Guest spot - The Water Babes by Norman Whitney

It's long been said - and repeated on social media ad infinitum - that every book written in the English language is just a combination of the same 26 letters. However, the divide between non-fiction and fiction has always seemed a robust one. Journalists and other professionals have been known to cross the border successfully, often fictionalising their work experiences and environments. 

Norman Whitney has gone one better by choosing a completely different setting and genre for his debut novel, The Water Babes. I caught up with him online and asked him what it was like to go in at the deep end. 

What was your inspiration for this book?

My inspiration was basically to see whether I could write a  novel, following my successful career in English Language Teaching (ELT), and as someone who is now in his seventies! I wanted to write a novel that was not peppered with violence and murders.

I also wanted to promote my main theme, which is how people – even those of very different cultures, faiths, and personalities – are interconnected, even though they may not think so. That is why surprises and shocks about such connections are such a feature of the story, especially towards the end.

How did you find the process of creating fiction, having previously written textbooks?

Textbooks, especially those in ELT, have to be written within the constraints set by syllabuses, which very from country to country. These constraints affect everything, including grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and types of illustration. Syllabuses were, and still are, subject to fashions in education, which publishers had to be aware of. 

My course books were for teenagers learning English overseas, and each country has specific interests such as guidance on how to study, how / whether to include guidance on study skills, self assessment, and cross-cultural issues. Also, the different weights given to the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening in each syllabus have to be taken into account. In addition, my books specialised in the study of English in different subjects, e.g. history and geography.

Novels are free of such constraints! So, writing without grammatical or vocabulary limits came as a great relief! But there are other constraints such as continuity, consistent characterisation, and in my case, plausibility of plot lines. Adapting to new freedoms meant adapting to new conventions. Sometimes, this was relatively difficult (textbooks have wonderful artwork support which novels usually do not), but sometimes relatively easy (in novels, you can use any tense you want to whereas text books of my sort have very strict limits and prohibitions and different levels).

What was your path to publication?

My path to publication was not easy, despite textbook sales of 25 million. I needed an agent, for the first time in my life. I tried 25 agents, but none were interested, save one or two, who were very complimentary about my sample, but nothing more. I came to the conclusion that unless one were extremely talented or very lucky (I was neither), or unless one were already famous in some other field (politics, pop music, sport) the chances of getting an agent were very slim. Interestingly, several agents (hedging their bets?) asked if the manuscript had already been self-published. My other problem is that, at the age of 73, I am clearly not an agent’s idea of a solid future investment!

So I took the hint and investigated self-publishing. I looked up one or two companies that offered help, and came across Troubadour/Matador, based in Leicester. They have always been helpful, prompt, and clear. From the start, I wanted to give my book every help, and to cover all the bases (marketing, promotion, sales) that I could, and which were offered by Matador. Inevitably, this has proved costly, but since I wanted to give the book every advantage, I consider the expense worth it, no matter what happens in the future.

Are you working on anything at the moment?

Yes. One idea is a sequel to The Water Babes. The other is about the closed world of luxury cruising. But I am waiting to see what happens to The Water Babes before working on other ideas in earnest.

How do you go about balancing comedy and drama in your fiction?

It remains to be seen whether readers think that there is a balance in my book…!

But for me, it helps I think to have a sort of ironic detachment to the world about us. I have found that if I tell people that my novel is set around a ladies' aquarobics class, they already seem to sense the comic potential in the basic setting. It’s a bit like setting up a situation comedy.

Add to that a mix of themes such as separation, divorce, sexual shenanigans, and a farewell party, it isn’t difficult to see how life’s dramas and even tragedies might also have their place amongst the comedic moments.

What has been your biggest challenge in creating The Water Babes?

The biggest challenge was how to introduce each character. It is an ensemble piece, (unusually for most novels, I think) and so I didn’t want to have just one dominant central character. 

