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Canada Crime : Interview with E.R. Brown, author of ‘Almost Criminal’

07 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by Martin J Frankson in Interviews

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Almost Criminal, Canada, crime fiction, E.R. Brown, Frankson


I first encountered E.R. Brown at the landmark Noir in the Bar event that took place in downtown Vancouver in early June 2014. E.R. Brown is the author of Edgar-nominated debut novel Almost Criminal.

E.R. and I aEric Brownrranged to meet at his favourite coffee house, Kafka’s on Main St. It was a Monday afternoon and the sun was turning up the heat but I had side-stepped the worst of it by keeping very much within the ever-narrowing strip of shade that blessed one side of the road all the way from Broadway-Cityhall.  I felt like a lizard darting from under shaded rock to cactus shadow just to keep a semblance of cool but you have to do what you have to do. I arrived at Kafka’s and met with E.R. and below is the interview that ensued:

You have written short stories many of which have been published and some even dramatized by CBC. Tell us about the story behind the dramatisation?

For a time, the CBC ran a fantastic online multimedia magazine of art and culture. They called it Radio 3. Budget cutbacks killed it a few years ago, and now it’s just a pop music channel. When it was still an art and culture weekly magazine, I emailed them a story idea. I hadn’t published anything – not creative writing a least – at the time. It was just a cold-call type email. They asked to see the story and they accepted it. What was astounding to me was how quickly the process proceeded – compared to the glacial pace of the publishing industry. The time from the initial email to the acceptance was perhaps three days. Two days later I received a late night phone call from the recording studio. They were recording it with actors and had a request for slight changes. At the end of the week it was online! It’s still there if you go hunting for it. The instructions are on my website.

Are short stories good grounding for novelists and what strengths do you think they add to a writer’s skillset? I wrote short stories for about two years. I used them as a vehicle for exploring various forms and trying out what works for me. Short stories are perfect way to dig into character, atmosphere and description without having plot take over. And, frankly, you can experiment more freely, with a lot less investment in time. More than half of my short stories were unpublished and rightly so. But without the validation of having short stories published, I wouldn’t have had the courage and self-confidence to embark on writing a novel.

‘Almost Criminal’ is your debut novel and its set within the marijuana industry in BC. Why this concept in particular and did your research unearth many crazy facts and what misconceptions, if any, were dispelled for you?

I like stories to be “about” something. I like there to be social relevance that speaks to a time and place. What attracted me to the marijuana industry in BC is that it’s everywhere, in every town, every city block, every rural area, and yet no one talks about it. When I began, the only marijuana stories were Cheech and Chong type stuff. Stoner humour. Weeds and Breaking Bad weren’t on the air. I didn’t know of another book about it. I became fascinated with prohibition stories and gangster novels from the prohibition era. I saw instant parallels between the growth of organized crime — the American mafia – which was directly created by alcohol prohibition and the growth of Hells Angels from the 60s and 70s to today, fuelled by marijuana prohibition.

Was researching this industry, which still remains the shadows of legality, pose any logistical problems for you?

Well, of course, few people in the industry want to speak to someone who looks like a narc. Especially a couple of years ago, when even medical growing was illegal. But that was overcome. The truth is, there’s grow op on every block, and it doesn’t take very much work to get hold of people who know people. I even had a number of back-and-forth emails with Marc Emery, the self-proclaimed Prince of Pot, from his jail cell in Yazoo City, Michigan. Research books like Bud Inc, and books on the Hells Angels, like Angels of Death, were really helpful.

How did you get in touch with someone like Marc Emery?

People who know people who know Marc Emery. He was very helpful in providing technical guidence and suggesting corrections where my technical descriptions and passages didn’t pass muster.

What kind of hurdles did you experience during writing your novel?

A first novel is a giant hurdle. You may think you can write one, but you’ve never done it before. No one wants you to write it, and no publisher will consider it before it’s complete. It’s a leap of faith and a multi-year exercise, and your initial self-confidence may prove to be self-delusion. Yeah, there were hurdles.

Do you have an agent and if so how did that relationship come about? If not, can you talk about the journey between completing the novel and its publication?

I have a terrific agency and agent, Chris Bucci at the McDermid agency. I was introduced to the agency by a writer friend, a mentor at the Banff Centre. But there were years and several drafts of the novel between my first introduction to the agency and the point where I was finally accepted for representation. In today’s world, agents tend to act as gatekeepers for the industry. I think lots of writers will tell you that getting an agent is harder than getting a publisher.

I think most writers would recognise that paradigm. It’s funny how the role of gatekeeper, be it the agent in literature and the A&R man in music, seems to be the modus operandi within music and literature. I think these constructs are the vestiges, throwbacks to a more heirarchical time where people knew their place and gatekeepers played a role in ensuring the purity of those deemed fit to enter higher echelons. Is there a case for writers to regard their work as a product for sale in the marketplace and the sale of their work as a business, in other words, being self employed in all respects as any other self employed person in any other business sphere would be?

There is some truth in that and its something writers would need to think about.

Marketing is a skill and a professional in itself, perhaps writers should take a cue from the world of small business and copy what they do when it works

It is the way many writers, especially conventionally unpublished writers, are going.

Why crime-fiction and does crime fiction play a role in exposing unhidden truths about society?

