Interview with Australian Author – Travis James
“Australian Authors” – Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?
Travis – For someone who nearly failed English in school and can honestly say that I had never read a book from cover to cover until I was about twenty years old, writing a novel was the last thing on my mind. I never sent cards at Christmas or birthdays, always preferring to phone my messages because I could never get my words out on paper.
“Australian Authors” – What made you want to become a writer?
Travis – In my late twenties, as I lay in a hot bath daydreaming one evening, for some unknown reason, I just had to write my thoughts down. At the time, I was working as a carpenter six days a week, ten hours a day. Despite my physical exhaustion, I hand-wrote about four pages every night for several weeks. After about one hundred and twenty pages, I realised I had the makings of a novel, so I bought a second-hand laptop and have been tapping away ever since. Thirty-odd years later, I have completed eight novels.
“Australian Authors” – What gives you inspiration for your book(s)?
Travis – ESCAPE To Patonga
I was working as a real estate photographer, living in Umina Beach. One day an agent rowed me across Patonga creek to photograph the shack. Yes, Patonga is a real place, and it is exactly as I described it, including the shack. I stood on the deck looking out over the water and had the thought, “Wouldn’t this be a great place to escape to”. I turned and took the photos I needed and never gave it another thought until a few years later when I sat down to think of a story for a new novel. I added a second thought, “And wouldn’t that cause a lot of intrigue amongst the villagers across the creek if a lone male stayed here during the off season.” Bang! There was my story. I could see it all in an instant.
“Australian Authors” – Now, the big question, are you working on another book?
Travis – I’m editing my 8th book which I first drafted in October last year. It will be the second to be published, hopefully later this year. After a ten-year break from writing, I started with a scratchy plot and then…BOOM! Six weeks and 60,000 words later I reached the end. It literally fell out of me. I’m currently up to the fourth edit and it has grown to a tidy 82,000 words. ESCAPE To Patonga in about 100,000 words. I’ll need to go through it a few more times before sending of to the editors. But it’s getting close now.
As always…Stay tuned.
“Australian Authors” – What genres do you prefer to write in?
Travis – Literary Fiction
“Australian Authors” – What do you think about the ebook revolution?
Travis – Loving my Kindle Paperwhite
“Australian Authors” – Do you start a book with a definite plot, or do you just write?
Travis – The first six morphed into existence – some I started with an idea, others I had an ending idea. ESCAPE To Patonga with the first that I wrote out the entire plot first, character profiles and chapter list. I pretty much followed the plot with only a few minor deviations. After dozens of edits, rewrites, and timeline straightening, it was still basically the same story. I did the same with my latest book and it flowed out of me so much easier and will definitely follow that technique from now on. That’s not to say that my earlier works are no good. I intend to revisit them and lift them to a publishable standard over the coming years. Stay tuned…
“Australian Authors” – Pen or type writer or computer?
Travis – Lenovo laptop
“Australian Authors” – Do your characters seem to hijack the story, or are you always in control?
Travis – Oh the character write the story, no question. Just try and stop them. Thankfully they know their place in the story and don’t deviate too much.
“Australian Authors” – Are your characters based on real people or completely imagined?
Travis – Every character has a little of me in them, male and female. But mostly I do think of movie stars rather than friends or family to base them on.
“Australian Authors” – Have you thought about joining with another author to write a book?
Travis – Um…no?
“Australian Authors” – Who are your favourite authors?
Travis – Wide and varied. Usually the one I’m currently reading.
“Australian Authors” – What’s your advice to Authors? On writing? Publishing? Marketing?
Travis – Don’t pay for a ‘Publisher’. They will take your money to publish a book that they will think will make them look good. Self-publish – it’s not rocket science.