I had trouble making the opening scenes plausible, because I didn’t want to bombard the readers with lots of names or initial character descriptions too soon. I needed to make space for the introduction of each character’s motives for joining an aquarobics class in the first place. Then I had to combine what is initially a character driven story with what becomes a story driven more by plot, which darkens as the novel progresses. 

The Water Babes demonstrates the old adage that no man – or woman – is an island. 

On the contrary, the story shows that we are all in this together.


The ebook is available as a free download for an introductory period 

Weds 13th July to Sun 17th July

Where can we find out more about your book?

Paperback via publisher: http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=3701

Paperback via Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/1785890921/ 

Ebook via Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B01HZBUEW0/

Author website: www.normanwhitney.co.uk   

Twitter: @nwhitneyauthor 

Writers, stop saying sorry!

I am not, by nature, one of life's ranters. However, from time to time I encounter something - usually, it has to be said, in my own behaviour - that makes me inwardly seethe. (Except, being British, it amounts to polite irritation and some low decibel tutting.)

The most recent example, a discussion about the validity of sentence fragments, was actually in jest. But it got me thinking about the ways in which writers can become appeasers in the scramble for good reviews, good standing in the community and a general desire to feel good. I think the logic goes that it's often hard enough dealing with your own characters or troublesome copy without having to play rock, paper, scissors in the outside world.

Earlier this week I was delighted to discover that a script of mine had been augmented and made into a short film. Naturally, I posted the link online: https://vimeo.com/122506746 and enjoyed that magic moment of realisation that a piece of my work can now be enjoyed and critiqued by others. (Although, I will say that the acting and the direction are what make the film great.) And then it hit me...that nagging concern...that some people might not like it. Not dislike it, but be offended by it, or look my other work askance (do people still do that these days?) because Wasabi is adult humour. Some writers resolve this problem by using pseudonyms. I didn't bother. I considered that most clients and friends are adult to enough to accept that we are complex creatures with many sides. And I'm sure friends of the author EL James felt the same way. Probably.

No, that nagging voice that worried what people would say was all mine. It was the same tone that suggested my fantasy, Covenant, was a little too occult for my friends without an interest in tyhe esoteric. (Wrong, as it turns out.) Or that the thrillers were too sweary for a mainstream audience. They are, of course, for an audience that doesn't enjoy GAP (genre appropriate profanity - neat term, huh?). And that's the point. 

As writers we will continually encounter people who love or loathe our work. The internet and social media has vastly increased the likelihood that you may hear from them in one form or another. That can be tough sometimes, but it is super important to know what your brands are as a copywriter or as a fiction writer (or both). You cannot be someone else's idea of you as a writer, and if that means losing business or losing fans then that's just too bad.

As a writer you have to learn to Man Up (or Woman Up, but I couldn't add a sales link for that), own your work and express yourself through your writing. So, no more apologies., please. And while I'm on this roll, writers are not there to satisfy a reader's every need. We may make them do some of the work. We may bamboozle and misdirect them. We may even, gods forbid, disappoint them from time to time. That's all part of the game. 

You can no more write to appease your readers than you can subjugate your true self in order to satisfy, placate and otherwise ingratiate yourself with your family and friends. You may manage it short-term but it will eventually ooze out somewhere. Frankly, it's a fool's errand and uses up valuable energy that could be better spent writing.

Remember, you never have to justify:
- Whether you are or are not published, and by what means.
- What you use your ink for and what your fictional characters get up to. 
- Prioritising time for writing.
- How much money you make from your writing.

What do you apologise for as a writer and what will it take for you to stop?

Shadow State

Some say the best television shows end at series three. It's not that further series are necessarily bad, they just need to be different. The first two series of Red Dwarf, for example, felt like cult viewing; you either got it or you didn't. It was made - or appeared to be - without a greater awareness of a wider audience. Niche viewing, you might say.

However, if a show is lucky enough to endure it will also need to progress. The writers inevitably take account of audience feedback, and the actors' strengths, and potentially the available budget and any deadline constraints. It's still art but there's a more prominent commercial aspect to it.

