How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?
I write for myself.
I once heard an interview with a famous American author who’d written
many books over a long period of time, each of them very successful. He was
asked the same question. He answered by saying he wrote for himself, and never
paid any attention to his critics. He wasn’t being arrogant, just confident in
his ability and wanting to continually improve his writing. He went on to say
that you have to find your writing voice, believe in yourself, and write.
This isn’t being complacent. I read and rewrite what I’ve written until
I believe it’s as good as I can get it, but I don’t write in a certain way or
style to please a particular audience.
What excites, attracts or
appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in?
I write crime thrillers about seemingly normal people who, because of
life-changing circumstance, become involved in crimes – like murder, extortion,
and blackmail. These things happen in life, and I try to create compelling
stories built around believable, fictional events and real life characters. The
appeal is the challenge of starting with the gem of an idea and turning it into
a full-blown novel.
Do you have a box, drawer,
folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names
you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no
idea when you might use them?
Oh yes. A very big one, and I’m very nosey. I take cuttings from
newspapers, I make notes all the time, and I’ve been known to eavesdrop on
peoples’ conversation when I think I’ve heard a good line of dialogue. I always
have a notebook with me, and use the note facility on my phone. When I want to
create a character, I take time looking at people in busy places. I have a name
in my head, and know what that person does in the book, but I don’t know what
they look like, their occupation, and they’re lifestyle. I see a face I like,
note it down – or, dare I admit, take a picture – and then start to invent that
person. I build up a template for each character: how they look, talk, the
clothes they wear, their occupation, their background and education, likes and
dislikes, and who they live with, if anybody. I pin the image – either my own
photo image or one taken from a newspaper or magazine – to a sheet of paper and
refer to it often while I write.
How do you manage plot
bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story
you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?
Shoot them! They pop up all the time, and can take me off down a
different road. I don’t ignore them completely. Some can be quite useful, and have
potential as good sub-plots. Most of the time, I jot them down on a scrap of
paper or a stickie, and carry on writing. Later, I go through them, chuck away
the ones I figure are irrelevant, and try to work the ones I like into the
story.
How much of you is in your
characters? Which of your characters is the one that you’d most like to be? Or
be with?
Well, I’m a crime writer, and I write about criminals, so none of me is
in them in the sense of committing a crime, but I do try to get into my
characters’ heads, and have them doing some of the things I do: like the
clothes I wear, the coffee and whisky I drink, the food I cook and eat, the
movies I see, the music I listen to, and other behavioral traits. Although
they’re villains, I have some sympathy with most of them. Not the real, nasty,
violent ones, but the regular guys who find themselves in the depth of despair,
and resort to crime to bring their lives back on track. Cameron in The
Wrong Menu comes to mind. He’s ditched by his wife, locked out of his home, hunted
by his brother-in-law – who’s intent on killing him – and turns to crime to
survive.
Most of my characters end up having a rough time and coming to sticky
ends, but if I had to choose one who I’d like to be, I guess it’d be Barry
Carter in Electronic Crime in Muted Key. After successfully faking his
death and pulling of a multi-million scam, he reinvents himself on an idyllic,
sun-drenched island. The first bit would be great, but I’ll miss out on what
happens to him.
I’d like
to spend some time with Max in Murder He Forgot. He only has a small part, but
enough to make him a likeable guy. He’s lively, fun and he turns out to be a
loyal friend.
Do you become so wrapped
up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of
your characters?
Definitely wrapped up! I leave weird notes around the house with things
written on them like, Kill Sebastian
tomorrow, Will Harry survive? Does Kate sleep with him? What type of gun? Does
The Greek guy smoke? and many more. When I reach a crucial part of a book, I
go for days getting up early and going to where I write, closing the door, and writing
until I can’t write any more, or when I do it comes out as garbage. Then I
stop, have a drink, and look around the house for my wife. She’s not there, and
has left a note saying she’s gone to a movie with a friend and will see me
later. I don’t know if she thinks she’s married to one of my characters, but I
do become pretty wrapped up, and know she thinks I’m strange.
What type of book do you
like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?
I read all sorts. I do read crime thrillers, but not all the time. I
read general fiction, strong character driven books – often with deep emotional
highs and lows – and non-fiction.
What lengths do you go to
convince us readers that your book has the X factor?
I start by creating a compelling, unique story with plenty of suspense,
some surprises, and several twists. Then I work on my characters, and make them
real and life-like, not cardboard cutouts. I do some research where necessary,
and then start writing. I try to make my dialogue gritty and easily associated
with the character that’s speaking. I edit and rewrite continuously as I write.
I have beta-readers reading each chapter as I complete it and giving me their
feedback, and I’ll write as many drafts as necessary until I believe it’s as
good as I can get it.
After that, it’s down to the readers and promotion. I prefer the writing
process to all the marketing and promotional stuff, but I know it has to be
done.
How do you feel when a
reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?
Appalled and annoyed that I’ve missed them. They’re not professional and shouldn’t be there. I have an editor who
usually picks them up, but I still check the manuscript one more time when it’s
back from her. I once, mistakenly, uploaded the wrong version of book, the
unedited one. Whoops! Luckily with kindle you can upload the right version.
What do you like most
about visiting KUF/GR/forums?
Well, UK KUF is friendly, humorous and a source of information on almost
anything. I’d say similar about Goodreads, but not all is good there as we
know, so I’m a bit wary about which groups I join and what I post.
What is on your near
horizon?
I’m just finished writing the first draft of the second book in a
three-book trilogy, The Harry Fingle Collection. The first book is called Playing Harry. The second one – the one
just finished – is called Assassination
Continuum, and is about an assassin and his target who discover they share
the same lover. That’s due to be published this summer. While I’m writing the
second and third drafts and doing the edit process, I’ll also be writing some
short stories, and then, after Assassination
Continuum is published, I’ll be writing the last part of the trilogy. When
the complete trilogy is done and dusted, I’m going to write a book in a new
genre, general fiction. It’s probably going to be called Thirty Years, and is about the sometimes funny, often dramatic, and
certainly turbulent life of a man who took thirty years to decide he wanted to
be a writer. Here’s the first line: It
took me thirty years to figure out what life was about, and the same time to
work out what I wanted to do.
Where can we find you for
more information?
Assassination Continuum: 1st unedited draft on Wattpad, http://www.wattpad.com/8958405-the-tired-assassin?d=ud
No comments:
Post a Comment