Mac Black

My new story... written for Grown-Ups for a change!

Having a loft or attic is certainly handy when it comes to storing bits and pieces that probably should just have been thrown out at the time. Up through the hatch goes the item, and...

Out of sight and out of mind!

Very often the stuff is forgotten about and left for someone else in the family to have to clear out - usually of the next generation.

Also it is common that, when the curious one in the family decides to create a family tree, too late they realise that the person who knew a lot of the answers about their ancestors, is no longer alive to question!

That was the premise I used for my latest story ‘Lofty Issues’.

‘Lofty Issues’ is the tale of a Scottish family, the Findlays, a family who are living in Glasgow in 2009, and it tells of their visits to a loft that caused them considerable concern. And it was all due to a dead relative – who’d been rather imaginative and mischievous when alive having chosen to continue that behaviour – from beyond the grave...

About the Derek Series (for Adults and Young Adults)

It was a sudden panicky thought…

What if Derek were to write about me, Mac Black – in the same way as I have written about him for four years? Would he be kind and considerate and say only nice things – or would he exaggerate every little fault, and create ridiculous situations to cause me embarrassment – just as I have done about him in each of the books? Of course, he couldn’t avoid telling the world some simple truths: that I, Mac Black, sometimes known as Macquarrie, am a Scot who writes modern humorous fiction – including the series of five stories about him, Derek Toozlethwaite.

Being his creator, Derek’s adventures were destined by me – but maybe I shouldn’t have landed him with that ridiculous nickname – Sweaty – I feel guilty about that. He will never forgive me – but it does help to make the stories amusing. So, to make up to him, it has been arranged for the cover of book one, Please… call me Derek, to be changed, so that he is no longer portrayed as the soppy young innocent with a placard. I suppose Derek will never look really ‘cool’, but at least he will be seen as the adult he now is – and I hope he appreciates it!

Anyway, he shouldn’t be complaining. To be the ‘hero’ in each book can’t be bad – though is ‘hero’ the correct word…? ‘Fall guy’ perhaps? He should be grateful that I created him and gave him a life, even though I’ve landed him in many awkward situations – it has all been in the cause of humour! And he isn’t a loser all of the time. Derek may suffer during these tales but, when I tie everything together at the conclusion of each story, he has usually won, hasn’t he?

Well… no, maybe he hasn’t… Come to think of it, though the stories are self-contained, each ends as a taster for the following book, and readers get a glimpse of the next deep hole he is having to climb from! However, with the last book in the series having been published, he would have to admit that, in Derek Takes Action, I have done him proud and let him, for once, fly high. So, why should he want to say unkind things about me?

Wait a minute, what am I worried about? He is my character! I am Mac Black – I am the author!

I have control! Haven’t I…?