THE BEARGRRRIANS ARE BACK
Hello beasties...
This time I present for you another interview with me that was recently published in the BEARGRRRIAN GAZETTE... I get to talk about what I've published during 2015 - upcoming projects that I aim to unleash during 2016 - not to mention gigs, trips and collaborations that may be in store.
Brace yourselves - here we go!!
A NINTH SLIGHTLY-OVER 60 SECOND CHAT WITH SHY YETI
Here
is recent interview from Beargrrria’s top magazine for chat; THE GROWL GAZETTE.
They know me there due to my dubious connection with Beargrrrian superstar,
Charlie Grrr. This is the ninth time that they have interviewed me over the
last few years! They really MUST be short of people to speak to. This time I’m mainly
discussing what I’ve published this year and what is yet to come. So, here’s
what they asked and what I said in reply; straight from the yeti’s mouth, as it
were!!!
Q.
Welcome Mr Yeti!
Hello… It’s absolutely fantabulous to be back!
Q.
To begin, please can you tell us about the books that you’ve published in 2015?
A.
Certainly. I didn’t complete quite as many projects as I was hoping to – but
all the same I released three titles this year, the third and fourth seasons of
THE BEAST OF FRIENDS and the 10th anniversary edition of
POETIQUETTE. I also combined the 4 seasons of BEAST into one compilation, which
was probably the most exciting thing for me. The other projects that I had hoped
to complete were a new book of prose and poetry and also a Mouse of Commons
short story collection, but they will have to wait until 2016. There were a few
months whilst I’ve been ill this year where I’ve worked on my writing projects
but not seemed to move forward a great deal – but I really spent some quality
time on getting POETIQUETTE finished in August and then in completing BEAST 4
in September. In turn, once I’d finished POETIQUETTE it allowed me to begin
arranging my Poetry Café show to celebrate the 10th anniversary of
that collection; I was determined that I would do, at least, one show this year
– stupid, awkward, clumsy bandaged legs or not! I’m very glad that I kept to
that too. P.S. Sorry legs… It’s not strictly your fault, but here is not the
place to discuss that!
Q.
How did it feel to finally release the fourth season of THE BEAST OF FRIENDS;
especially considering that it is pretty much the end of the series?
A.
Aside from completing the re-issue of my first eight poetry books by releasing
POETIQUETTE – completing and releasing BEAST 4 gave me a very satisfied
feeling. It allowed me to compile all four seasons into one volume and to cast
an eye over the events of the whole series. Of course I know that the story is
not completely over yet – what with the spin-off shows and the like, but it is
the end of a this chapter. It’s funny how much this project has taken over my
writing life over the last few years – especially considering that I had
initially abandoned it; but I’m glad it did.
Q. A little bird
tells us that you actually have one further script still to publish under the
BEAST OF FRIENDS banner… Can you tell us more about that?
A.
Yes, I can confirm that there is another script to come – to date it is the
last BEAST script and is what is sometimes termed a “missing adventure” – one
that occurred during the original run of the series, but which we were not
party to at the time. In the case of the new script the story takes place
sometime before the events of season three – before Horner met his wife-to-be,
Suzette – but after Clive and Cromitty have left the house to seek their fame
and fortunes. It therefore features Horner, Katrina, Warren and Clive – whilst
there are also linking scenes at the beginning and end that take place some
while in the future – maybe even after the events of the spin-off series. The script
is mainly set in Venice and some of it was written there too, back in November
2014 – although it took until early 2015 for me to complete the first draft.
The subtitle is LADY DON’T FALL BACKWARDS and it is semi-spoof of 1970s Italian
giallo movies – and although I hope that the plot is not as confusing and
incoherent as many of those films, I do aim for the plot to have certain about
of confusing twists and turns!
Q. Will that
definitely be the last project we see under the BEAST banner?
I’m
not sure I can confirm or deny that either way, as there is no reason why I
couldn’t return to BEAST in some temporary or more permanent fashion, in the
future. All I can say is that for the moment I am not planning any further
BEAST scripts. This is made easier by enjoying working with many of those
characters in the two spinoff series – but I’m certainly not against reuniting
the BEAST team in some way or another. It would be easier to do that by having
Horner join the gang from KENSINGTON GORE, say – rather than going back to
BEAST – as the reason that they were together in that series was due to their
domestic arrangements as they lived under the same roof; but I suppose they
could do that again! Of course I could just write another “missing adventure”,
but too many of those could be confusing!
