An Interview with Andrew McFarlane

Hi, I’m Andy, a (self) published children’s picture book author and a published poet, born and raised in Scotland, UK. I am a dedicated father and husband who enjoys keeping fit and active and spending time outdoors doing outdoorsy things like kayaking, running, hill walking, and cycling. I also enjoy travelling, with all of the above providing most of the inspiration for my writing.

I’m a chartered civil engineer by trade with a military background, having served in the Army Reserves for a number of years concurrent to my civil engineering job.

Additionally, I have a passion for martial arts and kickboxing at an international level, holding a second-degree black belt in Korean kickboxing in addition to being a three-time World Tatami Champion through the World Kickboxing and Karate Association (WKA). As part of my martial arts journey, I have had the pleasure of being involved in coaching, which I really enjoy as it allows me to help others develop in the sport.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

It was 2020 and my Grandpa (whom I was close to) had not long passed away. In order to take my mind off things, I remember watching the newly released series of Cobra Kai—providing me with some light-hearted nostalgia and easy watching—and it gave me the initial idea to give something back to the martial arts community.

At the time, I had been training in kickboxing for around five years, with a black belt in sight, so I was starting to dive into the philosophical side of martial arts to give me an insight into the deeper meaning of it all.

Through all the reading and training, I had the idea of giving something back—something that others could learn from and enjoy.

Lockdown was still in place, and it built resilience (in some people)—something that I think a lot of people can really develop and build on—but it also really broke some people.

On top of that, lockdown (I think) really amplified human and societal behaviour—for good and for bad, it really brought out the best and worst in people. I figured there were a lot of core behaviours that seemed to be lacking, and these tied in with the core values (tenets) of Taekwondo, which my form of kickboxing was based on.

I had the idea of writing a book series for young children involved in martial arts, basing it on the core values (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit), giving children and adults a relatable, enjoyable, fun book series that they could learn from. Speaking with a training partner at the time about it, with the aim of him doing the artwork, the idea for Kip was born.

It would be a further two years until the first book was published.

Through the book series, I hope to inspire more people across all age groups to live active and healthy lives through the promotion of martial arts.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Kip the Kickboxing Bear Cub and the Bully Bear is the latest book in the series. This focuses on self-control, an important element not only of the core values but also life.

It teaches children about differences, dealing with peer pressure, and self-confidence.

It also dives into the ‘controlled aggression and self-defence’ side of martial arts, bringing to the fore the idea that martial arts is about knowing when and how to use the skills learned appropriately and proportionately.

The next book and the penultimate one in the series that the design team and I are currently working on is about perseverance. It draws on working hard and continuing to work hard at something in order to achieve a task or goal, whatever it may be.

Nothing worth having comes easily, so book four aims to highlight that to readers.

Describe your dream book cover.

The design team, Jess (illustrator) and Mary (designer) have done a fantastic job with the book covers so far. I couldn’t ask for any more from them, or for future books.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I wouldn’t have any particular songs in mind per se, but I would love to see the book series become animated someday, hopefully in the not-so-distant future, and with that, I have a few bands I’d really love to work with.

The Wu-Tang Clan would be a dream. I appreciate that’s perhaps a fairly unorthodox choice for a Scottish children’s picture book series, but I grew up listening to Wu-Tang and love their use and emphasis on old kung fu movies for a lot of their samples and ideology. ‘Wu-Tang is for the children’ after all, as the saying goes.

I would love to have the Scottish band Peat and Diesel do the soundtrack for the series, as their mix of traditional instruments and musical ability, funny and catchy lyrics, and high energy would really capture everything about Kip (I think).

Another Scottish band, Beluga Lagoon, would be fantastic as well. They have some really atmospheric songs that, in my opinion, really capture the environment of the Scottish wilderness and would really bring some of the story to life.

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

With a young daughter, we have a bookshelf full of picture books—some good, some not so good.

At the moment, I’m reading Feet in the Clouds by Richard Askwith and The Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham.

I enjoy running, and I’ve had the pleasure of hiking the Inca Trail in my younger days, so both provided some ‘subconscious travelling,’ or something like that.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

My first job was a paper round as a youngster. I then worked in the local supermarket when I was in high school and university.

I worked as a lifeguard at a summer camp in the USA (New York State) one summer through the charity The Fresh Air Fund. That was a great summer.

As mentioned earlier, I was in the Army Reserves for a number of years. I was in the Parachute Regiment (Reserves), and as part of this, I was a qualified physical training instructor. I also served on operations in Afghanistan in 2013.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

After leaving university, I travelled for a year and kept a journal; that was probably my first go at writing, other than school projects.

I also kept a journal when I deployed with the Army and wrote a bit of poetry as part of that, but that was only ever recreational writing that I never shared.

I owe my current writing to a friend/colleague who put me in touch with someone who was compiling an anthology a few years ago (2021). She suggested I submit some work, as she had done, and not expecting much from it, I submitted five poems, with the thought, ‘If one gets published, that would be fantastic.’ All five poems got published, so that really built my confidence as a writer, that someone/people actually wanted to read what I had written…and the rest is history, as they say.

I’ve since written a lot of poems, and short stories for both children and adults. I’m in the process of writing a novel and have more ideas for more children’s books.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I live close to a small beach and it’s generally pretty quiet and peaceful.

There’s a lot of history in the area, so much so that a lot of TV series and movies have been filmed there in recent years (namely Outlander and Outlaw King, amongst many more).

It offers a great view across the river and onto the distant hills; on a clear day, you can make out the southern edge of the Scottish Highlands, so it can be good for getting away from the daily grind for a bit and giving some inspiration for writing. Additionally, it’s nice in all weathers/seasons, so you get different perspectives and atmospheres.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

Stick with it.

As cliched as it sounds, it really is down to perseverance and resilience.

Don’t be scared or be put off by knock backs. They will happen, inevitably.

Keep working hard, keep chipping away, and do a bit of ‘outside the box’ thinking.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

They understand, take away and embed in their everyday lives the core value of said book. But also, that they enjoy it. If one person can learn and benefit from my writing then I’m happy, and if it inspires someone to take up martial arts, then even better.

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