The more series there are, the more development there has to be; whether that's the completion of a quest (and possibly the start of another one), or characters learning something and changing as a result. Basically, some plot lines need to resolve because you can't tease and torment viewers (or readers) indefinitely. In original Battlestar Galactica saga, for example, the storyline about the search for the Earth had to end up somewhere. 

Most fans of Standpoint, Line of Sight, and Cause & Effect will probably know that I'm working on the next book: Shadow State. It's my series four and comes with certain challenges and opportunities.

The opportunities are around character progress and subplot resolution (or complication!). I get to fill in more blanks this time, especially about Karl McNeill's family. There's also more chances to illustrate how Thomas Bladen has been affected by his experiences in the previous three novels. And, perhaps, a space to shine a spotlight on his relationship with Miranda Wright. (I say perhaps because that might be held over until Book Five.) By now, all of my main characters have a defined backstory and a history of interactions with one another. In a sense, I feel as though I've brought 'the gang' together now. Of course, in writing, you sometimes bring people or things together so that you can tear them apart...

As I said, there are challenges too, especially with such a large cast. Different characters demand centre stage and sometimes - in my head, you understand - refuse to play third fiddle or spear carrier no. 2. I am wondering whether the occasional spin-off short story may be a way of placating them. Another problem-ette is my own awareness of the audience now. I've been fortunate with some of the book reviews, both the bouquets and the brickbats (for some reason I love that word!). I know now, to some extent, what readers enjoy and what those who left at an earlier series didn't like. I recognise that there is a trade-off to be had between what the audience wants and what I and my characters want to give them.

Here's a hint of progressions to come, plus a red herring:

-    Jack Langton is coming out of prison.

-    Thomas has come to someone else's attention.

-    Thomas and Karl have unfinished business from the previous books.

-    Miranda won't wait forever for Thomas to commit.

-    Is it time for Thomas to take the lead without Karl as a safety net?

-    Patterns change, loyalties wane, and debts must be paid.

-    Maybe it's time for Thomas to finally choose a side?

For those of you who have stayed the course, Shadow State is coming...Book Four

One Year On - a Q&A with a difference

A little ago, buoyant on completing my first year as a thriller writer, I thought it would be fun to do a Q&A with a difference. I promised to answer any questions you cared to send in. Here they are, woven into an interview.

1. It's been a year since your debut thriller, Standpoint, was published. Did you expect two of the follow-on books to be published so quickly?

Not for a second! I had a vague idea that it might be one every nine months, but the rate has been fantastic. It has also taught me not to obsess so much about the novels, to write them as well as I can and then move on to the next one.

2. Does that mean you see the thrillers as more of a 'job' than a creative project?

I think you could say that, and I am pleased about that transition. Jasper Joffe signed me on the basis of a five-book pitch, so I have no qualms about making good on my side of the bargain. Plus, I'm happy to confirm, the royalty payments have been good news.

3. What are the numbers?

Funny you should ask that! Chloe Banks covered this theme brilliantly in a blog post of her own and writing (probably all the Arts) seems to be an occupation where the abiding curiosity is about what you earn.

There is no 'typical' author experience. As a friend of mine, Jem, likes to say: your mileage may vary.

4.  Highlights and lowlights?

Seeing a press release in the local paper, and on the Literature Works website. Having a spot on BBC Radio Cornwall (where I managed to mispronounce one of the book titles!). Fellow writers and readers being amazingly generous with their time.

Even the bad reviews are fine if they make sense. Some would-be supporters decided not to join the Bladen bus, which is absolutely their right but disappointing nonetheless. I get that people are busy! A shame too about the highly successful author's post for me and the newspaper book review that never came to pass. 

One thing that really surprised me was how few reviews we received for the 50,000 downloads. You can check out Amazon (links handily provided below) to see for yourself.