I didn’t plan on writing crime fiction. The story turned in that direction on its own. It began as a family drama and coming-of-age story. The coming-of-age story is still there, of course, but once the bikers showed up it was hard to deny that what I had was a crime story. That said, I couldn’t be happier being considered a crime writer. Crime readers are the best. And the attention I have received, with the award nominations and the reviews that I’ve received… the industry has been very kind to me. So let me be clear: my next novel is a crime novel. And unlike Almost Criminal, it’s conceived from the outset as a crime novel and I’m having a lot of fun with it.

Your debut novel ‘Almost Criminal’ has been compared to the concept behind the hit TV series, Breaking Bad and even Weeds. I understand that marijuana accounts for an estimated $7-9 billion of untaxed revenues in BC and according to studies, 1/100 homes in BC have at one point in time, been used as grow houses. Is this industry common across Canada or peculiar to BC and if the latter, why do you think this is?

The industry is everywhere, right across Canada. It began in BC, certainly. And BC Bud is a pretty well known brand. I’m told it began with a group of American war resisters—draft dodgers, we used to call them— who came up from California and then settled on Lasqueti Island. The history of the character Randle Kennedy, in my novel, follows that trajectory. The coffee shop owners and Randle have a shared background in resisting the Vietnam war and coming up to BC, and then one way or another becoming involved in BC Bud.

Surely draft dodger seeking refuge in Canada caused rancour between the US and Canadian governments, did it not? I mean, did they not have to claim political asylum?

Not really, those were more relaxed times. It’s not like today where the border is heavily regulated and monitored. British Columbia and its west coast vibe was a popular choice of destination and The Gulf Islands provided much needed privacy and isolation, for growing a product like weed.

Note to readers : US President Jimmy Carter, on his first day in office, Jan 21st 1977, fufilled a campaign pledge to issue a complete and unconditional pardon to all Vietnam conscientious objectors who escaped the draft.

Are biker gangs common in BC and how are they regarded by the authorities and did you contact any during your research and if so, what impression did you glean from them?

Bike gangs are a big deal. The authorities know, it everyone knows it. And don’t assume that all of them actually ride bikes anymore. When it came to those guys, I stuck to book research. Some of my marijuana contacts verified what I had to say about the industry and how the bike gangs play into it, but direct contact with bikers, no.

If the Biker Gangs present such a problem, why are they allowed to freely and openly operate?

These gangs are run as big business with an unofficial multi-layered membership scheme. At the bottom of the rung, you still have the bearded, leather-cut wearing hygienically challenged biker who by and large, lives up to the stereotype biker we have in mind. The bottom layer just like to ride around,  making a lot of noise, just being bikers. However, higher up the food chain, that’s where the real control lies. Those at the top rarely if ever ride bikes. They drive BMW cars and wear Armani. They know how to not get caught, just like most organized crime syndicates.

So bikers are a big deal in BC?

Some towns literally depend on them. It’s said the economy of the town of Nelson is 70% derived from the gangs. Grand Forks is another town with an unhealthy economic dependency.

Do you detail the synopsis/storyline before you write a word or do write and plot as you proceed?

I wrote so many outlines! I found I’m a terrible at outlining. But the process of doing the outlines—which I didn’t really follow as the writing proceeded— gave me signposts, landmarks, that were very useful to me in getting the story done. I think that outlining is essential in writing crime stories, and I’ve been working on my outlining skills. Crime readers expect a certain level of plot complexity that is very difficult to do without a pretty solid outline.

What authors do you admire the most and why?

I probably read more literary writers than crime writers, although I read a lot of both. The writers whose books I’ll buy as soon as they appear on the shelf are Barbara Kingsolver, Dennis Lehane, Russell Banks, TC Boyle, Martin Cruz Smith — those are the names that come to mind first. I love writers who cross the genre divide, like Graham Greene did. These days there’s Benjamin Black/John Banville.

Many writers also have full time jobs which can be demanding. What advice would you give such writers to help them find the necessary mental energy to write?

Until recently I was a full time writer of marketing and advertising. It’s very tough to finish a draining day of writing and then stare at an empty page, or empty screen, and hope that inspiration will come. But ultimately the only way to get writing done is to write.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading Junot Diaz, ‘This is How You Lose Her’, and Harry Karlinky’s ‘The Stonehenge Letters’, and Owen Laukkanen’s ‘The Professionals’. Diaz’s voice grabs you from the first word. Karlinsky is all dry, intellectual wit. The footnotes in that book bring tears to my eyes. And Owen, who I just met a couple of weeks ago, is so smart. His plotting is really clever.

Are you a full time writer now?

I’ve been a full time writer for over 20 years, but I’m now a full time fiction writer. On my LinkedIn page I called myself a recovering copywriter. Until I unplugged from LinkedIn.

Have you a set writing schedule for each day?

I’m a working writer. I write all day long! But in the morning, I tend to business: dealing with emails and whatever. My creative brain works best later in the day.

Is a writer ever truly happy with his/her work even after the zillionth revision? When do you know to let it go into the world?

When the editor says it’s ready, and there’s no more time to meet the deadline.

What topics have your short stories covered and do you still write them?

My most successful short stories were, I think, those dealing with coming-of-age type of issues. My first published short story is about teens in garage-rock bands. There’s another historical story, a novella set in the Depression, which is a first person story about a young man in the north of Quebec. They all informed, in one way or another, the character of Tate in Almost Criminal. I haven’t written a shory story in a while. I’m happier with the long form.

What differences have you experienced between writing short stories and your novel? I feel really comfortable in the plot driven novel form. I’ve found I’m more of a traditional storyteller than a literary stylist. Style is so much of what makes a great short story.

When you completed the final draft of a novel, do you immediately start work on the next novel or some other project?

