It’s ‘All My Colors’ by David Quantick

Locally based Emmy award-winning screenwriter and author, David Quantick, acclaimed for In the Thick of It and Veep talks to Angela J. Phillip about his latest book and how it came about.

Hi, David. Congratulations on your well deserved success with All My Colors which has rocketing sales worldwide. Can you say a little bit about the stunning plot that makes us sigh with an ‘ah yes’ when we hear what it is?

 Thanks! I hope it is number one in everyone’s heart, and wallet. The story of All My Colors is a simple one: a man called Todd, who’s a terrible man and a worse writer, realises that he knows of a book called All My Colors, which he remembers as a famous book, but nobody else has heard of it. Todd needs money, and he can remember the book almost word for word, so he writes it. At first things go well – but then…

David Quantick at book launch

Was your writing process for this book in any way like that experienced by Todd, the writer in the novel? And did your publications ‘How to write everything’ and ‘How to be a writer’ in any way help to give birth to this book?

I wrote All My Colors very quickly, but I wasn’t possessed by a mysterious spirit that made me wear adult diapers. But the interviews I did with various authors, screenwriters and playwrights for my writing manuals were very helpful.

I notice that in your early career you wrote for NME (New Musical Express). Do you (or did you) play and sing in a band yourself? And who are your favourite artists? Did interviewing particular musicians change your opinion or enjoyment of their music?  

I was in a band at school called Furious Baton Charge, who never played or made a record. And later I was in a band called The Skag-Faced Acne Terrorists, led by my friend Steven Wells, who did a gig after I left. I love the Beatles, David Bowie and Buzzcocks, as well as New Order, the Pet Shop Boys and a million others. Sometimes musicians were like their music, but there’s no real correlation between an artist and their music, pleasantness wise. I would hope not, anyway.

David Quantick

You are a prolific writer. Could you say a little about your switch from music journalism to a career in radio, tv and internet shows?

I didn’t switch so much as do both. I sent sketches to Spitting Image when I was writing for NME and I used to do funny stuff in the NME, which led to Armando Iannucci asking Steven Wells and me to work on On The Hour. I still write for magazines like Mojo, Record Mirror and Classic Rock.

 You are an Emmy award-winning writer for Veep. Which did you prefer – In the thick of it or Veep? Are there significant differences between UK and US audiences?

I like them both, and was very lucky and happy to write on both shows. American and British humour is all entangled now, and they like our stuff almost as much as we like theirs. The only difference is in some references and the odd word: Americans, I was told, don’t use the word “keen”, for example.

All My Colors has been described as a mix of comedy, horror and a morality tale. Which do you think is the best description? And did you laugh out loud while you were writing it?

 I just thought it was horrible. I’m surprised people laughed. They must be deeply sick.

What are you working on at present? Are you planning a sequel?

I’m working on bits here and there, including a different book idea. I’d love to do a sequel to All My Colors every year but others might disagree. Also, I put a new short story – free to download – on my website. www.davidquantick.com, every month.

Thanks so much, David, for talking about your writing. I’d like to wish you all the very best with All My Colors and with whatever you do next.

Thanks! It’s been a pleasure.

David Quantick’s book launch took place on April 17th hosted by Printed Matter Bookshop, 185 Queens Rd, Hastings. See below for pictures from the event where David read extracts from his book and answered questions from the audience.

In the News
The best Children’s Books
What made you start reading when you were a kid? When I was very small I loved Barbar the Elephant stories by Jean de Brunhoff. I don’t know where my parents got these books from but they were large and shabby looking. Inside they had marvellous pictures and the story was written in ‘real writing’. This was hard to read but somehow made me think that it was a special book in the author’s own handwriting. My second love was Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five. I loved these stories because they were for children, not adults. The kids ate peaches straight out of the tin.  In the Guardian, there is an article on how to turn kids into bookworms.

Eclection of Fairies by Glyn Carter

Glyn Carter’s ‘An Eclection of Fairies’ Book Launch
On May 1, 2019 The Bookkeeper Bookshop in St Leonards hosted the launch of film maker Glyn Carter’s first collection of short stories. ‘This is not a book for children,’ he told us and proceeded to hold us rapt while he read extracts from his stories.
Pictures of book launch
Stories into Light

Forthcoming
Literary Shed Writing Sessions run by A. Vasudevan
Two-hour weekly writing sessions in safe, creative spaces in Hastings and St Leonards
Thursday 23 May, 10–12 (free) at Bonjour, St Leonards
Thursday 30 May, 10–12 (free) at Hastings Central Library, 13 Claremont, 3rd floor, Hastings
On the first Thursday of each month, there is also a writing critique group in which members share work.
For further information, please email: aruna@theliteraryshed.co.uk, subject: WRITE-INS

Printed Matter Bookshop 185 Queens Rd, Hastings TN34 1RG
Mon 20 May, 6 pm PM Book Club discussing Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean
Tues 21 May, 6 pm Book talk with Christine Lindey author of Art for All
Wed 29 May, 6 pm Book talk with Keir Milburn on Generation Left

What are you reading?
What are you reading? Please share your pleasures and recommendations through the Facebook group Hastings Bookchat. And what got you reading when you were small? What do your kids read now?

Wild Metrics by Ken Edwards

Review of  ‘Wild Metrics’ by Ken Edwards
This week I read Wild Metrics that was featured recently in HOT Hastings Bookchat. It’s a marvellous book. Read the review – Read it! Read it! Read it! It’s ‘Wild Metrics’ by Ken Edwards and post any comments.

Blogging and Writing
Hello, writers. How is your writing going? I received an interesting post this week from NY Book Editors on how (and whether it is possible?) to write a book in one month. Here’s what they say on how to write a book in a month. The consensus seems to be that you have to aim to write so many words each day and set yourself a goal you can stick to. My own output varies although I aim for a minimum of 1,000 words a day. Can’t say that I always achieve it, sometimes it’s more, sometimes less but maybe all that matters it to have a goal and keep trying.

Happy reading and writing. See you next Tuesday.
Angela J.Phillip