5. Do you feel shackled to Thomas Bladen now?

Not at all - he's part of the family. My publisher has floated the idea of a crime thriller with new characters, which I'm still mulling over. I'm working on the fourth Bladen novel at the moment and I have an outline for the fifth / final (?) book.

6. What's changed for you since Standpoint came out in March 2015?

I have more experience of the publishing industry - particularly where ebooks are concerned - and consequently my expectations have changed. My books have each had a steep trajectory, peaking in weeks and fading in months. That's both exciting and humbling. 

I've also learned not to fixate on Amazon's rankings, important though they are, simply because my ability to publicise my novels is limited. A year on, I have slightly more traction and a wider community to interact with (and some people - take a bow again, Mrs Campbell! - went above and beyond to support the books), but most promotional activity is down to the publisher. Fortunately for me, Jasper Joffe knows what he's doing and delivered on his promises!

If I pitch another book anywhere, I now have a track record. I did self-publish Covenant before, but that was really niche fantasy fiction and failed to set the literary or esoteric worlds ablaze. Now, I can cite my thriller figures as evidence of a readership and commercial viability.

The past year has also made me more confident about my own work. I know my books aren't for everyone and that, as one person put it: "Let's face it you're basically writing 21st century pulp novels to read on the train." It's a fair point and I'm happy to take the stage and say 'this is what I do'.

My horizons have widened considerably. I am currently waiting for feedback from a TV producer (no pressure, take your time!) who responded to my query and agreed to read Standpoint. It's not that I have any sense of entitlement or expectation about future projects. No, it's simply that I was writing novels in the attic until a year ago so I know that statistically improbable opportunities can and do arise. Why not think big!

As I write other things as well, I would really like to build on the past year and see my tragi-comedy novel, Scars & Stripes, land on a welcoming desk. I've thought about pitching it as as Great Expectations meets Catcher in the Wry (sic) in the 1980s. 

7. Do you see the writing world as more competitive or less, since you've been published?

Both.

It's more competitive in that I can better appreciate other factors that can have a bearing on your success. Things I've never considered, like who other writers from the same publishing house have books coming out and when, where your launch date or free download period sits in relation to UK or US public holidays, the importance of finding an audience on both sides of the Atlantic.

I also see it as less competitive in that I've encountered so much goodwill (plus a few crapbags!) out there. It's one of the reasons I wanted to try and pay it forward by allocating a free hour each week for other writers. I also think - and I'm indebted to Stephen King's On Writing for reminding me of this - that my 'job' is to develop as a writer and to write as authentically and as well as I can. That's it really. The rest is secondary - has to be secondary - or I'd be too busy looking out the window to concentrate on the page.

8. Do you wish you had three novels under your belt when you were younger?

That's hard to say. It would have been different, certainly. I wouldn't have been as honest on the page because that didn't really happen until I wrote about the impact of my brother's death. If you're pushing me on this, I wish I had been a more honest and more committed writer when I was younger. I might have written more books and very different ones, which is an intriguing idea for me now.

9. What would you do if your next book doesn't sell?

Get despondent. Eat chocolate. Get writing.

Reflect. Write something else. Write better.

UK

Standpoint http://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B00UVQBVVU/

Line of Sight http://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B00XIOAOBK/

Cause & Effect http://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B016J62PYM/

Spy Chaser http://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B01ANPQ7DK/

US

Standpoint http://www.amazon.com//dp/B00UVQBVVU/

Line of Sight http://www.amazon.com//dp/B00XIOAOBK/ 

Cause & Effect http://www.amazon.com//dp/B016J62PYM/

Spy Chaser http://www.amazon.com//dp/B01ANPQ7DK/

Party politics - and not in the way you think

An arts hole?

I'm a fan of Jeff Bridges (especially Starman and The Big Lebowski) and a fan of Simon Pegg (especially Spaced and Shaun of the Dead), so the film How to Lose Friends and Alienate People was a natural choice as it featured both of them. I awarded it a bonus point awarded because it is also a film about a writer. 