With only one published novel, I don’t have a lot of experience with this! But so far, each time I’m getting near the end of one novel, I find myself casting about for ideas for the next. Not to say that I’m writing yet, but I’m looking at potential subjects and starting to do research.

Should unpublished novelists seek or rely on the advice of friends or social media contacts to beta read their work? Who in your opinion should a writer rely on for sound advice?

I’m a big fan of the reading circle. I’m a member of two reading circles, each one includes unpublished writers and published writers, and I wouldn’t be anywhere without them.

How important is factual research to you? Can the truth be bent in favour of a better story without breaking the bounds of credibility?

It’s important to me that the sense of place feels true, the surroundings feel authentic. Also that the details of both the criminal activity and the plot trajectory feel accurate and plausible. That does take a lot of research. But, at the same time, I don’t write textbooks. The story goes in unexpected places, and reality gets bent. You just hope that the reader trusts you, and enjoys going along for the ride.

How important has social media been in promoting your work and what strategies do you employ to maximise its effectiveness?

It’s connected me with readers who are far beyond my physical reach — in places where I can’t do readings or signings. As someone with a smaller publisher that’s been fantastic. But something’s happening in the world of social media. So many people, especially the young influencers, have bailed out of Facebook, don’t blog anymore, and so on. I wonder what’s going to happen to take its place.

Do you believe in writer’s block or should a writer just write something until the muse returns?

The only cure for writer’s block is putting your butt in the chair and writing.

Have you a muse?

No, I don’t have a muse.

Finally, any general advice you’d like to give writers reading this interview?

One of my most trusted contacts is a filmmaker and scriptwriter who does a lot of script doctoring. The constraints of time and budget seem to lend script writing a strict discipline that we in the prose world could learn from. A few points (or at least my interpretation of them): Don’t be too subtle in your writing – we tend to rework aparagraph a hundred times and obsess over hiding details and dropping vague hints. The reader rushes past that paragraph once. You have to make sure they will get what you are writing about. Try to tell the story in chronological order, with few flashbacks. Flashbacks can disrupt the tempo and crescendo of tension. If, for example, you build up to a moment of high tension and then send the reader back into a flashback, you reset the tension to zero.

Many thanks to E.R. Brown for his time and for a sparkling afternoon of conversation You can find out more about E.R. Brown from his website http://www.erbrown.com His novel Almost Criminal is available in all good bookstores and in usual e-book outlets.

Canada Crime : Interview with Dietrich Kalteis, author of ‘Ride The Lightning’

20 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by Martin J Frankson in Interviews

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BC, Canada, Crime, crime fiction, Dietrich Kalteis, Fiction, Frankson, ride the lightning, vancouver


I first encountered Dietrich at last week’s Noir in the Bar crime fiction event in downtown Vancouver, BC which I reviewed in this blog. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to speak with Dietrich at the time but I and the room were entertained and gripped in equal measure by his reading of the opening pages from his first novel, Ride the Lightning (ECW Press), a blistering piece of neo noir, neo pulp crime fiction generously sprinkled with shavings off sharp black humour that’s his trademark.

In the days that followed, Dietrich and I hooked up on Facebook and he kindly invited me to meet for an interview at the back of the Irish Heather bar in Gastown, Vancouver.

Ride the Lightning starts out when Seattle bounty hunter Karl Morgan goes after a wanted drug dealer named Miro Knotts on a skipped bond. When Karl catches up with Miro, he ends up beating him badly enough to get his license revoked, with Miro getting off with just a suspended sentence. So, finished in Seattle, Karl takes the only job he can find as a process server up in Vancouver. Meantime, Miro ducks a drug sweep, and because of the suspended sentence looming over him, he sneaks across the Canadian border and goes looking to even the score with Karl, something only one of them will walk away from.

Dietrich lives with his wife in West Vancouver (or West Van as locals would put it) and has worked as a commercial designer and in the past decade has had no fewer than 45 short stories published in a myriad of publications. He also has been a finalist in the 2003 LA Screenplay Festival.

Tell me a little about your life before Ride the Lightning was first conceived?

I was a commercial artist for over thirty years, first in Toronto, then here in Vancouver. It allowed me to be creative, and I liked the work, but I always wanted to write a novel. About ten years ago I started finding a little time here and there to work on short stories or screenplays, mostly in the evening when the workday was done. Then about five years ago my wife convinced me to make a career change and write full time. And here I am.

Why crime and does crime fiction play a role in exposing hidden truths about society?

There’s always intrigue around a crime story; partly, it’s the range of characters that make it interesting. They generally walk a fine line between good and bad, crossing lines that most of us would never cross. So, it’s fun to go on a ride with them from the comfort of an armchair and experience what they get mixed up in without paying the consequences. I find it interesting how
crime fiction delves into the human condition, and how it touches on the disorder within the order of society. I have read that crime fiction is a means of controlling and fixing what’s wrong in the world. I don’t necessarily agree with that but it’s an explanation worth exploring.

Ride the Lightning is your first novel after a number of short stories and indeed a screenplay ‘Between Jobs’ that was a finalist in the 2003 LA Screenplay Festival. What was the impetus behind writing the novel?

I read an article a couple of years back that sparked the idea. It talked about BC Bud being the province’s reigning cash crop, bigger than tourism, lumber or fishing. The article estimated, at the time, it was a six billion dollar per year industry, and that as many as one in every hundred homes had been converted to a grow-house at some point. That night as I walked my dog, I started looking at our neighbourhood differently, looking for telltale signs, trying to pick out the grow houses. Statistically, I must have passed two or three of them, and some of my neighbours had undeclared income. The next day I started writing.

