Biography
John Ruttley loves writing; in fact he feels it is essential for him to write. His books start as ideas which buzz around in his head and gradually grow more and more complex, elaborate and demanding, until he is virtually forced to write them down. Once he has emptied his head of the ideas, it immediately starts to fill again with more, and the process is repeated again and again. He says he is an ‘untidy’ writer, roughing out the outline of his stories first, almost in a rush to get them on paper. He first writes the end of the story and then works backwards. He then goes through a long process of alterations and polishing. Subplots, character descriptions and traits are added gradually, like layers of paint until the work is finished.
John tries to work a set number of hours, or write a set number of words every day straight onto a word processor, while listening to music, either classical, blues, or rock depending on mood and what he’s writing. He is lucky enough to have a room for use as an office where he can write in complete privacy with no interruptions
He has had a varied employment career including some years at sea, working in a nightclub, shipyard, foundry, brewery and in the insurance industry. His work experiences have a provided him with a wealth of material and characters he draws upon for his stories. He has been writing full time since the year 2000. His inner compulsion to write is something he enjoys and he finds the creativity extremely satisfying. He likes reading crime fiction. His favourite authors are Ian Rankin, John Harvey, Peter Robinson and Michael Connelly.
Other than writing, John’s main interests are walking, oil painting and genealogy. He had spent over years thirty researching his family history and has uncovered a truly fascinating story that reflects the changes in British history and society over the past three hundred and twenty-five years. There’s certainly enough material for a future book, if he ever finds the time to get around to writing it.