Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Jack
Scott and I was born on a British army base in Canterbury, England in 1960 and
spent part of my childhood in Malaysia as a ‘forces brat.' At the age of
eighteen and determined to dodge further education, I became a shop boy on
Chelsea’s trendy King’s Road. Days on the tills and nights on the tiles were
the best probation for a young gay man about town. Two carefree years later, I
swapped sales for security and got a proper job with a pension attached. By my
late forties, passionately dissatisfied with suburban life and middle
management, my partner, Liam, and I abandoned the sanctuary of liberal London
for an uncertain future in Turkey.
In 2010, I started
an irreverent narrative about our new life in a foreign field. Quite by chance,
Perking the Pansies became one of the most successful English-language blogs in
Turkey. Within a year, I’d been featured in the Turkish national press,
published numerous essays and articles in expat and travel magazines and
contributed to the Huffington Post Union of Bloggers. You could have knocked me
over with a feather boa, I was that surprised. It was then that I began to
think there might be a book in me. Remarkably, there was. ‘Perking the Pansies,
Jack and Liam move to Turkey’ hit the streets at Christmas 2011. The book
became a critically acclaimed, award winning best seller and its success has
opened up a whole new career for me as an author. Eventually, Liam and I
decided to end our Anatolian affair and paddle back to Britain on the evening
tide. We now live in Norwich, a charming cathedral city in eastern England.
What do you do when you are not writing?
We live in a city
with a vibrant arts and entertainment scene and more bars and restaurants than
you can shake a stick at. We take full advantage of the delights on our
doorstep. Added to the mix are weekend trips to London to catch up with family
and friends and a regular gig at a local radio station.
Do you have a day job as well?
All my daily
activities have writing at their heart. I’m lucky enough to be able to indulge
my passion, though Liam has gone back to work part time to help keep the wolves
from the door. I know this writing malarkey is unlikely to make me rich but it
does make me happy.
When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first
book?
When Liam and I
first flogged off the family silver, jumped the good ship Blighty and waded
ashore to Turkey, we planned to put our feet up and watch the pansies grow.
Twelve months into the dream, we began to feel, well, a little bored. It was a
benign type of boredom — not the terminal kind that leads to low self-esteem,
heavy drinking, chocolate binges and serial infidelity. But it was boredom
nevertheless. That’s why I started the blog and from the blog came the book.
The book itself took nine months to finish but I wasn’t writing full time. We
had a life to live.
How did you choose the genre you write in?
Expat memoirs can
be popular - Peter Mayle’s ‘A Year in Provence’ and Chris Stewart’s ‘Driving
Over Lemons’ are commercially successful examples of the genre. Most expat books
talk about the majesty and grandeur of the landscape or building a dream home
out of a hovel in the rolling hills. I wanted to write something different –
something about the reality of expat life in a Muslim land from a unique
perspective as a gay man. It’s something no one has done before, and why would
they? There weren’t many of us there.
Where do you get your ideas?
Fact is stranger
than fiction as they say. It provides constant inspiration.
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
The beauty of drawing
from real life is that writer’s block is rare. Writing it well, now that’s a
different story entirely.
Do you work with an outline, or just write?
With a memoir, the
story has already happened. My writing technique is to story-board the tale,
like they do in the movies. This gives me a clearer idea of plot and pace and
enables me to write it like fiction.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any
way either growing up or as an adult?
Armistead Maupin
wrote the manual on page-turning. His ‘Tales of the City’ series is a brilliant
example of great characterization, attention-grabbing plots, sparkling
narrative, edge of seat pace and witty, believable dialogue. This is what I
aspire to achieve.
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book
published?
Believe it or not,
I found my publisher, Jo Parfitt, on Twitter which just goes to show the power
and reach of social networking these days. Jo is the force of nature behind
Summertime Publishing and really knows her stuff. She’s an accomplished and
successful author, writing mentor, journalist and publisher with 30 books and
hundreds of articles under her belt. Jo specializes in writers who have
something different to say about living abroad. I sent Jo a sample of my work
and she thought I had an original idea with a different angle. She offered a contract
after seeing the first five chapters. When I got the email I did cartwheels
around the room (not literally you understand, these old bones of mine wouldn’t
quite take the strain). More than one cork was popped that night.
If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of
your novel or getting it published that you would change?
I’d love to attract
the attention of the big boys and I fantasise that one day a fat advance cheque
will land on the mat. As I’m neither a celebrity nor a TV cook, I’m not holding
my breath. I was fortunate to get picked up quickly by a small niche publisher
and I’m very grateful.
How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work
best for your genre?
