The business of storytelling and me - Victor Ghoshe

 

 

 

I have to say this —I’m an old school person. I still do not use a smart phone and my ten-year-old niece knows more about digital technology than I do. So in an effort to get a grip on internet marketing, I googled.

I was reading about many writers, about their debut novels and their efforts to somehow ‘fool’ the Amazon bestseller list. But in the end I’m not quite sure if their ideas about marketing and sales have much to do with people who read a lot of books. Having written and published some three books and worked in the field of international development communication in my time (for over nineteen years) I’ve learned that the one thing that people want in a book, e-book or otherwise is a good story and a good experience through that story. PERIOD.

My latest novel, THE JOB CHARNOCK RIDDLE is the first one in its series about the adventures and misadventures of a forty something archaeologist turned operative, a professor and adventurer named Eric Roy. I could write about Eric forever—he’s got an interesting past and he and his history graduate cousin, Aurin Roy have a real knack for getting themselves involved in adventures that hopefully take the armchair adventurer out of his or her air conditioned room and into a world of suspense and thrill.

Once popular writer Stephen King said that he writes what’s he’s afraid of. In the same way I write about the kind of things I’d never have the chance to do myself. In other words I write the kind of stories I’d always like to read. I believe many of the writers do that and that’s a good thing otherwise we never would have all those books and movies about gung ho adventurous heroes.

Anyway, I’m rattling on here; but my advice to anyone out there interested in writing and selling books is to concentrate on telling a good story and creating an experience for your readers. And as soon as you finish the current one, without fail start the next. The show should never stop – even in your own world. In your mind.



Victor Ghoshe
 5.4.16

Photographs: Victor Ghoshe in story telling workshops in schools,  Curtsey: Author