worms.

He was difficult as in the first and second book he is just bones covered in a shredded cloak. However, the third book, Jimmy Threepwoood and the Echoes of the Past (currently being written) it explores his past, his history and how he ended up going from a human to this creature.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

I often use real people’s characteristics for my characters. How do they say certain words, what would they do in a situation. I find that keeps it real, brings them to life.

Surprisingly a lot of people ask me to write them in as characters.

Indie pub or trade pub?

The book is published by Ghostly Publishing in the UK as a paperback and ebook. The book is available in all major bookstores, Amazon, Waterstones and WHSmiths.

A link to the reviews can be found here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jimmy-Threepwood-Veil-Darkness-Pitman/dp/095724343X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1360175479&sr=8-2

What is your favourite scene? Why?

It has to be meeting the two stone Gargoyles, Monti and Cornelius. They guard the cave entrance with a puzzle and if the children get it wrong they will be destroyed by a powerful stone bull cemented in place. But do the children get the puzzle wrong?

It’s my favourite because it has a puzzle, two very unusual characters and a massive fight scene which I really enjoyed writing. I had to think long and hard of how the children would win against a giant indestructible stone bull which walked through their mystical attacks. In the end the answer hit me and it’s now written into the chapter.

Just for fun

If you could take the place of one of your characters, which one would you choose and why?

I would say Harrry. You don’t learn about his back story until book 3 but he is aggressive and just dives straight into dangerous situations without a second thought. This causes a few problems within the group and becomes a big issue towards the end.

If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?

My favourite place is Florida. I love Disney and visiting all the theme parks and shops on the strip. I’ve been there a few times, but I’ll be back very soon.
Universal is the best theme park I’ve been to so far. I love the Hulk ride.

Follow Rich Pitman @threepwoodbooks

Don’t forget to vote for Jimmy Threepwood in the People’s Book Prize:

http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/section.php?id=7

Web: http://www.jimmythreepwood.com

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