These days writers
have to do much more of their own PR. Gone are the days when a writer writes
and someone else does the donkey work. Fortunately, the blog provided a
ready-made audience for the book so it hit the ground running. Since the launch
I’ve promoted the book with guest posts, articles, interviews (like this one),
blog tours, competitions and giveaways. I was fortunate to be invited to
present the book at the Polari Literary Salon at London’s Royal Festival Hall
and reach the top ten for the Polari First Book Prize. As a direct result, the
title was stocked in several leading stores, including Foyles of London,
arguably, one of most famous bookstores in the world. I’ve also banged the
social media drum to get my message out. These days, effective use of social
networking, particularly the big hitters like Facebook and Twitter, is vital
for getting any product out there. It doesn’t matter how good a book is; if no
one knows about it, no one will buy it. All you’ll end up with is a box of
books gathering dust and cluttering up the garage. All this hard work has paid
off. Sales have remained strong and the book has been number one (in its category)
on Amazon UK several times over.
Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get
published?
Not so far. Recently,
I dipped my toes into the world of self-publishing by releasing the best of the blog from the
Turkey years as a two volume e-book (‘Turkey, the Raw Guide’ and ‘Turkey,
Surviving the Expats’). The uncensored
director's cut includes previously unpublished material together with homespun
advice about living the dream. I chose the DIY route because I wanted to learn
about the whole self-publishing process. The experience was educational.
Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
I’m currently
half-way through the sequel to Perking the Pansies to tie up the fraying loose
ends and bring our misadventure to its crashing conclusion. It’s a corker! The
current working title is ‘The Sisterhood,’ so take a wild guess on the theme. As with the first instalment, it will be released
by Summertime Publishing.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely
all imagination?
It’s all real life.
While Perking the Pansies is written like fiction, it is a memoir (though some
names and details have been changed to protect the guilty and keep me out of
court).
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
The penultimate
chapter is called ‘Home Alone.’ Liam had flown back to London to deal with a
family emergency and I stayed behind to keep the home fires burning. It’s
virtually a one-scene chapter that enable me to reflect hard on our time in our
adopted home - the flaws and virtues, challenges and pleasures – and how we’d found
diamonds in the rough and roses among the weeds.
How did you come up with the title?
The title was
lifted from the blog. It seemed the natural thing to do. Originally, the blog
title came to me in the night. ‘Perking’ because our new life provided renewal
and ‘Pansies’ because it’s a derogatory term for gay men. I used the word
ironically.
What project are you working on now?
In addition to
writing the sequel, I’m about to launch a new venture to offer authors
affordable tailored packages to develop their web presence and get their work
noticed – website, blog and social media, all wrapped up in a bow. I’ve called
it author2author because I’ve been there and done that.
Will you have a new book coming out soon?
I’m hoping to get ‘The
Sisterhood, the Further Adventures of Jack and Liam’ out by the autumn. I have
everything crossed.
Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is
there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I love ‘Nancy,’ one
the central characters in both the first book and the sequel currently under
construction. This was my opening description of her:
Nancy was a lippy social worker, a shapely sassy lass dressed to
impress with enormous breasts and a cavernous cleavage. A genuine Eastender of
Cypriot extraction, Nancy spoke both English and Turkish with a Cockney drawl.
I liked her instantly. She had abandoned a long loveless marriage for romance
and orgasms and soon laid bare her tempestuous dalliance with a local skipper.
Wedded Irfan had assembled a foreign flotilla of autumnal ladies vying for his
favours. Nancy was the undisputed chief concubine, his Nell Gwyn to her improbable
Charles the Second. Apparently, the old sea dog skillfully managed to keep all
his romantic plates spinning without too many breakages. When double booked,
the ensuing choppy waters only served to nurse his considerable ego.
“So what’s he like, this paramour of yours?”
“A giant of a man, in every department if you get my
drift.”
Nancy provides
endless opportunities for both visual and narrative comedy. This appeals to my
tongue-in-cheek tastes and helps lighten the mood during some of the darker moments
of my tale.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What
has been the best compliment?
Book reviewing is a
strange business. Amateur reviewers, often anonymous and sometimes with an axe
to grind or with lofty literary pretensions, can damn with faint praise or go
nuclear with their toxic pen. Naturally, no book appeals to everyone. Bad
reviews are an occupational hazard. Even the top of the heap get mixed
critiques. The best anyone can do is rise above the din, turn the other cheek
and keep their own counsel. It doesn’t do to spit back even when sorely
provoked. I’ve got off lightly. On the whole, reviews for ‘Perking the Pansies’
have been excellent and I’ve got a couple of awards under my belt. The toughest
criticism I received was from someone who’d never been to Turkey and accused me
of being culturally insensitive. The greatest complement came from an eminent journalist
and author based in Turkey who reviewed the book in the Turkish National Press
and thought I was spot on. I know which one I most value.
