The Special and the Ordinary
1. What really inspired you to write your book, to force
you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book?
Most of us encounter friends or colleagues, or have other
members of the family, who are distinctly more talented or ambitious or
charismatic than ourselves. What should we do about these ‘special’ people?
I
wanted to discuss how ‘special’ people can get away with behavior that is
unacceptable from ordinary people; and to present ordinary people finding
satisfaction in their lives.
2. What is it about and whom do you believe is your
targeted reader?
This coming-of-age tale follows childhood friends, John and
Martin, from their youth to adulthood as they grow up in the industrial city of
Porterfield, Britain, during the post World War II eras of the 1950s and
1960…John’s “ordinary” persona is shy, intelligent, musically disposed, and
exudes a serious approach to establishing himself as a musician…But, on the
other end of the spectrum is Martin, whose “special” persona is charismatic,
intelligent, precocious and exudes a lax approach to his path in life… While
John works diligently to become rooted in the world as a classical musician,
Martin easily flits, from being an evangelist to a faith healer to the legal
field… The targeted reader is anybody who likes a thought-provoking novel with
plenty of humorous incidents. Anyone who is musical (though this is by no means
necessary to appreciate the story) will find plenty of interest.
3. What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts
for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after
putting it down?
First the ‘special‘ side: I hope
readers will be more skeptical of the importance of apparently special people,
living or dead; more inclined to question why they are supposed to be so
special. The full story is often much more complicated than is presented. For
example, evolution is too much associated with Darwin, because scientists are
often careless about the history of their subject. But many writers anticipated
Darwin in evolutionary theory, despite the term ‘Darwinism’. Then the
‘ordinary’ side: you don’t have to be famous to find satisfaction in your life.
4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow
writers?
I
benefitted greatly from professional editorial advice, particularly from
developmental editors who take the whole narrative into account. For both The Special and the Ordinary and my
earlier Odd Socks I paid for editing
at the Jacqui Bennett Writers Bureau and then bought packages from iUniverse that included
developmental editing. Valuable advice was ‘Show, don’t tell’ – which often
means using dialogue to reveal personality and to narrate; and ‘Don’t change
viewpoint in the middle of a scene’ – which editors regard as very amateurish.
I followed the editorial recommendations with minimal argument because I had
learned the hard way from my scientific publishing that it is best to comply
with reviewers’ and editors’ recommendations.
5. What trends in the book world do you see and where do
you think the book publishing industry is heading?
The market for novels is
super-saturated. A traditional publisher wants to have some selling line
related to the peculiarities of the author. Otherwise the author can resort to
self-publishing. He can take comfort from the fact that traditional publishers
often miss good and best-selling novels. For example, Faber and Faber passed on
a political novel to their publishers’ reader, T.S. Eliot, who turned it down
on the grounds of literary weakness. He also commented that he was aware that
he was probably at the same time rejecting the opportunity to publish the
author’s next novel. Titles? Animal Farm
and 1984, by George Orwell;
best-selling novels on lists of 100 greatest books of all time.
6. What great challenges did you have in writing your book?
I can usually think of plenty of
material to write about, and can construct dialogue, but I have problems in
organizing the narrative. I’m inclined to write a scene and then ask how did
the characters get into all this, and then go back in time to explain. Editors
don’t like this and want a more chronological narrative. They complain that I
hop through time.
7. If people can only buy one book this month, why should
it be yours?
The Special and the Ordinary is topical, because President Trump is a splendid example
of a ‘special’ person like my character Martin Holford who is forgiven for
behavior that would normally be unacceptable. In contrast, the internet, which
is always topical, is an example of a movement where many ordinary people like
my Johan Haworth, unknown to the general public, have come up with lots of good
ideas that have collectively transformed daily life.
About the Author: David Clapham grew up in Sheffield,
England, and received a bachelor’s degree in Botany from the University of
Oxford. After working for five years at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station at
Aberystwyth, Wales, he moved to Uppsala in 1973 where he still lives today. He
is an emeritus researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
and a consultant for a forest company.
David and his Swedish wife Lena have two children. The Special and the Ordinary is his second novel, after his earlier
Odd Socks. For more info, please
consult: www.davidhclapham.com
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