Author Interview – Guy Robin – On The Beat

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Guy Robin discusses his memoir, On The Beat, in which he shares a captivating collection of stories and anecdotes from his career in the police during the 1980s and 90s.

 

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

I interviewed Guy Robin about his life and career, why he was inspired to write his memoir, On The Beat, and his creative writing process.

Tell me a bit about who you are.

My name is Guy, I am 59 years old and after thirty years of service I retired from The Metropolitan Police in 2016. I am married to Paula and we now live in a small village in France, after spending most of our time together in Sussex. We don’t have any children but are blessed with amazing nephews, a niece and an absolutely adorable 20-month-old great niece, Millie.

When did you first WANT to write a book?

I have always been fascinated by writing, literature and penmanship in general. At school we would have reading lists, and these books would take me to another world where I could lose myself. I am indebted to my English teacher and Housemaster, Jon Wright for creating these lists and introducing me to the likes of Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island as an 11-year-old, and books by Thomas Hardy when I was a bit older. I probably first vocalized wanting to write a book when I was at work with my Inspector, Simon. I told him the premise of the plot and he thought it was interesting. Later, when he heard I had published my first book, he asked me if it was the book we discussed. Alas it wasn’t but that is still up my sleeve for a later date,

When did you take a step to start writing?

During COVID, like so many others, I was looking for something to fill the lockdown days. Paula was working quite hard as she worked for a company that manufactured laboratory equipment which was desperately needed to combat COVID. I was seeking a distraction, something to occupy me, something to energize and excite me. The first step to writing was hard but gradually, as I found a routine that suited me, I was able to build a story and create characters that felt real and a scenario I thought readers would enjoy and relate to.

This was the true start of my writing journey which culminated in the publication of my first novel, Dysfunction, in 2022. A fast-paced adventure story set in Scotland.

Whilst going through the publication process for Dysfunction, I was able to start on book number two, Indomitable which was released earlier this year and is a thrilling historical fiction, based on the life of my German grandfather and his journey through the first half of the 20th century.

How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?

Writing Dysfunction began in the spring of 2020. By the time I had gone through all the processes of publication, we didn’t release it until March 2022.

How long did it take you to complete your latest book from the first idea to release?

The idea of ‘On The Beat’ came about by chance. I was writing a poem to celebrate Paula’s birthday in 2023 and found myself sitting at the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush, London. Whilst having a coffee, I pulled out my notebook and scribbled a short poem about working as a police officer. The germ of an idea came to me and I began to write a selection of poems based on my early police career. The poems are followed by explanations and anecdotes to give the reader a detailed idea of how policing was, for me, in the 1980s.

Focusing on your latest release. What made you want to write On The Beat?

Following on from the creation of the poems. Once I had twenty I thought it might be interesting to use each topic from them to create a chapter of stories and anecdotes, based loosely on the subject of each poem. It felt like putting some flesh on the bones of each of the poems. I loved my time as a beat duty officer at Battersea and still have some amazing friends from there, some 30 years later. These are my experiences and memories and hopefully shows them how much I value that time.

What were your biggest challenges with writing On The Beat?

Remembering the stories! The events all took place from the mid 1980’s to 1990’s, so quite a while ago. It was also important to represent places, people and circumstances as fairly as possible. As the first factual book I have written it was also important to ensure that I changed names, dates, timelines and certain circumstances, where I felt it was necessary.

Did you plot On The Beat in advance, or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?

I created the poems first. Initially I thought it might just be the poems on their own. Then I began to think back to the events contained within each poem and it felt natural to write a chapter about each. As I was writing a story, another anecdote came back to me, that fitted nicely into the narrative. It flowed really easily as I moved from poem to poem. There were one or two extra stories that had to be slotted in, but I seemed to be able to find spaces for them.

Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did On The Beat need?

Proof reading is not the most exciting task. Paula is my greatest supporter and number one proof reader. Between us I think we proofread ‘On The Beat’ about five to ten times. We changed some of the order, removed a couple of things. We changed some of the language to help the story flow. It takes time, but it is incredibly important.

What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?

Have a notebook and a decent pen! I never go anywhere without either. Don’t get hung up on structure and spelling, you can come back to that. If you have an idea, jot it down. One of my earliest exercises was to pen 1000 words about my journey to work. For me, this got me used to just writing, to construct a mini story about a mundane journey to work. Seek opinions, but not necessarily from family and friends. Try and find someone independent to critique your work, close family and friends are not always the best judges of what you have written.

Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?

On a long weekend break in some sunnier place, I was sat by the pool, having a refreshing drink. I was jotting down ideas for a new story. ‘On The Beat’ was written, so I wanted to have a new project to get stuck into. I had about seven headings, with a couple of lines about each one. I passed the notebook to Paula and asked which one she thought might work. She immediately picked out number four. It is a tense and thrilling horror story set in Southern France. I am about a quarter of the way into it and I am loving it! I have set myself up as a multi genre author, so look out for this fresh new novel in 2025.

And, finally, are you proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?

‘On The Beat’ is my third book to be published. I am extremely proud of my achievements and all three books I have published. I relish my independence. I understand my place in the industry and have no worries going forward. The initial feelings of imposter syndrome have dissipated slightly. I am proud to be a published author and I will continue to fly the flag for the independent writer. There is a lot of great work out there to read, don’t necessarily be focused solely on the best seller lists and celebrity mulch.

Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:

Kindle: https://amzn.to/42HY9XH

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3CRTAzl

I can be found at; Facebook: Guy Robin Author
Instagram: guyrobin_author
Threads: guyrobin_author
LinkedIn: Guy Robin (Multi-genre author)
Tik Tok: @guyrobin_author

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