Matt is one of many talented writers in my author network. I reached out to him to get his thoughts on the writing process and got some very interesting answers. Check out what he has to say.
What inspires your writing?
Two things: the books I’ve enjoyed and the pleasure of actually writing. Every book I write is an opportunity to get better as a writer and learn from my heroes.
What is your process of developing characters?
I don’t have a specific process and I don’t work out detailed personal histories for them. The story normally suggests the kinds of characters I need and shapes how they will act. Good characterisation is how your people act and speak. I’m not too concerned about how they look, but they must seem real in the world of the novel. Very often, a character will come alive in the exact moment that I start to write them. They sometimes don’t even have a name until they appear on the page. The context gives birth to them.
Did you start with a story outline or did you make it up as you went along?
I’ve written novels both ways. It makes sense for beginners learn plotting so they you can understand how novel structures work. It’s the biggest flaw in first books. When you start to understand the shape of novels, you can take start making up stories as you go.
How much research did you need for your latest story?
Every book is different. My novel about a nineteenth-century lighthouse (I AM THE SEA) needed about two months of detailed research, including investigations into mental health treatment and weather prediction in that century. The novel I wrote about travelling around Greece (A COLLAR FOR CERBERUS) was based on personal experience so I needed to check only a few small details as I was writing. My most recent book (still unpublished) was based in the Californian desert so I had to do some research about the climate, plant life and topography.
What research methods did you use?
Whatever is necessary and whatever is available. For my historical novels, I’ve used nineteenth-century digital newspaper archives, old books (real and scanned), old maps and also physical visits to places. Google Earth is great for visiting towns around the world and “walking” the streets there. Blogs are also useful. My most recent novel featured some characters whose life experience was very different to my own, so I read a few blogs by people who have that particular lifestyle.
What are some of your methods for handling world building and establishing a believable and immersive setting in your stories?
If I haven’t actually been to the places, then I rely on good research: photos, videos, maps, books etc. It’s important to avoid “info dumps” where you throw all of your research on to the page. Just describe the place as if you’re there and let the reader see it. Small details are important. It’s also essential to create a sensory impression: how things feel, sound, smell and taste. Is the air warm?
Did you draw on personal experience?
All writing comes from personal experience even if the book is set on Mars. Every writer is a combination of everything they have seen, felt and read.
How did your publish?
I sent my books to agents and publishers. The agents weren’t interested but the publishers were.
Why did you do it that way?
I’m interested only in traditional publication so there’s no other choice.
What advice would you have for writers looking to publish the way you published?
Learn how to write well! Publishers accept less than 1% of the books they receive each year so your writing needs to be quite professional. You need to be a better writer than anybody you know. If teachers and qualified people tell you that you’re a very good writer, you might have a chance. Anybody can self-publish – the standard is irrelevant.
How long did it take to land representation?
I’ve never had an agent. Agents are looking for books that will make the maximum money for them or that will make them famous. They are not interested in getting your book published if the advance is going to be only $1000 or if the book is going to sell a only a few hundred copies (i.e. most books). It’s not worth their time. I continue to submit to agents, but my experience is that smaller publishers are happy to publish good work without an agent involved.
Who did your cover and marketing?
In traditional publishing, the publisher does everything.
What are some of the methods you have used to generate interest in your book?
I’m not interested in that part. I do the writing and the publisher is responsible for the rest. I work in marketing and the truth is that most kinds of marketing don’t work very well. Only mass exposure (a movie, Netflix adaptation, Oprah Winfrey etc.) makes a real difference to book sales. Luck is also very important.
Did you use beta readers? How did you secure them?
I’ve never used them. I believe an author should know better than any reader if the book works. A writer’s job is to create an experience for the reader. You have to know more. If five readers tell you that they don’t like your book, does that mean you don’t know how to write? Or that the readers are wrong? Who decides? The person with most knowledge decides.
How many revisions did it take to get a publishable book?
None. All of my published books were first drafts. Of course, the publisher has an editor who reads the book and suggests changes, but the book has already been accepted for publication at that stage and you don’t have to accept the changes. They are suggestions only. I usually accept around 50% of suggested changes (repeated words, confusing detail etc)
What methods do you use to ensure your crime scenes are authentic, accurate and believable?
I’ve written only historical crime novels so I didn’t have to worry about forensics and procedure. I researched how crimes were solved historically through old newspapers.
What aspect of the book writing process did you find the most challenging?
The plot. Even after writing twenty books, creating a story over 100,000 words is still very difficult. Every chapter needs to have a strong purpose and the whole thing needs to move consistently. It doesn’t matter if you’re the best writer in the world, a book with a bad plot won’t be readable.
What are you writing now?
I’m not writing now. I’m waiting to hear if my last book will be published. If it is, I will write another in the same style. If not, I’ll write something different.
What is your advice to other writers?
Learn how to write. That’s not the same as “Just write.” If you don’t know the rules of punctuation, you’re not writing. If you don’t know how the position of clauses in a sentence affect a reader, you’re not writing. If you’re not studying other writers to learn their tricks and techniques, you’re not a writer. Too many people simply start writing without knowing the basics and their work is bad.
Be sure to Check out Matt’s latest book, “A Collar for Cerebus” here!
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