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
I’m still a novice
writer. For most of my meandering expedition, I had absolutely no idea what I was
doing. A blend of trial and error, luck and intuition turned an uncoordinated
series of chess moves into a well-received book that I am proud to have
created. My probation was illuminating and rewarding in equal measures but, as
the new kid on the block, I’m hardly qualified to advise others on their own
paths to literary glory. What follows should be taken with a large pinch of
salt (and shouldn’t upset the old pros too much).
Just write
Okay, there are
some amazingly talented writers out there. Every word, every sentence and every
nuance is perfectly crafted. There’s no way you can compete, right? Wrong. It
doesn’t matter if it’s imperfect. You have to begin somewhere. The more you
write, the better you’ll get.
Be yourself, be unique
Think carefully
about what will make your writing stand out from the crowd. How is your message
different? What’s distinctive about your angle? Who will your writing appeal
to? Are you prepared to reveal the real you?
Think about ‘form’
This is one of the
biggest lessons I learned turning my blog into a book. A story, even a
real-life story, needs order, pace, plot, a compelling blend of highs and lows
and a sense of purpose.
Think visually
Set the scene and
describe your characters and situations colourfully (but don’t overdo the
adjectives). Help your readers visualise your story in their mind’s eye. Use
dialogue to underscore the narrative and keep the speech realistic.
Edit, edit, edit and when you’re done, edit some more
Be bold and
decisive. If something adds nothing to the plot or message, cut it.
Share your writing
Sharing your
writing is a brave thing to do. If you’re a new writer, as I was, it’s the only
way of getting a real feel for how you are doing. Ask for feedback and then
take a deep breath. Take the comments on board. Some of them will be rubbish
but some won’t. Try not to take things personally.
Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and
fans?
My only ambition
has been for people to take my book on holiday somewhere warm, read it around the
pool sipping an iced drink and say when they’re done, “I really enjoyed that.”
I’ve now started
some FUN and Wacky questions for those interviewed on my site.
Have you ever gone out in public with your shirt on backwards, or
your slippers on, and when realizing it, just said screw it?
No, but I do have a
recurring dream that I wander the streets naked and nobody takes any notice.
Do you prefer fuzzy or tub socks?
Neither. I’m a
barefoot warrior.
Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not
see much point?
The bed is always
made but not until midday. Hey, how difficult is it to shake out the duvet?
Be honest, how often do you wash your hair?
Most days but since
there isn’t much left to wash, I don’t know why I bother.
Do you get road rage? What pisses you off the most about other
drivers?
I can’t drive –
never learned. Growing up in London meant there was absolutely no point and I like a drink.
Do you go out of your way to kill bugs? Are there any that make you
screech and hide?
We had cockroaches
from Hell in Turkey. I made Liam kill them by drowning them in the toilet. I
took great pleasure slaughtering the swarms of mossies with WMD in aerosols.
Coffee or Tea?
Coffee every time.
Ironic, since both Britain and Turkey are two of the greatest tea-drinking
nations on Earth.
What is your biggest phobia?
People thinking
that I’m boring. Now what would that be called?
What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to social media?
(Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Seeing the usual (celebrity)
suspects playing out their daily lives to thousands of ‘friends’ they’ve never
met and would run a mile from if they did. To be honest, if I wasn’t trying to flog
my wares to bring home the bacon, I wouldn’t bother.
Perking the Pansies, Jack and Liam move to Turkey
Book Blurb
Just imagine the
absurdity of two openly gay, recently ‘married’ middle aged, middle class men
escaping the liberal sanctuary of anonymous London to relocate to a Muslim
country.
Jack and Liam, fed
up with kiss-my-arse bosses and nose-to-nipple commutes, quit their jobs and
move to a small town in Turkey. Join the culture-curious gay couple on their
bumpy rite of passage. Meet the oddballs, VOMITs, vetpats, emigreys, semigreys,
debauched waiters and middle England miseries. When prejudice and ignorance
emerge from the crude underbelly of Turkey’s expat life, Jack and Liam waver.
Determined to stay the course, the happy hedonistas hitch up their skirts, move
to the heart of laissez-faire Bodrum and fall in love with their intoxicating
foster land. Enter Jack’s irreverent world for a right royal dose of misery and
joy, bigotry and enlightenment, betrayal and loyalty, friendship, love,
earthquakes, birth, adoption and murder. You couldn't make it up.
A bitter-sweet
tragi-comedy that recalls the first year of a British gay couple living in a
Muslim land.
For more information on Jack’s debut book and other titles, please
check jackscott.info. You can also
follow Jack’s new adventures in the flatlands and big skies of Norfolk by
reading his blog, Perking the
Pansies.
