Robert Fear - Mitos suson

Robert Fear aka Fred is an author of many books: two memoirs; his late father’s memoir, and six (soon to be eight) published anthologies of other authors’ short stories. I met Robert aka Fred virtually from our favorite FB group, WeLoveMemoirs. I joined Robert’s writing competition and one of my short stories was selected for the recently released anthology ‘The 2023 Edition of 50 Intriguing Personal Insights.’

Here’s an interview of him below.

Robert Fear, author

1. Tell me about yourself.
Hi Mitos, many thanks for inviting me to take part in your wonderful Authors Showcase. It is an honour to be in the company of so many amazing authors.

My name is Robert Fear, also known as Fred. I live with my wife and two cats on the south coast of England, in a town called Eastbourne. Although I don’t feel it, I have just turned 67, and am semi-retired. Long gone are the days in my twenties when I travelled the world, although my wife and I do still treat ourselves to special holidays. We have just returned from the holiday of a lifetime, travelling down on the Orient Express to Venice, where we spent a couple of days, before moving on to Montreux in Switzerland and then returning home on the Eurostar. I have shared the photos on my Facebook page if any of your readers are interested (Robert Fear).

2. Synopsis of your books in one sentence.I have written two of my own memoirs, edited my late father’s memoir, and published six (soon to be eight) anthologies of other authors’ short stories.

3. What genre (s) do you write in?

Memoir, although I have recently started writing some fictional pieces.

4. What inspired or motivated you to write and produce your first book?

Fred’s Diary 1981: Travels in Asia is the edited version of a handwritten diary I kept during my time in South-East Asia between February and July 1981. It stretched to 600 pages of closely written detail.

I almost forgot about it for many years. It only appeared when friends asked to see it or to read it. In 2005, I started typing up my diary on the computer as I wanted to share my experiences with others. I got the first two months completed, but then ran out of motivation. Several years later, there was an article in a PC magazine about Kindle and self-publishing that sparked my interest.

The full version of Fred’s Diary 1981 came to market in December 2013 and sold well. It was a long book, though. The paperback ran to 564 pages and contained 165K words.

During the first few months of 2015, further editing took place and the second edition, released in October 2015, comprised less than 100K words, with 360 pages. It also had a professional edit and a sparkling new cover.

5. What message or lessons did you want your readers to take from your books?
Your dream can come true if you put your mind to it, although the outcome may surprise you.

6. Amongst all the books you published, what’s your favorite and why?
That would have to be my second memoir (although the events in it took place four years before my first one) – Summer of ‘77: Beaches, bars and boogie nights in Ibiza.

For a long time, I had been itching to write a memoir about the six months I spent on the Spanish island of Ibiza, when I was 21. I started planning the book in 2016. It was fortunate I still had the letters I received while working the season in Ibiza. Otherwise, I would have found it difficult remembering what happened forty years before. I transcribed the letters and created a timeline around them. This triggered memories of events from the time and I began writing.

After much prevarication and self-doubt, I completed the last chapter in May 2019. Then I began self-editing my words and making the story concise and readable. Next steps included the choice of a title, commissioning a cover design and creating the blurb. Then came a professional edit, which reduced the word count by 10% and gave a real polish to the memoir. I published the book in October 2019, on my 64th birthday.

7. How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Because my first book was in diary format, and I wanted to publish it that way, I missed out on various ways of making the narrative more interesting. These could have included the introduction of dialogue and more descriptive passages to draw the reader in to my story. When I wrote my second memoir, I used many more of these sorts of techniques to spice up the storyline and make it more of a page-turner.

8. What’s the most challenging aspect of writing for you?
Keeping motivated.

Fred’s Diary 1981 was relatively easy to transcribe and edit as the words were already there. The same was true of Exclusive Pedigree: My life in and out of the Brethren, as my father had already compiled much of the book before he died. Summer of ’77 was much more of a challenge. It took me over three years to get it written and published. There were times I wanted to give up, but I persevered and eventually achieved my goal.

9. What’s the most rewarding aspect of writing?
When readers and fellow authors give me positive feedback in the form of reviews. The value of these reviews to an author cannot be underestimated.

10. Do you write every day? If yes, how many hours or words do you write in a day?
Since publishing Summer of ’77, I have not had the desire to write another memoir, so my straightforward answer would have to be, ‘No, I do not write every day’. However, I have written some fictional short stories and recently completed a Novel Writing Diploma for which I received a ‘Distinction’. Whether I have the motivation and inspiration to write a full-length fictional book is another question though!

11. Are you currently working on a book at the moment?
Yes, I am.

Let me give you some background to the anthologies I have published and the two I am editing now:

While working on the second edition of my memoir, Fred’s Diary 1981, in early 2015, I began a blog to help with the editing process. To encourage people to visit my website fd81.net, I started a travel story competition. It was such a success that I ran another one for travel highlights. That went well too, and a selection of these were self-published in a book called Travel Stories and Highlights.

In 2016, I repeated the contests. Again, there were lots of fantastic entries, and I released a 2017 edition, which included the best contributions from the first two years. 2017 and 2018 saw the competitions have continued success. This led to publication of the 2018 and 2019 editions of Travel Stories and Highlights.

