I'm excited to have stand up and comedy writer Simon Lipson here today, he also write romance!
Song In The Wrong Key
Michael Kenton is a middle-aged man living in middle-class
comfort with wife Lisa and daughters Millie and Katia. Drifting complacently
towards retirement, Mike's world is turned upside-down when he is thrown
unexpectedly onto the career scrapheap.
While Lisa's career sky-rockets, Mike slobs around in his track suit playing guitar, rekindling his teenage love affair with pop music. Knowing Lisa wouldn't approve, he plots a secret 'comeback' at a grimy Crouch End bistro where music executive Ben, desperate and out of time, asks if he can enter one of Mike's songs into the Eurovision Song Contest. With nothing to lose, Mike focuses on Eurovision but quickly finds himself staring down the barrel of low level fame. His crumbling marriage now page five news, he must choose between his musical dream and mending his broken family, a task complicated by the re-appearance of ex-love of his life Faye.
A laugh-out-loud comedy about love, family, friendship and Euro- tack by acclaimed stand-up and comedy writer Simon Lipson.
While Lisa's career sky-rockets, Mike slobs around in his track suit playing guitar, rekindling his teenage love affair with pop music. Knowing Lisa wouldn't approve, he plots a secret 'comeback' at a grimy Crouch End bistro where music executive Ben, desperate and out of time, asks if he can enter one of Mike's songs into the Eurovision Song Contest. With nothing to lose, Mike focuses on Eurovision but quickly finds himself staring down the barrel of low level fame. His crumbling marriage now page five news, he must choose between his musical dream and mending his broken family, a task complicated by the re-appearance of ex-love of his life Faye.
A laugh-out-loud comedy about love, family, friendship and Euro- tack by acclaimed stand-up and comedy writer Simon Lipson.
So Simon, a few questions first about your book.
If you had to
sum up ‘Song in the Wrong Key’ in 30 words or less what would you say?
A
romantic comedy about love, friendship, families, redemption and seriously
crappy music.
What/who
inspired you to write it?
I
loved the idea of a middle-aged nobody rising from obscurity to public acclaim.
It’s the X Factor age, after all. As a thwarted teenage pop star myself – and
now deep into middle age - I think this was a case of living the dream through
my protagonist, Mike Kenton.
Where did the
title come from?
It
was originally called A Song For Europe, but I think that title suggested that
it was a book about Eurovision. Far from it. Mike’s emotional journey –
powered, in part, by his musical rebirth - reveals that he’d been kidding himself
about having the perfect life, hence Song In The Wrong Key
Do you play the
guitar or sing? Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a rock star?
I
play the guitar very badly. I’d like to say that my voice is my instrument, but
others would disagree. I was the lead singer in various bands during my teens
and early twenties, but lack of talent and a sense that I should do something
sensible with my life, scuppered my musical ambitions.
Was it a love
affair with the characters or were you glad to type ‘The End’?
Mike
is a version of me (I like to think I’m much more successful and have better
hair) so I’m rather fond of him. His children are based on mine and his best
friend Chaz is not unlike my best friend Graham. So I suppose I was sorry to
lose them. I do have a sequel in mind, though, so maybe they’ll all be back.
Did you wish any
of the characters were actually real (or are they?!)?
See
above! A couple of other characters are loosely based on people I know.
Who designed the
cover?
A
very clever lady called Iona Hickman at Mercer Design. I gave her a brief and
she came up with the basic design. I made a few tweaks and voila!
Any more books
in the pipeline? About?
Yes.
I’ve already written Standing Up, which is about a solicitor who takes up
stand-up comedy in order to try reel in an old flame. As a solicitor who became
a stand-up comedian myself, you will gather that I’m not very imaginative! The book should be out in the Autumn.
Do you throw
yourself whole heartedly into marketing, or is it just a necessary evil?
Both.
I’ve engaged Helen McCusker at Booked PR to help out. It’s been slow going
because independent authors don’t get much change out of the key reviewers.
I’ve done a radio interview, a few readings at festivals and libraries and am
constantly plugging the book on Twitter, Facebook and anywhere else I can think
of. I’m getting great reviews (on Amazon and Goodreads principally, with
another good one due in next month’s Self Publishing Magazine) and hopefully
this will create some momentum. It’s exhausting, though.
