Buxted author Tom McLeod

Buxted author Tom McLeod is in print with The Place (Troubador, £9.99, available from Amazon), a novel you can start reading on any page.

Tom, aged 85, said: “I spent many years in a frustrating, writerly wilderness. Stories would drift into my head and then fizzle out after a couple of paragraphs. I thought of myself as a lonely prospector, digging for gold — in my case, coal. I knew I had to dig through miles of earth, shale and rock to have any hope of finding even the thinnest seam.

“Something was going on in my head, but it was as hazy as a ghost – without shape or substance. It haunted me until we were both dizzy. Then one day a single sentence came into my head as if from nowhere. I knew it was the beginning of a much longer piece, though how I knew this, I still don’t know. I scribbled it down frantically for fear of losing it. Another sentence followed. And then another. I must have unlocked something.

“Like masochistic mushrooms, entire sentences began to sprout in my head. Words were tumbling out faster than I could write them down. An entire passage might go around in my head all day, but when I tried to put it on paper, something completely different would appear. “Sometimes it took days to reach the passage I had originally tried to write. Worse — or perhaps better — were the moments when a new idea would parachute in and knock my inspired passage on the head often while I was still in the middle of writing it.

“I was so relieved to have so many free ideas and sentences that, without giving a thought to where they might fit in — or whether they would fit in anywhere at all — I grabbed them gratefully with both hands and feet.

“Without a doubt, writing is my most important and enjoyable activity, no matter how difficult it is. I enjoy every moment spent at my desk — well, almost. But rest assured, you don’t have to be a masochist to be a writer.”

Tom added: “I’ve been well warned: a first-time author must be prepared for a long uphill struggle. It might be even more difficult for me because The Place is unconventional and probably breaks most of the rules of the literary genre — assuming there are any. It might appeal to readers looking for something different. They won’t be disappointed on that score.

“The advantage of writing a novel free from the constricting straitjacket of a conventional storyline is that it gives the writer far more freedom of expression than would be possible in a traditional narrative. The Place is certainly not a couldn’t-put-it-down thriller or adventure story. But I hope there is enough going on inside and outside the narrator’s head to hold the reader’s attention, even if it doesn’t quite push them off the edge of their seats

“Because The Place is constructed around a labyrinth of interrelated passages, the reader can open the book at any page and start reading – though it’s usually best to go back to the beginning of the passage. It’s an enjoyable way to spend an hour or two, but it only works if the book has been read at least once. Although many passages refer to earlier ones, they are not dependent on them so a random reading shouldn’t pose any problems.

“I’d like to believe the reader will enjoy the novel for the way it is written and empathise with the narrator, despite his totally distorted worldview – or perhaps because of it. The Place is a stand-alone work, so don’t hang around waiting for a sequel. But what might be worth waiting for is my next novel which is halfway through what I hope is the penultimate edit.”