Q. Are you
excited about releasing the first seasons of these spin-off shows? Can you give
us any more info now that BEAST is done?
A.
Yes, I am excited and yes - I am finally allowed to tell you more about what is
to come. The first of these series is called HOT STUFF!! and it features
Horner, from BEAST, who is now working at a library where a friend of his has
died suspiciously in a fire… The rest of the characters are mostly the library
staff as they investigate how the fire started and what those who caused it
were after. I won’t say any more for now – but expect more information soon!
The first season of HOT STUFF!! is due out in mid-January – it’ll be nice to
have something new to start off 2016 with.
The
second series is called KENSINGTON GORE and it’s based in London – with BEAST
regulars Katrina, Warren and Lucy as the three main characters – not to mention
Warren’s troublesome mother, Ashley. Katrina, Warren and Lucy now work for a
shadowy government organisation that observes those who dwell in an area of
London known as Kensington Gore, near the Royal Albert Hall – an upmarket block
of flats that seems to attract all manner of weird and wonderful tenants. In
the first season we meet a number of these – encounter vampire cows and also a
gentleman named Jack who has his eye firmly fixed on Lucy; but why!? I’m over
half-way through final proofreading and expect the first season to be out March/April
time.
Q. Do these new
series have a finite length? Do you know how many seasons you plan to write for
each or will you just see how things go?
A.
I initially committed myself to writing at least three season of both series –
however I have almost finished the third series of HOT STUFF!!, whilst readying
myself to start the third season of KENSINGTON GORE. With HOT STUFF!! I was
definitely torn between calling it a day and continuing, but with a shake-up of
characters for a fourth season – and I’ve just decided to go for that second
option as I have ideas that fit well into the format of the show. I must admit
that I do like writing stories set in a library, being as I work in one myself.
As for KENSINGTON GORE continuing beyond a third season I think I’ll decide on that
once I’m closer to the end of writing the next batch of scripts. Again, it’s a
series that allows for a wide range of stories – and I don’t want to finish it
just for the sake of finishing it – but also don’t want to drag it out if I
have nothing more I want to write about those characters. We shall see!
Additionally, I am still considering a new project involving Horner, as I have
already begun playing around with ideas for this on my blog: www.shyyeti.com
Q. What would
this Horner spin-off series involve?
A.
Zombies; at least one of the stories would. I’ve been writing diary entry style
stories concerning this on my blog over the autumn. My main stumbling block is
who the other characters would be in a series like this and I do enjoy writing
with a continuing team as with BEAST, HOT STUFF!! or KENSINGTON GORE. I’m not
sure I want to invent a whole crew of new characters for each story – as a
writer I enjoy getting to know the characters over a longer time as you write
for them. That said, at the moment that series is provisionally entitled HORNER
VERSUS… It would feature Horner encountering a particular foe – the first story
would probably be made up of eight scripts and would involve him encountering
some zombies who consider that they should have rights, not to mention a
protest group of extreme liberals who support them. This could easily become a
series where Horner encounters different adversaries with each story and I
imagine that there is also mileage for returning characters from the other
associated shows that I’ve written in recent years, as well as inventing a few
new characters too. I have also been toying with the zombie idea as the potential
4th season of HOT STUFF!!, so we’ll see what happens; that’s not to
say that Horner won’t get his own series one day.
Q.
What will be the first project that you release in 2016?
A.
Well – I’ve mainly been working on the later seasons of my script-projects and
at the same time getting the first seasons of both HOT STUFF!! and KENSINGTON
GORE ready to publish – so that these will be my first releases of 2016. Originally
I intended to release them on the same day, however I’ve actually finished HOT STUFF!!
Season one, with a good third of KENSINGTON GORE – Season One yet to finish
proofreading. The two series don’t run completely in parallel time-wise anyway,
with HOT STUFF!! Season One going on immediately after BEAST – Season 4, whilst
the first scripts of KENSINGTON GORE occurring a month or two later. The short
answer is that I’ll probably release HOT STUFF!! Season One in mid-January and
then KENSINGTON GORE – Season One in either March or April and then we’ll see
how it goes from there as to when the second seasons of both are ready to
emerge. As I write, the first draft of HOT STUFF!! Season 3 is very nearly written,
whilst I’ve just begun the third batch of KENSINGTON GORE scripts.
