Next time I hit the road it will be for the write reason
There's a popular trope among writers and it is this: You write what you know.I know about a few things: like what it's like to move from London to the countryside, what it's like to come up with a ruse, what it's like to be the centre of attention and what it's like to get caught up in all sorts of dodgy deals.
So I've written about that – and in a few short months you'll be able to digest the fruits of my labours with the publication of my debut novel.
While some performers might be content to rest on their laurels; I'm branching out. I'm starting a new career as a novelist and Reggie: A Stag At Bay will be my first volume.
I've been working on the story for most of the year and it's almost complete. This autumn, it will hit the shelves of Waterstones and plenty of local bookshops up and down the UK. I'll also be out and about signing copies for fans. I can't wait.
I started by saying: You write what you know – and that's very true in the case of Reggie: A Stag At Bay.
It's partly based on my experiences right here on the Shropshire border, near Ludlow, at Wigmore Abbey. My wife, Carol and I, moved here a long time ago. Only Fools and Horses had been a huge success and we'd been looking for a new project. We wanted a challenge and we found Wigmore – it was a ramshackle old place that needed a lot of TLC. We didn't know how long we'd be here for. In fact, if we're perfectly honest, we imagined that within a year we'd have turned on our heels and fled back for London.
After all, many of our actor friends had warned that the telephone would stop ringing and I'd be walking down the roads and motorways that lead to The Smoke.
Remarkably, we stayed and we love Wigmore to bits. In fact, our move to Wigmore Abbey was the inspiration for The Green Green Grass – the series which followed on from Only Fools And Horses.
John Sullivan, the writer of Only Fools and Horses, came to Wigmore when my wife invited 200 guests to a 60th birthday party. He sat on a bench in the garden and said: 'You've given me an idea.... I'll get back to you." And he did – except it wasn't for another two years.
The Green Green Grass was inspired by some of the people that Carol and I met during our time here – as well as the popular characters from Only Fools And Horses.
The inspiration for Reggie arose in a similar fashion. The main character is a chap who ends up in the countryside and gets caught up in plenty of adventures – including the export of moles to Ireland.
I can't give too much away, of course. I don't want to spoil the plot. Suffice to say fans can look forward to a riveting read and I'll be on the road promoting the book over the next year.
Many of my fans are aware that I've always had an interest in writing. I successfully wrote plays in the days before Only Fools And Horses. I've also written and published two volumes of autobiography, which have both been hits. The publication of Reggie on October 8 means I'm about to hit the road.
Of course, my new career as a writer doesn't mean I've stopped acting – far from it. I've been busy all year and I will be back in panto as winter returns. My one-man show – Only Fools And Boycie – has also been a great success and I'm looking forward to more dates around February and March. But for now I'm focusing on Reggie – and whether or not he can export moles into Ireland.
By John Challis
