Online Author Interview with Freelancewriting.com

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS POSED BY FREELANCEWRITING.COM

1). What is your typical workday like? Do you stick to a writing schedule?

As a part-time writer I have to distribute my time writing with my day job as a Project Manager for a major highway authority. Consequently, I spend most of my spare time in the evenings developing mystery/thriller plots, characters, carrying out research to give my fictional storyline some credence with actual historical events, something I have done in writing my latest novel, "In The Mood".
I utilise the weekend and any other spare time that I can muster, but balancing family and work of all types is important to me.


2) Do you set yourself daily, weekly, yearly goals? If so, what are some of your goals?
It isn't difficult to set goals, whatever the timeframe. The difficulty is sticking to them. Daily goals are often more of a wish list for me, but nevertheless useful as a focus. Weekly goals are more achievable as the period includes the weekend as well as the evenings with respect to my free time.
I like to layout the plot in a rough draft, chapter-by-chapter to judge how the characters interact in taking the plot forward. Nearly all early drafts will be revisited at some point as various subplots take shape to confirm the logic and overall story conclusion. I treat chapters initially as isolated stories, which gives me early monthly targets. Some are easier than others to define, depending on the amount of research required and character development/interaction. In The Mood has 27 chapters and I tried to ensure that I completed a chapter a month. I was conscious of the fact that the process of writing commercially is far more than just creating an interesting story. There is the creation of drafts, redrafts, publicity and marketing to consider and these featured in my longer-term goals.
Ultimately, I aimed to have the final draft for a book of this size ready for publishing within 12 months.

3) When did your passion for writing begin? What kept you going?

I have been an avid reader of authors like Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle and Agatha Christie from being a young boy. I also watch T.V. and film adaptations of such books, frequently spoiling the plot for my family as I invariably workout the conclusion well in advance. One evening, a few years ago, my eldest son said, "why don't you write your own", so I did!
At the same time I was a little disillusioned with my current employment and considered a change of direction. Writing full-time has its attractions for all kinds of reasons and I find this a useful stimulus driving me forward.


4) How do you come up with ideas for what you write? What methods do you use to flesh out your idea to determine if it's saleable?

I think everyone likes a good mystery. It's a subject that interests me and is a genre that has stood the test of time. The advent of film and T.V. has only heightened its popularity over the last century. With that in mind, I began writing 'In The Mood' concentrating on an unusual death, something that would hold a reader's fascination due to its curiosity value alone, at least initially. The condition I chose involved the natural mummification of a body, immediately offering the possibility of a story set in time. As a consequence I constructed a plot that included a timeframe that runs from the 2nd World War, through a period around 1960 when the murder took place up to 1985, the time when the majority of the story and investigation is set. Again the time frames were more to do with the age of the characters and the logic of the plot
I needed the usual ingredients of motive and opportunity, but these were set in the past. Finding the mummified body was only the catalyst for delving into the murky past of the victim and his friends. Various subplots describe the demise of each victim, with each subplot leading back to the conclusion of the story, tying up loose ends for the reader as the story unfolds.
The key for me was contriving a plot that draws the reader along, with seemingly unrelated pieces of a much larger puzzle (without loosing your reader), ultimately bringing them together, hopefully with a twist at the end. I think it is worthwhile with a work of fiction to intersperse the plot with real-time events to give the story perspective and a setting in time. I am sure I achieved this with “In The Mood”.


5) Can you tell us what editors typically look for in a magazine/book query letter/proposal?

Writing for editors/publishers, from their perspective, is a commercial activity. Many good books and novels exist out there somewhere that never reach the status that they deserve because writing a novel is one thing, selling it is something else. When a book like Harry Potter hits the book stores you can be assured that a number of other "boy wizard" books will appear, for example, because at that point in time that is what the public wants and hence, it sells.
Book cover plays an important part being the first thing that a would-be buyer sees on entering a bookshop. Also, a well thought through cover suggests that more effort has gone into it than just producing the text, a sense of pride that transcends the print itself. If you can get to this point, the book has to have content that works and keeps the reader enthralled, with a good plot, believable characters and a logical, entertaining storyline.

6) Can you tell us how you found representation for your book? Did you pitch it to an agent, or query publishers who would most likely publish this type of book? Any rejections? Did you self-publish?

I initially contacted Macmillan as one of many publishers specialising in crime and mystery and received a very nice response encouraging me to continue, despite the fact that the subject matter did not entirely fit their portfolio at that time.
Most traditional publishers that I contacted were not taking on new authors at the time of my enquiry. Though disappointed, it wasn't too negative a response to the book itself, merely the fact that they had enough authors on their books. As a result, I decided to self-publish with Authorhouse, which gave me greater control over the print format, copy and the book cover, all of which I am quite please with.


7) Can you explain some of your research techniques, and how you found sources for your book, Internet, library books?

I always believed that I could write a reasonably interesting murder mystery. As a big fan of Agatha Christie, I began writing my first novel with the entire plot clear in my mind before I typed a word. That way, I could visualise my reader's reaction to the story as it unfolded, ensuring that each page persuaded them to turn on to the next.
Having sourced the idea for the mummification of the body I found myself looking into areas of police work to give the storyline credibility. Some examples included handwriting and fingerprint analysis, which I obtained from research with various police authorities and Internet sources. Knowledge of construction techniques comes from my own experience as a bridge engineer, which I put to good use, playing to my strengths.
Having created a fictional framework for my novel and based it over 42 years I was keen to populate the plot with factual events to give the reader a sense of setting in time. I used the internet and local library resources to research real events to superimpose on to the plot, typically, events like the 2nd World War, Queen Elizabeth's Coronation, Edmund Hillary's conquest of Everest, the passing of rock star, Buddy Holly and the Munich air disaster.

