Interview with T.M. Fairman
Today we’ll be featuring an interview with T.M. Fairman, author of 3 Days: A Passion. You can find more about him and his works on Facebook or Goodreads.
Welcome to Reveries Reviews, T.M. Fairman. Could you tell the readers a little about yourself?
Hi Kellyn. I am a Christian father of four based in the South of England and am currently working as a Maths and Economics teacher in a secondary school, teaching 11 to 18 year olds.
Where did you get the idea forĀ 3 Days: A Passion?
Within a few years of each other, my Grandma died from Alzheimerās and my father-in-law succumbed to a variety of illness after a long struggle. Within their struggles, their partnersā strength, dignity and love really touched me. Then as I was preparing for Easter, I was struck by the similarities of their journeys and that of the Apostles during Jesusā Passion; the sense of helplessness whilst the one you love suffers. The idea grew out of these two thoughts; that you can still love and hope in these situations and these situations are a part of all our lives.
Why did you decide not to name your main characters?
As a teacher, names are particularly tricky. Any teacher will tell you how difficult it is to name a child, given that they probably know at least one student with any name that is suggested! Also names automatically create an image in your head and I wanted the story to be a personal journey, one that makes the reader the centre of the story so they can answer the questions that the book poses for themselves. I know it seems a bit depressing, but the questions of death underpin all religious pursuit. To be alive is to know that death is inevitable. However I feel that it is a conversation that has been neglected recently and I wanted to get people to engage with it, preferably with hope rather than despair.
How long didĀ 3 Days: A PassionĀ take you to write?
I lived with the characters for about a year, before finally finding the thread that would hold the story together. The actual writing took about 6 months. Although the editing and revisions took another 6 months after that.
What was the hardest thing about writingĀ 3 Days: A Passion?
The hardest thing about writing the book was probably the aftermath. The writing seemed to flow and I think I was quite fortunate in that respect. Whenever you create something, it becomes very precious and hearing peopleās feedback, positive or negative, becomes a judgement about you. Trying to separate the opinions about the book from judgements about my self-worth was a particularly hard job.
If you could go back a year and tell yourself anything (writing-related), what would that be?
I would suggest that I approached writing in a more professional way. I started writing as I felt inspired and had something to say, but did not believe it would get this far where people who I did not know would be reading it! In particular, the release and the marketing lacked a coherent plan.
Thanks for being here with us today, Mr. Fairman!
Thanks Kellyn for the opportunity to share.
About T.M. Fairman:
Well, that’s it for today, everyone! Thanks for reading. š
~Kellyn Roth
Great interview!