Name : John Baker (Wiki)Age : Yeah, definitely
Location : York, UK
Vocation : I'm a writer. I write novels. I blog.
Philosophy : Keep on truckin'
Sum up what your blog is about.
Writing, how to do it better. Politics. Trying to find the funny side of life. Screaming about things that hurt.
Why are you doing your blog?
I need to get the inside of my head out there. It would be selfish to keep all this good stuff to myself.
What's the funniest entry on your site?
A visit I made to the swimming baths; http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/math-and-mass/
What is your writing style?
I was influenced by the modernists, Hemingway, Fitzgerald; and expressionism has been important. I suppose I don't over-write, so the style should be spare; leaving as much as possible for the reader to fill in the blanks.
What do people commonly say about your site?
"Hey, I like your site." or "Jeez, I'm not coming back here again."
What would you be doing if you weren't doing your blog?
Writing a novel.
Why should someone visit your site?
Because it won't always be there. They could miss out completely.
What did you learn from your first love?
That I'd been missing a lot.
Are there any blogs, you enjoy reading?
Grumpy Old Bookman. Also Dick Jones' Patteran Pages.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
Surviving youth.
If you could invite anyone to a dinner party who would it be and why?
I'm not into celebrity. Maybe some historical or literary figure. Yeah, could try Jane Austen. Cook a goose for her. Would be a weird evening. Really different. And it would be a great story for when someone invited me out for dinner.
Tell us about the process you go through, writing a novel.
I get dissatisfied. Dream a lot. Start taking notes. Get hung on things, concepts. Start actively seeking out metaphors. Write reams and dispose of it. Finally make a commitment and then go back on it 20 times. Try to seek out a point of view, first person, second person, third person. Stop doing other things, cut life down to something spartan like eating, sleeping, writing and not allow anything else in. Discover that I'm getting on for half way there.
Tell us about a good deed you have done recently.
I chased a big pigeon away so a crippled blackbird could get at some crumbs.
Tell us a random funny story that comes to mind.
When people say random to me I freak out.
What advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago?
Slow down, you'll still be around five years from now.
Any interesting travel stories?
I met a guy who was going round the world. All he could talk about was getting from one place to another.
What's the most incredible thing that ever happened to you?
A woman said she loved me and I hadn't done anything to deserve it.
Now it's your turn! Ask me one question, anything you like.
What's that thing at the back of your fridge?
Joe Blogs : When people ask my age, I say I have the body of an 18 year old. In the back of my fridge.
Your Site Address : John Baker's Blog
