A Novel Start

A Novel Start

Have you ever had a story in your head that keeps going round and round? For years, OB Peter Fincham (Gr ’92) had sat on this idea, but could never find the time to put pen to paper. But now, he has finally written his first novel, which currently sits on the virtual shelves of all the major distributors in physical and e-formats, including Amazon.

“I’d always loved writing; from those early contributions to the School Newsletter – invariably about the first ‘Speedvark’ gigs back in 1989. But by university, I took writing far more seriously and was lucky enough to hold various positions up to the role of Editor of the University Newspaper, ‘Hullfire’, whilst studying for my Law degree. As a post-graduate, I dabbled a bit with the whole spectrum of sports journalism, even having a column in one of the Sunday rags for a while –always about the varying fortunes of Watford FC – and a regular contributor on various Sky and BBC shows. But then your career takes off, family arrives and priorities are re-aligned.

“After leaving school, I became very good friends with JAD, and we’d often talk about me having more to offer literary-wise. But as with most things, it always came back to time. And then six months after the passing of the greatest of English teachers, along came the global pandemic which left me with no more excuses.”

Living on the South Coast, Peter had the outside space to get creative when much of the ‘inland’ world was locked up. He allocated at least 3 hours every day, walking down to the local beach in

Southsea to find a sunny spot during the balmy spring of 2020, and then just writing. On days when inspiration was low, he would do much of the background research on the music and travel locations that thematically underpin much of the story. This included some re-familiarisation with specific parts of Hemel Hempstead where some of the story is set.

Before he knew it, Peter had his manuscript. But the book was a long way from being published.

“At the time, I did not have enough experience to properly critique my own words, so I hired a professional who could be objective. You need a thick skin for the criticism that comes from a professional editor. She ripped the text to pieces, before reassuring me that it was a great story and actually formed a well-written first draft.

“You’ve got to take all of it on board, or what’s the point? Her guidance helped dramatically improve the text, enough that I was comfortable to get the input from my wife and our girls, which on occasions proved far more awkward feedback to receive! Things can be harder to hear from those closest, but in the case of this book, I have been extremely grateful for all the feedback.”

Having re-written much of the opening section, the book was deemed good enough to publish and the initial reviews from those who’ve parted with their hard-earned wages, have been really encouraging.

“I think I have a long way to go to be as well published as Napoleon’s most forensic assessor, Andrew Uffindell, who was a couple of years above me. But I hope JAD is looking down and proud of my efforts.”

The Pressure Drop by Pete Fincham

Synopsis – Stephen Lewis is living the dream, travelling the world as the King Maker of the music industry. A charmed man with a charmed life, what could possibly go wrong?

Isla Kiely leaves her suburban roots behind, seeking romance and adventure as an air hostess. When she falls for a stranger on a transatlantic flight, it seems their love story is already written in the stars, but fate has other ideas…

The Pressure Drop is a tale of love and tragedy, chance encounters and missed opportunities that will keep you hooked until the very last page.