There's a line in it, which I won't bother to quote accurately (well, this is a blog...), about acerbic writers being that way because they don't have an invite to the party. It's a bit of a cliche, but like most cliches there is a vein of truth in it. 

The reality, however, is that we all have our faces pressed at the window of the next party, the next inner circle, or the next opportunity that will somehow change our trajectory as writers.

Since Standpoint was published approximately 12 months ago I have been on a literary rollercoaster. twisting and turning through the contract, the edits, the final proof, publication, and promotions. For a short while I enjoyed the perspective of a published writer and then plunged back into a follow-up novel to start the whole process again with Line of Sight, and after that Cause & Effect came out as the third book in the series. 

All of which is lovely, but there are still parties beyond the glass. Some of them are small affairs - getting more sales and especially more reviews (the order sounds counter-intuitive but many writers would agree with me), and being invited as a guest on other people's blogs. Other parties seem exclusive to the point of impossibility - selling the rights for TV or film (and not just so that Sarah Campbell can become an extra!), doing a book tour, being invited to attend a writing conference as a speaker, or having a book reviewed by a national newspaper. 

This month marks the end of my first full year as a published author. It's a party that I know others are keen to get an invite to, even as I'm gazing at the next glass wall. Along the way I've been asked some pointed and challenging questions, so my next blog will tackle those in a warts-and-all Q&A. There's still time to add a question to the list, by:
a) Commenting here.
b) Contacting me on Twitter - @DerekWriteLines
c) Contacting me via Facebook - /professionalwriter1

I chose the above image because I saw it on my travels in Penzance, and also because it reminded me of Marcel Duchamp, who shocked the art world by presenting a urinal out of context as art. Except, as we now know, he actually appropriated the idea from Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven - which was really taking the piss.

Writers on a screen

I was watching a film noir classic on MUBI last week and it got me thinking about all the films that have writers in the spotlight. Some offer a sliver of insight into the writing process, some perpetuate myths, and some are just entertaining.

Here are the ones I could recall at the kitchen table that I have seen, and would recommend:

Her Alibi - Tom Selleck's murder mystery author takes unusual steps to overcome writer's block, vouching for a murder suspect he barely knows. We've all been there, desperate for inspiration.

In a Lonely Place - Humphrey Bogart's washed-up screenwriter prefers the bottle to a pen, until he meets a mysterious neighbour. It's bad timing that a woman is murdered, he's the last known person to see her alive, and the police see him as the prime (only!) suspect. Writers are naturally suspicious and curious - not a good combination if you're the one under scrutiny.

Adaptation - Nicholas Cage plays twins, a seasoned scriptwriter struggling with an adaptation (see what they did there...) of a well-known and tricksy novel, and his down-to-earth brother who decides to write his own film script. The film explores the writer's internal process and what artistic rivalry looks like up close and personal. Perfect viewing for any author who lamest that their artistic creation gets less airtime in cyberspace than the latest slasher / thriller / bodice ripper.

My House in Umbria - Dame Maggie Smith is a prolific romantic novelist, projecting on to the page a life very different from her own. When tragedy strikes she finds new meaning in the people around her and accidentally hears what one reader really thinks of her prose. That scene could be sponsored by Amazon!

Misery - James Caan learns that his biggest fan can also be his biggest nightmare. On the plus side, his novelist is a great example of working to a deadline and writing / rewriting to order. Fear is a greater motivator.

Iris - Dame Judi Dench shows the side of writers that's rarely appreciated by readers. Experimental, far from perfect, and challenging to be around, sometimes the closest writers can get to truth is in our fiction. It can be hard for friends and partners. Here's a quote from the film that speaks volumes: I should feel like a deprived animal if I can't write.

