Patrick Forsyth

Patrick Forsyth runs Touchstone Training & Consultancy, an independent firm based in the U.K. specializing in marketing consultancy, research and training on marketing issues, sales, and communication and management skills.

He is a consultant of more than twenty five years experience and was a Director of a major consulting organization before starting his own firm in 1990.

Previously he began his career in publishing, holding sales, sales management and marketing positions, subsequently working for a management institute before moving into consultancy.

His work has spanned many industries, and also many countries. In training he conducts tailored in-company courses, individual tutorials and is also a conference speaker.

He also conducts "public" seminars and has presented regularly for a variety of organizers including The Chartered Institute of Marketing and similar bodies overseas.

He is the author of many articles and books. His successful business, self-help and career books include 100 Great Presentation Ideas (Marshall Cavendish) and Successful Time Management (Kogan Page).

He has titles translated into twenty four different languages. His most treasured review said: Patrick has a lucid and elegant style of writing which allows him to present information in a way that is organized, focused and easy to apply (Professional Marketing Magazine).

Here is my interview with PATRICK FORSYTH

Where are you from

Brought up on South Coast, lived in London, Essex, London again and now Malden in Essex (for last 16 years)

A little about yourself, i.e. your education Family life etc. 

Brought up on Sussex coast, went to London to work; first job “management trainee” in book publishing company.

Moved into publicity and marketing and then into management consultancy and training – began writing alongside this activity (see below). Now semi-retired, concentrating on wider range of writing. Two grown up children (one living in USA) and an absurd number of grandchildren – seven

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Must be having a novel published (first fiction after about c. 120 non-fiction books) in November. Also winning a writing competition (The second of the Society of Women Writers& Journalists two annual competitions) for the second year running, and, yes, men are eligible!

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

In 1980 my boss (who had written a business book and was being asked by the publisher for more) said “I want you to write a book”, bearing in mind who said it, I did. I hated it at first, but was soon doing it better and regularly

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Probably only in the last few years, when I began to write a broader range of topics/genres; “My name is Patrick and I am a writer” – sounds a little like (I imagine) AA does!

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

It was simply part of my job, though I did quite like it when it appeared … with my name on the cover. And, of course, the money!

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I treasure a review of my business books which said: Patrick has a lucid and elegant style of writing that allows him to present information in a way that is organized, focused and easy to apply.

That is exactly what I aim at; now I have had to adapt to write first travel writing (3 books), humor and most recently a novel (short stories came first there)

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

The novel is called ”Long Overdue”, partly because the book concerns the unravelling of a 20 year old mystery, also because the main character works in a library (and I guess there is an indulgent in-joke as I had had so many books published before I managed to get fiction published)

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

There is certainly a moral about how events can change lives and how tiny causes (left unaddressed) can lead to major change

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

It is certainly intended to be credible (and early reviews seem to bear this out)

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Some incidents use a real incident as their basis and I guess it draws on a background of my experience in some ways (though not literally, I think)

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

A book my grandmother gave me about geology started a life time interest in the science of the natural world.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

A few year back I met an American writer, Timothy Hallinan, by chance in a hotel in Singapore. We are still in touch. He writes the most wonderful books (thriller, detective) with not only great plots and characters but description too.

He’s not too well known in UK, though that may – and deserves – to change. If I could write half as well as him I would be well pleased.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I read a wide mixture of non-fiction and fiction, currently I am reading “The Frood” (a book about Douglas Adams of Hitchhikers’ Guide fame), “Italian Ways” (one of Tim Parks books about life in Italy) and have just finished a Jack McDevitt (My favorite science fiction writer)

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Not recently I think, though I read a number of authors whose first book I came across by chance and found so good I have followed them ever since, e.g. Jacqueline Winspear, Jasper Forde, Neal Asher …

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Thinking about a sequel to my recent novel and preparing a book on Business Writing for publication

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

I am a great advocate of writing groups (I belong to two, one large, and one small) and other such groups; as I explained above I am a member of SWWJ (Society of Women Writers & Journalists).

Writing is a solitary business so all collaborations are helpful, some especially so

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

It has been and is an important part of what these days is called a portfolio career; I have earned a useful proportion of my income from it since 1980 (but couldn’t live on that alone!)

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Probably everything! No, actually I am still at the stage where I am pleased with it and, minor details apart, feel it is very much what I intended; a view boosted currently by getting a good many positive comments from readers. The first draft was another matter!

