Eleven
I’ve still got a baby. He’s one day old. I can’t keep blogging about that every day though, or I’ll become one of these people who endlessly bang on about a common experience which they seem to feel nobody else has ever had. The last thing anyone wants from this blog is for it to become self-serving and arrogant. So let’s talk about my new book. Haha.
I’ve been uneasy about raising the subject of my novel directly, because I don’t want the whole of this blog to seem like an excuse for a clumsy series of plugs. At the same time, I’d really like people to read the book, and it seems perverse to gloss over that desire out of some English instinct to become all coy and mutter ‘sorry, I’ve written a book, I admit it, but by all means let’s pretend it never happen, I can only apologise.’ So, as a compromise, I thought I’d do an occasional series of blogs talking about the book, what led me to write it, how I wrote it, what it’s like trying to get a book published, whether I hate anyone in particular in the publishing industry, and so on. This way I’m implicitly advertising it, but in the guise of a nice pleasant chat rather than heartless salesmanship. See?
To start with, the basics. The book is called ‘Eleven’. The main character lives at number 11 and roughly eleven important things happen in it. It’ll be published in the UK in August (you can already order it at http://tiny.cc/elevenmarkwatson, though, and it would be idle to pretend that I wouldn’t love you to do just that). Then in 2011 it’ll come out in Australia, the US, France and Germany - where, amusingly, I imagine its title will be translated as ‘Elf’.
The story is all about a late-night radio DJ who hosts one of these shows where people phone in and talk about their problems. You might remember ‘Late Night Love’ with the silky-voiced Graham Torrington, or have listened to an old guy talking about his collection of stag beetles to a weary presenter at 2am, while driving home from Edinburgh. I’ve always been fascinated both by the massive range of human activity which continues while we’re all meant to be asleep, and by the strange ways that our little lives all relate to each other – you hear someone on the radio, or overtake them on the motorway, and then 20 years later you’re sitting next to them at a wedding… all that sort of thing.
So the book is partly about that, and partly about facing up to your darkest regrets, which is what the main character is forced to do as the story unfolds. I’m not going to say too much more about the ‘themes’ of the book, because there’s no surer way to make something sound shit than to say ‘well, it’s sort of about this and sort of about that.’ Reservoir Dogs: ‘well, it’s about these guys and there’s some shooting’. Avatar: ‘well, it’s about these blue people’. War And Peace: ‘well, there’s this war’. And so on. But I will continue to drip-feed morsels of information into your bloodstream like this, until, come August, it is physiologically impossible for you not to get the book, and you end up committing violence to lay hands on a copy. Think of the publicity. Mmm.
Well, it ended up being quite brazen, this first instalment of book-plugging. But I’ve got quite a lot invested in its success; invested emotionally, that is, not literally – it’s not one of those situations where someone pays for their own book to be published. It did nearly come to that at one point. But that’s another story. More on this next week. There’s absolutely no pressure to go to Amazon and look it up. But you could just let the idea very gradually start to sink into your brain.
Posted by Rita on July 2, 2010
I also was a fan of local radio late night listening, until they changed the DJ with a nice, soothing voice- excellent programme as well, with the presenter and friends screeching and talking over one another, which was a switch off for me, I’m afraid – I couldn’t sleep after listening to it.
Posted by 2010 IS A BIG YEAR FOR MARK WATSON « Jessica Craig’s Foreign Rights Blog on February 26, 2010
[...] novels that are currently available. You can read more about ELEVEN and Mark Watson on his blog here. Meanwhile, in October 2010, Mark begins a 60-date solo stand-up comedy tour playing to over 90,000 [...]
Posted by Helen on February 25, 2010
Hello there,
Firstly, I have just pre-ordered ‘Eleven’ and am really quite looking forward to getting my hands on a copy. I too am fascinated by the ‘pass on motorway – wedding’ scenario – I love the idea I have alredy walked past/sat next to/admired the scarf of a future friend or partner.
Also, I am rather fond of this blog and have managed to weave reading it into my daily life. It’s up there with the likes of teeth brushing, talking, tea drinking and typing lists beginning with t. Oh and I hope that all is going well with the baby – congratulations!