Murder, She Wrote - Angela Lansbury's sleuth and novelist epitomises the writer's curiosity and her time management skills (solving murders, writing novels and doing the promo work) set a high benchmark. You could say that she writes some killer prose.  

Anyway, that's my selection. Which films would you have chosen?

Created Expectations

A little freeform blogging on a calendrical adjustment. 

Feb 29th is an unusual day. Partners propose, workers appear to work an extra this month for no extra pay (I used to ask my boss about it, but I never got a straight answer) and there's a certain sense of being out of step with the norm. Add to that the controversy over the Oscars this year - brilliantly addressed by Chris Rock's storming monologue - and I can't help thinking about expectations. I speak from the perspective of a white 'emerging author' (I made that term up) so I can't say anything useful about diversity and inclusivity in the entertainment industry, or comment meaningfully on when an expectation is reasonable and justified. What I can talk about is a writer's expectations, and how valid they might be.

My first 'break' was a contract offer from Samhain publishing for my magical fantasy, Covenant. Some of you may know that Samhain has recently decided to close its doors. It would be hard to describe my utter joy at receiving that acceptance email and my expectation was that editing and publication would be followed in due course by some degree of success and further books. What actually happened was that the editor died and her replacement didn't like the book at all and the offer was swiftly withdrawn. These things happen.

That same novel went to an independent European publisher who both liked and understood the book. However, owing to personal and professional challenges, the main editor was unable to edit it in a year. We parted company on good terms. Finally, a UK publisher wanted to take on the book but only if I made an author's contribution amounting to over £5000. That, believe me, was certainly unexpected! I like to think of it as five thousand reasons to self-publish a book.

Our expectations can be based upon many things:
- Feedback from readers, editorial reports and fellow writers.
- Bright optimism.
- Delusion.
- Our needs as a writer.
- What the course tutor said.
- What those 'how to write a novel' books told us.
- What we think we see going on around us.
- How our peers are doing.

The truth, rarely spoken but commonly acknowledged - often in the presence of alcohol - is that no one really knows and there is no cast iron or solid gold guarantee. And while we may be frustrated by that and occasionally devastated, it also offers the possibility of possibility. 

Because sometimes our expectations can be exceeded.

Readers champion our books, publishers invest in our creativity and editors ask to see the full manuscript.

I know of which I speak. A little over a year ago I approached Joffe Books with one fully completed (novelists know there's a difference between completed and fully completed!) thriller. Thirteen months later I am busy on the fourth book in the series and there's every possibility (that word again) that a producer may read the first novel. It could all go south tomorrow or I could get a TV series. Those are the two extremes. Neither of them are real because they exist only in my head. What matters is how I behave in the light of those expectations.

Do I write?
Do I edit?
Do I submit material?

In the end, irrespective of what is or is not going on around us, we have very few actual choices. Maybe that's a good thing.

Authors & Books - Capital Crimes

How many of us have travelled into work or sipped our morning coffee at home, thinking about how we'd commit the perfect crime? Since Edgar Allan Poe's The Rue Morgue was first published in 1841 we've taken short crime fiction to our darkened hearts like no other genre. Revenge, justice, greed, power, madness, the thrill of it, a crime of passion, an unfortunate mistake or a matter of business - take your pick. 

Luckily, ten members of the International Thriller Writer’s Organisation have already done the thinking for you in Capital Crimes  - an exciting anthology of short stories with a foreword by internationally acclaimed novelist and best-selling author, Peter James. 

Links: 

http://endeavourpress.com/books/capital-crimes-by-douglas-stewart-charlie-flowers-and-others/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Capital-Crimes-Douglas-Stewart-ebook/dp/B019QSJFV6?tag=geolinker-21

It'd be a crime to miss out!

Information provided by my fellow ITW member, Charlie Cochrane.

