It’s a riot, writing in retirement!

How many people, particularly retired people, think that they should write a book and then wonder if they could write a book? Quite a few I bet!

I started writing books for students in Papua New Guinea a year before I retired and then tired of it after a few years but I still had a very strong desire to write what I then referred to as a REAL book!

Writing textbooks certainly doesn’t train you to write a biography. I had to learn how! The first real book I wrote was Digger’s Story, the biography of World War 2 veteran David (Digger) Barrett.

“This happened because it was destined to happen”, David would say. David moved into the unit above mine at The Terraces retirement village, just south of Brisbane in 2008. We quickly became friends. It took David and I a full four years to complete the book. It was published in August 2012 and David died a month before that in the July.

David (left), Brian (right)

But he held the book in his hand and never was anyone so proud as he!

We, (David’s estate and I) made some money off that book but not in lottery proportions and it is still selling quietly. But David and I had some great times writing the book. We were both involved in the research for example and would discuss and argue about what we had found out or where to find it or whether it was relevant. We used the phone quite a bit but usually email. David had no time for older people who said they couldn’t use a computer! We also had a very structured system for getting what was in David’s head into my head and then down on paper. It involved a cheap but very efficient little recorder, two very comfortable chairs at David’s dining table and many bottles of the best (always the best) red wine supplied by David. I would climb up to his unit on a Sunday afternoon. He would open the bottle as I set up the recorder and then we would sit at his table and talk about his experiences.

There was nothing methodical about what we talked about; it was just how the mood took us. And then as the level in the bottle neared the bottom I would know it was nearly teatime and I would say goodbye and carefully descend the stairs, precious recorder in hand. I would leave the transcription until the following morning. I’ve still got these recordings. There might even be another book in them!

Now, David and I were extremely lucky to get a literary agent and then a publisher for Digger’s Story. This took a great deal of work and about three years of searching and writing proposals.

My next book, which is only just published, is a comedy. Neither the literary agent nor the publisher for Digger’s Story were interested in publishing a book of 15 short amusing stories about life in a retirement village. No way! So I and my writing partner in this project, Ron Smallwood, asked the help of another friend and we self published Riotous Retirement. Anyone can do this. You just need to learn how or have a good friend who knows how.

Ron is the salesman for this project and he, his wife, and another friend are planning to go around all the retirement villages in Queensland, or those they are invited to at least, to entertain the residents and to sell our book Riotous Retirement.

Just read the review from Thelma Williams who lives at Peninsular Park Retirement Village. It appears that reading Riotous Retirement is almost, but not quite as exciting as viewing a Bronco’s match! To understand the review fully you must read the book of course.

Enjoy your future reading and if you’re thinking about writing perhaps you should give it a go NOW! I am happy to talk at any time. Just email me at [email protected]

Digger’s Story is available on Booktopia, all  eBook suppliers or alternatively you can order it directly from Brian. A signed copy including postage anywhere in Australia will cost $33.00.

Riotous Retirement is available at very few bookshops but will soon be available at more. It will also be available shortly on Amazon and at all other eBook outlets. It is also available to order directly from Brian. A signed copy including postage anywhere in Australia will cost $25.00.

You can also contact Ron Smallwood on 0490 059 500 if you would like the Riotous Retirement entertainment group to create a riot at your retirement village.