Ask the Author: Mark Sohn
Answered Questions (9)
Mark Sohn
Raymond Chandler. I've dusted the Philip Marlowe shelf off and started with the first one I ever read; The Long Goodbye. In addition, I've been reading Tony Blackman's book about his life as a Test Pilot and Mikey Walsh's 'Gypsy Boy', plus The Little Drummer Boy by Le Carre and a few others...
Mark Sohn
Where I was born. And that is all I shall say.
Mark Sohn
Well, it has to be Holmes and Watson, because of their enduring friendship. However, I could equally add the Blues Brothers-cool, funny, talented, or Sam Spade and Effie Perine, Artoo and Threepio or Batman and robin-all these have a rapport together and a friendship that binds them through adversity.
Mark Sohn
Easy; walk away. Go and do some housework, mow the cat, stroke the lawn, whatever. The fatal thing is trying to force creativity; it will come in it's own sweet time.
Mark Sohn
Seeing my name in print and thinking 'If Mum is looking down, she can see I've done it.'
Mark Sohn
Never take advice from a writer!. Ok, if you must... Don't wait until you are forty-nine. Do it. don't pack up the day job, that's just suicide-use your spare time and don't worry about it 'not being good enough'. By all means edit; go back over what yoove ritten and dig out all the spelling errors (!) - I was shocked to see how many mishtakes I make. When it's done, leave it a few weeks then sit and read it; if it's good enough that's fine. Don't get friends and relatives to read it unless they are helping with grammar-they'll be nice to you rather than honest. Finally, go to a decent bookshop, look at books in the same genre and note the publishers; then approach these with an enquiry, but be ready for rejection!. Good luck to everyone who is thinking of this, it is a big chunk of your life and not every writer makes money from it!.
Mark Sohn
An anthology of Holmes-themes stories. I decided to veer off at a tangent here and make Holmes the theme, rather than the protagonist. I'm almost through the first, a story about a theatrical troupe playing small towns in Wartime England. They become embroiled in a Nazi spy ring and actors must become heroes. The other stories are nebulous, misty forms in my head at the moment...
Mark Sohn
I can't say exactly; it's always been there, a kind of impulse or urge to create. If I try to ignore it it becomes almost physically painful, it overwhelms and consumes me and I have to release this, this energy somehow. Ideas come to me in dreams, daydreams, while reading other books or watching tv. They spark in my brain and I reach for the notebook.
Mark Sohn
I've loved Sherlock Holmes stories since I saw Basil Rathbone in those atmospheric old films on tv as a kid. Reading the stories was-and remains-a delight and as I am fascinated with the 'Ripper' murders decided to see if the World's first Consulting Detective could solve the crimes.
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