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I have always been an avid reader. I was forced into business writing, but found I liked that – feeling I was putting something well and that it might really help readers – and quickly had aspirations to write more widely

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

See current projects above

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Everything! Everything from writing the first sentence to getting published and promoting books! Actually, I am kind of addicted – I hate not having a project on the go – and one contrives ways of getting over the hurdles. I am with those who say the cure for writers’ block is to think of the mortgage!

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Timothy Hallinan (see earlier) because he writes a real page turner, in a unique style where the actual way he writes contributes so much.

His descriptions are unusual and spot on (for example, a recent book describes a very thin man – a villain as looking like “a man who had never found anything he liked to eat”)

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

I love to travel and have now had three books of light-hearted travel writing published (all set in South East Asia – the latest, which is getting good reviews, “Smile because it happened”, is about Thailand).

 Unless you get into the top rank of writers in terms of sales (and I’m not!) such projects will not finance trips and make a fortune, but I did do special journeys for two of the books, paid for wonderful trips and am into profit on the ventures

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I am thrilled with the cover of my novel. I had the idea of getting it done by a local artist; it was fun fixing it all and everyone seems to like it (it also got the book into a local shop that sells her paintings). The travel books have – well chosen – photographic covers.

I always offer to write the blurb (on the back cover), after all who knows a book better than the author – my experience is that many publishers like this, though a bit of to and fro discussion about it helps refine the text

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

I wrote about 12,000 words (of the novel) then got a bit stuck. But the progression came to mind after some work and then the first draft went well; editing I like less, but, for most of us it is necessary

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I learnt that fiction takes longer than non-fiction and if you change genres you should recognize this puts you on a learning curve and plan and work accordingly

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read lots and write. It’s obvious, but just write – it is so easy to spend – and waste – hours thinking about what to do and not getting focused on one thing … and doing it; you can always rewrite to make it better.

You need to be persistent too; there is one word which aptly describes writers with little persistence … and it’s unpublished!

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Check out and buy my books! Sorry, if you succeed in the difficult task of getting published you automatically get signed up to SADS (the Society of authors Desperate for Sales);

being a bit pushy goes with the territory (I have just sold a copy of “Long Overdue” to my osteopath (mention your books everywhere, people can only say no and some (many?) will surprise you and say yes)

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Oh, I wonder. I read so much early on, as I got to read real books myself it was probably something like Arthur Ransom’s Swallows and Amazons

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

So much makes me laugh: from our present government to my four year old granddaughter interrupting a game we were playing with her teddy bear to say “You do know it’s not real, don’t you Granddad” (and, talking of interrupting, her favorite phrase a year on is “Don’t talk when I’m interrupting”- that makes me smile too).The books that make me laugh most are Jasper Forde’s “Thursday Next” series

Fiona: Is there one person past or present you would meet and why?

I have always had a passionate interest in science, especially astronomy and cosmology. What we know about the universe changes almost by the day – to keep with the literary theme I would love to spend a day with science writer John Gribben (who can even make concepts like the multiverse seem to make a sort of sense)

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why?

“Why wasn’t this inscription proofread?” Because it might make a few people smile

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

Writing is as much a hobby as a “business” and I spend absurd amounts of time working on a short story just so that I can feel happy to read it out at a writers’ group meeting.

I also write about writing (for example I write regularly for “Writing Magazine”, speak about writing and conduct writing workshops).

Beyond that I was lucky to love the work I did in my business career and would list my top three activities as travel, reading and following my scientific interests

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

A mix: from Downton Abbey to Horizon and rubbishy US series like the sci-fi “Falling Skies” on television.

Films: I can watch “Groundhog day” again and again (sorry about that, but it’s true and recently loved “Interstellar”, “Mr. Turner” and “The Imitation Game”

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

My food tastes are a bit conventional/English (steak pie), but I love the food in Thailand (my favorite place) provided it is not too spicy; you say Mai pet when you order to avoid a numb mouth

Color: is this of any relevance? Green, for no reason I can think of!

Music: I like the cooler side of jazz (Miles Davis in mellow mood, Stan Getz, Dave Brubeck etc.); I love Diana Krall and my clear all-time favorite is Stacy Kent, a voice to die for.

I like to listen to music while I write, but find lyrics distract me – she has one album all in French which I love. I don’t speak French so get the sound of her voice and yet it doesn’t distract!

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

I have always done other work alongside my writing, which for much of the time was the minority element, and that’s been fine.

My fantasy job would be something in the world of science (indeed if my math’s had been better at school I might have gone down that path) but I am singularly unqualified for such things