Mysteries with a dash of slash, romances with just a pinch of spice. www.charliecochrane.co.uk

Guest spot - Out of Phase by Neil Roberts

As you know, I love doing author / writer interviews, especially when the genre is one I don't generally write for (never say never, right?). It's also a great way to get inside someone else's head without Thomas Bladen's surveillance skills. I was delighted, therefore, when Neil Roberts - a writer buddy and someone I know in the real world - agreed to do a blog interview. Sit back and enjoy...

1. What is it about short fiction that appeals to you?

The brevity.

Next question.

Just kidding, but it's still the brevity which appeals. Whenever I find a collection of short stories I always seek out the shortest ones to read first. They're like a little instant hit of flavour. Literary amuse-bouches, if you like. But that's as a reader, not an author. As an author it's a whole different story. As an author I like the discipline.

Unlike when I'm working on a novel I don't have the time in a short story to waste on needless world-building and interesting diversions. I have to stay focused on what I'm wanting to tell and stick to just that path, no matter how fascinating the opportunities to meander may be. It really does help you develop and tighten your writing style when you have to weigh up not just chapters of paragraphs but individual sentences and words, deciding whether they serve the story or are padding to be cut.

2. Who are your influences?

That's a complicated question, because there are many ways to be influenced creatively. The author who made me want to write (and to whom my first ever story was an homage) was HP Lovecraft. I'd encountered his work through the RPG Call of Cthulhu and gone on to devour his writing in short order. Unlike his contemporaries and antecedents (Poe for example) Lovecraft's work has aged remarkably well and I still find it influencing me today.

Looking at my book shelf Asimov has been an obvious influence too. I have a complete set of his early shorts and often find myself reading them again, and not just for nostalgia's sake. He paints a character with such deft strokes, outlining them in only a few words and creating rounded images with a rapidity I've not seen since Dickens (who could sum up an entire person simply by naming them).

The agent, publisher and anthologist Herbert van Thal was also an undoubted influence, despite never writing a word of fiction in his life. Through the 24 volumes of the Pan Books of Horror Stories for which he was responsible I was introduced to a world of ideas utterly alien to me, exposed to possibilities and peculiarities I'd never imagined could exist. Over the years I've managed to pick up most of the volumes he edited at charity shops and car-boot sales so that I now have an only marginally incomplete set of the books. One particular story - Pieces of Mary - is undoubtedly the single most influential piece I've ever read. It appeared in volume 12 of the series and - so legend has it - was written, edited and sent to print in just one day but Robert Ashley. If you ever see volume 12 grab it - it also contains a 14 line poem called The Instant Divorce which is simply flawless in execution and the wonderful Sergeant Lacey demonstrates how a revenge tale can be written. Truth be told the entire volume is worth more than just a casual read, and that's rare for an anthology. 

3. Tell us a little about how you got your stories published.

Social media and networking have been as big a boon to me as to any other writer. Without the Internet (the most amazing by-product of CERN's research and a paean to the benefits of unrestricted research) I'd never have been published, not just because I'd never have seen any of the submission calls to which I responded but also because I'd never have been able to respond to them on a budget. When I started sending out my work it was always printed out and posted off, never to be heard of again, and that ended up costing money which I simply didn't have. With the development of email it's become cheaper, faster and easier to rack up the rejections. And mark my words, rejections are what I've had and still receive in abundance.

On the plus side the Internet also meant I was published for the first time twice. Yes, I know that makes no sense, but stick with me. I had sent off two different stories to two separate publishers, neither of whom knew each other even existed yet alone that I had submitted to them. One was here in the UK, but the other was in the US (I'd never normally have known about them without t'Interweb) and the practical upshot was that I received acceptances from both publishers, each understanding that I was unpublished which, until they changed it, I was. Ironically the order in which the two stories were published was the reverse of that in which they were accepted.

A little about courtesy at this point. In the above the stories were different, but if you're sending out the same submission to multiple publishers or agents then tell them. My most recently published work was with two companies and as soon as one accepted it I informed the other that the piece was no longer available even though I'd not heard from them in several months. There was no objection from that second company and it actually prompted them to consider another of my pieces which will be coming soon to a bookshelf near you.

