In the words of Rabbie Burns in To a Louse:
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
Too see oursels as ithers see us!
Crimes, chases, and a whole lorra laughs
February’s guest at Writers’ Café was Derek Thompson (not to
be confused with local MP Derek Thomas, especially as they are at opposite ends
of the political spectrum!). “Our Derek”, as we should perhaps refer to him
henceforth, is the author of a number of novels available online and in
paperback - notably the Thomas Bladen Spy
Chaser series, which has reached book four with Shadow State and sounds
serious enough. But unlike some other authors who do the grittier end of the
thriller spectrum, Our Derek keeps the really graphic violence at arm’s
distance, taking things only as far as he feels the reader needs to go. He also
includes regular bouts of comradely banter between his characters, some wry
comment at their expense, and - occasionally - downright comic situations.
Well, what will those hardened men on the fringes of the official police do,
when the stolen car they’ve been tracking turns out to have a baby in the back?
As a freelancer, Derek has had a full and interesting
writing career – although he also has a part-time “day job”. Apart from novels,
his work has included what he said was “the rudest greetings card ever”* (and
although he later said he sometimes used inappropriate material to “test the
water”, the joke was definitely judged unfit for the ears of Writers’ Café). He
describes himself as an “emerging writer”, although at least one member of his
audience is already a fan and has read every one of his books. His final drafts
go out to “beta-test” with a panel of fellow-writers, before being submitted to
his publisher, Joffe Books, and are subsequently available on Amazon. Some American
readers have struggled with the British slang and the (by no means excessive)
emotional content, but Derek likes his characters to be more than mere ciphers.
“I argue with my characters”, he said, “and if I’m lucky, they argue back”.
Apart from his personal Facebook account, he has a professional page, a blog,
and an account with Twitter – which he feels scores well for instant
communication, though less well for actual engagement.
By way of instruction, Derek pointed out that “there’s more
to comedy than a few laughs”, and provided us with an excellent summary of
techniques for writing comedy, which include setting up misunderstandings and
confounding expectations. Then of course there is juxtaposition, exaggeration –
and the rule (or pattern) of three. Comedy, he said, is a “dance between content
and context, and between language and ideas” which can either reinforce or challenge
orthodoxies - authority and stereotyping alike. He described one purpose of
comedy as “getting your point across diagonally”. Derek cited the opening of
Iain Banks’ Crow Road (It was the day
my grandmother exploded.) as a perfect comic moment which needs no explanation,
acts as a hook and sets the tone of what will follow.
And then, of course, it was time to rummage in pockets and
bags for our own pens. The challenge was to take an event within the shared
experience such as a wedding or an interview, and weave comedy into it by using
some of the techniques that had been discussed. Members happily read their
work, which ranged from treatments to finished prose, from a summary of the
nightmare reception to a cross-purposes conversation. Some of these may re-emerge sooner or
later at a Café open session, where (as some of our regular turns are aware) a
bit of comedy always goes down a treat.
Derek’s writing secrets? (Well, we always ask.) Writers, he
told us, need a “shard of ice at their heart” and a willingness to cannibalise
their own experience. Derek will be putting this into practice in his current
novel, Stars and Stripes, and some
Penzance scratchcard buyers may soon be reading a scene that feels oddly
familiar. He has also appropriated nuggets of film and classic literature, and starts
by “walking round a novel to find the way in”, describing this voyage of
discovery as the technique of a “poor man’s medium”. Yes, he does favour a set
routine and sets time aside on a daily basis, writing a set number of words
“though not necessarily in the right order”. He recommends trains for the sense
of constraint and the rhythmic background they provide (are the speedier
sections of his plots composed the other side of Exeter?), and – like most
writers – warns us away from writing on any internet-enabled device in the
early stages. And he freely admitted that wearing a favourite hat – no,
literally – is just the thing for providing the right cranial stimulus.
You can read more from, and about, Derek at http://www.alongthewritelines.blogspot.co.uk
and see his books at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08
He is happy to connect on Twitter - https://twitter.com/DerekWriteLines
- or on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ProfessionalWriter1/
About Linda
She is a writer, historian and speaker. She worked on collaborative scripts for History Through the Looking Glass at the Penzance Literary Festival and is also involved with the Penwith Local History Group, having contributed a chapter in their latest book, "Women of West Cornwall". She is currently working on a new book about the history of Penzance. She says it's a long-term project!
Incidentally, if you are in Cornwall 5th - 8th of July, the Penzance Literary Festival is well worth a visit. They have a packed and diverse programme of events. http://www.pzlitfest.co.uk
* All I will say is that it involves glass houses...
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