I can only speak for myself, but working to a tight outline and planning every detail of the plot from start to finish would feel restrictive, like wearing a tie when I could be in a tee shirt

Some interesting things came out in my research. Did you know it’s possible for infrared satellites to take the temperature of any particular house? If the temperature is unusually high, then it’s a candidate for suspicion. Other things too like unusually high use of hydro, water power and in winter, due to the heat inside these houses, they’re like greenhouses, they’re only houses in the block with no snow lying on the roof. It’s crazy. Some houses have been illegally tapping water but it’s a dangerous thing as we know, mixing electricity with water. Some have been turned into McNuggets just trying this.

The hero of your novel, Karl Morgen first appeared as a character in a short story who served divorce papers. What was it about Karl that made you elevate him to the main protagonist in your novel above every other character you’ve written?

I liked the tone of the piece, and Karl was cool in the way he handled himself. I wanted to put him in different situations, get him in over his head and see how he’d handle it.

Will Karl feature in future novels?

I don’t have any plans for Karl right now. We leave Karl at the end of Ride the Lightning, and I think the reader will feel he has grown and learned from his experiences, not likely to repeat the type of mistakes that nearly got him killed. But who really knows …

This is interesting. There seems to be penchant for serials where the same hero returns time and time again and indeed, standalone novels may have a harder time getting an agent or even a book deal but by no means impossible. What was your experience? Did you get any pressure to make Karl the hero of your next books?

My publisher wondered if I was thinking of featuring Karl in a series, but that wasn’t my initial intention, and they were fine about it.

So are you working on your next novel?

Yes, I had the idea for it as I finished Ride the Lightning. The only thing I’ll say is that it’s set in Whistler, BC, a picturesque ski-resort town north of Vancouver and that a character that played a minor role in Ride The Lightning becomes a central character.

How important is it to credibly infuse modern day facets such as Facebook, twitter and mobile technology into the narrative of the novel and does modern day technology in your opinion, make it easier or harder for plot development when in the past, lack of such devices made for more shoe leather being worn down for detectives?

If the story takes place in present time, you can’t have characters running around with a blunderbuss or searching for a phone booth. Incorporating modern technology can be just as interesting as when more shoe leather was being worn down. It’s just different in the details.

Do you detail the synopsis/storyline before you write a word or do you write and plot as you proceed?

I write by the seat of my pants. For Ride the Lightning, I started with the spark of an idea. That spark got me thinking what if this happened … and from there I dropped the characters into the scene and let them guide the story. I find that, for me at least, I can only speak for myself that planning every detail of the plot of a novel from start to finish is like wearing a tie. Why wear a tie when you can wear a tee shirt?

So is it difficult to infuse subplots when writing in such an unplanned way?

Not really, the subplots also grow organically. In the second and subsequent drafts, I reread the story from start to finish and iron out any creases and make necessary corrections.

What authors do you admire the most and why?

I read a lot so I could make quite a lengthy list. It’s the voice of a great writer that always gets me. Twain, Salinger, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Miller, Lee. Such great voices. In crime fiction, some of my favourites are Chandler, Hammett, Spillane, Leonard, Ellroy, Higgins, Winslow, Hiaasen. Outside of the genre, I love reading Kerouac, Ginsberg, Bukowski, Thompson, Burroughs, Smith. Of course, I could go on …

I have heard that crime fiction is a means of controlling and fixing what’s wrong in the world. I don’t necessarily agree or disagree with that but it’s an explanation worth exploring.

Many writers also have full time jobs which can be demanding. What advice would you give such writers to help them find the necessary mental energy to write?

When I was working full-time, I wrote some short pieces in the evenings and weekends. It wasn’t always easy to get started when the best part of the day was gone and I often felt tired; but I found if I persevered, I often caught that second wind. For me, it’s important to write whenever I can; I believe, the more you write, the better you will get. And when you’re not writing, read something that will inspire you to write.

Is it important for a writer to have a good degree of life experience to draw from?

Absolutely. Life experience lends perspective and can bring a certain depth to the story.

What are you reading at the moment?

Nearly finished Owen Laukkanen’s Kill Fee. A book that’s hard to put down. Next up, I’m looking forward to getting into Black Rock by John McFetridge, one of my favourite Canadian authors.

Are writing short stories helpful in an aspiring novelist’s development and in your experience, what are the essential differences in terms of form between the two art forms?

Writing short stories was the way to go for me when I was starting out. I wrote as much and as often as I could, gaining the confidence and voice that could sustain for the length of a novel. It also allowed me to try different genres and find what worked best for me. If a short story didn’t turn out, it wasn’t a big deal. I just chalked it up as a learning experience and moved on. With a novel, it’s a much greater commitment.

I love writing both short stories and novels, and I don’t think one is easier or better than the other. The essential difference is that the shorter form generally doesn’t allow the writer to build on multiple characters and subplots and can limit the focus on a single event and possibly on a single character, keeping things simple and concise. With a novel, there’s more elbow room to add in twists, subplots, additional conflicts, multiple characters, backgrounds, back-stories and points of view. And, of course, there’s a lot more to juggle for the duration of the novel.

Vancouver is a city of stark contrasts from the heavenly vistas of English Bay and Stanley Park to the destitution of the blocks around Victory Sq and Gastown. Does this give Vancouver an additional sense of edginess that a crime story needs?

