An Interview with Paul Kilduff
As previewed in this post a few weeks ago, I'm delighted to welcome Irish author Paul Kilduff to my blog today. Paul is visiting as part of a Virtual Book Tour (VBT) to launch his new book, Ruinair, a tongue-in-cheek account of his experiences travelling round Europe with low-cost airlines. Without further ado, let's get down to the questions and answers...
1) Is this your first book, Paul?
No, I have written four financial thrillers previously for Hodder Headline in London. Ruinair is my first work of non fiction and is published in Ireland.
2) How long have you been writing and what started you off?
I began writing in 1998 - what started me was when I read a financial thriller where the author got a large advance and I knew I could write a book at least as good as his.
3) How would you describe the writing that you're doing?
It's vaguely funny travel writing at present, full of informative content, fast paced, lots of variety, topical stuff, with amusing anecdotes and some insights.
4) Who is your target audience? Who influenced you?
Passengers of the Irish low fares airline Ruinair and its CEO, Mick O'Leary! And all those who love travel writing and having a go at large corporations.
I was influenced by Bill Bryson, Pete McCarthy, Tim Moore, Don George, Simon Calder, Alain de Botton and many good guide books and maps over the years.
5) Is your fiction writing autobiographical at all?
My fiction features the work environments, places, cities, people, scams and scandals I had encountered in real life when I lived and worked in the City of London.
6) What are your biggest challenges as a writer?
Converting from writing fiction to non fiction was a big challenge. Also balancing a writing career as well as holding down a day job in a US investment bank.
7) Do you write every day, and how do you begin and end the process?
No, I work every day until I can retire! I write on weekends, holidays, Christmas, Easter, time off, and on my sick days off work!
8) What aspects of your writing do you enjoy most?
I enjoy the creativity, of producing an end product and seeing it on book shelves in shops, such as being the No. 1 non-fiction bestseller in Ireland right now. I enjoy being taken for slap up meals by my agent and editor in Dublin's top restaurants, and I enjoy PR work where I meet some of Ireland top radio personalities!
9) What is your book about and what inspired it?
My book is about travelling around Europe on a cheap Irish low fares airline called Ruinair and seeing the good and bad of a most amazing continent - all for a 1 cent fare!
10) What sets this book apart from what you've written in the past?
I think this current work of fiction is much more populist than my former financial thrillers. also I think non fiction is easier to write than draining your imagination for fiction.
11) How long did the whole process take, beginning to end?
I was abandoned by Ruinair in Malaga, Spain for 10 hours in August 2004, I began the book in 2005, finished it in 2006, sold it in 2007, and it was published in Feb 2008.
12) Did you begin writing for the love of it, or did you always aim to become published?
It was always my aim to have my books published - I really believe that's the main aim of any writing - I want to share my half-decent writing with as many people as possible.
13) What's your most significant achievement so far?
I think seeing the book enter the Irish non fiction bestseller list at no 1 and stay there for the past 7 weeks since publication has been fantastic.
14) Where do you get your ideas? Do you build characters and events slowly or do they come to you in a flash?
My ideas for travel books come to me when I am on the road - I have to travel and fly frequently to get my observational and literary powers humming.
15) What's next for you?
Next up is the sequel to Ruinair - this will be a book about travelling on low fares airlines to the 12 countries of Eastern Europe - the book is called 'Ruinairski', due Feb 09.
16) Do you have any advice for other budding authors out there?
I would say read all the books you can in your chosen genre, write often, read books on 'how to write', attend writing classes and workshops, persevere, be realistic, enjoy...
17) Finally, as we're conducting this interview online, I wondered if you could tell me what are your three favourite websites, and why?
1. www.ryanair.com
A great site for low fares travel on a friendly flexible Irish airline run by a shy retiring chief executive named Michael O'Leary. 'I'm probably just an obnoxious little bollocks. Who cares? The purpose is not to be loved. The purpose is to have the passengers on board.'
2. www.airlinequality.com
An extensive site about airlines and airports. Before I travel anywhere on any airline, I can check out what other flyers experienced and advise.
3. www.paulkilduff.com
I built my own site myself, using FrontPage. It's basic but full of content and often updated, and readers of both my fiction and non-fiction like it.
Many thanks to Paul for visiting my blog on his VBT, and for taking the trouble to answer these questions in forthright and entertaining style! If you have any further questions or comments for Paul, please feel free to post them here.
If you're inspired to try to follow Paul's example, dare I mention it, my CD course Write Any Book in Under 28 Days will help you get a book of your own completed in the shortest possible time. And my publishers, WCCL, also produce an excellent introductory guide to travel writing, written by my colleague Mel McIntyre.
