Author Life - Bard

Bard, the author of The River  released his book in March 2020. We wanted to catch up with the new author and see how life had been treating him since she was published.

Did you always dream of becoming an author?

Yes. From the moment I could read I wanted to write.

What was your first job?

Teaching English at a Dutch high school.

How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?

I was working on a series of blogs and was looking for a good metaphor for the underlying theme of some of the stories. While I was trying out different metaphors, one just started writing itself and turned into a story that stood on its own. I liked it so much as a separate story, I decided to add illustrations and publish it as a kind of literary meditation on the cycles of life.

What was your life like before you became an author?

The best way to describe my life is ‘unpredictable’. I have had many professions (though most were related to IT somehow), I have lived in many places, became Australian, travelled around the world, visited hundreds of places, and talked to thousands of people. I don’t think becoming an author has changed any of that, apart from reducing how much I travel.

Did you face any struggles before becoming an author? If so, how did you overcome them?

For me, there were two major struggles to overcome. One was the always nagging doubts whether I had anything of value to say. Whenever I wrote something down, it seemed trite or too obvious. Nothing seemed to come close to the sense of awe and admiration I felt for other books I read. It was only much later in life that it dawned on me that many authors of great books are not all that much impressed by their own works either. As it turns out, being an artist means having to live with the imperfections and shortcomings of your own art that others don’t see or choose to ignore. Once that sunk in, I have become a little bit more relaxed about writing something that is just ‘OK’ in my own eyes.

The other obstacle was simply finding the time to produce the finished product. I actually had to quit my job and live off my savings for almost a year to create the space I needed to put down on paper what I had in mind. I am still struggling to combine earning a living with having time to do any serious writing.

Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all?

It’s too recent to tell, really. I am beginning to get some positive feedback from people, but on the whole my life continues as it was before. On the inside, however, it has given me enormous satisfaction to see the finished book in print. It feels good to produce something you can be proud of.

Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?

I work from home (independent of the Corona crisis) and talk to people via the Internet, write emails, write documents and paint. Some of it is for money, much of it isn’t. In between I go for hikes in the forest, maintain the house and cook dinner for my wife and I. Twice a year we exchange the Australian rain forest we live in for the Dutch forest we have a holiday cabin in.

What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author?

Receiving the printed copies. There’s nothing like seeing your work in print and holding it in your hands for the first time.

In a few words, how would you review your experience with Pegasus Publishers?

Very professional, with good communication and a very clear process end-to-end. The end-result exceeds my expectations. Their after-care is great too.

 Why did you choose Pegasus Publishers?

I had come across other books published by them and liked what I saw.