Exactly. A postcard-perfect town with a seedy underbelly. And it’s right on the US border and has the largest seaport in Canada. Ripe for a crime story.

Did you get many rejection letters for your debut novel and how did you handle it? What kind of reasons were given if any?

I got my share of rejection letters when I was submitting short stories. Once I finished one, I would submit it to three publications, then start writing the next one, sending it out to three more publications, and so on. So, after a while I had several out there at any one time, and the rejection letters did flow. But that was okay. Every time I heard no, I felt a step closer to an acceptance, not to mention, occasionally an editor would send along some helpful comments or constructive criticism which I learned from. With my debut novel, I sent it to ECW Press who have a couple of my favourite crime writers on their roster. I thought my novel might be a good fit. Luckily, they agreed.

Are you a full time writer now?

But you did have a full time occupation once upon a time. How difficult was it to juggle this with writing

Well, there’s no other way to do it but just sit down and write. That’s what I did, every evening after work I sat down in my office at home and wrote, sometimes until around midnight. Weekends too. It’s hard, there’s no question about it as you can get tired but I enjoy writing so much that I wrote every single day, seven days a week come rain or shine. There’s no other way but to just write.

Have you a set writing schedule for each day?

Yes. Walk dog, eat, write. Repeat.

When you work on a major project such as a novel, do you take breaks to work on side projects if you feel slow progress is being made or do you just single mindedly concentrate solely on the novel in hand?

No side projects, I just focus exclusively on the novel until its complete otherwise themes and characters from two or more stories can get mixed up with one another.

Do you create and use character sheets, detailing their likes, dislikes, quirks and beliefs and back story and if so, how does this help in your writing and character development?

I create one for every character. It’s a great way to keep track of details.

Is a writer ever truly happy with his/her work even after the zillionth revision?

I have to be happy with it before I send it out. And I get happier with every edit.

When do you know to let it go into the world?

The first edit I call rewriting. By the second I’m checking for typos and inconsistencies. By the third (maybe the fourth) edit, I’m just looking for the odd picky little thing I missed. When I’m at that point, I know it’s time to call the work done. And out it goes.

When you completed the final edition of Ride the Lightning, did you immediately start work on
the next novel or some other project?

Yes. I had already formed an idea for the next one and was raring to get started.

I notice there’s a lot of dark humour in your book. How important is humour in your writing and does it reflect your own sense of humour?

To me, a crime novel can be a grim read without a touch of humour.

Should unpublished novelists seek or rely on the advice of friends or social media contacts to beta read their work? Who in your opinion should a writer rely on for sound advice?

I think it depends. If your friend’s name is Steven King, you’re likely getting sage advice, otherwise a friend’s advice might be subjective and better thought of as mere opinion. If several friends are giving you the same opinion, then you might consider their advice. Otherwise, seeking out a writers’ group or a willing author, editor or agent to take a look might be
worthwhile.

How important is factual research to you? Can the truth be bent in favour of a better story without breaking the bounds of credibility?

Factual research lends credibility to the fiction and should be bent and shaped liberally to help the story along.

Do Vancouver crime writers all live in one big house and make breakfast for each other? If not, would you like that idea?

We do live in one big house. And we’re a very supportive group.

I’m Karl Morgen. Nice to meet you in person at last. Have you anything to say to me?

Great question. Yeah, I’d say, hey Karl, hurry up and marry that girl.

How important has social media been in promoting your work and what strategies do you employ to maximise its effectiveness?

I think social media is a great way to promote my work. I’ve made a lot of contacts networking through social media (Facebook mostly), and I add to my blog on a regular basis and the counter tells me it gets a lot of visits.

Do you have any input over the cover art?

I have the most amazing publisher who let me take a look at the artist’s layouts. Right from the start, everyone involved agreed on the same one, and I’m very pleased with the result. The cover of Ride the Lightning totally rocks.

Is it hard to write when it’s sunny outside for so much of the Vancouver summer time? Do writers really prefer rain?

I write everyday until noon. Rain or shine. I pretty much disappear into my writing so there
could be a blizzard in July and I probably wouldn’t notice. But generally, after lunch I get out
and go for a long walk so I don’t feel denied the nice weather.

Do you believe in writer’s block or should a writer just write something until the muse returns?

I’ve yet to experience writers block; every morning I get up and go through my routine: walk the dog, eat breakfast, sit down and write. I am always inspired and eager to get started. I don’t know, maybe it’s because I love what I do or because I got a late start as a writer, but whatever it is, the muse is always there.

Have you a muse?

My wife and son are both very creative, and they inspire me.

Do you attend many crime fiction conferences and what has been your experience of them? Any advice to eager unpublished writers out there who attend them?

I was at Bouchercon last year, and I had a great time. It’s a chance to meet other writers, sit in on panel discussions, catch award presentations and hear some interesting guest speakers as well as make new friends. I’m already booked for this year.

Finally, have you any funny anecdotes/stories to tell about your life as a writer?

Sometimes it’s funny where ideas come from. A few years ago, my son told me a story about coming out of a movie theater with a friend. The movie was somewhat of a sleeper, but the real-life police chase that happened just as the pair stepped from the theater livened things up. The car being chased lost control and struck a light standard right in front of them. The car took off with the police cruiser right on its tail. All that remained was the bumper that had been ripped off…complete with its license plate. When I heard the story, I thought what if somebody witnessed a scene like that, took the license plate and tried to blackmail the getaway driver. After twisting it around a bit, I used it in one of the early chapters of my novel. I think my son is a bit more careful about what he randomly tells me now.