Lastly, I saw the thing you did for the book club tv and thought of one of my favourite words – sesquipedalian = using long words. x
Posted by Jacobunny on February 25, 2010
Sounds like an interesting read. I remember near the end of high school being annoying shits and ringing up conservative older audience talkback shows in the wee hours and making statements/telling stories just to wind up the listeners and laugh at their tirades over the next hour or so…those were the days…now we’ve got kids and watch parliamentary TV and the like. Who’d have thought…
Posted by Paul Parry on February 25, 2010
Elf is good for Germany. In Spain it will be “Once”.
Posted by Misha on February 25, 2010
I look forward to this then, having been a big fan of local late night radio for years until they changed to a DJ with a non-soothing voice.
Posted by Tom Beasley on February 25, 2010
That sounds like an intriguing concept for a novel. As someone who currently has a novel stewing and going nowhere, publishing tips would be a welcome addition to this blog.
Posted by Gareth on February 25, 2010
I accidentally wrote Geoff Torrington in my previous comment. Clearly a memorable guy. I must have been thinking of the Whitbread-winning novelist Jeff Torrington, who would have been an interesting and potentially foul-mouthed guest host of Late Night Love.
Posted by Rachael on February 25, 2010
I imagine Graham Torrington’s voice would be ideal to narrate nightmares.
Posted by Aislinn on February 25, 2010
Not pre-ordering?! Screw that! I’ll pre-order it! Now! Yeahh! More exclamation marks!!
Posted by Gareth on February 25, 2010
Geoff Torrington! That’s a blast from the past. Growing up in Frome, I used to listen to him on GWR while I was in bed worrying about the homework I hadn’t done.
I’m not a pre-orderer, but rest assured I will be buying a copy on publication.
Posted by Kevin on February 25, 2010
Will be sure to pick up a copy when it comes out, and maybe even honour it with a review in my university newspaper. And Phil, as to pre-ordering, this Christmas my mother bought me tickets to a Peter Kay show in the summer of 2011…
Posted by Sam on February 25, 2010
You mentioned how someone mgiht “overtake them on the motorway, and then 20 years later you’re sitting next to them at a wedding… all that sort of thing.”
Has anything like that ever happened? And if so how would they know?
This perplexes me, however if it is answered in your book then I’m expecting great things from the book.
Posted by Fez on February 25, 2010
I will read it but I might get the library to order one. Sorry if that cuts your sales numbers but in consideration of “Crap at the Environment” (which I did buy) seems the right thing to do. Any chance of a CATE sequel?
Posted by Joelle on February 25, 2010
I’ve told myself that I will learn to have control and wait until it comes out in Australia to buy it. My birthday is in August though. I don’t like my chances of lasting until 2011.
Enough of me though, I think the book sounds great and I can’t wait to read it as all of your other books are amazing.
I hope you mean 11 majoy events though as 11 events including drinking some juice could make for quite a story…
Posted by Phill on February 25, 2010
Looking forward to this, although I probably won’t pre-order it just yet. (there just seems something wrong about pre-ordering something six months in advance. Even for a book by Mark Watson).
Posted by Emma on February 25, 2010
Woah, Graham Torrington! I thought I just dreamt that he existed, because I’ve never heard any mention of him anywhere, ever. I sort of loved to hate him.
I’m not going to pre-order your book, I’m going to buy it from my delightful local independent bookshop come August. So, every time you look at your ranking on Amazon, you can mentally raise that number by 1 on behalf of me
Posted by Sarah on February 25, 2010
Book sounds good but the thing about the blue people, Avatar? Now that sounds great!
Posted by Ian on February 25, 2010
Oddly, I DO remember ‘Late Night Love’ with Graham Torrington. I was mildly obsessed with it back in about ‘96. That and Mel Everett presenting the top 40.
Also pre-ordered you book – clearly the slow seeping plan was much more effective on me…
Posted by Elizabeth on February 25, 2010
If it has that effect on people waiting until August, imagine what us poor bastards in the US France and Germany will be going through!
Posted by lisa on February 25, 2010
sounds great mark
might have to order it to england and get someone to send it over, dont know if i can wait til 2011! 
x
Posted by Meg on February 25, 2010
Ooh, so it is eventually coming out in America? *dances* I might even have some money by then, enough to buy a book at least XD
Posted by Samuel on February 25, 2010
Thoroughly looking forward to this. Sounds ace. I’m sure you’ll show those ex-publishers of yours. Thanks for cheering me up after the curling and congrats again on the production of a miniature you.