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On Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, author Keith Rylands-Bolton talks about the story of his new book, Trying Times For Sebastian Scattergood, and what inspired him to write it.
Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed author Keith Rylands-Bolton about his life and career, the story of his new book, Trying Times For Sebastian Scattergood, and the inspiration behind his characters.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
I was born in the Lincolnshire Fens and now live in the Lincolnshire Wolds. As a teenager, I represented my county at football and athletics and played in a rock band, Curiosity Morgue, which performed in the Boston area and at colleges and universities. I studied English, Philosophy and Drama at the universities of Middlesex, Lancaster and Bishop Grosseteste, Lincoln.
During my teaching career, I was Head of Special Needs and Professional Tutor at a comprehensive school, later becoming Head of Drama. I retired in 2010. Nowadays, I enjoy walking and cycling in the Lincolnshire Wolds, reading poetry and novels, learning Spanish, supporting Lincoln City F.C. as a season ticket holder and occasionally visiting the hospital for a knee or hip replacement.
I am married to Jane, have two daughters, Alice and Hannah, both in their thirties, and three grand-daughters, Lily Grace, Athena and Willow. Oh, and I also have a cat called Bertie who enjoys sleeping on his back.
When did you first WANT to write a book?
Not until my late 40s. As a child, I hated reading and writing. Instead, I wanted to be outside, ditch-walking through farm land, mud-larking on the river bank or playing football in the local park. I eventually discovered the joys of literature as a 17-year old but didn’t feel a desire to write until I was well into middle age.
When did you first start writing?
I first started writing when I wanted to relive my childhood and adolescence. Having enjoyed my grandad’s story-telling, I wanted to emulate him and recapture episodes from my past in a memoir. I was also aware that the Marshes and Fens of Lincolnshire were not places often visited in literature.
How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?
It took ten years to write ‘Tall Tales from a Flat Land’ which charts my progress from infants’ school to ‘O’ levels. Each tale focuses on episodes which reflect what it was like for a working-class boy to grow up in a rural backwater where record players and cars were luxuries and where feudalism still reigned in the strawberry fields and onion pickling factories to the south of Boston.
A spin-off from this was my unpublished novel, ‘In the Land of the Beehive’, which was shortlisted in 2017 for the ‘Spotlight First Novel’ Competition run by Adventures in Fiction. Some of the material from these works has appeared as blogs on my website.
How long did it take you to complete your latest book from the first idea to release?
It has taken 8 years, one year to write and 7 years to re-write in terms of re-structuring and editing. Up until last January, the text also contained illustrations, 75 quirkily amateur cartoons – roughly 4 to each chapter – but it was decided that these were unnecessary distractions, valuable as marketing tools but surplus to requirements.
Focusing on your latest release, what made you want to write Trying Times For Sebastian Scattergood?
Several reasons. The first was cathartic as a lot of the subject matter is based on actual events which happened to us between the years of 2009 and 2013. We, too, had a building firm go bust on us, interminable leaks in our conservatory as well as having a landscape gardener do a runner. And to make matters even worse, my mum developed dementia during this period. By creating a character and a fictional world, I could distance myself from the painful realities of life and examine it objectively, even, at times, see the funny side of it.
Another reason is that I have always wanted to write a diary which explores the Lincolnshire Wolds on many different cultural levels – landscape, flora, fauna, literature, food and entertainment, having been inspired by writers such as Gilbert White, Dorothy Wordsworth, Edward Thomas and Roger Deakin. By setting the novel in a posh, ‘much sought after’, middle-class village, this also allowed me to poke fun at pretension and eccentricity.
Finally, as my home village of Tealby is closely associated with Alfred Lord Tennyson, it gave me immense pleasure in making him an integral part of the action.
What was your biggest challenge when writing Trying Times For Sebastian Scattergood?
The biggest challenge was the knitting together and development of the five distinct narrative strands: the domestic disasters, parental dementia, a love story, the celebration of a poet’s landscape and an affectionate satire of village life.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Protagonist?
I was inspired by the style of E.M. Delafield’s ‘The Diary of a Provincial Lady’ and the character of Charles Pooter from ‘The Diary of a Nobody’ by George and Weedon Grossmith. Like Charles Pooter, my hero, Sebastian Scattergood, is an eternally optimistic victim. Rather than enjoying a well-earned and productive retirement, Sebastian accumulates disasters. These disasters proliferate until he and his wife are pushed to breaking point. Yet, though we sympathise with his plight, we also laugh at him because of the manner of his reaction. He has no sense of self-irony and takes himself far too seriously.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Antagonist?
The Antagonist in ‘Trying Times’ takes many forms, principally incompetent building firms, closely followed by physical and mental illness, poor weather, District Council planning bureaucracy and, finally, the moral turpitude of the gutter press.
What is the inciting incident of Trying Times For Sebastian Scattergood?
The inciting incident was the discovery of my mum’s dementia which is reflected in Sebastian’s reaction to his own mum’s condition. It is the monster which is ever present and which inspires guilt in the son. Such a discovery takes whatever painful experiences have occurred so far to a completely different level.
What is the main conflict of Trying Times For Sebastian Scattergood?
Sebastian Scattergood versus the World. Late on in his diary, Sebastian sums up his situation: ‘I suppose you could say that I have discovered failure and found that it is like goose grass. It clings still and I cannot shake it off.’ But just when all seems lost – not only his marriage but also his reputation – Sebastian ventures upon an Arthurian quest, inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson, to save and rekindle his marriage and restore his faith in himself and humanity.
Did you plot Trying Times For Sebastian Scattergood in advance or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?
Yes, I did plot my book in advance but only generally. It was like imagining a tapestry – seeing the picture in my mind before I started but having to tackle the intricate embroidery stage by stage to realise its eventual production.
Did you get support with editing and how much editing did Trying Times For Sebastian Scattergood need?
Yes, I received a lot of support, principally from my wife and then my editor. Happily, verbiage was shed.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?
Think about how you might capture the reader’s attention straight away. Then re-read your story the next day and see what you think. After that, learn to accept criticism and learn to edit yourself.
Can you give me a hint about further books you’re planning to write?
At present, I am editing a novel I have written called ‘The Haunting of Colin Cartwright’. It is about a head teacher who has a breakdown during the run up to an Ofsted Inspection. Suffering from extreme stress, he is haunted by Wayne Rooney’s granny whom he believes has been sent to help him. The novel features a very mouthy teenage trouble-maker and a police chase across the country.
And, finally, are you proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?
Yes, I am very proud of my accomplishment and it was well worth the effort.
Social Media:
Facebook: @KeithRybo
Instagram: @keithrybo
Twitter: @KeithRybo
Blogs: https://ramblingrybo.tumblr.com/
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