A Slice of Cake with... Simon Woodward

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with author Simon Woodward.

Though having an interest in writing at secondary school and dabbling a bit whilst he was working in London, it wasn’t until 2004 when Simon Woodward’s interest really took off when he decided to write a book for his daughters as a Christmas present.

From there everything escalated; finishing the book, sending it to a professional editing agency, being told it needed a lot of re-work (the story was cool but the way it was conveyed was crap), taking beginning and advanced creative writing courses through Southend’s Adult education college, re-writing the book, getting an agent, having the book published, becoming involved in Southend Book Fair, starting a writing group with course members, publishing 11 anthologies of short stories and verse with Writers Anonymous writing group, completing 3 screenwriting courses and being given the opportunity to represent the Written Word as part of Southend-on-Sea Arts Council (SOSAC) in 2010. Not much has happened except, handing the reins of the book fair over to SOSAC, resigning as a SOSAC member, and finally resigning from Writers Anonymous in 2015, to leave him time to create more written works and especially focus on his novels. With a rewrite of his first kids’ fantasy fiction completed and sent to a publisher, he is now concentrating on completing his second horror novel steeped in the paranormal, whilst enrolled in James Patterson’s masterclass on creative writing.

What kind of stories do you write?

I write in 2 different genres. One is for young adults, a target audience I call the Harry Potter audience, i.e. 7-77 and beyond. These stories’ protagonists are superheroes, not in the usual connotation of the meaning, but more like how they try to achieve things heroically, but most often fail, but still succeed in their endeavours. Dave, the primary protagonist believes he’s a real superhero, but the nearest he gets is the fact he has bottomless pockets, which is amazing for a feather, and his “side-kick”, Tariq, a most excellent engineer, for a tortoise, but definitely not the chef he believes he is – in fact, both are delusional, to one extent or another.

The other genre is macabre and gore-filled, it always includes overlaps from different dimensions and the impact on those of us in this dimension. Sometimes the characters are aware of the things beyond our normal, sometimes they are not. On the periphery, the police get involved in the situations presented, situations that are far from their comfort zones. Other times there are no police, but most stories involve a puzzle that needs to be solved.

Can you describe your writing why?

I got motivated into writing as something for my daughters after a messy divorce rendered my contact impossible. They loved books and I knew they would not be stopped from receiving Christmas presents, so I decided to write them a book for their Christmas present. That's how I started writing and the process of creating universes from the imagination is the why – it’s amazing to experience.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

I don’t have a book I enjoyed writing the most because I make sure I only write stories I enjoy. I believe the reader can tell when one’s written something “by force”, i.e. have had to write.

One of the most enjoyable paragraphs I’ve ever written is actually the blurb for the 4th book in the young adult Brave Dave series A Space Oddity, it goes;

Using some castoff D.O.N.T matter and securing the help of Clive, a Worm Captain, our heroes unknowingly aid a tap-like alien with his goal to take over the Earth.

Three intrepid travellers use the TarCapoPodyDontDis-o-Sule, something Tariq just happened to knock up, to travel to the alien’s home planet – Ahbloo.

Confusion ensues, food is made. Can Tariq save the day? Or does Dave do “the usual”? Everything is up for grabs; even the possibility of peace.

Tell us about your latest project

It’s a long way from finished but its working title is Parole. The premise of the story is the over-crowding of prisons and a new incoming government that got voted in for its ”tough on crime” message. The country does not have a lot of spare money, so the civil service is charged with finding “innovative” measures to reduce the prison population, and senior staff come up with a novel plan. But not so novel that it hadn’t been tried by the USA in the 1920s and in the 1950s by the UK itself. However, now the technologies used back then, have been improved immeasurably there is one civil servant, charged with implementing the new government’s prison population reduction policy, who’s pushed to looking at the strategy used in the past.

What is your favourite cake?

Mr Kipling’s Bakewell Tarts, although these are like Kryptonite to me, due to my type II diabetes! But not as bad as a pint of good cider.

A fine choice Simon, my favourite when I was pregnant with my little girl lol. You can find out more about Simon and his books on his website - www.srwoodward.co.uk, follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Join me next week when C.H. Clepitt returns!

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round! 

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.