56. How trauma shapes story (part 1): Author Geoff Gudgion & General Sir Peter Wall of Combat Stress

How trauma shapes your story (Part 1): Geoff Gudgion, author of Draca (just published) & Saxon’s Bane, & General Sir Peter Wall, former Head of the General Staff & President of Combat Stress discuss with We’d Like A Word presenters Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan how real personal trauma can, should & should not shape fiction. Geoff’s latest book Draca features a former Royal Marine, injured in Afghanistan, who grapples with physical & mental trauma when he returns to Britain. Old & new relationships bring both pain & the possibility of redemption. And the sailing boat Draca also offers a refuge - but may also be a death trap haunted by the blood of Viking invaders from centuries before. Geoff talks about his own service in the Royal Navy - he was very naughty with plastic explosive. And about the personal physical & mental trauma he survived outside his military service. General Sir Peter Wall talks about how Combat Stress helps ex-members of the British Armed Forces who are suffering from a range of mental health disorders, including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - & about the funding crisis facing the charity. He shares stories from his early soldiering days in southern Africa during the transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. And reveals some of his own naughtiness with explosive. Practical jokes with big bangs. We also hear from Geoff’s favourite shop, The Marlow Bookshop & how their customers go crazy for cakes, dogs & the latest books from author Jane Fallon. (Apologies for pandemic-related sound quality dips in this episode. We usually do everything face to face.) We'd Like A Word is a podcast and radio show from authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, celebrities, talkers,  poets about books, songs, lyrics, speeches,  scripts, fiction and  non-fiction. We go out on various radio platforms at least once a fortnight and every other Wednesday on podcast. Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com -  which is where you'll find information about Paul and Steve and our  guests - and details of the radio stations that carry We'd Like A Word.  We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword and Facebook @wedlikeaword and our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com - and yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear  from you - your thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. . .

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