John Baker’s Blog

1. Why do you blog?
It started as a sort of writing practice - to make sure I write something (almost) every day - but it’s addictive. Now I really enjoy it and I love the small community of ‘commenters’ that’s evolved.

2. Which author and/or book has most influenced you?
I know she’s unfashionable but it’s Enid Blyton. The Magic Faraway Tree series really excited me when I was little. I was so desperate to climb out of the top of that tree and it pained me that it could never happen. And then, when I was a bit older, the Malory Towers series had the same effect. I became totally involved with the worlds she created and it amazed me to think it had all come out of someone’s imagination (apparently she saw it all fully formed in her mind and simply ‘transcribed’ it onto the page).
As an adult, I feel the same way about Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series.

3. Which three blogs do you most visit?
Meg Cabot at: http://www.megcabot.com/diary/
I love her books and her blog is always entertaining and often inspiring.
Go Fug Yourself at: http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/go_fug_yourself/
No, it’s not literary (or big or clever) but it is hilarious.
Struggling Author at: http://strugglingauthor.blogspot.com/
My new fave. This one is literary, but does go on about Dr Who and David Tennant a lot. Very funny though.

4. Why do you read fiction?
Wow. Well I like to be taken out of myself. I love that feeling when I’m reading a book and forget where I am. My English Lit tutor called me a ‘naive reader’ because I don’t read critically - I read for pleasure.

5. What makes you laugh?
The above blogs. Frank Skinner’s autobiography, while disgusting, is hilarious. Mil Millington’s Things My Girlfriend And I Have Argued About is the funniest novel I’ve ever read. If I’m really fed up a couple of episodes of Black Books, The Office, Phoenix Nights, Spaced or I’m Alan Partridge can sort me right out. I recently noticed that all my favourite bands/singers are funny too: The Darkness, Pulp, The Divine Comedy, Robbie Williams, Jason Mraz. Plus my husband makes me laugh even though all his jokes are nicked.

Keris Stainton blogs at Keris Stainton, which can be found here: http://www.keris-stainton.com

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