The Mookey Blog

BLOG NUMBER 1:  22nd August 2025

I guess I should begin a blog, on this, the very day of The Book of Mook's release. A day that still feels surprising to me... and more than a little bizarre.

Writing a novel is something that I have had in mind for a long time, growing up reading a lot of books, especially fantasy, thriller, horror and mystery stories. I toyed with various ideas of my own and even started another novel a few years ago, which is still sitting unfinished. I don't know why I stopped... I guess it just didn't feel ready... or I didn't feel ready to feel my way to the end just yet.  I learned through Mark Bartlett that we should never rush these things, 'If they are meant, they will be' was one of his mantras.

The Book of Mook certainly waited a long time to fully come into being... more than thirty years since I started writing down the mookey stories which it largely consists of. But despite the long delay in it becoming a book, it came easy, as I did not really have to do much thinking. The main story was already told to me by Mark. Granted, I did tweak it here and there and flesh it out somewhat to make it more well-rounded. But while doing so, I tried to keep true to Mark's 'visions'. I think that he would have been happy with the end result. 

On that note, Mark always told me to get the mookey stories out into the big wide world as they would be 'bigger than Harry Potter'. I am still not sure about that, as the few agents and publishers I sent the manuscript to were not really interested. I mean, I don't blame them. The story doesn't exactly tick many of the checkboxes which makes a book a bestseller these days.  But in its own way, I think it will find an audience. Maybe long after I too, am gone.

Thinking back now though, Mark didn't care about selling millions of copies. He really wasn't the type of person who obsesses about wealth and fame.  Quite honestly. I think he told me the Harry Potter thing to try and make me excited enough to sit my ass down and get it finished!

Well, wherever you are Mark, it worked. I finished it. I got your stories out into the world. 

So now what?

P.D.W.