…and luckily not rare. I was delighted to be on the radio again last week, courtesy of Marlow FM. Mary Flavelle and Geoff Motley were as welcoming as ever on their ‘Good Morning Marlow’ show. I am truly grateful for the fact that they have supported my writing career for some time now, offering me several opportunities to discuss my work with them.
Geoff is also a well-known and supremely talented cartoonist — the picture accompanying this blog was drawn by him. The title of that imaginary book-cover is very appropriate, because being live on the radio is exactly that — a journey to a new dimension. Okay, yes, I’ve been on a few times now, so the nerves are less than the first occasion, but still, it’s the possibility of a faux-pas, live on air, that adds excitement to the occasion.
Many people will not believe this, but actually, I’m not overflowing with confidence. However, I am passionate about my writing, so once we’re rolling on the radio, I believe in what I’m saying and can talk for England! It’s no wonder that, during the latest broadcast, Mary said the time flies when we’re on air — that’s me not knowing when to shut up!
There’s an element of paradox when writers talk live about their work. Creating a novel is a long old road, from the spark of the idea, down meandering paths and dead-ends through to the journey’s end. It’s also an intensely private process in so many ways, and always a work of love. After that, one needs to find a way to market it; to capture the public imagination. That involves somehow managing to summarise in a few words all the peaks and troughs of that journey, providing insight into things over which one sometimes had no control! That distillation process is a challenge; one that Mary and Geoff turn into a lot of fun. I really appreciate that they have followed my progress with such interest.
What’s brilliant about the radio, as a medium, is that it is such a personal interaction. Where better to delve into what I described above as a work of love? Plus, the person talking is not the only one opening up. However, the fact that you are a voice is absolutely key – the listener is taking words on board and allowing you into their imagination; to conjure images for them. When you think about it, it’s very personal — it’s between you and them.
In so many ways, that makes it similar to the reader/writer relationship. How often have you been disappointed with a film version of a favourite book? The film was for everyone; the book was for you. You pictured a character and then you saw a movie version in which, as far as you’re concerned, they got it all wrong. This is one reason why, unless it is absolutely key to the plot — say, it’s important that someone is tall, has red hair, or looks like Gandalf — I don’t go into much detail on a character’s appearance in my novels. I let the reader create that world for themselves.
So, my thanks again to Marlow FM and other radio stations who have given me the opportunity to talk. I guess literally and metaphorically, we write to be heard.
