Log books a story source

In the final of our series on local authors for New Zealand Book Month, and as part of Rotorua's WriteUP Here in 2013 campaign, Rebecca Malcolm meets another local author.

For Jack Stafford, the most important thing about writing is making sure the stories get told.

And given the 90-year-old writes based on his experiences as a World War II fighter pilot, there are few that can tell the stories Mr Stafford has to offer.

"I never think of the quality of my writing, I just want people to know what happened."

While he changes the names of those involved, many of his short stories are based on real events, events which he gleams from his treasured pilot's log books.

"The log books are my life."

The books recorded each time he headed out on a flight during the war, including how long he was in the air for, what he was doing and any action which took place.

"It's where I get ideas. It means I don't forget and can come back and write exactly what we did."

Despite professing that he doesn't think about the quality of his writing too much, at the age of 80 Mr Stafford studied the craft through Massey University.

Mr Stafford said he became more into his writing after completing the course.

Despite writing numerous short stories that have been published in various forms, including his book Son of a Tempest Pilot, it's a slightly different type of writing that was most lucrative for Mr Stafford.

Mr Stafford was a historical advisor for Microsoft on combat flight simulators. He was approached by Microsoft after meeting an American pilot at a Warbirds Over Wanaka air show in 1998.

"They wanted to get the language and things right."

As part of that role he wrote a series of six articles about his wartime experience - from training, to early missions, and through the end of the war - and was flown to the United States twice.

While his stories are nearly always accounts of war, Mr Stafford has also written about hunting.

One of his stories, featuring wife Edith, was published in a hunting magazine.

He also writes for the Warbirds Over Wanaka booklets.

Mr Stafford met American author Ernest Hemingway while in Europe during World War II.