And
getting personal…
Where/when do
you write?
In
a West End Starbucks mostly. I’ve tried writing at home but there’s so much
else to do there – TV, eating, TV, the newspaper, TV, eating – that I get
nothing done. I find I can get into a bubble in a café and quite like the ambient
hubbub. I also like to star spot during my down time – Danny de Vito and Hugh
Grant are my most recent marks.
As a male writer
you’re in the minority when it comes to writing romance, could you write
the ‘Rom’ without the ‘Com’? Or do you think it’s the mix of the two that
appeals to you?
Comedy
is my speciality and I set out to write a funny book. But I think most of us –
men and women alike - rather like romance. Men just don’t talk about it. From a
young age I was hoping to meet ‘The One.’ It took me 29 years in the end. I
think rom and com are a lovely mix. Although I’ve aimed principally for laughs
throughout the book, some readers have told me they shed a tear or two as well.
With your
background I’d guess that writing dialogue (the nemesis of many writers)
isn’t a problem, what do you find the hardest part of writing?
Spot
on. I love writing dialogue and think it’s what I’m best at. I actually wrote
the book in no time. It seemed so easy. It was only when I got into first
re-draft that I realised how badly structured it was. The chronology was all over
the place and I wasted pages and pages on irrelevant comedy riffs. Taking
laughs out was very difficult for me, but I like to think the story and
structure is now tight, and the comedy entirely relevant to the characters and
situations. Hopefully, anyway.
Sum yourself up
in 30 words or less?!
Was
fat, now thin; good head of hair for a man of my age; dodgy knees; deaf-ish;
love my family to bits; love comedy; love Spurs - unrequited.
Do you spend
much time reading? What’s your favourite bedtime/holiday read? Favourite
author/genre?
I’m
an avid reader. I usually have two books on the go, one for bath time, one for
bed. I enjoy pithy contemporary fiction with a humorous bent – Nick Hornby,
David Nicholls, Jonathan Tropper, Tom Wolfe. I read the odd thriller (mostly on
holiday) and delve into things like the wonderful Jubilee by Shelley Harris.
Don’t like historical or fantasy as a rule.
Coffee or tea?
Tea.
Starter, dessert
or brandy?
I
love all food. It’s a problem. Please don’t make me choose. I don’t drink.
Favourite place
in the world?
Toss-up
between Edinburgh and Manhattan.
What would you
be doing if time, money, age were no object?
Nothing
except eating, feeling guilty, cycling it all off and starting again. And
watching football in between. I’m desperately lazy.
Best bit of
advice you’ve ever been given, and by whom?
Shut
up if you know what’s good for you. My wife.
Where can your
readers find you?
My
blog: www.simonlipson.blogspot.co.uk
Twitter:
@SimonLipson
Google
+: NA
Simon Lipson Bio
Simon
Lipson was born in London and took a law degree at the LSE. After a spell as a
lawyer, he co-founded legal recruitment company Lipson Lloyd-Jones in 1987. In
1993, Simon took his first tentative steps onto the comedy circuit and has
since become an in-demand stand-up and impressionist across the UK, as well as
a regular TV and radio performer/writer. His broadcasting credits include Week
Ending, Dead Ringers, Loose Ends and Fordham & Lipson (co-wrote and
performed own 4 part sketch series) on Radio 4; Interesting...Very Interesting
and Simon Lipson's Xmas Box on Radio 5 and And This Is Them on Radio 2. He is
also an experienced voice artiste who has voiced hundreds of advertisements as
well as cartoons and documentaries. His first novel, Losing It, a thriller, was
published by Matador in 2008. Simon is a columnist for Gridlock Magazine (www.gridlockmagazine.com).His next
novel, Standing Up,
will be published by Lane & Hart in Autumn 2012.
Can I also plug my upcoming show, The Accidental
Impressionist at the Camden Fringe 20 – 23 August @ 8pm: http://camdenfringe.com/details.php?acts_id=74 Everyone welcome. It might be quite funny!
Thanks for the interview Simon and good luck with the rest of your tour, the book and the show!
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