In short, always be as professional as you possibly can - as a writer (as in all walks of life) your reputation is vital.

4. What are you working on at the moment?

Nothing much. I've just finished a 60k novel which was pure hell to get out so I'm trying to put it out of my head. After a period of reworking it's currently with a reader or two so while its structurally complete there will be a final polish before I can finally call it done. Or as done as these things ever are.

However, while I'm not actually writing at the moment I am plotting and researching in preparation for a new project. Proper preparation definitely pays dividends in the long run, really it does. My first novel was under-planned and took eight years to finish. My second was planned, written and polished off in as many months. The third took a little longer in the plotting, but has still been finished in a matter of months, not years. Planning is even more important in writing short stories because of the limitations on word-count you'll inevitably encounter. If an editor says he has a 5,000 word limit he means it. If your story expands above that in the editing process then that's all very well and good, but until then treat any limitations imposed upon you with the same respect you would the word of God.

5. What are your greatest challenges when writing short fiction?

All writers have a legion of barriers to prevent them writing. Time is the big one, inspiration is another. And let's not forget the distractions that we can happily lose ourselves in (Douglas Adams once climbed a mountain to avoid writing - now that's what I call doing it like a boss).

I'm what I like to think of as a method-writer. Just as method-actors enclose themselves in their role so do I take on some of the drives and motivations of my characters while I write. Maybe it's a hangover from a life of playing RPGs, but for those creative hours I really do get in the head of each of my protagonists and antagonists, which means they also take up temporary residence in mine.

At first sight it's rather useful as by wrapping my head around their personalities it becomes obvious what they'd say or do, and that makes plotting and writing so much easier. But in other ways it's damned tough. Put aside the fact that some of my characters are thoroughly unpleasant individuals, I put almost all of them through hell, really I do. I've inflicted fates upon some that I'd only wish upon the very worst of my enemies, and that has taken a toll on occasion. I know it sounds ludicrous, but I've honestly felt guilt for hurting fictional people.

There's one particular character who I put through a series of unmitigated awfulness over the course of his character arc. I heap upon his narrow shoulders such trials and tribulations as would have broken Job's faith. Really. Okay, so he's not perfect, but he's no monster. As a person he has a few minor flaws, a few irritating personal characteristics, but nothing to deserve the dreadful experiences he endures at my hands. I know it's stupid and paradoxical, but I feel a palpable guilt for what I've done to him. He's fictional, a creation of my peculiarly individual mind, so why do I feel that I need to write him a happy ending, even if it never sees the light of day?

Hi. My name is Neil and I torture my creations. [cue "Hi, Neil"]

Unfortunately, while it may make me a cruel and malicious god, it's part and parcel of this particular writer's gig. Oh, but if any other writers out there feel the same way, please let me know - it's driving me crazy thinking I'm the only one!

6. Where can we find out more about your work?

I have a Twitter feed @WriterRoberts

If you feel the desire to find the books in which I've been published on Amazon then just search for "PN Roberts" in the book department. You'll find the anthologies Out of Phase, Slaughterhouse: vol 2 and Raus Untoten! all of which feature my work. And more is coming soon, including digital copies of individual stories which have reverted to my control as well as a few that have never before been published.

7. Can you recommend any short stories you return to, and tell us why?

Besides those mentioned above in my response to question 2 I must praise the collection of connected shorts written by George RR Martin and published as Tuff Voyaging. While he is best known for his work on the world of Westeros I would recommend ever single word of Tuff Voyaging as infinitely superior. I've read it before and will again. It's just that damned good.

Lovecraft's spellbinding The Outsider is also worth more than a casual mention. Despite knowing the twist in the end of that particular tail I never fail to delight in reading it. It's an exercise in the construction of tension and a tour de force creation of a sensitive and compelling protagonist for whom I still feel a genuine affection. I wish I'd written it.