Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
My name is Pete Benson.I’m 73 , retired and live in Kent,England with my wife Clare and her daughter Kimberley.I have three kids of my own;Ellenna, Ria and Harry, and 4 grandchildren; Leonie, Euan, Henry and William. I started work in the film industry in 1978 mainly on feature films until I switched to commercials to give me more time to concentrate on a film prop hire company I started in 1984 with 3 other prop men.Writing came late for me but the desire to put down all the funny things that happened during filming before they were lost and to somehow give my children an idea of what I was doing when I wasn’t able to be at home, pushed me on.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Tales of a Film Prop Man”?
At my age,remembering that far back, but once I started writing it all seemed to come flooding back until I had so much material it would never go into one book. So, I am now writing a second.I also felt it important to try and write in my voice and not copy someone else’s style.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
As a kid I loved Doctor Syn and Agatha Christie books, but as I grew older I found very little time to read books , but lately I have renewed my interest and a book by author Philip Davies called Lost Warriors, for some reason, gave me inspiration to get mine done.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
We lived for about 10 years in Minehead right on the edge of Exmoor and the volume of wildlife, including the Exmoor ponies roaming freely, and the sight from the top across the Bristol Channel was just superb.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?
Probably any author will tell you preparation and structuring your book is important and I would agree. My way was to get it all out of my head and down on paper unless I forgot it. From there you can refine, trim down and rewrite it. I wrote my book 5 times to finally get to the published copy.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Tales of a Film Prop Man’?
The idea had been in my head for a long time . Life,as is normal with most people, got in the way until about 18 months ago I finally started writing it. I really didn’t know if I was doing it right, so it was slow going for a while until I really got excited about what I was putting down and then the speed picked up. So, I wrote for about a year and then it took about six months for the process to get my script to the published book.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
At present it is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Tales of a Film Prop Man’?
The cover was designed by Ronaldo Alves, who works for my publisher Atmosphere Press, after we kicked around a few ideas.The name I thought up as it seemed to cover all the elements of the book I wanted to put over. Stories-Tales, Subject-Films, From whom- Film Prop Man.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
For me, I felt I needed to write it as if I were telling the story in my voice, trying not to overcomplicate it and drown it in unnecessary words. Once an audience gets bored you’ve lost them.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
Pretty much a similar answer to no.9. Don’t use 10 words when you can use 5.
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