In 2019, I changed the format, and introduced an Authors Showcase. An anthology entitled 40 Memorable Life Experiences: 2020 Edition was the result. The 2020 showcase resulted in another compilation, 40 Inspirational True Stories: 2021 Edition. Last year’s showcase stories were incorporated into a further book, 40 Life Changing Events: 2022 Edition.

This year has seen another change in direction on the blog, with the creation of a 2022 Creative Writing Showcase containing Memoir and Fiction sections, plus more relaxed guidelines on the maximum word count. There has been a fantastic response, and the new book, 50 Intriguing Personal Insights: 2023 Edition, will contain the best of the memoir contributions. A smaller anthology of the fiction submissions is also in the pipeline and will be called 15 Fascinating Fictional Tales: 2023 Edition.

12. If you are not writing, what are you doing?
You may remember from my introduction that I said I was semi-retired.

My ‘day job’ for the past twenty years involved the provision of consultancy and training on numerous accounting software projects. Prior to that, I worked as a company accountant.

Since finishing my last contract at the end of April, I had planned to retire and have had a life of comparative leisure for the past six months. However, I enjoyed the work I was doing and when the last company I worked for offered me a one-year contract part time (3 days a week) I accepted and am now working again.

I also do some voluntary work as a Trustee for the Eastbourne Citizens Advice charity and have just been appointed as their Treasurer.

13. What would you advise emerging Indie authors?
Don’t try doing everything yourself (as I first did).

Get involved with fellow readers and authors, listen to their advice, and learn from others’ experiences. Employ the best editor and cover designer you can afford. When you hit that ‘Publish’ button, your book should look and feel as professional as possible.

If you are writing a memoir and are on Facebook, join the friendliest and most welcoming group on there (I know you will agree Mitos) – We Love Memoirs. They also have an Authors Group and a Beta Readers Group, which you can get involved with.

14. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I don’t think my younger self would listen, but…

‘You only live once. Don’t waste valuable time regretting things you have done and prevaricating over things you still want to achieve.’

15. What does your typical day look like?
It varies.

If I am working, then all my tasks are done remotely, so I will be at my desk in my study on the computer or in meetings.

Otherwise, I am a keen walker and photographer, and there are many places around Eastbourne and the surrounding countryside that I enjoy exploring.

16. What are you reading right now?
Legacy, the fourth and final part of the ‘Project Renova’ series by Terry Tyler.

17. If you were a fruit or a vegetable, what would you want to be and why?
A ripe orange. Easy to peel with juicy segments inside.

Here’s a link to Robert Fear’s Amazon page: viewauthor.at/RobertFear

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I am proud to announce that my story has been selected in Robert’s recently released anthology “50 Intriguing Personal Insights 2023 Edition.”

It is AVAILABLE TO PRE – ORDER NOW!!!!!

The 2023 Edition of 50 Intriguing Personal Insights, edited by Robert Fear and featuring writing from many of my favorite authors, who contributed to the 2022 Creative Writing Showcase, is available to pre-order now on Amazon Kindle. The release date is December 10th.

You can reserve your copy here: mybook.to/50IPI at the special launch price of only £2.49 ($2.99).

A paperback version can already be purchased via this link: mybook.to/50IPI-PB.

What are you reading today?
Guess, what I am reading? I won Robert’s book from a WLM contest and took it all the way with me to Morocco.

Here’s my 5 Star Review of Robert’s Fear’s book, “Summer of 77, Beaches, bars and boogie nights” in Ibiza posted at Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub.

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Summer of 77, Beaches, Bars and Boogie Nights in Ibiza’. It didn’t disappoint. I’ve heard so much about Ibiza, but I was unable to visit when I had the opportunity while living in Germany in the 80s. It was the legendary go-to place for people who wanted to get wild and party. It sounded a lot like spring-break in Cancun Mexico, albeit more sophisticated. Robert aka Fred shows us that even back then, there was a world of adventure just outside your door and slightly left of your comfort zone.

Reading Robert Fear’s memoir confirmed for me that all I’d heard about Ibiza was true. The narration of his own two week holiday with his friends was descriptive and stunning. His return to Ibiza alone to work for 6 months integrated him into the scene and now we know more about the backend stories of the events. He immersed himself in the Ibiza culture; I think that’s the best way to really know the place and the people.

What happens in Ibiza stays in Ibiza, right? Luckily for us, this book is an honest accounting of Fred’s work, his finances, and his affairs. It’s possible to live the Ibiza experience vicariously through Fred’s intimate storytelling. His letters from home were grounding. His recounted details were colorful and intriguing by contrast. Both were engaging and well written. His book is a time capsule unearthed from the summer of 1977. I love the familiar songs and the bands he mentiones that I haven’t thought of in a long time. It brings out the melancholy and nostalgy of those years. I highly recommend this ‘coming of age’ memoir. Fear’s book shows how that even in these times there is an alternative world of opportunities, travel, and exploits when you pursue your dreams!

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You may secure your copies here.
Amazon.com: Summer of ’77: Beaches, bars and boogie nights in Ibiza eBook : Fear, Robert: Kindle Store