8) What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?

There is a fine line to be met between committing sufficient time to your book and committing too much in being a perfectionist while meeting commercial goals. Trying to get interest from conventional publishers is always a challenge and possibly the single most reason why new authors give up prematurely. Self-publishing, Ebooks etc is about to change this though I feel.
The setting for my story was a dilemma initially, whether to make what became the village of Willenbury a “real” village and perhaps risk the wrath of locals when the book was published or whether to choose a general location and then set a fictional village in that locality. As the plot developed, I chose the latter option because the exact location relative to London at the height of the war was important to the plot and I needed maximum flexibility with its description.
Writing part-time is a challenge for any writer, balancing your day job with writing and your family life, but I found that I enjoyed doing this and as long as I set myself realistic goals I actually found it therapeutic in some ways.

9) Do you recommend other writers find a niche or specialty? What have been the rewards for you?

The key to writing a good novel, in my mind, is thoroughly researching your subject or at least having an affinity with the subject matter. Some might say a niche or speciality? If you are to convince your audience that yours is the book to read above all others in a similar genre, you need a sound foundation with a fairly unique angle to exploit. This might come from your past experience/background or through thorough research. Either way, your reader needs to have confidence that you know about your subject and perhaps that you are an "expert" in your field.
Choosing subject mater that relates to your "normal" profession can often give credibility to your writing (especially non-fiction writers with relevant qualifications) and be the initial reason why a buyer selects your book, e.g. a retired ex-Chief Constable writing a book on serial killers.


10) Have you had any downfalls or negative experiences working with a publisher/agent, such as rejection letters? If so, how did you handle it?

I have had encouraging letters from publishers like Macmillan in the past, who were not taking on new clients at the time, I've also had the odd letter from publishers with a negative slant, more to do with the fact that they were not taking on any new clients or "risks" as they would see them. I think self-belief in your subject, a thirst to be heard and a knowledge of your market is an important defence mechanism to any negative response from a publisher. These are qualities you should nurture as your book progresses through its development. That is not to say that you shouldn't listen to what is in effect "free advice", but it should not deter you from your ultimate goal, if you really believe in your book. If you know it is good, sounds good and feels good, it probably is good. The key is marketing to people that want your book...that is where the real challenge lies!


11) In the last year or so have you seen any changes in the way publishers publish and/or distribute books? Are there any emerging trends developing?

I certainly think that electronic books are coming more to the fore and I sense that conventional book distribution will be a thing of the past before too long. People are shopping more online these days to meet busy personal schedules, especially at Christmas and Ebooks have the added bonus of being more environmentally friendly (use of paper avoided etc). Combine that with instant access, emerging technology to read electronically and the fact that no storage is necessary with print-on-demand/Ebooks, it is only a matter of time before it becomes the main mode of producing books - even in the classroom! Self-publishing is opening up the traditional constraints associated with publishing. Again, combined with Ebook publishing, more authors are getting their work into print. Some are even transcribing the written word into audio books with surprising effectiveness.


12) How have you used the Internet to boost your writing career?

"In the Mood", is on both www.Amazon.co.uk and www.BarnesandNoble.com websites, as paperback versions. I have also negotiated with Amazon directly through Mobipocket to convert my original WORD version of my book into an Ebook version through Mobipocket's software (www.mobipocket.com). This has had the advantage of routing any sales directly to me using PAYPAL, rather than Amazon etc. I am currently negotiating with WH Smith with regard to its Ebook store. The book also appears on my publisher's website, at www.Authorhouse.com. I have organised my book to be listed within Google and Amazon's search programmes and I have recently become a member of the Authorsden website in USA.
I have recently launched my own website at www.paulhupton.com, using it initially to promote my book. I intend to link my website with other like-minded websites - print version and Ebook websites. Writing this account is one of many opportunities I intend to use to promote myself for example on the Internet.


13) Any unique ways you'll be marketing your book that is different from how others authors market their books?

I mentioned above the EBook approach. My novel is a self-published version, so the main thrust of my marketing is by online means. All rights remain with me giving me maximum flexibility. I expect to carry out a more conventional approach to marketing through my publisher, Authorhouse. I have surfed online using various means to amass contacts and websites that offer book reviews, book listings, interviews (like this one) and radio/TV. The Internet is the biggest "shop window" in the world. It has many opportunities worldwide and all need to be explored and exploited.


14) Who are your favourite authors, and why do they inspire you?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie as past authors of crime and suspense. Dan Brown (USA) and James Herbert(UK) as contemporary authors. Past authors like Conan Doyle and Christie are masters of their art. Even their transition to the "screen" works well. I have read and watched both over the last 30 years many times over, still intrigued with their writing and the plots that they came up with. They were the inspiration behind my novel because although fashionable genres come and go, crime and suspense has stood the test of time because we are all detectives at heart I suppose.
Dan Brown is a master of the complicated yet entertaining plot and storyline. Again the mixture of clever story telling mixed in with potentially real events (as in the Da Vinci Code) all help to hold the reader's attention throughout.
James Herbert has always been a favourite of mine. Although ostensibly a horror writer, his writing skills go much deeper. Like DAN brown, he has an ability to keep his reader's attention throughout.


15) What's your advice to achieve success as a writer?

Self-belief! Know your subject and not to be easily put off by others. Be receptive to advice and criticism, but constructive criticism! Know your market relative to your subject matter and be clear about your expectations and objectives. Finally, play to your strengths. If it is non-fiction, such as travel, then stick to it! Maybe when you are famous and much sought-after as a writer, then you can diversify and seek your own personal Holy Grail.