LG Thomson
When did you begin writing?
I went art school in Dundee, graduating in 1985. When I returned to the city to work at the end of 1988, I had an overwhelming urge to write. When I got my first pay, I went down to Argos in the Overgate Centre and bought a portable typewriter. I didn’t know how to type, but somehow the process of typing was tied up with the urge to write. The first thing I wrote won the Company Magazine/Grolsch Question of Style Award* and put a very welcome £2,000 into my meagre bank account. It was a flying start, but it would take another 35 years before I finally understood why I had that urge.
Douglas Thompson, who also has stories in 274 Miles and Call of the Isles, won the Herald/Grolsch Question of Style Award in the same competition. We met each other at the awards ceremony at the Café Royal in London, then reconnected through social media a couple of years ago.
Tell us about your Call of the Isles story.
‘58.380°N 05.186°W’ is the first story I’ve written in Scots. I didn’t plan it that way, that’s just how it came out. The title is the coordinates for an island I know very well. Going there was an escape for me – a place of peace when I was going through a difficult time. Access was easy as my husband was the ferry operator. It’s also a place of escape and peace for the character in my story, although he is there for reasons that go far beyond the personal.
Do you prefer writing short stories or longer pieces of fiction?
That urge I mentioned before, was an urge to write novels. After writing the short piece that won the award, I launched straight into writing my first book and then I kept on writing more books. The reason for the urge was revealed to me while I was writing my last memoir, Bitter Fruit. If you’d like to know more about the revelation, treat yourself to a copy. Now that I understand where it all came from, it’s like a weight has been lifted and I am finally free to write short stories. I love writing – and reading – short stories.
What is your favourite novel or short story that has an island setting?
Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story The Bottle Imp comes immediately to mind. It’s set on a Hawaiian island. I love that story and I also enjoyed reading The Beach by Alex Garland. One of my top favourites isn’t a novel but a true story, Castaway by Lucy Irvine. Utterly fascinating and, coincidentally, written in the Summer Isles Hotel in Coigach, not too far from where I live in Ullapool. In fact, I passed by it today. Finally, a shameless plug for my own book, Erosion, set on the very same island as ‘58.380°N 05.186°W’. My take on ten people stranded…
What do you dislike about being a writer?
The writing part is hard but good. I enjoy the process, but beyond that a lot of it sucks. I’m not talking about rejection slips, they are part of what we do, and the sting is usually short-lived. What gets me is the system. Publishing is largely a closed shop and it’s frustrating to see some of the dross that gets published and heavily promoted. The oh-so middle-classness of it all. And don’t get me started on ‘celebrity’ authors. Do I sound bitter and twisted? Ha ha. I’m really not.
Would I like one of my books to become a bestseller and made into a film or a series? Oh, hell sure I would, but get this – I met a writer who became very successful. This person was a valuable commodity to the publishing house, so valuable that the marketing department came up with the titles of the writer’s books based on what they thought would sell. There was so much investment, the books weren’t allowed to fail, and the author was on a hamster wheel, just churning them out. In those instances, creativity – the art of writing – goes out the window. It becomes a production line. If that’s what success looks like, I prefer the view from where I am. Working on my craft, writing stories that I care about.
A lot of the best writing is coming via the indie presses, that’s why I was so excited when you set up Tantallon Tìr. It’s grass roots, it has integrity and – more than ever – that matters.
What’s your favourite under-appreciated novel or short story?
This is going to sound like I’m kissing ass, but I’m being absolutely sincere when I say that Silent Riders of the Sea by John Gerard Fagan is an astounding book that deserves massive success. I love that book, couldn’t put it down. Not a word wasted which is something I admire. With the right director, it would make a fantastic film. I can see the colour palette now… If you’re reading this and you haven’t read that, buy it now. (But probably not if you like books about bunnies and rainbows).
What are you currently reading?
Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith, a philosopher of science and an experienced scuba diver. It’s about the evolutionary paths of cephalopods, particularly the octopus, and about trying to comprehend how a creature so alien to us thinks and feels. Fascinating and so clearly written.
I’m also dipping in and out of The Dog of Marriage, the collected stories of Amy Hempel. She is an extraordinary writer. The book was surprisingly difficult to get a hold of – my copy is ex-Bournemouth library. It’s in brand new condition and going by date stamp label inside, nobody checked it out. Criminal, but their loss, my gain. I have regular book clear-outs otherwise I’d be on one of those hoarding programmes, but this one is a keeper.
What are you currently working on?
I’ve got a couple of exhibitions coming up later this year, so my main focus is on my visual art but I’m writing a few short stories along the way. The balance feels good.
What is the best piece of writing advice you have come across?
Write in short, focused bursts. It works for me.
Where can readers connect with you and your writing?
My website has info on all my books and there are links to some online short stories. You can also see some of my art there.
Social media wise, you can find me here:
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You can read 58.380°N 05.186°W in Call of the Isles.