Growing up in the 70s in a small town near Watford, one of Tim’s friends played in a local blues band in a local pub at a time when it was still a relatively new and exciting genre and hadn’t really hit the mainstream. The blues covers the band played led him to listen to the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds who themselves were playing covers. It was through this route that he came across blues legends such as Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon for the first time and this is also how the main characters in the book discover their passion for the blues.
“The more gigs he went to, the more he started thinking about the people in the bands.” As he grew older, he started going to see blues bands more frequently and at that time, there were always bands playing the blues, especially in South London. Over the years, the more gigs he went to, the more he started thinking about the people in the bands. The generally middle-aged and occasionally pony-tailed men playing the same old songs year after year on the circuit. Were they playing for love? Was it their living? Had they previously had musical success, which had since dwindled in an everchanging musical landscape? He wanted to know their story, which evolved into ‘The First Time I Got The Blues’. Perhaps in keeping with his modesty, Tim is not necessarily looking for Martin Amis-like fame or praise for his technical skills as a writer, he writes books because he simply likes telling stories. As a writer, he wants to achieve what he enjoys experiencing as a reader - liking a novel so much that you need to find out what happens next. And like many creative people, one of the things he enjoys about his work is that he spends his time making things up in an imaginary world. And yet, there is an absolutely clear method to his creative process.
birth, favourite bands and clothes are all vital elements in this process. He loves how ‘as the story unfolds, it almost feels like it’s not you writing, but some force acting through you.’ “I love having written but the actual act of writing can be quite tortuous.’ Tiim admits to not being a very disciplined writer and how trying to find both time and inspiration simultaneously is one of his greatest challenges in life. With that in mind, he sets himself regular targets such as completing five hundred words per session four times per week to help him maintain creative momentum but it can still take a while to finish. In fact, ‘The First Time I Got The Blues’ took five years in total to complete. This is because Tim’s process includes a number of drafts which are put aside for a while for him to contemplate and then return to at a later date with fresh eyes. After the success of his first critically-acclaimed novel “Grown Up People’ and now, the delightful ‘The First Time I Got The Blues’, Tim has also completed his third novel ‘The Celebrity Next Door’ about an ageing, formerly famous and successful black footballer causing intentional and unintentional social havoc by moving into a quiet, white, middle-class neighbourhood in the 70s and he is already working on his fourth as-yet-untitled book. Celebrating his 40th year as a passionate Watford FC fan and spectator, Tim also spends his spare time pursuing his passion for music including Chicago blues legends such as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf and travelling the world to see the modern-day New Jersey ‘blues’ of Bruce Springsteen in concert. ‘When you’re up on that stage, nothing can touch you. It’s a paradox. You can’t play the blues and have them at the same time. It’s when you stop playing that your troubles start.’
This last line from his most recent book is Tim’s way of showing people who often associate the Before writing the story, Tim always creates two blues with sad music, tortured guitar solos and slow things – a detailed chapter plan and a CV-style fact mournful blues that the blues can also be good-time, sheet. The chapter plan gives structure to the story feel-good music. And as if to reinforce that message and the emerging characters and it is only once he as we end the interview, Tim’s parting words are: has written these plans, he starts writing the story. The fact sheet is also a vital component as it pro‘The truth is that it’s life that gives you vides information about each character enabling him to almost feel how that character would think the blues, not blues music.’ and act as real people. Details such as full name “The First Time I Got The Blues” (Snowbury Books) including middle name, schools, hair colour, date of is out now. www.thekaje.com 21