Many thanks to Dietrich for what is, a wonderful and insightful interview. His novel Ride the Lightning is available in eBook format and in all good bookstores, published by ECW Press, Toronto, Canada

You can find out more about Dietrich and ECW Press by visiting their websites:

http://dietrichkalteis.blogspot.ca/

http://www.ecwpress.com/

 

Interview with….Anya Lipska, author of Where the Devil Can’t Go

31 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by Martin J Frankson in Interviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

anya lipska, crime fiction, crime writing, London, Poland, where the devil can't go


In this latest interview in the series, London-based crime writer Anya Lipska, author of Where the Devil Can’t Go, a novel set amongst the Polish emigrant community of the East-End, talks to me about all things literary and some things, well, let’s find out!

So, Anya, tell me….

What is the most inspiring book (any genre) you have read and why?

Sorry, but I have to choose two. The Odessa Files by Frederick Forsyth is the book that first opened my eyes to how exciting a thriller could be. My Dad had a high cupboard where he kept his ‘adult’ books. In the school hols, the minute he left for work, I used to climb onto a chair to reach this treasure trove. There was Lolita, The Ginger Man…all the usual suspects, but Odessa was the revelation.  I read it under the bed covers with a pocket torch, under the laurel bush in the garden, anywhere I could. In his pomp, Forsyth was just the master of great storytelling.

My other inspiring book is, cheekily, a trilogy – Rites of Passage by William Golding. It’s a ripping yarn about a long 19th Century sea journey full of danger and colour, as well as an insightful commentary on class and hierarchy, and a coming of age story about an initially callow young man whose outlook and moral sense are transformed by the events on board ship.  It’s one of those books that will stay with me forever.

What is your favourite crime novel?

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.

Apart from being a ‘good read’, what feelings would you like your readers to come away with after having read your work?

I think the mark of a really good book is for it to stay with you: so if the themes and characters in my work endure in the reader’s mind for a bit, I would be very happy.

What kind of writing annoys you the most and why?

Lingering depictions of sadism or violence.  I think it is important – essential even – to see violence and/or its consequences: that’s what gives crime writing its meaning. What doesn’t work for me is when it’s there not to further the plot but simply for the sake of a prurient thrill.

Is this modern age, writers are having to engage with social media and become their own self-promoters in a way that didn’t exist even 5 years ago. Is there still room for the talented misanthrope or does success now depend on being socially adept?

Good question! But on reflection, I think that Twitter is actually the shy person’s friend, because it’s much easier to approach people you admire, or like the sound of, in neutral cyberspace.  Imagine what it was once like to have to phone someone up ‘cold’ and risk an embarrassing slap-down! Twitter also offers an extraordinary opportunity to make contact with fellow crime writers.  I’ve been blown away by the generosity of the scribbling community I’ve met on Twitter – people like Rachel Abbott and Emlyn Rees being just two examples of the many fellow writers who I’ve found to be hugely supportive and generous.

How important is the depiction of factual or historical accuracy in writing or do you think writers should have complete carte blanche in what we invent?

It’s a question that goes to the heart of my writing.  Although Where the Devil Can’t Go is set in contemporary London, part of the plot is rooted in Seventies and Eighties Poland when the country was under Soviet control, so l read an enormous amount about postwar Poland and the Solidarity movement that eventually restored democracy. I did, of course, use artistic license, but I didn’t do anything that altered the history in any fundamental way: that would offend against my journalist’s training! For instance, I mention a dissident priest who was abducted and beaten to death by the security forces in the Eighties. Essentially that’s a true story – Father Jerzy Popieluszko was brutally murdered by the regime. I changed his name and some of the circumstances, but not the essentials.  Had the Communists not indulged in that kind of behaviour I think it would be wrong and misleading about the nature of that era to invent it. Personally, I like to learn stuff from books, even  novels, and if I find out someone has totally invented the fundamentals I am outraged!

Why do some writers stand the test of time and others don’t? Is it really down to luck or zeitgeist or some other factor? 

All of the above, I suspect. Everyone knows Chandler, for instance, and that’s partly because he was a brilliant stylist with a wicked wit, but it also has to be because Bogart and Bacall brought his writing to millions. Were there other Thirties noir writers as good?  Absolutely.  But the luck and zeitgeist factor weren’t with them.

When did you first start to write fiction? 

My first real attempts came in my twenties and thirties, though I blush to recall the results. Maybe I was just a later developer, but it took me a while to find my ‘voice’ – which is the first essential for any writer.

What led you to believe in yourself as a novelist?

The wonderful Andrea Best, of Random House Germany, raving about ‘Devil’ – and giving me a deal!  Of course, there had been plenty of moments along the way when people whose opinion I respect – like my agent – loved the book:  but I have to say that, for a really compelling vote of confidence, a bank transfer is hard to beat.

Which crime novelists occupy the most of your bookshelves?

I adore European crime. To name just a few: Andreas Camielliera, creator of the fabulous Inspector Montalbano, full of heart and humour (and good food), now brilliantly adapted for TV; and Fred Vargas (French) and Marek Krajewski (Polish) for their sheer originality and distinctiveness. I’m also a fan of US crime: I’m a big fan of James Lee Burke, Elmore Leonard, James Ellroy, and from the wonderful 1930s, Chandler & Hammett.  In the UK, my fave crime read of last year was Snowdrops by A D Miller.

Any embarrassing novel-buying moments you’d like to share?