Q. You've not published a Mouse Of Commons book in a while - is there more still to come from Gladstone McWhiskers?
A. Definitely… I had hoped that THREE TAILS ARE BETTER THAN ONE, a book of short stories, would be ready by the end of 2015 – but I’ve not quite reached that stage, yet. I’d like it out by next year as in 2016 it will be 10 years since the first Mouse novels started being published on Lulu.com. Once that is done I will be focusing on a new novel – which I am already about half way through writing.
Q.
Were you also pleased to conclude your poetry re-issue project this year? What
next for your poetry?
A.
It was lovely to be able to re-release POETIQUETTE this year, even if it was a
little late – and also to perform a show in its honour at the very end of
October. As for next year, there is a collection of new poems and stories – A
YETI WAY OF THINKING – that has been almost ready to release for a couple of
years now and I am aiming to get that released before the summer. As for
further re-issues – the next volumes are less in need of re-issuing, although
on the other hand the later books are amongst my favourites and it would be
nice to celebrate their 10th anniversaries as they roll by. POEMS TO
MAKE BEARS GROWL is the next volume to reach that mile-stone - with RHYMES
BEARS STEAL PIES FOR following in 2017.
Q.
Talking of anniversaries, how did the Poetry Café show go for POETIQUETTE?
A.
This year, due to ill-health, I knew I wouldn’t be pursuing many live
engagements – but I did want to try and do, at least, one show and it made
sense to celebrate the 10th anniversary of POETIQUETTE – which we
eventually did on the 29th October 2015. It went extremely well and
not only did I get to read a lot of my favourite pieces, but John Smallshaw performed
a strong selection of his work, old and new. We also had a nice group of
open-mic readers which made the evening all the more fun. Hopefully we’ll return to the
Poetry Café in maybe April or May – in time to celebrate the release of A YETI
WAY OF THINKING, if it’s ready by that stage.
Q.
Will we ever see any more Yeti videos?
A.
It’s possible, but not my top priority – that said, even if I don’t film any
new episodes there are still a number in the archives that were filmed but
never edited. It would be good to get those completed eventually. In the same
vein, I also started recording a third audio album of my poems and would like
to complete that too.
Q.
This year you have been using your blog to release new poems and prose – what
made you decide to do so?
A.
Partly my travels and partly the fact that I wanted content for my blog. Even
though I’ve not been well for much of 2015 I have still managed to travel and I
have been keen to keep up with writing my blog. I’m not writing it every week,
but have kept up pretty well with posting on a fortnightly basis. I’ve also
managed to write more than a dozen new pieces and hope to continue to do so in
2016. The way I look at it, in two or three years I may well have enough to
publish the follow-up to A YETI WAY OF THINKING, not that there is any rush.
I’ve not been in a particularly verse-writing mood this year, although there
have been one or two - whilst my main focus continues to be the script books.
As well as using my blog to advertise shows and book releases, I have
intertwined it with holidays to share photos and to write stories inspired by
these trips – also including travel diaries and some spin-offs relating to THE
BEAST OF FRIENDS.
Q. Where was
your most recent trip to and do you have any locations in mind for 2016.
A.
Well, other than my long weekend in Dartmouth in early October I also visited
Lyon for my birthday in mid-ish November and that went extremely well – I got
three blog posts out of that holiday… Aside from lots of lovely sunny photos I
wrote a real-life diary post, a sequel (involving Horner) following on from
what I wrote in Dartmouth and also a prose piece. Despite still being quite
bandaged up, I managed to have a really nice time – and the weather (and the
company! Thanks Toby!) definitely went a long way towards making that so.
Nothing is booked yet for 2016, but Luxembourg and Jersey have been mentioned
as possible locations. I must say I am beginning to miss Venice, so may have to
find an excuse to get back there! The BEAST movie script is set out there, of
course – I’ll need to go and take more photos to compliment that once it’s
finished. Right? RIGHT!!
Q.
Definitely! Thank you for talking to us, Mr Yeti. See you again in 2016!
A.
Absolutely It’s always a pleasure to speak with you all!
So, there you
have it! Next time I suppose we will probably have to start getting Christmassy
– it’s my least favourite season but I will do my best, I promise!
More soon! Yeti
hugs, Paul xx
This Post and all contents are Copyright Paul Chandler, 2015.