For more information about Ruinair, clicking through here will take you to the publisher's sales page. I have also included an image link to the book at Amazon.co.uk below. Note that if you are receiving this post by email, you will need to visit my blog to see this.
1) Is this your first book, Paul?
No, I have written four financial thrillers previously for Hodder Headline in London. Ruinair is my first work of non fiction and is published in Ireland.
2) How long have you been writing and what started you off?
I began writing in 1998 - what started me was when I read a financial thriller where the author got a large advance and I knew I could write a book at least as good as his.
3) How would you describe the writing that you're doing?
It's vaguely funny travel writing at present, full of informative content, fast paced, lots of variety, topical stuff, with amusing anecdotes and some insights.
4) Who is your target audience? Who influenced you?
Passengers of the Irish low fares airline Ruinair and its CEO, Mick O'Leary! And all those who love travel writing and having a go at large corporations.
I was influenced by Bill Bryson, Pete McCarthy, Tim Moore, Don George, Simon Calder, Alain de Botton and many good guide books and maps over the years.
5) Is your fiction writing autobiographical at all?
My fiction features the work environments, places, cities, people, scams and scandals I had encountered in real life when I lived and worked in the City of London.
6) What are your biggest challenges as a writer?
Converting from writing fiction to non fiction was a big challenge. Also balancing a writing career as well as holding down a day job in a US investment bank.
7) Do you write every day, and how do you begin and end the process?
No, I work every day until I can retire! I write on weekends, holidays, Christmas, Easter, time off, and on my sick days off work!
8) What aspects of your writing do you enjoy most?
I enjoy the creativity, of producing an end product and seeing it on book shelves in shops, such as being the No. 1 non-fiction bestseller in Ireland right now. I enjoy being taken for slap up meals by my agent and editor in Dublin's top restaurants, and I enjoy PR work where I meet some of Ireland top radio personalities!
9) What is your book about and what inspired it?
My book is about travelling around Europe on a cheap Irish low fares airline called Ruinair and seeing the good and bad of a most amazing continent - all for a 1 cent fare!
10) What sets this book apart from what you've written in the past?
I think this current work of fiction is much more populist than my former financial thrillers. also I think non fiction is easier to write than draining your imagination for fiction.
11) How long did the whole process take, beginning to end?
I was abandoned by Ruinair in Malaga, Spain for 10 hours in August 2004, I began the book in 2005, finished it in 2006, sold it in 2007, and it was published in Feb 2008.
12) Did you begin writing for the love of it, or did you always aim to become published?
It was always my aim to have my books published - I really believe that's the main aim of any writing - I want to share my half-decent writing with as many people as possible.
13) What's your most significant achievement so far?
I think seeing the book enter the Irish non fiction bestseller list at no 1 and stay there for the past 7 weeks since publication has been fantastic.
14) Where do you get your ideas? Do you build characters and events slowly or do they come to you in a flash?
My ideas for travel books come to me when I am on the road - I have to travel and fly frequently to get my observational and literary powers humming.
15) What's next for you?
Next up is the sequel to Ruinair - this will be a book about travelling on low fares airlines to the 12 countries of Eastern Europe - the book is called 'Ruinairski', due Feb 09.
16) Do you have any advice for other budding authors out there?
I would say read all the books you can in your chosen genre, write often, read books on 'how to write', attend writing classes and workshops, persevere, be realistic, enjoy...
17) Finally, as we're conducting this interview online, I wondered if you could tell me what are your three favourite websites, and why?
1. www.ryanair.com
A great site for low fares travel on a friendly flexible Irish airline run by a shy retiring chief executive named Michael O'Leary. 'I'm probably just an obnoxious little bollocks. Who cares? The purpose is not to be loved. The purpose is to have the passengers on board.'
2. www.airlinequality.com
An extensive site about airlines and airports. Before I travel anywhere on any airline, I can check out what other flyers experienced and advise.
3. www.paulkilduff.com
I built my own site myself, using FrontPage. It's basic but full of content and often updated, and readers of both my fiction and non-fiction like it.
Many thanks to Paul for visiting my blog on his VBT, and for taking the trouble to answer these questions in forthright and entertaining style! If you have any further questions or comments for Paul, please feel free to post them here.
If you're inspired to try to follow Paul's example, dare I mention it, my CD course Write Any Book in Under 28 Days will help you get a book of your own completed in the shortest possible time. And my publishers, WCCL, also produce an excellent introductory guide to travel writing, written by my colleague Mel McIntyre.
For more information about Ruinair, clicking through here will take you to the publisher's sales page. I have also included an image link to the book at Amazon.co.uk below. Note that if you are receiving this post by email, you will need to visit my blog to see this.
Labels: books, Paul Kilduff, travel, writing
Nick at 1:00 AM 
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