I refuse to be embarrassed by any book purchase, so long as it does what it says on the tin! A great story is a great story and sometimes all you want is a ripping yarn for the plane or poolside. When I’m really poorly I get out my tattered old Just William books: even with a killer dose of the flu they are still laugh-out-loud funny.

Do you have much creative input in your cover design?

Yes, because in the UK at least, I’m in charge.  I loved working with my designer on selecting an image and watching her cast her spell over it. I know some published authors have barely any input to the choice of cover so that is one major advantage of indie publishing…

If you could spend a day as anyone, real or fictional, contemporary or historical, who would you chose and why? 

I’m not sure I’d want the responsibility of being someone because then I’d have to choose Stalin or Hitler and immediately go and top myself…but if I could be an observer in a particular era, I think I’d choose the Roman Senate in the time of Julius Caesar, with a side-visit to Roman Britain (by BA rather than galley if you’ll allow it).

I’ve always loved Robert Graves’ I, Claudius novels, and also ripped through Twelve Caesars by Suetonius – which is written in a surprisingly immediate and accessible style.  And, thanks to Project Gutenberg, it’s free to download.

What is your ultimate authorial ambition?  

Blimey.  I suppose it has to be to write a book that people say changed their life.

Does crime fiction have a responsibility to expose to public consciously, unsavoury aspects of society that are misunderstood and hidden and can crime fiction play a part in changing society for the better?

I think that any book that sets out to ‘send a message’ is in big trouble…but of course writers, like everyone, have a moral sense, and moral and ethical issues and dilemmas that arise out of real life are at the forefront in crime writing.  

And last but not least, what would your final meal be in the condemned cell?

I’m tempted to say liver with fava beans and Chianti. But as I’m a Very Greedy Person this deserves a serious answer. So, fresh crab with a bottle of Pouilly Fumé, to be eaten while watching surf crash onto a moonlit beach (through the barred window.) And for pud, chocolate cake with a hacksaw blade inside…

For more information about Anya Lipska and her debut novel Where the Devil Can’t Go , please visit http://www.wherethedevilcantgo.com

You can also buy the book from Amazon http://tinyurl.com/cwd7nct

Follow Anya on Twitter @AnyaLipska

Interview with…Mel Sherratt – Author of Taunting the Dead

18 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by Martin J Frankson in Interviews

≈ 2 Comments


This is the first of a series of interviews with writers and authors and this blog is honoured and delighted to announce that Mel Sherratt, author of the critically acclaimed crime novel Taunting the Dead, is the first subject of this series. And, well, let’s hear what Mel has to say about herself!….

So,Mel, where are you from?

I’m from Stoke on Trent, a city in the Midlands. It’s also known as The Potteries as it was the base for such big names as Josiah Wedgwood, Spode, Minton and Royal Doulton. Alas, a lot of the pottery industry is in decline so we’ve lost most of the big names we were known for. But we still produce a lot of good things. Robbie Williams is one of them. Okay, I suppose I’m biased! 

When did you first start to write fiction?

I’ve always been writing – whether it’s in the form of a diary or trying to crack the short story market, which I never did.  I tried for many years to write a book but never went past honing and honing the first three chapters. Then about twelve, yes twelve, years ago, I wrote chapter four and continued until the end.  

What led you to believe in yourself as a novelist?

I think it had a lot to do with finishing that first book – I could do it if I put my mind to it. Although it was the first step, as it needed a lot of rewriting to get it anywhere near representation by a literary agent, it was the sense of achievement. And I wanted to see if I could do it again. Every writer must surely worry that there is only one book inside them when it comes to starting the whole procedure again.  

What is the most inspiring book (any genre) you have read and why?

The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton. I’m sure it set off my writing imagination.  

What is your favourite crime novel?

That would have to be Dead Like You – Peter James. Well, it’s based on The Shoe Killer and as I have a new home called Killer Heels…  Link http://www.writermels.blogspot.com

What kind of writing annoys you the most?

 Personally, I like action and dialogue, so pages and pages of narrative don’t do it for me.

How important is Social Media to new writers and how much leeway has a writer in being themselves on-line?

I think social media has a different part to play for individual writers. It depends what you want out of it and also how much you are prepared to give of yourself. For example, I have a website, a blog, a Facebook page and I’m always on Twitter. Those mediums work for me. There’s a balance to play as it takes a lot of time – writing should be the most important procedure.  Being yourself on line? Now there’s a whole other argument about that. All I can say is that I try to be positive – honest but positive. 

How important is the depiction of factual or historical accuracy in writing or do you think writers should have complete carte blanche in what we invent?

That’s a tough one. In Taunting the Dead there are certain things I’ve had my characters doing that readers don’t like. I’ve had to bend the rules – indeed, I’ve bent the rules for a purpose. But although it needs to be realistic, it is fiction. If I wrote about ‘normal life’, would it be as interesting? But for some things, I don’t think plots can be changed.   

What do you think the secret of longevity is? I mean, why do Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler (both very different writers) stand the test of time whereas others didn’t? Is it just luck?

I think it’s anticipation for the reader, especially for a series with a good main character. It’s always great when you’re waiting for an author’s next book. The whole process of getting the book, sitting down with it, the words on the first page that make you gasp in eagerness to read the rest, then reading it really quickly to get to the end, getting to know the main character just that little bit more. This is the thing that makes me look out for an author’s new work.    

Which crime novelists occupy the most of your bookshelves?

 Martina Cole, Mandasue Heller, Peter James, Mark Billingham. More recently Julia Crouch, Belinda Bauer, Niamh O Connor.

Any embarrassing novel-buying moments you’d like to share?

