Write about what really excites you
dubai — BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner was shot six times by a gang of terrorists as he was doing a television report in Saudi Arabia in 2004. He survived six bullets, seven months in hospital and 14 surgical operations.
He showed incredible bravery and determination to be back at his job reporting in a wheelchair. And Gardner says he is delighted to return to Dubai to attend the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.
“We spent three happy years living in Dubai, where both our children were born, and spent many happy hours in its bookshops,” he recollects. Gardner gives us a sneak peek into the sequel of his actionpacked debut novel Crisis.
“The sequel to Crisis is called Ultimatum and should be out later this year. I am obviously not going to give away the plot, but it features several places that UAE residents will recognise, including a certain art exhibition in Abu Dhabi. One of the best bits of advice someone gave me is to ‘write about what you know’”
He reveals how he came up with the idea for his book, Blood and Sand. “I was still in hospital at the time. As soon as the bullet wound on my shoulder healed enough for me to move my arm, I asked for a laptop. I wrote down my account of the attack that left my legs paralysed and then went on to describe the many happy experiences I have had learning Arabic around the Middle
Better a short, punchy 70,000-word book that lots of people enjoy than some weighty 600-page book that you felt did the subject justice but hardly anybody reads.” Frank Gardner, Author of Crisis
East, living with a poor Egyptian family in Gamaliya and with the Bani Huwaitat tribe in Jordan.”
Speaking about new projects, he said: “I am currently halfway through the adventure trilogy that my publishers have commissioned. I am thrilled that Crisis has made it to the top, becoming the UK’s No.1 bestselling fiction paperback, but this means the bar is high for the sequel. I cannot even begin to think of where I will set the third one until Ultimatum is finished and ready to hit the bookshelves.
“I would like to thank all the readers who have enjoyed my books. One day I should try to get Blood and Sand translated into Arabic as I would like more people in the region to see how someone coming from the UK has enjoyed the best of Arab culture and hospitality.”
Meanwhile, here is Gardner’s advice to budding writers, “Write about what excites you. Get a good agent and don’t be afraid to trim it back in the edit. Better a short, punchy 70,000-word book that lots of people enjoy than some weighty 600-page book that you felt did the subject justice but hardly anybody reads!”