Interview with Bob Denton
Published 2014-04-09.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes I wrote a story about robotics called 'Birth of a Notion'. I was trying to use some things that happened to me in the PC market and avoid any legal action by shifting it to robotics. It wasn't a very good approach.
What is your writing process?
It changes all the time. I tend to start with a broad shape of the story line, the main characters and the settings. But in working through them they take on a life of their own pretty quickly and I sit back and enjoy where it takes me. Then of course it is edit, edit, edit.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Too many to recall - the first that seemed to take over my life was James Clavell's Shogun - 1200 pages in paperback and I wasn't sure how I would carry on when it ended - it was visceral!
How do you approach cover design?
I guess we all knw so many covers that attracted us and you try to emulate them. The subject matter then defines the actual content,
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Shogun by James Clavell
A Children's Tale by James Clavell
Any of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series
Most of Ben Elton's books
All of Isaac Asimovs
What do you read for pleasure?
Thrillers, Crime - that is escapism. But I also like those that describve their locations too.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
A Kindle Paperwhite
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
Just starting out with these - am developing a blog on BobDenton.co.uk and will feed these out to social networks
Describe your desk
A cruved L-shape pine desk dominated by my largescreen PC and printer - a scruffy in-box and lots of post-its and scribbled notes.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
Bristol in England - met my future wife at the beginning of the 60s - an we experienced all those changes together.
When did you first start writing?
As I was in marketing I was writing fiction for most of my business life - I tried on various occasions to write articles and books but started seriously five years ago with Still Water, have completed Gene Genie with the same characters - then spent three years developing the book, 'The PC Pioneers', and its sister websites. I have just completed the manuscript for my third thriller now on 'final edit'. Have not published but have also produced manuscripts for two illustrated non-fiction books, a play and a musical play.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.