Well, I do buy some really gory serial killer books to get inside heads of killers…

Do you have much creative input in your cover design?

As I’ve self published, I created my own cover. I always imagined some kind of rose and if I had a mainstream publisher, and could have influence over the cover design, I always saw it as a red rose laid out on a freshly dug grave in a dark and dingy setting. As I designed it myself, I couldn’t find what I wanted. It took me ages to find the rose I used but when I did a whole new idea emerged. I think it was worth it for the effect I achieved.   

If you could spend a day as anyone, real or fictional, contemporary or historical, who would you be and why?

Idris Elba – I adore him as Luther. And wouldn’t it be great to think everyone adored you…  

What is your ultimate authorial ambition?

To become as well known as all the kings and queens of crime! Ha, ha, I hope you take that with the pinch of salt intended. Actually, I would love to see one of my books televised. I think that would be really special. I’m working on it…

 Your latest novel, Taunting the Dead, is set in Stoke. Do you think it’s important for a writer to know his/her setting intimately for authenticity?

Absolutely not. I attended an author talk the other evening (I was in the audience) and one of the things mentioned when questioned about research was how much could be done online. Personally I love Google Street Map because I can be in any place, anywhere in the world and get a feel for it. I’m not saying this would be authentic as I know I couldn’t get the same smells and sense of the place as if I was there. But research has made it possible for nothing to be ruled out. I set my novel in my home town because I’m not particularly good on descriptive paragraphs. I love to show not tell through lots of dialogue so coming from Stoke gives me that sense of place without trying. I see it every day; therefore it’s easy to slip into my writing.

Does crime fiction have a responsibility to expose to public consciousness, unsavoury aspects of society that are misunderstood and hidden and can crime fiction play a part in changing society for the better?

Personally, I don’t think so. I suppose as crime fiction authors we can be seen to sensationalise hideous crimes. But sometimes it’s about taking a subject that we’re passionate about, maybe to bring it to people’s attention. Other times, it’s just about creating a crime to solve. Bad things happen, period. For instance, domestic violence features a lot in what I write.

I’m also slightly on the fence with this one as I can write about violence but I can’t watch it. There are lots of arguments in our house along the lines of ‘Switch it off! Well, you write worse things than this.’

Can crime fiction play a part in changing society for the better?

I think the word to be noted is that it’s fiction.

And last but not least, what would your final meal be in the condemned cell?

It would have to be a ‘family favourite’ – home made spaghetti bolognaise with lots of garlic bread. Washed down with a nice glass of Chianti, of course….

 You can buy Taunting the Dead on Amazon here

Mel’s website is: http://www.melsherratt.co.uk/

Mel’s blog is: http://writermels.blogspot.co.uk/

And on Twitter she is: @writermels

Interview with literary agent Simon Lipskar

01 Friday Jul 2011

Posted by patrickmartinthewriter in Interviews

≈ Leave a comment


I found this informative and useful interview on http://www.crimefictionblog.com. Many thanks to them. I reproduce it here for the benefit of a wider audience as the advice given still very much holds true today as it did in 2008.

Simon Lipskar, a literary agent at Writers House, is one of the top agents in the business. He represents a wide range of writers, including major authors in literary and commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction and young adult fiction. He graciously agreed to answer some questions.

Q. What’s the best way for an unpublished writer to get an agent?

This is going to sound agonizingly reductive, but the answer is to worry less about finding an agent and more about writing the best possible book.  If the book is great, old-fashioned queries (though hopefully with less paper waste via email submission) are the best way to garner interest.  But don’t bother looking until you’re confident your book is as good as it can be.  I guess part of the question you’re asking is if going to conferences and meeting agents on the prowl will help; my basic feeling is usually not.  What you’re selling is on the page: if it’s there, it’s there, if it’s not, it’s not.

Q.  What do you look for in a prospective client?

More reductiveness: a great writer.  A determined writer.  A writer who’s willing to work as hard on her craft as her career (and vice versa).  Recognizing that writing is a solo act but publishing is a team effort is helpful, but I’ll represent a raging egomaniac who is a brilliant writer — the work always comes first, period.

Q. What are publishers buying right now?

The further adventures of reductiveness: books they can sell.  What that is precisely changes from time to time, of course.  In terms of thrillers, which are your primary area of interest, editors are looking for thrillers that aren’t like all the others.  Sure, there’s still money to be made writing Da Vinci Code knockoffs, but that’s growing staler by the moment.  Originality and freshness seem to be the watchwords on everyone’s lips.  I should also add that there’s a pretty sour vibe in publishing these days about the marketplace, even more so than usual; nobody is feeling all that great about the health of the bookselling market, and that makes for nervousness all around.

Q. Does it make any sense for writers to try to write to the market or is that a futile enterprise?

Almost invariably futile.  I know one or two cases in which writers wrote books specifically to catch a particular wave in which this gambit worked, but usually this just serves to waste vast amounts of precious time.  Writers should write the books they love.  That way, no matter what the market says, their time wasn’t wasted.

Q. What’s the one thing that you think all writers should know about the publishing business but don’t?

That most of us (publishing folks) really love books.  That most of us really care about publishing books well, that we take it personally. This is not a business for folks who are just looking for a job to pass the time — it’s well beyond 9-5 for most of us, and it usually doesn’t compensate the average editor or agent nearly well enough given the amount of time, dedication and passion he or she gives.  So often I get the sense that writers think we really couldn’t give a damn about books and publishing them well — and that’s just a profound misreading of this business and the people who work in it.

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